Mareks vaccine

[Eggcessive]

The vaccine does not cause the chicks to shed the vaccine. My very first chicks had the vaccine from the hatchery. Shortly thereafter I added 15 unvaccinated bantam chicks from a small local hatchery. No chicken in my flock has ever had Mareks or symptoms. Vaccinated chicks need at least 2 weeks to for the vaccine to become effective.

 

[Jamie G75]

That's what a person told me who has chick's from hatcheries and from farms or ones they hatched out. They said they were sure some of theirs were vaxxed and others not. I just don't want to introduce new unvaxed birds into something that will could kill them and me not know what I was doing before I did it. So many people keep giving me wrong advice. My mill down the road have my dream chickens that are not vaxed and they are the same age as my babies. And I thought I would get some but someone said my 3 week old vaxed chick's would give it to them. So I was torn. I thought man if that's the case then so many birds would be dead all.over.

 

[Jamie G75]

The vaccine does not cause the chicks to shed the vaccine. My very first chicks had the vaccine from the hatchery. Shortly thereafter I added 15 unvaccinated bantam chicks from a small local hatchery. No chicken in my flock has ever had Mareks or symptoms. Vaccinated chicks need at least 2 weeks to for the vaccine to become effective.

The hatchery told me it would for 4 weeks then another said forever. Then another said 2 weeks. I just keep getting misinformation. I just want to get 3 more chickens locals have that I want and they are not vaxed. And the hatchery said no. I will give them a basic death sentence if they are not vaxed. My birds are 3 weeks old and have their protection now I think inread they get it by 2 weeks. I just keep getting misinformation. That's what landed me here. Cux I don't want to spread it if they do shed it. I was told I can only have vaxed birds from here on out since I bought chick's that were vaxed at hatch.

 

[Justso]

The hatchery told me it would for 4 weeks then another said forever. Then another said 2 weeks. I just keep getting misinformation. I just want to get 3 more chickens locals have that I want and they are not vaxed. And the hatchery said no. I will give them a basic death sentence if they are not vaxed. My birds are 3 weeks old and have their protection now I think inread they get it by 2 weeks. I just keep getting misinformation. That's what landed me here. Cux I don't want to spread it if they do shed it. I was told I can only have vaxed birds from here on out since I bought chick's that were vaxed at hatch.

Does this make sense to you?
"And the hatchery said no. I will give them a basic death sentence if they are not vaxed"
It doesn't to me, not after dealing for years with very informative people here on BYC with real life experience in the real world. And hearing time and again their own experiences dealing with the mareks vaccine with their very own flock.
No one is trying to cover their ass here. They're dealing with animals they love. I trust their word.

 

[Jamie G75]

Does this make sense to you?
"And the hatchery said no. I will give them a basic death sentence if they are not vaxed"
It doesn't to me, not after dealing for years with very informative people here on BYC with real life experience in the real world. And hearing time and again their own experiences dealing with the mareks vaccine with their very own flock.
No one is trying to cover their ass here. They're dealing with animals they love. I trust their word.

I was just confused as what was right to do because I am new to the chicken world. Had them growing up.but ours were just farm raised doing their own thing. No vaccines. I wanted to rescue a few here in my town but didn't want to rescue them and my babies shed the virus from them being vaxed. Cuz I did not know how it works. And our vets around here don't know much. I am finding out here that I can mix my flock, that unvaxed can live with vaxed. And won't shed the virus to them but the new ones need to be in quarantine from my current chick's for 2 weeks also. I only want to be safe with them and not get anyone the supposedly rumored leaky shed vaccine virus. But alot of people are explaining it's not going to do this. That they will not get it from my vaxed birds due to them being vaxed.

 

[coach723]

The Marek's vacccine is considered "leaky" because it stops them from developing the tumors associated with the disease, but it does NOT stop them from getting the disease. So vaccinated birds that are exposed to the virus can catch it, they can shed it, but the rate of symptoms and mortality will be much, much lower amongst them. So an unvaccinated bird may show symptoms and die, where a vaccinated bird may show not symptoms and not die, while both can still be infected with the disease. If you have never had a case of Marek's in your flock then you don't need to worry that at this point in time there is any exposure, to any of them. Bringing in baby chicks is very low risk of bringing in disease. Bringing in older birds comes with more risk and those birds should be quarantined for at least 4 weeks to give anything they may be carrying a chance to show symptoms before you expose the rest of your flock, that includes all kinds of illness. When birds free range they can be exposed by from wild birds. The Marek's virus can travel on the wind as much as 5 miles. Unless birds are kept in a hermetically sealed environment, there is no way to make the risk zero, the virus is very wide spread, but by being as careful as you can, obtain birds from sources you are very sure of, take basic precautions, you can lower the risk some. I have Marek's in my flock. I've not brought new birds in of any kind in 2 years, I've been hatching my own from the stock I have that are not showing symptoms. Many of us do that to try to breed birds that are more resistant to the virus. Unless your birds contract a very virulent strain of Marek's (some strains are much more virulent than others) then not all birds will show symptoms of it. In many cases it's managable, though you will have losses. But that only matters if you actually have a confirmed case. Until then, enjoy your birds, vaccinated or not.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a few good articles to read by some believable authorities:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/marek’s-disease-backyard-chickens

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf