Mareks vaccine

[Jamie G75]

I got chickens from cackle hatchery. They were vaxed for mareks and are 3 weeks old and healthy as can be. Indont know what vax they use. But can I have a mixed flock of vaxed and unvaxed? So much mixed information going around injabe been told no. Then yes after 4 weeks they stop shedding thenvirus from being vaxed. I want more chick's from a local breeder but do not want to spread disease and kill or infect the new babies. I have talked to the hatchery and got 2 different answers.

 

[feather13]

There's a lot of information and opinions about Mareks vaccines here and on the internet generally, so it's easy to become confused! We got 20+ chicks from a local hatchery that was knowingly selling birds that had been exposed to Mareks about six years ago. All but two died of this truly horrific disease. Two summers ago we got another batch of chicks, this time vaccinated from Murray McMurray. We kept them far from the two hens for close to three months and practiced good biosecurity (although dander from the exposed chickens no doubt was still in the air). If we were to get more chicks, I wouldn't buy unvaccinated. As far as I understand, if chickens have been exposed to Mareks, they will continue to shed the virus throughout their lifetimes. Also, the vaccine is not 100% effective. Good luck!

 

[coach723]

Many people buy vaccinated chicks and have unvaccinated birds also that they have hatched themselves. Since the vaccine comes in huge dosage amounts, has no shelf life once activated, and the vaccinated chicks cannot come into contact with the virus for at least 4-6 weeks or they will not have had time to develop antibodies, it's problematic for doing vaccines at home. If you have Marek's in your flock then your birds will be exposed, vaccinated or not. The vaccine does not stop them from getting the disease, it just prevents them from developing the tumors associated with it, and reduces mortality. If you do not have Marek's in your flock, the vaccine is not going to give it to them. A vaccinated bird doesn't shed the virus from the vaccine, it sheds the virus if it's been exposed to it and infected, symptomatic or not.

 

[Justso]

Many people buy vaccinated chicks and have unvaccinated birds also that they have hatched themselves. Since the vaccine comes in huge dosage amounts, has no shelf life once activated, and the vaccinated chicks cannot come into contact with the virus for at least 4-6 weeks or they will not have had time to develop antibodies, it's problematic for doing vaccines at home. If you have Marek's in your flock then your birds will be exposed, vaccinated or not. The vaccine does not stop them from getting the disease, it just prevents them from developing the tumors associated with it, and reduces mortality. If you do not have Marek's in your flock, the vaccine is not going to give it to them. A vaccinated bird doesn't shed the virus from the vaccine, it sheds the virus if it's been exposed to it and infected, symptomatic or not.

You are safe to bring in other chicks, vaccinated or not.
If by chance Mareks is brought to your flock through wind or wild birds or something else, and by chance your flock gets infected, you're vaccinated chicks we'll have a better chance of fighting off the infection.

 

[Jamie G75]

So do my vaccinated birds truly shed the virus for a few weeks? Am I safe to use their smaller brooder box and brooder plate? I've been told I can't use anything that my vaxed chics used. So even if my vaxxed new chick's are vaxxed are they going to be exposed to what my old babies before them she'd? I'm just so confused.

 

[coach723]

Your vaxxed chicks do not spread the virus from the vaccination. They will spread the virus if they are exposed to it and are infected by it. Vaccinated chicks that are not exposed before their bodies have time to respond to the vaccine can still be infected but the vaccine will prevent most of them from developing tumors, having symptoms, and dieing. It won't prevent them from spreading/shedding the virus if they are infected from it by exposure.
This may help:
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/marek’s-disease-backyard-chickens

 

[Kiki]

So do my vaccinated birds truly shed the virus for a few weeks? Am I safe to use their smaller brooder box and brooder plate? I've been told I can't use anything that my vaxed chics used. So even if my vaxxed new chick's are vaxxed are they going to be exposed to what my old babies before them she'd? I'm just so confused.

Vaccinated birds can still get Marek's and spread the disease.

The vaccine does not prevent them from getting the disease but the vaccine does make the bird spread the disease. The disease itself makes them spread it.


If you already have Marek's disease in your flock it's probably best to only bring vaccinated birds home.

 

[coach723]

Wanted to add, the reason you were advised not to use the same brooder plate and brooder box was probably to minimize the risk of early exposure to your vaccinated chicks from the virus you already have in your flock. The virus can be transfered by dust, which is everywhere, and you can carry it back and forth on your clothes and shoes. It's really very hard to be completely bio secure in a backyard flock situation.

 

[Jamie G75]

I've never had the virus in a flock. I just now got baby chick's 3 weeks ago. Never has there been chickens on our property for 40 years. Or more. I only just got vaccinated chickens and don't know if they shed the virus from being vaccinated . I don't have anyone with mareks. I have 3 week old vaxed birds for mareks. I wondered if I could raise Un vaxedcand vaced together without transmitting it to the unvaxed ones. Some say the vexing causes shedding till a month old. Others say they don't shed the vaccine. So I am confused as to what the truth is. I just wanna know if I can bet unvaxrd chick's and raise them safely with my vaxed ones and not give them the virus threw shedding from my vaxed birds.

 

[coach723]

I have never read anywhere that the vaccine itself causes virus shed for any amount of time. I think if that was the case it would be widely discussed. I really don't think you need to worry about that. If someone can find a reputable published source that says the vaccine itself causes virus shed for any period of time, I hope they post it, I would certainly like to see it, I have a very open mind. There are all sorts of things that "people say" and others accept as fact, when there is no evidence to support it (like ACV treats worms for example, or DE working for internal parasites). If you cannot find a legitimate published source that confirms something that you have heard, then it may very well not be true. Marek's has had a lot of research because it costs the industry lots of $$$ , some other things have much less research. If you don't have Marek's in your flock then I personally don't think you need to worry that your vaccinated chicks will introduce it. I had birds for over 10 years before I had a case of Marek's pop up, no idea where it came from, likely wild birds. If the vaccine was going to cause it I think it would have shown up way before so much time had passed.