Marek's disease

[3littlechickies]

I just got three baby chicks all around a week old and they are not vaccinated for Marek's. I found out it is spread through dandruff from their feather follicles. So are all dandruff pieces infected/carriers for the disease? Is it true that Marek's infects about sixty percent of birds that are not vaccinated? Do you have any tips to try and prevent it?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

The Marek's virus is all around. It can be spread by anything (clothes, dust, equipment, etc.) What you probably read was referring to birds that are infected shedding the virus through dandruff from their follicles, which is true. I don't know the percentage affected, but I can tell you there is a vaccine for it. However, it must be administered the day they hatch and kept in isolation for 3 weeks, otherwise the vaccine will have no effect in producing the necessary antibodies before the chick is exposed to the virus. At this point, it's too late to vaccinate your chicks. The only thing you can do is make sure they are stress free as possible.

 

[3littlechickies]

Thank you very much!

 

[seminolewind]

If they are from a hatchery and you don't have other chicks, I myself would get the vaccine and vaccinate them. The vaccine only works if they have never been in contact with another bird or bird area. There would be a good chance that they have not yet been exposed. Aside from that, if you don't vaccinate them, I would be very careful where I get more birds from. Either hatch them yourself, or get them as day olds from a hatchery, and vaccinate them or have the hatchery do it.