Mereks...vaccinate or not??

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
Jeffers

 

[farmergal]

I looked at the Jeffers vaccine and it says you can only use it on day-old chicks. Does anyone know if it's okay to use on month-old chicks who've never been exposed (have been in the brooder the entire time)?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I also prefer that. I would rather have them develop a resistance on their own.

 

[congdon476]

Don't know the answer- but I did watch a "how it's made" show last night on hatcheries. They were showing a hatchery that vaccinated for Meriks when the chicks are still in the egg. How does that work? They punched a hole in the fertile egg, injected it and THEN incubated them?! Did the producers mess up the order that this happens or can you really do that and get hatches in such large volume?

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
This makes so much sense I can hardly believe it came from a government agency!
I have long been a proponent of method 2 because I see no point in producing more birds subject to disease. I maintain closed breeding flocks and virtually never deal with any illness including Marek's. Last year I raised @450 chicks & lost only one-it got smothered in the brooder. Have not lost an adult bird to anything other than age in I don't know when. The system really does work . It saves the cost of vaccinations & you produce only healthy birds. A real win-win.

 

[Smoky73]

You can vaccinate any bird for Mareks at any age, but you always have to remember that the older the bird is, less of a chance the vaccine will be effective. You can divide the vaccine up into 1/4s to make it go longer (before you mix the tab and the dilutent). I do not vaccinate my chicks at day old either. I keep my birds in the brooder in the house away from other birds straight out of the incubator. I wait till I have several babies before I vacicnate and do them all at once. It works out well and have not had any of thos ebirds come down with Mareks. I know there is always a risk, but so far so good.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
I've raised chickens for 30 yrs., I don't show and never had it until just recently. Its all over. In the air. Nobody can be totally safe from not getting it.

Jayme...the fed gov't amazes me too.
Like duh, what a no-brainer huh?

 

[Agent1611]

I know this is an old thread, but if I'm keeping just a small flock of hens would you say it's a good idea to have them vaccinated, since I can't use the "survival of the fittest" method?