Mareks Vaccine

[FinelyFeathered]

I've read this entire thread and i still am not sure.

Oh well......

I'll just vacinate everyone....day old hatches and the new chicks as soon as they arrive and hope for the best

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Dear Frazzeled:
"an once of protection is worth a pound of cure" I have asked this same question some years ago, but I asked a professional while in his class. His name is Dr Waters. He is the head of the Illinois Animal Welfare, in charge of many things including the state of Illinois' NPIP program. He is also a teacher. His answer to me is that not all inoculations take under the best of circumstances but understanding that, the optimal time to inoculate for Mereks is day old. You can inoculate and get lesser protection up to 2 weeks. After 2 weeks of age, the protection rates drop dramatically. So, what that tells me is that you inoculate all birds as they come into your flock that are 2 weeks of age or less ASAP.
I hope this clears up any confusion for you as it did for me.
Denise
Paradise Found Farm

 

[FinelyFeathered]

Dear Frazzeled:
"an once of protection is worth a pound of cure" I have asked this same question some years ago, but I asked a professional while in his class. His name is Dr Waters. He is the head of the Illinois Animal Welfare, in charge of many things including the state of Illinois' NPIP program. He is also a teacher. His answer to me is that not all inoculations take under the best of circumstances but understanding that, the optimal time to inoculate for Mereks is day old. You can inoculate and get lesser protection up to 2 weeks. After 2 weeks of age, the protection rates drop dramatically. So, what that tells me is that you inoculate all birds as they come into your flock that are 2 weeks of age or less ASAP.
I hope this clears up any confusion for you as it did for me.
Denise
Paradise Found Farm

Denise, Thank you so much for posting this. I was just beside myself on what to do!! Now im not worried. I will vaccinate all that hatch out on day one and the chicks as they arrive in the mail!! Thank you thank you so much!!!

 

[patricia]

Mu understanding is that the vaccine does not prevent Marek's it only prevents the manifestations of the disease. The vaccine is given at 1 day or into the egg just prior to hatching as the disease is not passed on through eggs. I am told virtually every chicken eventually develops some tolerance to the virus (a herpesvirus) as the birds in the neighborhood could be carrying the virus. The vaccine must be kept frozen in hydrogen to be effective and must be used immediately upon removing from the hydrogen. I called the pharmaceutical company and asked. Basically it is a waste of time to try to do it yourself or shipping on ice. The virus is sloughed off in the dander and it is contagious. I had had a bird necropsied and it was believed to be Marek's. I lost approximately 5 or 6 birds. I destroyed my chickens in that coop and started over. If they are going to be exposed anyway, I probably didn't have to take such stern measures but by that time I was pretty frustrated. I will try to only hatch my own chicks from now on or buy adult birds.

 

[FinelyFeathered]

Mu understanding is that the vaccine does not prevent Marek's it only prevents the manifestations of the disease. The vaccine is given at 1 day or into the egg just prior to hatching as the disease is not passed on through eggs. I am told virtually every chicken eventually develops some tolerance to the virus (a herpesvirus) as the birds in the neighborhood could be carrying the virus. The vaccine must be kept frozen in hydrogen to be effective and must be used immediately upon removing from the hydrogen. I called the pharmaceutical company and asked. Basically it is a waste of time to try to do it yourself or shipping on ice. The virus is sloughed off in the dander and it is contagious. I had had a bird necropsied and it was believed to be Marek's. I lost approximately 5 or 6 birds. I destroyed my chickens in that coop and started over. If they are going to be exposed anyway, I probably didn't have to take such stern measures but by that time I was pretty frustrated. I will try to only hatch my own chicks from now on or buy adult birds.

Thank you Patricia there is just so much confussion about this subject. I have never had an issue with mareks tht doesn't mean that the wild birds can't bring it in.....i know of so many folks that have had chickens for years in this area and have never had a problem. Thank you so much for sharing your thots.

 

[pips&peeps]

There are two other manufacturers that make mareks vaccine that do not require the dry ice method of cooling and are readily available to hobby farmers.

 

[patricia]

Well if that is the case, I would call the pharmaceutical company first, because this is not what I was told.

 

[pips&peeps]

Since I and many others have been using it for a few years, I have no need to call anyone.

 

[nknkdvt]

I have a 5 month old "Easter Egger" cockerel that I'm trying to rehab. It started on Saturday limping on left leg. I didn't find any sores or thorns. By the end of the day the other chickens were attacking him and he couldn't stand up. He has 2 brothers and they all hang out together (have never seen them fight as of yet) Now I'm keeping him inside in a dog kennel. Has good appetite and drinks water. poop looks fine. He sometimes seems to pant. He sits on his hocks with toes curled. He still crows...loud but at the end he has a little gasp. Am giving him vitamin B12 with potassium. We bred and hatched him so no Mareks vaccine. All other (13) chickens seem ok. The one's that we didn't hatch ourselves were vaccinated as chicks so am not sure how they could have gotten Mareks if that is what they have. I want him to pull through but If he doesn't make it, does anyone know where he could be autopsied near San Antonio? Could it be Mareks? Thank You in advance for any feedback.

 

[nknkdvt]

the one in the picture isn't him. he's better looking: dark red with green feathers mixed with the red feathers on his neck and a dark green tail.