I agree. I raise my birds in an organic way (not certified, of course... way too small to afford that) and vaccination at day one is still organic. Even according to the FDA.
Even if the breeder you got them from was breeding for resistance, unless the parent chickens were exposed to the virus, there is a chance it's not even the same strain as what your neighbor has. There are too many factors to even guess.
Anyhow, what's done is done. You can vaccinate the chicks now, though it will be less effective than if they had been vaccinated when they hatched. It cannot hurt them, though, so even if it only has a small chance of working, it might be worth a shot. It's your choice, of course. If they have been exposed already to the virus (such as it coming in on your clothing or shoes etc) then the vaccine won't do anything for them, and it is just a waiting game to see if any fall ill.
If you do not vaccinate, you may be very lucky and have none of your birds succumb, if they all build up a very healthy resistance to it. It is really important for you to know, though-- if your neighbor 100% confirmed has had Marek's in her flock or property anytime in the last few years, your chickens are close enough to be considered "exposed" and even if they never get sick will probably shed live Marek's virus their whole lives. Why is this important? Because it's would make selling or giving away birds irresponsible, you could spread it to others.
Because of this, it might be worth it to inquire how she found out about the Marek's disease. There are other things that look similar to Marek's and can be fatal, so knowing if it's Marek's or something else can really change your options!
And indeed as Haunted55 above me said, some birds will develop a resistance to it and survive. The virus is not 100% fatal 100% of the time. Sometimes it hits some flocks harder than others. Regarding your neighbor's remaining chickens... They may live long lives, or succumb later on. Months or years later, sometimes. Stress seems to weaken the immune system and allow the virus to do it's dirty work. You may or may not experience this with your own birds. There are just so many variables that it'd be hard to predict what will happen. The best thing you can do is read about Marek's disease as much as possible and make your decisions that way.
Even if the breeder you got them from was breeding for resistance, unless the parent chickens were exposed to the virus, there is a chance it's not even the same strain as what your neighbor has. There are too many factors to even guess.
Anyhow, what's done is done. You can vaccinate the chicks now, though it will be less effective than if they had been vaccinated when they hatched. It cannot hurt them, though, so even if it only has a small chance of working, it might be worth a shot. It's your choice, of course. If they have been exposed already to the virus (such as it coming in on your clothing or shoes etc) then the vaccine won't do anything for them, and it is just a waiting game to see if any fall ill.
If you do not vaccinate, you may be very lucky and have none of your birds succumb, if they all build up a very healthy resistance to it. It is really important for you to know, though-- if your neighbor 100% confirmed has had Marek's in her flock or property anytime in the last few years, your chickens are close enough to be considered "exposed" and even if they never get sick will probably shed live Marek's virus their whole lives. Why is this important? Because it's would make selling or giving away birds irresponsible, you could spread it to others.
Because of this, it might be worth it to inquire how she found out about the Marek's disease. There are other things that look similar to Marek's and can be fatal, so knowing if it's Marek's or something else can really change your options!
And indeed as Haunted55 above me said, some birds will develop a resistance to it and survive. The virus is not 100% fatal 100% of the time. Sometimes it hits some flocks harder than others. Regarding your neighbor's remaining chickens... They may live long lives, or succumb later on. Months or years later, sometimes. Stress seems to weaken the immune system and allow the virus to do it's dirty work. You may or may not experience this with your own birds. There are just so many variables that it'd be hard to predict what will happen. The best thing you can do is read about Marek's disease as much as possible and make your decisions that way.
