Mareks and chicks hatched under a broody

[dlagrave]

Hi all -

I have a first time broody (yay!!!

) with babies due around the 10th of March.

I also have chicks due to hatch from an incubator on the 2nd and purchased chicks due on the 3rd. Both of these are scheduled to be vaccinated for Marek's.

I have decided to buy vaccine and vaccinate my broody's babies as I know that the vaccinated chicks will be shedding live virus like crazy, and it will be almost impossible not to expose my hatched babies.

My question is, should I vaccinate the adult birds at the same time? None, to my knowledge, has been vaccinated. They are 5 - 10 months old right now. I know the vaccine is best for day-old chicks, but the adults will be exposed to the virus from the vaccinated babies anyway... if they can get any protection from vaccination, it seems like I should do it. It is not like I have to buy extra vaccine!

LOL.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Danielle in Utah

 

[MoodyChicken]

The vaccination is useless if the chicks are hatched under a hen. Vaccinating your older birds would have no effect either. Mareck's is transmitted by direct contact, if the eggs pip under the hen then they have been exposed. By vaccinating your chicks, you are giving them the harmless Turkey Marek's strain before they contract the harmful chicken Marek's strain. If you isolate your broody chicks very carefully you can vaccinate them with your ordered chicks and still have high success. They don't shed the virus until a few days after they're exposed I believe. You'd be safe to vaccinate them as one large group, assuming the broody chicks are moved to an incubator before they pip.