Do my chicks need the marek's vaccination?

[undine]

Do they really need it? What are the Pros and Cons of it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are a ton of threads on here covering this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/689569/do-your-baby-chicks-really-need-mareks-vaccination

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/737464/mareks-diease#post_10296921

I've never vaccinated. It's a personal choice.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no idea if yours need it. Do you have Marek’s in your flock? How prevalent is Marek’s in your area?

Before I got my first chicks after moving here, I called my county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, to talk about what diseases were prevalent in this area. He put me in touch with a local expert on chicken diseases. I found out there had been one reported case of Marek’s in my county in the past two years. I did not consider that enough to pay the $10 the Marek’s vaccination would cost me. I got 5 more chicks instead.

The vaccine they use for Marek’s is not chicken Marek’s, it’s turkey Marek’s. It does not prevent them from getting Marek’s. It stops the lesions from growing that cause the problems. So if they are vaccinated, they can still catch Marek’s and give that to other chickens, but they won’t show any signs or suffer any problems themselves.

I don’t know of any reason to not get them vaccinated, other than cost. It won’t hurt them. It will not make them carriers where they will infect other chickens. They cannot pass that turkey Marek’s on to any other chickens.

So the only pro I can think of is that if they catch Marek’s they won’t be hurt by it.

The only con I can think of, other than cost, is that you won’t know if they have Marek’s and might infect other chickens.

As far as I am concerned, this is pure personal choice unless you have a history of Marek’s. Then it becomes really important. Once Marek's is in your flock, it is always there.

 

[undine]

I have no idea if yours need it. Do you have Marek’s in your flock? How prevalent is Marek’s in your area?

Before I got my first chicks after moving here, I called my county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, to talk about what diseases were prevalent in this area. He put me in touch with a local expert on chicken diseases. I found out there had been one reported case of Marek’s in my county in the past two years. I did not consider that enough to pay the $10 the Marek’s vaccination would cost me. I got 5 more chicks instead.

The vaccine they use for Marek’s is not chicken Marek’s, it’s turkey Marek’s. It does not prevent them from getting Marek’s. It stops the lesions from growing that cause the problems. So if they are vaccinated, they can still catch Marek’s and give that to other chickens, but they won’t show any signs or suffer any problems themselves.

I don’t know of any reason to not get them vaccinated, other than cost. It won’t hurt them. It will not make them carriers where they will infect other chickens. They cannot pass that turkey Marek’s on to any other chickens.

So the only pro I can think of is that if they catch Marek’s they won’t be hurt by it.

The only con I can think of, other than cost, is that you won’t know if they have Marek’s and might infect other chickens.

As far as I am concerned, this is pure personal choice unless you have a history of Marek’s. Then it becomes really important. Once Marek's is in your flock, it is always there.

Theyre for my small flock of chicks that are coming on tuesday Well i dont know if you would consider 10 baby chicks a small flock.. but yea haha OH and also.. does getting the vaccination affect their eggs in anyway? As in is it still safe to eat?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The vaccine does not affect he eggs in any way.