I have some questions about Marek's disease and Laryngotracheitis and their vaccines.

[ozexpat]

is it possible to get eggs from the breeders?

 

[cochins1088]

is it possible to get eggs from the breeders?

I'm going to ask breeder 1 about that possibility tonight, but I'm assuming no.

Nearly all of the top breeders that I've contacted refuse to sell eggs or chicks. They hatch everything themselves and raise the birds to determine quality before selling them.

 

[ozexpat]

I'm going to ask breeder 1 about that possibility tonight, but I'm assuming no.

Nearly all of the top breeders that I've contacted refuse to sell eggs or chicks. They hatch everything themselves and raise the birds to determine quality before selling them.

oh well, it was a thought.

this is a great thread coch. i look forward to seeing your decision making process each day as well as other's thoughts

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:

So do you recommend that I vaccinate my flock before bringing new birds in? Both young and old?

I don't feel that chickens that are older get anything from the vaccine. I would certainly either get day old chicks vaccinated at the hatchery, or hatch them yourself and vaccinate . The vaccine provides a "safe" exposure so the chick starts building antibodies. But it has to be before they get a real exposure to a carrier.

 

[cochins1088]

Quote:
Breeder 1 said that he usually doesn't sell hatching eggs, but that he'd make an exception for me.

 

[cochins1088]

I'm still going to contact a few other breeders in hopes of finding a grown pair that will fit into my flock. Than I could bring together 2 different SQ bloodlines rather than inbreeding.

 

[rbaker0345]

Hey, I'm here. I found you.

I see your plight and its the same plight that i have been through just in reverse order. I say get the birds. Mareks and ILT are everywhere and if they used the tissue culture vaccine, you're on better footing.

Keep them in quarantine for at least 45 days, feed them after you feed everyone else and then change clothes and shoes or, even better, wear those disposable painters booties, they're a must have if you're building a breeding stock. On the subject of permits, you do need a permit to vaccinate for ILT, but not for Mareks and the permits can be obtained for free from your state vet (who you pay taxes to have at your beck and call).

I recommend that you vaccinate the whole flock for mareks and ILT, even if the birds are carriers and they do shed, the "domesticated" form of the vaccine is so much more "domestic" than the wild form. But I will see if we can get together and wrangle some recombinant vaccine which will make things so much easier. I just wish that Merck would make it easier for all of us to get our hands on the recomb vac. My local rep discouraged me from trying to get it by saying that it was so expensive per bird, but he's in a big production mind-set where $17 per bird is expensive, he doesn't understand how much showbird breeders put into our flocks. We have birds that are worth $50 each, whats another $17? My poultry vet says that it is absolutely imperative that all backyard flock owners vaccinate for mareks and ILT because they are so ubiquitous. I will talk to her about the permit and the vaccine. She is just so busy, it may take awhile.

I will keep up with this thread and anyone who has questions about treating for ILT, please just ask me. I have had a crash course in treating and vaccinating for it.

 

[rbaker0345]

P.S. just a little factoid to quell the hysteria: neither ILT nor Mareks are communicable through the egg and neither effect waterfowl (I know that ILT is not a worry with turkeys, but not sure about Mareks). The ILT virus is dead as soon as it dessicates and exposure to even a mild bleach or lysol (pine sol) solution kills the virus in about 15 seconds. Plus, ILT moves very slowly through the flock, so vaccinating once you have your first sick bird can stop or lessen the severity of infection.

I know that after posting this I'm going to catch a lot of hysteria and nobody is going to want to swap eggs with me because of it, but so be it. People need to know the facts about it. These facts can also be supported by calling your state vet, they are really nice people and if you don't get a nice person at your state vet, you can call my state vet and if you don't get treated well there, you can PM me and I will give you the phone number of my NPIP worker who is awesomely nice and helpful.

 

[cochins1088]

Thanks for posting!

I'm still trying to do a bit or research of my own, but if this vaccine will protect against Marek's disease and provide protection from ILT without causing birds to become carriers, than it seems like the best option.

Do you know whether or not older birds can be vaccinated with this vaccine as well? or must it be given at one day of age?

 

[Nambroth]

P.S. just a little factoid to quell the hysteria: neither ILT nor Mareks are communicable through the egg and neither effect waterfowl (I know that ILT is not a worry with turkeys, but not sure about Mareks). The ILT virus is dead as soon as it dessicates and exposure to even a mild bleach or lysol (pine sol) solution kills the virus in about 15 seconds. Plus, ILT moves very slowly through the flock, so vaccinating once you have your first sick bird can stop or lessen the severity of infection.

I know that after posting this I'm going to catch a lot of hysteria and nobody is going to want to swap eggs with me because of it, but so be it. People need to know the facts about it. These facts can also be supported by calling your state vet, they are really nice people and if you don't get a nice person at your state vet, you can call my state vet and if you don't get treated well there, you can PM me and I will give you the phone number of my NPIP worker who is awesomely nice and helpful.

No hysteria from me-- that's absolutely right. Merek's cannot be passed vertically-- that is, through the egg.