Mareks Vaccination good or bad for chicks

[Cherlyn]

Good on you for looking into it!

~Cherlyn

 

[wyliefarms]

The workshop I just attended at Michigan State University said to vaccinate for Marek's Disease. That was the only one he said to get.

The presentation had pictures of chickens that had it. It can occur in chicks but he had some that were older, one was 3 years old. It sounds like it spread quickly in the flock and has a high mortality rate, since the chicken is not able to walk and get to food and water.

Good luck on your decision.

Sarah

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Wynette asks an excellent question. Does anyone know for sure if vaccinated birds continue to shed the virus? I am always wanting to learn.

 

[Wynette]

I believe, but am not 100% sure, that the Marek's virus is a killed virus, which I THINK means they cannot shed it. But, I'd really like to know for sure, too. I know horsejody knows a ton about this - hoping she gets back on & replies!! Where are you, Jody?

 

[wyliefarms]

I don't think they do. The one vaccine that was talked about at MSU was Infectious Laryngotracheitis.

Once vaccinated for IA the chicken will carry the virus for life and can cause disease in non-vaccinated birds. I guess at the Michigan State Fair last year or year before, someone was traveling the state fair curcuit and had their birds vaccinated for this disease. The birds were stressed and I guess when a bird is stressed it causes the virus to become active. Anyways all the birds around them died.

There is a new vaccine out for IA that does not shed the virus.

From what my understanding is if you show your birds, you need to find out if the show has a vaccinate or no vaccinate for this disease mentioned above. Many are no vaccinate around me.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

Quote:
Thanks for all of your responses. I have 2 Ameraucanas, 2 buff orpingtons,2 black assies, 2 RI reds, 2 silver laced wyandottes and 1 silver laced wyandotte rooster. I cant wait for them to get here. I am testing their brooder today. I am keeping the heat lamp on all day and getting it in to the perfect temp. I also paid for them to be shipped express, so they should get to me in one day. Im so excited.

 

[Country Guy John]

I love the scripture that you have in your signature line.

Quote:

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Last year, I asked the poultry vet at MSU about this. This is his e-mailed response:

Dear Jody:

I understand your and your poultry pal's concerns but you are right in your thinking about Marek's disease. Marek's disease virus is
everywhere. In fact, the vaccination of poultry for Marek's disease is a race to see which virus is going to win in the bird.....the vaccine
virus or the disease causing virus. While it is true that Marek's
disease vaccinated birds are infected with the vaccine virus for life, I am not aware of them shedding the vaccine virus. The good news is that the vaccine viruses do not cause disease so your chickens are safe and not "Typhoid Marys." The other vaccines used in poultry do not cause "Typhoid Marys" except for almost all vaccines used to protect against Infectious Laryngotracheitis. Chickens vaccinated with those vaccines can shed the vaccine virus and the vaccine virus will make non-vaccinated chickens sick.

As for vaccinating your chickens for other diseases, I only recommend vaccinating chickens against diseases you have had or that are in your area. In most cases, that only includes fowl pox. Please note that chicken pox is a human disease and not a chicken disease. The virus that causes chicken pox in humans does not cause disease in chickens nor do humans get it from chickens.

Hope this helps,

R. M. Fulton, D.V.M., Ph.D.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, Jody!

 

[eschwaderer]

I'm trying to find out about the disease risks in Ohio. No luck on the OSU website so far.