Marek’s vaccine dilemma

[Melodychick]

This weekend I lost a hen to what I now suspect was Mareks. She was an older hen and had recently had a run in with a hawk but only lost a few feathers. A few weeks after, she was lame and when I picked her up to check her foot/leg, I noticed she was emaciated. I immediately separated her and she died a couple days later. All other birds (15) appear to be fine. It wasn’t until later I realized that a hen last July had similar symptoms. She was also older at 9 years and due to her age I didn’t think anything of her passing. My problem now is that I have chicks ordered to be delivered the last week of April. When I spoke to the people at Ideal Poultry i was told that I can have them vaccinated, and I will, but she seemed to say that any other chicks I ever get must also be vaccinated because once you vaccinate you must always vaccinate. From their website:

MAREK’S DISEASE VACCINATION: .20 per chick. IDEAL recommends that you vaccinate your flock only if you are mixing young and mature poultry, have ever been diagnosed with Marek’s Disease, or have ever had any chickens vaccinated for Marek's Disease live on your property. If you do not meet any of the criteria listed previously we do not recommend introducing Marek’s Disease to your property. The vaccine used is a live virus vaccine.

This isn’t a problem for me since I suspect Mareks is in my flock, but some of the chicks in my order are going to friends and they are also buying chicks from the feed store that are not vaccinated. I guess this is a long way to ask if these unvaccinated chicks would be at risk from the vaccinated ones? What about their unvaccinated hens, or mine for that matter if it wasn’t Mareks that my hen died from? Does the vaccine introduce Marek‘s to your property like the Ideal website claims? TIA

 

[JacinLarkwell]

This weekend I lost a hen to what I now suspect was Mareks. She was an older hen and had recently had a run in with a hawk but only lost a few feathers. A few weeks after, she was lame and when I picked her up to check her foot/leg, I noticed she was emaciated. I immediately separated her and she died a couple days later. All other birds (15) appear to be fine. It wasn’t until later I realized that a hen last July had similar symptoms. She was also older at 9 years and due to her age I didn’t think anything of her passing. My problem now is that I have chicks ordered to be delivered the last week of April. When I spoke to the people at Ideal Poultry i was told that I can have them vaccinated, and I will, but she seemed to say that any other chicks I ever get must also be vaccinated because once you vaccinate you must always vaccinate. From their website:

MAREK’S DISEASE VACCINATION: .20 per chick. IDEAL recommends that you vaccinate your flock only if you are mixing young and mature poultry, have ever been diagnosed with Marek’s Disease, or have ever had any chickens vaccinated for Marek's Disease live on your property. If you do not meet any of the criteria listed previously we do not recommend introducing Marek’s Disease to your property. The vaccine used is a live virus vaccine.

This isn’t a problem for me since I suspect Mareks is in my flock, but some of the chicks in my order are going to friends and they are also buying chicks from the feed store that are not vaccinated. I guess this is a long way to ask if these unvaccinated chicks would be at risk from the vaccinated ones? What about their unvaccinated hens, or mine for that matter if it wasn’t Mareks that my hen died from? Does the vaccine introduce Marek‘s to your property like the Ideal website claims? TIA

The vaccine does not give birds mareks. It just allows birds that are vaccinated to continue living with the disease and spread it far longer because it isn't killing them

 

[lisa69]

This weekend I lost a hen to what I now suspect was Mareks. She was an older hen and had recently had a run in with a hawk but only lost a few feathers. A few weeks after, she was lame and when I picked her up to check her foot/leg, I noticed she was emaciated. I immediately separated her and she died a couple days later. All other birds (15) appear to be fine. It wasn’t until later I realized that a hen last July had similar symptoms. She was also older at 9 years and due to her age I didn’t think anything of her passing. My problem now is that I have chicks ordered to be delivered the last week of April. When I spoke to the people at Ideal Poultry i was told that I can have them vaccinated, and I will, but she seemed to say that any other chicks I ever get must also be vaccinated because once you vaccinate you must always vaccinate. From their website:

MAREK’S DISEASE VACCINATION: .20 per chick. IDEAL recommends that you vaccinate your flock only if you are mixing young and mature poultry, have ever been diagnosed with Marek’s Disease, or have ever had any chickens vaccinated for Marek's Disease live on your property. If you do not meet any of the criteria listed previously we do not recommend introducing Marek’s Disease to your property. The vaccine used is a live virus vaccine.

This isn’t a problem for me since I suspect Mareks is in my flock, but some of the chicks in my order are going to friends and they are also buying chicks from the feed store that are not vaccinated. I guess this is a long way to ask if these unvaccinated chicks would be at risk from the vaccinated ones? What about their unvaccinated hens, or mine for that matter if it wasn’t Mareks that my hen died from? Does the vaccine introduce Marek‘s to your property like the Ideal website claims? TIA

No bird will get Mariks from the vaccine. Your chicks will very likely get Mariks from your flock if not vaccinated.

 

[Tsnn]

Honestly go ahead and get all the chicks vaccinated. It gives them a fighting chance to live. My poor winter was not vaccinated and now has maerks. If the people I got her from vaccinated her. I would not be crying over my under year old chick being sick.

 

[ZeiaZeia]

Wait what am I reading? Vaccines can and DO spread disease it’s called viral shedding. Ideal knows exactly what they are talking about. I am a registered nurse as well as a poultry lover. All vaccinations do risk spreading the virus. Vaccinate yours and if you vaccinate your friends then they will have to vaccinate their future stock.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Wait what am I reading? Vaccines can and DO spread disease it’s called viral shedding. Ideal knows exactly what they are talking about. I am a registered nurse as well as a poultry lover. All vaccinations do risk spreading the virus. Vaccinate yours and if you vaccinate your friends then they will have to vaccinate their future stock.

They only spread it if the bird has it. The vaccine doesn't prevent them from getting sick, it just prevents them from dying

 

[ZeiaZeia]

They only spread it if the bird has it. The vaccine doesn't prevent them from getting sick, it just prevents them from dying

The vaccine gives them a weakened form of the disease. Once vaccinated the bird has Marek’s and they will continue to shed the virus into their environment but they have antibodies to protect them from succumbing to death from the disease.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The vaccine gives them a weakened form of the disease. Once vaccinated the bird has Marek’s and they will continue to shed the virus into their environment but they have antibodies to protect them from succumbing to death from the disease.

Chicken vaccines Contain turkey mareks.

Plus considering my flock is a mixture of vaccinated and unvaccinated, I would fully expect to be losing birds if the vaccinated ones spread mareks

 

[ZeiaZeia]

Chicken vaccines Contain turkey mareks.

Plus considering my flock is a mixture of vaccinated and unvaccinated, I would fully expect to be losing birds if the vaccinated ones spread mareks

This is why Marek’s vaccine is called a “leaky” vaccine it is well known and documented to spread Marek’s into the environment but not all birds succumb to it generally it’s only juveniles under 20 weeks of age.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

This is why Marek’s vaccine is called a “leaky” vaccine it is well known and documented to spread Marek’s into the environment but not all birds succumb to it generally it’s only juveniles under 20 weeks of age.

The vaccine itself doesn’t spread the disease, but it does not stop vaccinated birds from carrying or spreading the disease. It isn’t full proof in preventing birds from developing symptoms either. It is how Mareks has become so widespread, for birds that would have previously died, now stay living shedding their infected dander and spreading it to other birds.