How important is the Marek's Disease Vaccination?

[leadwolf1]

Marek's vaccine does not make your chickens carriers. The only way a chicken is a carrier is if it has been exposed to the disease and survives.

If I vaccinate my chicks, am I putting my older non vaccinated birds at risk since they would be carriers? And no, mareks disease isn't treated by the medicated feed.

 

[ChickyBangBang]

*facepalm* so many (almost too many) things to learn in such a short time. I called our vet (whom we dearly love) and he said he would take our chicks and get them vaccinated with Merek's as well as two other shots he recommends (Pox and something else I can't recall). However, he work in a veterinarian office that is co-owned and co-inhabited with two other vets who are against having "fowl" in their office - so he can't help. He can't do it in-home either as it is against policy of the practice. I said "maybe it's time to find a new practice!"

...I guess my chicks are just S.O.L. as we are urbandwellers and there are no vets in the area who inoculate chicks or chickens...one practice I contacted didn't even know it existed. : facepalm:

 

[leadwolf1]

You need to purchase the vaccines online and give them yourself. That is what most of us do. Most vets do not carry the Marek's vaccine anyway. It isn't cost effective since once you reconstitute it, it only lasts for 1 hour. They would have to have 1000 chickens lined up and shoot quickly to be able to utilize the vaccine. Those of us who chose to vaccinate for Marek's, do so and then throw the rest away. It is a small price to pay for protection.

 

[ChickyBangBang]

Thanks for the information - can you direct me on where to purchase these vaccines and how to administer them?? The only thing I have ever "administered" was liquid stuff that I just had to put in the mouths of our dogs...I'd be afraid to kill the chick! Instructions and a source of where to get these, and how they are used and when..how much..what dosage, etc would be very much appreciated. I want to do what is best. Additionally, what exactly is NPIP and how do I go about doing that? Ugh..so many things I didn't know about beforehand. I know how to care for chickens (based on this board and books) but the specifics like vaccines and npip certification?? I don't have a clue. If I'm going to do this chicken 'thang' I want to do it RIGHT.

 

[tiki244]

www.JeffersLivestock.com

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/mdvac.htm

 

[ChickyBangBang]

Thank you very much!!

 

[tiki244]

Your Welcome!

 

[ChickAudie]

We are an all natural family, no vaccines for us or the kids or the dog, so we will not be getting our chickies vaxed.

Everybody is healthy and happy - whooping cough scares and all

and another thing is, I just believe that my Creator has plans. I don't want to interfear with those!! Be it chickens or people, there is no escaping heartache, so I don't run from it.

 

[leadwolf1]

We are an all natural family, no vaccines for us or the kids or the dog, so we will not be getting our chickies vaxed.

Everybody is healthy and happy - whooping cough scares and all

and another thing is, I just believe that my Creator has plans. I don't want to interfear with those!! Be it chickens or people, there is no escaping heartache, so I don't run from it.

Around here it is against the law, $300 fine, for not having your dog vaccinated against rabies. You are lucky to not have that problem where you are.

 

[seminolewind]

Cochins1088, The chicken you lost a few years ago sounds more like botulism because it was quicker than what Marek's would be.

When I hatched 10 chicks last year and lost one a week until all 10 were dead, that's when I realized that my flock had Marek's. All of my initial flock had been hatched by me or day olds from a hatchery. Except for one silkie show pullet. It only took one to expose all my chickens. If you are going to show your birds, I personally would have them vaccinated.

It's a race between the virus and the vaccine. Newborn chicks have to be vaccinated and super quarantined for 2-? weeks. I do 10 weeks. You do not want any chance of your chicks being exposed to others while they build their resistance from the vaccine.

There's no cure, no test, and sad death. I've cried over each chicken and they each had their own burial with a prayer.

If I hatch my own eggs from my own exposed flock, it seems that those chicks are fine . I would call that breeding for resistance.

The virus is spread by dander/dust from a chicken. It can live on your property for years.

I guess it's a personal choice. I would have gladly vaccinated all my birds from day 1 if I had known all the heartache, crying, and learning to euthanize was in the future.

The vaccination only protects against the cancer/tumors that kill the bird. It does not protect them from getting Marek's, or spreading Marek's.

And also, although the symptoms are written in many places, Marek's has no hard and fast rules. With the strains out there, the symptoms many times falls beyond what is written as specific symptoms.