Merek's Vaccination?

[PetRock]

Thank you for the recommendations! I have vaccinated chicks for Merek's and gave the shots on the back of their necks. I might start off trying to do it that way with my adult birds. DH took this week off work so I will have an adult helper to hold the birds.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Good luck. I never actually vaccinated my birds because I wouldn't be able to use the large quantity of vaccine, and I didn't have the time to order it. I have watched many videos though and hope to vaccinate some day. Plus, I added new birds a few weeks after my original ones, so I figured it wouldn't be good to mix vaccinated and non vaccinated birds. And, I live in an area where Marek's is very uncommon. Seriously, out of all the chicken owners in my county, no one that I've met has seen it. Some day though, I will go out of my way to vaccinate, but the time just wasn't right. Again, good luck with yours.

 

[seminolewind]

I often wondered if there were a Marek's vaccine that vaccinated 20 chickens, and cost $20.00, if that would make me feel better than vaccinating 1000 chicks for $20.00.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I know. Thanks for the info BTW, I may not be using it now, but I will in the future. You and everyone else on this thread has been a great help to me and many others.

 

[allmypeeps]

ok, lengthy question:

I received some bantams last year...mostly roos, rehomed all but one roo and one hen. saddl, my hen died at a young age of what appears to have been marek's. I was later told by the previous owner that other birds they had were passing away of what they assumed was Marek's. Later, I adopted 3 cochins. One from the same place. 2 from other places. They were all happy and fine, as well as the roo who is now just over a year old. Suddenly, last month one cochin died out of the blue- was fine one morning and dead the next. Not sure why...marek's???

Selfishly, I want more than only 3 chickens, so got an order of chicks from mcmurray this past february- made sure they were vaccinated for Marek's and I do keep them in separate parts of the yard (though just reading of the highly contageous nature of the virus) anyway, out of my vaccinated flock of 40... 1 rooster fell ill and died before 3 mo old, I had 2 hens about the same time show symptoms of marek's (the leg paralysis, droopyness, lack of appatite) But both got over it in a few days and are now fine...

My questions are:

#1) the 2 hens that were vaccinated, who showed symptoms and 'recovered', are they really recovered?? Or will they die later down the road of internal issues?? I love them dearly and it would break my heart!! are they now carriers? what about the rest of their flock? are they now all exposed and carriers?

#2) I had 3 chicks recently hatch from the origional flock of 3 (who we'll call the marek's carriers(?) I took the chickies from the broody hen after she hatched them and hand raised them inside. What is their prognosis?? Are they immune? Is it ok to place them in either flock (the vaccinated one or back w/ their parents which are unvaccinated carriers???...if the vaccinated flock produce chicks next spring...what will the statis of those chicks be???

#3) I recently took 4 new birds into my flock, 2 adults and 2 under 6 mo old. They are in with the vaccinated flock...I have no idea if any of the new 4 have been vaccinated...But since it seems that I may have carriers, and even vaccinated birds that may be carriers (or at least exposed), and there is no way on one farm to keep each flock in a sterile bubble....does it matter anymore to try and keep everyone separate? what are the chances my new birds will come down with it, living with the vaccinated group???

#4) I have 4 turkey poults and 4 guinea poults- are they at risk? I read it is very rare for them to catch Marek's however, Can they become carriers even if they cannot catch it? I want to move my origional flock of 3 (the assumed carriers) to a new, smaller spot as they currently have a large grassy space they do not seem to utalize and its getting over grown. i want to put either turkies or guineas in it as they will do a better job of keeping things 'mowed' so i dont have to go in and mow it. However, is it not safe to put anything directly where the potential carriers have been??? Or is it all rather mute at this point????

I always dreamed of having a great poultry hobby farm- not for breeding or sale just for the sheer joy of poultry. I never expected to wind up with a virus- if I even have one here...Very confused and concerned.

input welcomed....

 

[shadow rabbit10]

ok, lengthy question:

I received some bantams last year...mostly roos, rehomed all but one roo and one hen. saddl, my hen died at a young age of what appears to have been marek's. I was later told by the previous owner that other birds they had were passing away of what they assumed was Marek's. Later, I adopted 3 cochins. One from the same place. 2 from other places. They were all happy and fine, as well as the roo who is now just over a year old. Suddenly, last month one cochin died out of the blue- was fine one morning and dead the next. Not sure why...marek's???

Selfishly, I want more than only 3 chickens, so got an order of chicks from mcmurray this past february- made sure they were vaccinated for Marek's and I do keep them in separate parts of the yard (though just reading of the highly contageous nature of the virus) anyway, out of my vaccinated flock of 40... 1 rooster fell ill and died before 3 mo old, I had 2 hens about the same time show symptoms of marek's (the leg paralysis, droopyness, lack of appatite) But both got over it in a few days and are now fine...

My questions are:

#1) the 2 hens that were vaccinated, who showed symptoms and 'recovered', are they really recovered?? Or will they die later down the road of internal issues?? I love them dearly and it would break my heart!! are they now carriers? what about the rest of their flock? are they now all exposed and carriers?

#2) I had 3 chicks recently hatch from the origional flock of 3 (who we'll call the marek's carriers(?) I took the chickies from the broody hen after she hatched them and hand raised them inside. What is their prognosis?? Are they immune? Is it ok to place them in either flock (the vaccinated one or back w/ their parents which are unvaccinated carriers???...if the vaccinated flock produce chicks next spring...what will the statis of those chicks be???

#3) I recently took 4 new birds into my flock, 2 adults and 2 under 6 mo old. They are in with the vaccinated flock...I have no idea if any of the new 4 have been vaccinated...But since it seems that I may have carriers, and even vaccinated birds that may be carriers (or at least exposed), and there is no way on one farm to keep each flock in a sterile bubble....does it matter anymore to try and keep everyone separate? what are the chances my new birds will come down with it, living with the vaccinated group???

#4) I have 4 turkey poults and 4 guinea poults- are they at risk? I read it is very rare for them to catch Marek's however, Can they become carriers even if they cannot catch it? I want to move my origional flock of 3 (the assumed carriers) to a new, smaller spot as they currently have a large grassy space they do not seem to utalize and its getting over grown. i want to put either turkies or guineas in it as they will do a better job of keeping things 'mowed' so i dont have to go in and mow it. However, is it not safe to put anything directly where the potential carriers have been??? Or is it all rather mute at this point????

I always dreamed of having a great poultry hobby farm- not for breeding or sale just for the sheer joy of poultry. I never expected to wind up with a virus- if I even have one here...Very confused and concerned.

input welcomed....

I'm not a master at Marek's, I only know basic info. However, what I can tell you is that once you have a flock with Marek's, the disease stays in the environment forever. It will always be on your property. The best you can do is vaccinate to prevent it from infecting new birds. Also, once a bird has it, they will always be carriers, IF the disease went away, which is very rare. As for the turkeys and guineas, I wouldn't worry about them so much because the disease is rare in them. My best advice is to keep you exposed carriers away from clean birds. ALso, don't mix vaccinated and non-vaccinated birds. Keep them separate and your risk is much less. I'm not sure if I would breed carriers and exposed birds however. I'm not an expert on passing down viruses, but that's just my advice. Sorry I could not answer your questions in great detail, but I'm sure one if the experts on this thread can, so until then, good luck.

 

[seminolewind]

Shadow's right. If you have Marek's in your flock, you need to buy vaccinated chicks or hatch them and vaccinate. Either way, I've quarantined them for 8-10 weeks.

 

[allmypeeps]

Thanks. I know birds come and go, but its hard not to get emotionally attatched to them individually....it just saddens me to think I'll never know if or who will get sick or when... I am hoping the vaccinated ones are all set, and the ones who had it healed from it and it won't haunt them later.... if this even is what it is....You never knwo when you take in a bird(s) what they have even if you quarentine....you only know if they are showing active symptoms at the time... :/

 

[seminolewind]

It Is heartbreaking. I go out 2x a day hoping that no one is greeting me with a symptom. I just had one that was moping around and she had been a surviver from another pen, so, I was giving them all LS-50 and sulfadimethoxine because they all got vulnerable to cocci. I thought maybe the meds are making her mopey. I switched to Tylan and Corrid, and she's much more active today.

Just try and think of the good life you gave the ones who pass early, and vaccinate.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Good luck with yours Seminole, and allmypeeps.