Merrecks vaccine in bantams/older chicks

[BantamAshley]

I have recently been told by my chick supplier that they do not vaccinate bantams, as it is too dangerous. The employee had recommended vaccinating them myself at 1 week of age, though everything that I am finding on the net indicated that the vaccine absolutely has to be givin within the first 36 hours.
Does anyone with more experience know what is correct? Would I be waisting my money to vaccinate them at 1 week?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

In my opinion, according to ALL the research I've done.. it will be ineffective if given to older chicks.

Way too often "employees" give very bad advice. I say ya gotta trust the research on this one.

I've seen Marek's here. I don't vaccinate. It can't be passed to the egg. Since I hope to breed for resistance, it's a risk I choose to take when chicks go out to pasture. But I know that won't be the right choice for everyone.

Good luck with your new babes!

 

[lazy gardener]

Personally, if offered a chick which had received the Marek's vaccine, I would absolutely refuse to take it into my flock. I feel THAT strongly about the Marek's vaccine, and the risk it poses to an otherwise healthy chick and flock.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous

 

[BantamAshley]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

In my opinion, according to ALL the research I've done.. it will be ineffective if given to older chicks.

Way too often "employees" give very bad advice. I say ya gotta trust the research on this one.

I've seen Marek's here. I don't vaccinate. It can't be passed to the egg. Since I hope to breed for resistance, it's a risk I choose to take when chicks go out to pasture. But I know that won't be the right choice for everyone.

Good luck with your new babes!

Thank you. Yes it has been hard to get good information. I had initially made the decision NOT to vaccinate, but then my vet scared the crap out of me, basically implying that I am dooming my chicks to sure suffering. So I scrambled to make sure that the new chicks arriving would be vaccinated. But I just don’t know what to believe! If you can’t trust your vet, or an experienced employee, where do you turn.

 

[BantamAshley]

Personally, if offered a chick which had received the Marek's vaccine, I would absolutely refuse to take it into my flock. I feel THAT strongly about the Marek's vaccine, and the risk it poses to an otherwise healthy chick and flock.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous

This was exactly my initial concern, and why I hesitated to vaccinate. My vet recently absolutely insisted, but from a utilitarian perspective, it seems that not vaccinating is still a responsible choice.

 

[BantamAshley]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

In my opinion, according to ALL the research I've done.. it will be ineffective if given to older chicks.

Way too often "employees" give very bad advice. I say ya gotta trust the research on this one.

I've seen Marek's here. I don't vaccinate. It can't be passed to the egg. Since I hope to breed for resistance, it's a risk I choose to take when chicks go out to pasture. But I know that won't be the right choice for everyone.

Good luck with your new babes!

In breeding for resistance, is the logic that the weaker birds will die off, and the ones that live will build & pass on immunity?

 

[BantamAshley]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

In my opinion, according to ALL the research I've done.. it will be ineffective if given to older chicks.

Way too often "employees" give very bad advice. I say ya gotta trust the research on this one.

I've seen Marek's here. I don't vaccinate. It can't be passed to the egg. Since I hope to breed for resistance, it's a risk I choose to take when chicks go out to pasture. But I know that won't be the right choice for everyone.

Good luck with your new babes!

Also, it’s good to know that it can’t be passed to the egg!

 

[sylviethecochin]

In breeding for resistance, is the logic that the weaker birds will die off, and the ones that live will build & pass on immunity?

Yep. And also, if you have a really bad strain of Marek's that kills off your entire flock--well, that strain of the virus stops there. Harsh, but far preferable than letting that strain gain momentum, in my opinion.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Also, I can't believe no one's recommended this article yet:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[BantamAshley]

Yep. And also, if you have a really bad strain of Marek's that kills off your entire flock--well, that strain of the virus stops there. Harsh, but far preferable than letting that strain gain momentum, in my opinion.

I agree. The vaccine should really not even be legal. But of course, that wouldn’t fly with Tyson. -Chickens: 0
large corporations: 1