How important is the Marek's Disease Vaccination?

[centrarchid]

I breed my own birds and incur some losses Mareks each year. Effected birds being culled. Long-term I suspect vulnerabilty of flock will decrease. If you get birds from someone else and Mareks consistently a problem then use vaccine.

 

[cochins1088]

If you haven't seen Marek's, you have no idea of the heartache involved in watching your flock die and there's nothing you can do. Once they have it, that's it. I lost over 60 birds this year and counting. My advise? Check some of the other threads on BYC dealing with "Mysterious Illness" and Marek's.

I just spent $244.22 on Marek's, Fowl Pox, MG, Newcastle-Bronchitis, and Coryza vaccines. Crazy huh? It's worth it to me after this last year. Did you know that some of these diseases can be passed to you and your family? Seriously, how would you feel? But please, don't take my word for it, do your own research and see what you find. And who knows.....you may be one of the lucky few that never have any of these show up in your flock. Is it really worth that chance though? The Marek's vaccine is $16.00 most places if you vaccinate yourself. Educate yourself so YOU can make an informed decision.

I have done tons of research, like I think I've been on the computer looking up that particular subject for at least 3hours. Each disease sounds horrible, but I have never been affected and it adds up fast. Some of the vaccines actually say not to bother if you haven't had a porblem in the past like the Fowl Pox one. I'm thinking of doing Marek's, Fowl Pox and Newcastle-Bronchitis. Now I'm reading up on Coryza, and am thinking that one too. I found one site that listed most vaccines available for chickens and what they treat and I picked out what I thought was the most important. I would be treating 16 chicks at the very max (thats how many eggs I will be reicieving) so more than likely a lot less. So I would have tons of extra vaccine if I bought them all. Could some of them be used on my adult birds as well? Some are well over 4 years old but if I have the extra and if it helps. Also, I know some of them aren't for day old bids, but the ones that are, would it be overkill? Since it's the live virus, they have to fight it to produce antibodies. Would treating for 3 diseases or even 2at the same time be too much for them to handle? These were expensive eggs, so I don't want to lose a single chick. Also where do you did you get your vaccines? And if you ahd to pick the 2 most important vaccines, which would they be. Thanks, and sorry about all the questions.


I did have one pullet 2 years ago in which her legs became paralyzed and she had labored breathing, I separted her right away and offered her food and water praying that she would survive, but she died the next day, thinking about it now, It kinda sounds like mareks disease but it didn't spread to my other birds and it sounds very contagious.

 

[Haunted55]

I have done tons of research, like I think I've been on the computer looking up that particular subject for at least 3hours. Each disease sounds horrible, but I have never been affected and it adds up fast. Some of the vaccines actually say not to bother if you haven't had a porblem in the past like the Fowl Pox one. I'm thinking of doing Marek's, Fowl Pox and Newcastle-Bronchitis. Now I'm reading up on Coryza, and am thinking that one too. I found one site that listed most vaccines available for chickens and what they treat and I picked out what I thought was the most important. I would be treating 16 chicks at the very max (thats how many eggs I will be reicieving) so more than likely a lot less. So I would have tons of extra vaccine if I bought them all. Could some of them be used on my adult birds as well? Some are well over 4 years old but if I have the extra and if it helps. Also, I know some of them aren't for day old bids, but the ones that are, would it be overkill? Since it's the live virus, they have to fight it to produce antibodies. Would treating for 3 diseases or even 2at the same time be too much for them to handle? These were expensive eggs, so I don't want to lose a single chick. Also where do you did you get your vaccines? And if you ahd to pick the 2 most important vaccines, which would they be. Thanks, and sorry about all the questions.


I did have one pullet 2 years ago in which her legs became paralyzed and she had labored breathing, I separted her right away and offered her food and water praying that she would survive, but she died the next day, thinking about it now, It kinda sounds like mareks disease but it didn't spread to my other birds and it sounds very contagious.

I use Jeffers for my vaccines. Unfortunately, from what I hear of the Marek's vaccine, it is a one time shot. The other's, I've been told by a couple of experts that you can save them until the expiration date on the bottle IF you use a new needle each time you extract the dose from the bottle. Some will need to be mixed but if you only take out what you need from both bottles and make sure the tops are sterile when you are done you can cover and save. Each dose has to be in a NEW needle, not a new needle to inject them all.

For me, the most important are the Marek's, Newcastle-Bronchitis [this one can be passed to humans] and Fowl Pox. The one for MG mycoplasma gallisepticum is very pricey but this can be passed to humans, as can Coryza.

Most of these vaccines will tell you when to administer. Some say 1 day others say later. I asked about giving them, the ones that can be done at 1 day, and if there would be adverse effects and was told no there wouldn't be as long as each one was given with a seperate needle and not mixed together. When they are ready to come out of the incubator, and I would wait until all have hatched, administer the Marek's first. Especially if you had a bird died with paralysis in the past. If you're not sure if it was Marek's, I wouldn't take a chance.

Now I have been reading up on Marek's for months now. Am I an expert? Far from it, believe me. The more I read, the less I know. And the more I see in my own flock, the more questions come up with the literature I have found on Marek's. There are so many people here on BYC much more knowledgable than myself. Leadwolf1 comes to mind right quick, but there are other as well. Look them up and listen. These people are not only living it, they have backgrounds that allow them to do what we cannot. What I have been told by an poultry expert is that not all birds are going to get Marek's. From my humble understanding, this could mean that the birds have already been exposed, offspring of already exposed birds. Do I know this for sure? Nope, but it does bring up the question of where they built up an immunity to the disease.

One more point, if your birds did get Marek's, they also seem to get a whole host of others as well. Coccidiosis, respiratory problems, you name it, they can get it because they are weak. Treating those adds up as well.

 

[Haunted55]

I breed my own birds and incur some losses Mareks each year. Effected birds being culled. Long-term I suspect vulnerabilty of flock will decrease. If you get birds from someone else and Mareks consistently a problem then use vaccine.

Other's have said this as well and I hope you all are right. One problem I have been talking to others about is the disease mutating. If this is true and the evidence seems to support it, it may take quite a while to get a flock that can thrive with Marek's in it.

 

[centrarchid]

Other's have said this as well and I hope you all are right. One problem I have been talking to others about is the disease mutating. If this is true and the evidence seems to support it, it may take quite a while to get a flock that can thrive with Marek's in it.

That is classical evolution of parasite and host and par for future course so long as I can help it. Mareks virus comes up with an innovation and bird population evolves to counter. My line has been doing this for hundreds if not thousands of years without human intervation involving vaccines. Reliance upon vaccines in long-term is more likely a long-term threat to bird populations so treated. Too many assume such treatment of flocks will always occur. Imagine for some reason vaccines for Mareks are off market for a couple years. How do you think the previously vaccinated flocks will fair relative to those like mine that have been operating under the selective pressure of Mareks all along. This is one of the almost magical differences between games and the babied breeds / lines.

 

[TNBlacktails]

Ive just started @ byc and chicken raising and hatching myself and I knew nothing of any diseases I knew there had to be some but it just never crossed my mind.

 

[cochins1088]

I just don't know what to do... They all sound so important, but I can't afford them all. I'm thinking Mareks disease fo sure, but what about the other ones? Are there high risks of certain diseases if bringing them to shows? Also, if these are live viruses, would me vaccinating the chicks in any way harm the older birds?

 

[Going Quackers]

I can only share what i did and my circumstances by no means am i advocating a certain way of going, now that all out of the way lol.. I chose not too. My 4 little balls of fluff are they only chickens on the farm, they are not shown, nor do i show birds period. My flock is closed. I did a lengthy talk with the gentleman i purchased my birds from, he is a vet tech so isn't without knowledge he felt i was fine not too.

My chicks i guess.. now adults? or close too lol are 3mths old and thriving. I really think each person needs to research and discuss their options, I don't think there is a one size fits all answer.. you will hear both pros and cons and various results using either path(vaxed or not)

Good luck!

 

[centrarchid]

I can only share what i did and my circumstances by no means am i advocating a certain way of going, now that all out of the way lol.. I chose not too. My 4 little balls of fluff are they only chickens on the farm, they are not shown, nor do i show birds period. My flock is closed. I did a lengthy talk with the gentleman i purchased my birds from, he is a vet tech so isn't without knowledge he felt i was fine not too.

My chicks i guess.. now adults? or close too lol are 3mths old and thriving. I really think each person needs to research and discuss their options, I don't think there is a one size fits all answer.. you will hear both pros and cons and various results using either path(vaxed or not)

Good luck!

Mareks is not coming only from exposure to infected chickens. Something else, possibly migratory songbirds or wild game birds are a vector. Keeping other poultry off and not showing may not protect as much as you like.

 

[cochins1088]

Ok, so I just read some information that confuses me. A couple people say that it won't prevent Mareks, just the symptons, and if you vaccinate then they will be carriers for life. My other chickens aren't vaccinated so I wouldn't want them to catch the disease from the vaccinated chickens. Also I read it affects chicks and pullets because they haven't developed and imunity, so does that mean my older chickens are naturally immune, even though they haven't experienced the disease? All I'm worried about is bringing them to shows, I don't want them affected by other birds there and then bring them back and up up with a diseased flock. I want to vaccinate so that they will be safe from harm, but if that means they have to be carriers for life posibily affected other chickens at shows, then I wouldn't want to. What do you guys think? Particulary on the first 2 questions because I have read information going bother ways, and I'm farily lost.