Mereks? What do I do?

[Kenya Mwangi]

I suspect a percentage of birds within a flock have genetically inspired resistance against it that is reenforced when they become the breeders in the flock. Natural selection, in other words, sorts it out. Natural selection has been removed from the equation in hatcheries where many generations of birds have likely never been exposed. Hatcheries are breeding birds that would have been weeded out of the gene pool 150 years ago on the farm.

I have produced Marek’s resistant birds from parents that died from it, but sometimes it takes literally 100 chicks to make 1 that doesn’t seem affected by it from a rooster that was prone to it. While breeding chickens that seem immune as tested by time makes lots of chicks that appear to be immune (or resistant or whatever the appropriate term is for being asymptomatic long-term).

Hello Do you think @JacinLarkwell can still keep chickens? Or not a good idea?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Hello Do you think @JacinLarkwell can still keep chickens? Or not a good idea?

I think Jacin has enough experience to make whatever the right call is for the situation.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I don't see where Cackle Hatchery is saying that as it's not here:
https://blog.cacklehatchery.com/should-you-vaccinate-your-chickens-against-mareks-disease/

or here: https://www.cacklehatchery.com/vaccination-policy/#:~:text=Cackle Hatchery® charges a,chicks to be vaccinated times .

Hello It is your second link.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I think Jacin has enough experience to make whatever the right call is for the situation.

Hello I was asking you for you experience to give support. Jacin is disheartened and I thought your experience could offer words of support.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello It is your second link.

Still don't see it: Their last line: "Vaccination for Marek’s is also not a guarantee that the chicken will not get Marek’s disease but has been a very effective vaccination. Currently, we use an MD/RISPENS vaccine."

If you're talking about the PBS article they linked, that is not Cackle Hatchery's article nor words; it's a PBS News article.

And their last paragraph: “Even if this evolution happens, you don’t want to be an unvaccinated chicken,” Read said. “Food chain security and everything rests on vaccines. They are the most successful and cheapest public health interventions that we’ve ever had. We just need to consider the evolutionary consequences of these ones with leaky transmission.”

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

Still don't see it: Their last line: "Vaccination for Marek’s is also not a guarantee that the chicken will not get Marek’s disease but has been a very effective vaccination. Currently, we use an MD/RISPENS vaccine."

If you're talking about the PBS article they linked, that is not Cackle Hatchery's article nor words; it's a PBS News article.

And their last paragraph: “Even if this evolution happens, you don’t want to be an unvaccinated chicken,” Read said. “Food chain security and everything rests on vaccines. They are the most successful and cheapest public health interventions that we’ve ever had. We just need to consider the evolutionary consequences of these ones with leaky transmission.”

Hello I don't know what is PBS, but have you ever said something without saying something? Big businesses do it too, all the time. Debbie, try to read the second paragraph with an open mind. Think about what they are saying without getting punished by goverening bodies.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello Do you think @JacinLarkwell can still keep chickens? Or not a good idea?

Most people I've read about on BYC who experienced Marek's in their flock kept raising chickens. You're asking one who did have Marek's and kept chickens to rebuild the flock about another person with Marek's disease. It's not a matter of whether it's a "good idea;" it's a personal choice if a person wants to work to try to eradicate it from their future flock or just give up. I applaud those folks as I don't know that I have that in me to do. I'd probably opt to quit raising silkies, let who live, live on but stop breeding, and raise Fayoumis and/or ducks instead.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello I don't know what is PBS, but have you ever said something without saying something? Big businesses do it too, all the time. Debbie, try to read the second paragraph with an open mind. Think about what they are saying without getting punished by goverening bodies.

I did, and I read their blog about "Should you vaccinate your chickens," as the link is there. I'm done mincing words as their words are black and white.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I did, and I read their blog about "Should you vaccinate your chickens," as the link is there. I'm done mincing words as their words are black and white.

Hello I thank you for being done because you keep trying to fight me and won't listen to what is being said, Deb.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I suspect a percentage of birds within a flock have genetically inspired resistance against it that is reenforced when they become the breeders in the flock. Natural selection, in other words, sorts it out. Natural selection has been removed from the equation in hatcheries where many generations of birds have likely never been exposed. Hatcheries are breeding birds that would have been weeded out of the gene pool 150 years ago on the farm.

I have produced Marek’s resistant birds from parents that died from it, but sometimes it takes literally 100 chicks to make 1 that doesn’t seem affected by it from a rooster that was prone to it. While breeding chickens that seem immune as tested by time makes lots of chicks that appear to be immune (or resistant or whatever the appropriate term is for being asymptomatic long-term).

Hello But what about prophylaxis of different kinds that are not genetic?