Do ducks get mereks?

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you a great in depth amount of information and to know that ducks cannot get Mareks is a great relief. @J99

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’m sorry about the Marek’s in your flock - that was a difficult thing for us to learn and we lost some of our favorite birds. We have a pretty bad strain of Marek’s and have chickens, ducks, and guineas. So far, only the unvaccinated chickens (chicks, juveniles, point of lay, and adults) have shown signs of the disease.

Discovering that we have Marek’s in our flock has changed things for us in that we can’t sell chicks or rehome cockerels. We have bought vaccinated chicks (Rispens vaccine, which is the most effective) and immediately introduced to a broody as an experiment. Those chicks are now POL pullets and still doing well. We’ve also vaccinated eggs and let broodys hatch and raise those chicks. So far those have done well also.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sorry about your flock, but great news it looks good for your chicks growing up since vaccination has been done.

 

[seminolewind]

so your flock got it
What did you do?
I’m uncertain of my road from here , I guess I wait and see who will die and who I’ll end up left with that are just carriers , then forever buy babies from hatcheries and have them vaccinated ???
I hate this

I hate it too. Yes all my chicks are vaccinated at the hatchery. If I hatch I do the vaccine myself. Either way I quarantine strictly for 3-6 weeks. Marek's is breed specific. Turkeys are carriers but can't give a chicken Marek's. However turkey Marek's virus is actually used in some vaccines because the exposure to it does create resistance in a chick.

The other bad thing about a chicken being exposed and a carrier is that they can be very susceptible to any ailments due to a suppressed immune system. So even if an adult bird can get coccidiosis or die from some bacterial ailment like e. coli. So I'm not afraid to give antibiotics and an anticoccidial right away.

There is life after Marek's. You just have to be more careful about birds coming in or leaving.

Casportpony, do not discount your knowledge of Marek's. You know a lot about everything and you are my #1 go-to person!