Lets Talk about Mareks

[LilyD]

I recently had a scare when one of my Chocolate Mottled Orpingtons went suddenly lame and started doing very poorly.

I did end up sending her off to get tested for the most common poultry issues and she came back as fine so it was an injury as I had thought, but it definitely got me thinking about the potential need for vaccination. I have since noticed a lot of postings on my states poultry page saying people are vaccinating for Mareks and Coccidiosis in their chicks.

I thought I would ask here since there are so many people who know a lot about poultry. How many of you do vaccinate and did you have birds that were unvaccinated before you started the vaccinations? Did your other birds get sick?

I do on occasion sell chicks and eggs at our local Poultry Swaps so that is another concern is there a possibility if I vaccinate that my birds could make another persons birds sick?

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

I recently had a scare when one of my Chocolate Mottled Orpingtons went suddenly lame and started doing very poorly.

I did end up sending her off to get tested for the most common poultry issues and she came back as fine so it was an injury as I had thought, but it definitely got me thinking about the potential need for vaccination. I have since noticed a lot of postings on my states poultry page saying people are vaccinating for Mareks and Coccidiosis in their chicks.

I thought I would ask here since there are so many people who know a lot about poultry. How many of you do vaccinate and did you have birds that were unvaccinated before you started the vaccinations? Did your other birds get sick?

I do on occasion sell chicks and eggs at our local Poultry Swaps so that is another concern is there a possibility if I vaccinate that my birds could make another persons birds sick?

Hi!
I had a recent encounter very similar to yours. My Speckled Sussex hen(9months old)all of a sudden went lame and was laying down a lot, I was sure it was Mareks. I isolated her for a day, and she totally recovered. She and her whole original flock were vaccinated for Mareks and Coccidiosis.
Now, I have three Golden Comets in with them as well that came from another flock, I didn't buy them from a hatchery and I don't think they were vaccinated. That being said, I've never had a case of either diseases.
But, I always vaccinate even though it's possible for them to contract the disease despite recieving the vaccine.
It is possible for vaccinated birds to be carriers, and Mareks spreads through dander. So, it is possible you could spread it through eggs, but I've never encountered that problem.

 

[LilyD]

I currently have 4 birds all orpingtons but I have 11 in the incubator that will be hatching. So I am considering it but not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I know that birds with Mareks can't be born out of the egg that way they would have to be exposed after hatching but if I vaccinate my young ones at one day would I potentially be killing my 4 older birds since they aren't vaccinated?

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

I currently have 4 birds all orpingtons but I have 11 in the incubator that will be hatching. So I am considering it but not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I know that birds with Mareks can't be born out of the egg that way they would have to be exposed after hatching but if I vaccinate my young ones at one day would I potentially be killing my 4 older birds since they aren't vaccinated?

What is it that makes you worry you will kill the 4 older ones by vaccinating your chicks? I don't really see anyway it would harm either of the sets, I think they'd all be perfectly fine. I would vaccinate, because it seems that Mareks is increasingly rearing its head in backyard flocks.

 

[LilyD]

I read where it says that vaccinating chicks with the Mareks vaccination can not prevent them from getting Mareks. It's like the flu vaccine and you can still get it and pass it on to other birds but the chicks that are vaccinated don't show any signs of the disease themselves so you would never know they are carrying it until your other birds are all infected and symptomatic.

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

I read where it says that vaccinating chicks with the Mareks vaccination can not prevent them from getting Mareks. It's like the flu vaccine and you can still get it and pass it on to other birds but the chicks that are vaccinated don't show any signs of the disease themselves so you would never know they are carrying it until your other birds are all infected and symptomatic.

Yes, exactly. I figure as long as I keep them clean, give them enough space, and food they should be fine. I guess it's just a gamble, because your vaccinated ones could come down with it too, and once you realize they have, it the others may very well have it also. If you're very worried and don't feel like taking the chance, you could keep the flocks housing separate indefinitely or possibly cull the 4 older ones.

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

Also, I don't know if you free range, but I read that free ranging hens are less likely to contract Mareks because they're slowly exposed to the virus throughout time. So, that's an interesting tidbit aswell.

 

[LilyD]

Also, I don't know if you free range, but I read that free ranging hens are less likely to contract Mareks because they're slowly exposed to the virus throughout time. So, that's an interesting tidbit aswell.

I do my flock free ranges all the time even in winter.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

There was a really big thread on this recently with a lot of info on it;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vaccinate-or-not.1344645/Also you might wanna read this;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[LilyD]

There was a really big thread on this recently with a lot of info on it;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vaccinate-or-not.1344645/Also you might wanna read this;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Thank you I have read through the second article but hadn't seen the newer post. I am hearing locally from other poultry providers that the agricultural boards are actually recommending now that everyone gets the vaccine for their birds but I also hear from others about birds that end up contracting a much more deadly version or mareks because there are vaccinated birds and unvaccinated together.