Merek's Vaccination?

[shadow rabbit10]

I was planning on ordering some bantam chicks from MPC but they do not vaccinate bantams. How important is the vaccination? How likely is a chicken to get it? Are vaccinating bantams as dangerous as they say and would anyone recommend taking them to a vet to get the shot?

 

[CMV]

I do not vaccinate my chickens. I have never had any diseases in my laying flocks, but I live in an area where diseases don't spread readily and there has not been any domestic poultry kept on my land in the past 219 years. I can say this with absolute assurance. I am also very particular about bringing in new birds.

If you live in an area where the incidence of Marek's is high then there is a greater chance that your birds are going to pick it up. If there has been poultry kept on your property at some point in the past, then there is a greater chance that they may pick something up. These are things you need to decide before you make the decision of whether to vaccinate or not. Marek's is highly contagious and lives a very long time in the environment.

I don't know much about bantams, so I can't answer the rest of your question.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

My town is a shore town and there are only a few chickens living in it. I don't know if there were ever chickens living at my house and if there was, it had to have been at least 30 years ago. How do you know if your area has a greater chance of Marek's?

 

[leadwolf1]

I have vaccinated my bantams myself at 1 day of age. It does not negatively affect them. Ideal vaccinates bantams so it can't be that harmful. I got my first chickens last year and there had never been any chickens on this land. I was very careful where I got my chickens from...and still, I am fighting Marek's. I have no idea where it came from and so far I have lost almost 30 chickens...I only wish that I could go back and purchase only vaccinated chicks. Read some of the threads on here about Marek's and make your own decision. Marek's is everywhere...I read somewhere that if your chicken breaths, it has been infected. No one is safe

I just had to put down two more of my babies yesterday...another of my favorites....it is a horrible disease that just doesn't quit!

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I have vaccinated my bantams myself at 1 day of age. It does not negatively affect them. Ideal vaccinates bantams so it can't be that harmful. I got my first chickens last year and there had never been any chickens on this land. I was very careful where I got my chickens from...and still, I am fighting Marek's. I have no idea where it came from and so far I have lost almost 30 chickens...I only wish that I could go back and purchase only vaccinated chicks. Read some of the threads on here about Marek's and make your own decision. Marek's is everywhere...I read somewhere that if your chicken breaths, it has been infected. No one is safe

I just had to put down two more of my babies yesterday...another of my favorites....it is a horrible disease that just doesn't quit!

How sad! I'm sorry! MPC said that bantams could get paralyzed from a vaccination, so I wasn't sure. Maybe I'll get them vaccinated at the vet. It's probably really expensive though. How does a chicken get Marek's?

 

[leadwolf1]

Through the dander of infected chickens or birds. It can be carried on your shoes, brought in by wild birds or blow in on the wind. I would recommend vaccinating everything and not buying any chicks that aren't vaccinated. Many are never hit with this disease but those of us who have are trying to get people to see that it isn't as rare as some would lead ou to believe. That's why I suggested that you read some of the threads on the subject. I can't begin to describe the devastation that this disease causes and the heartbreak of watching what it does to your pets and to you.

 

[leadwolf1]

I just reread your post. I think that most hatcheries use injection machines and they are set to deliver the correct dosage at a certain depth on the back of the neck. Since bantams are so much smaller, if the machine wasn't set for them, it could inject into the spinal column paralyzing the chick. I vaccinate in the leg for that reason. I'm not sure your vet would have the vaccine available. It only comes in 1000 doses and once reconstituted has to be used within an hour. Can you switch to getting your chicks from a hatchery that does vaccinate bantams?

 

[ClareScifi]

Sebright bantams are at a very high risk for getting Marek's Disease, but I didn't know that when mine hatched and didn't vaccinate. Tomorrow she turns 26 weeks old. So far, so good. She seems healthy and happy.

 

[leadwolf1]

In my experience, silkies, polish and OEGBs are at high risk also....and, I've lost 2 d'uccles Seems the bantams are hit pretty hard.

 

[rosegal]

I have lost all my chicks I purchased on this site from an auction. It is a slow terrible death and they were hatched in Aug. So, it took a long time for them to succumb and I had to put 5 of them down myself. Just lost another one Sunday....I would never order from anyone that doesn't vaccinate again. Now, I have to worry about this forever.