Mareks Vaccination good or bad for chicks

[LlamaChick]

I am a total newbie but I found this on the APA's site hope it helps.

 

[Wynette]

Well, you're not far from Michigan, so I'd think you'd be at risk, unfortunately. THis can be spread by wild birds. So it's most everywhere from my understanding. Nasty, nasty disease.

 

[ravenfeathers]

this is my advice: it's only a quarter or so per chick, so just do it. i opted not to last year with my chicks because of a variety of what i thought were very sensible reasons. heck, they were sensible reasons, but if you're anything like the worrywart i am, you'll vaccinate because, let me tell you, every single time something's wrong with one of my hens, the spectre of marek's looms over me and probably always will.

i had two BRs become progressively blind with some kind of mysterious cataracts (they're still rather impaired, though not as bad as they were) and i was terrified that it was ocular marek's.

i had a BO exhibiting some neurological symptoms and i was convinced that it was neuro- marek's.

a scab on a wattle can send me dashing after hens looking for lesions.

for the piece of mind, 25 cents per bird is money very well spent. the only reason not to vaccinate is the cost and, from my POV, i've more than made up for my pitiful savings in time spent worrying.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Marek's is worldwide.

 

[cgmccary]

I've read it is possible to get Marek's from the vaccination, but the possibility is very low. You'll note I am referring to what I read as I am not sure of any of this.

This is not possible. The Marek's vaccine for chickens is from the Turkey's Marek's and cannot "cause" chicken Marek's. Having Turkeys with your chickens will accomplish the same thing as vaccinating them.​

 

[Ridgerunner]

This afternoon, I spoke with the veterinarian associated with the University of Arkansas through a referal from my county extension agent. Marek's is worldwide. Several of the "hobby" flocks (that's us as compared to the big commercial operations) in this area have Marek's but it does not always manifest itself. It depends on the strain of Marek's and the breed and strain of the chicken. A chicken under stress is more susceptable to Marek's. A flock can have Marek's for years and you would never know it. Sometimes the stress of molting is enough to set it off. A strong strain can wipe out a flock.

The vaccination does not prevent Marek's. It prevents the lesions that cause the damage. The vaccination does not cause the chicken to be a carrier of Marek's and will actually reduce the shedding of the virus if the chicken gets Marek's. An innoculated infected chicken can still catch and spread Marek's, but the amount of virus shed is reduced. And he said the vaccine for chickens does come from turkeys.

I am not going to recommend to anyone whether they innoculate or not. I will recommend talking to your county extension agent about it and get his opinion about Marek's and other diseases in your area. Discuss how you will manage your flock, are you going to show or not, how are you going to bring in replacements or new stock. Maybe you will get lucky like I did and get someone who showed chickens for 10 years and is very knowledgable on the subject.