Mixing Vaccinated & Non-vaccinated chicks

[mediazeal]

Can you mix vaccinated for Mareks chicks with chicks or chickens that have NOT been vaccinated?
I have heard such mixed things on this
I need to know if I can buy some vaccinated chicks to add to my flock but I need not to injure or kill the ones I already have by doing it.

thanks for your help

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I've got three age groups in my coop. The first seven hatched Feb 09 from Privet (vaccinated) ten 15 wk olds from MPC (vaccinated) and four 9 wk olds hatched out by broody with surrogate eggs that are all happy and healthy.

 

[mediazeal]

Here's another thread I found. Still some conflicting info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=281964

one poster says vaccinated chicks need to be isolated for 10 days
another says the vaccine is not live so can not infect the other non-vaccinated chicks

was there a live vaccine previously and it is no longer a live vaccine? is that the source of the confusion?

 

[GardenGranny]

Here is a previous thread about Mareks

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=39918


Pips&peeps is correct. The vaccinated chicks can not give the disease to other chickens. The danger is that they themselves will be infected before the vaccine can protect them.

My question is about adding non vaccinated chicks to a flock of adults that were vaccinated as adults. Anybody have information about this?

Like Sweet cheeks' flock. Did you do anything special with your non vaccinated chicks? Were they brooded in your coop or in a separate area?

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Quote:
I left my broody hen in with the rest of the flock of 7 hens that are all sweet birds. I didn't add the ten 15 weekers until the four babies were 6 wks old. I figured they were old enough to protect themselves at that point. In fact, two of the babies (brown leghorns) are roos and at 8 wks old one of them was after the younger ladies already. This weekend while I was out spreading a fresh layer of DE, wood pellets, and shavings the one little roo with the redest comb actually mounted one of them. Shocked to see that at age 9 wks.

 

[Kimiko]

Marek's disease is a Herpes virus that is ubiquitous in the environment. If you've had Marek's in your flock, the virus can be present for 8-12 months in the environment after the last infected bird has died and unless you wait 8-12 months to replace your flock, you will start the cycle all over again when you get new birds.

Vaccination is done in 18-19 day eggs or as one day old chicks. These chicks do shed virus from the vaccine, but it is NOT infective to other chicks/birds. Marek's is shed in dust and fluff from infected birds (if your bird if outside, it's probably infected) and these materials should be kept away from vaccinated chicks for 2-3 WEEKS. If vaccinated chicks come in contact with infected materials (clothes, equipment, housing etc), they can contract the disease since their immune system may not have adequately responded to the vaccine in that time period. Chicks in poor health (parasites, poor diet etc) may not adequately respond to the vaccine and may not be protected. Vaccinated chicks who are subsequently exposed to Marek's in the environment WILL shed virus, but (hopefully) will not succumb to it.

Unvaccinated chicks are exposed with days/hours of introduction to a contaminated area. Some will appear healthy, but shed virus (often for life), some will succumb in a few months, some may go a few years. There is no treatment and the vaccine is not effective once the bird has been exposed.

The adult vaccine is available in some countries, but is not considered useful since most birds are exposed within days of entering a contaminated environment.

Like all viruses (think influenza), there are different strains. Current vaccines are HVT (Herpesvirus of Turkeys) and/or Rispens. The Rispens vaccine has proven effective against a more virulent strain of Marek's that emerged in the 1990s and caused significant mortality even in vaccinated poultry.

 

[Taylorbrood]

Here's another thread I found. Still some conflicting info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=281964

one poster says vaccinated chicks need to be isolated for 10 days
another says the vaccine is not live so can not infect the other non-vaccinated chicks

was there a live vaccine previously and it is no longer a live vaccine? is that the source of the confusion?

The Mareks Vaccine is a leaky vaccine

 

[Folly's place]

It's important to isolate vaccinated chicks for two weeks, is to prevent exposure to Marek's disease virus until they have developed immunity. You can mix vaccinated and unvaccinated chicks from virus free environments (safe hatchery chicks) but don't expose them to your own chicks for two weeks or so. Many of us DO NOT have Marek's disease in our flocks, through a combination of paranoid security, and good luck, and want to keep it that way.
I buy vaccinated chicks from hatcheries some years, and have my own broody raised unvaccinated chicks here too. Every bird who gets sick/ dies here gets necropsied, and so far it's been good. Mary

 

[Trevorusn]

Ok, so to cut to the chase, can vaccinated pullets/cocks be mixed with non vaccinated birds both adolescent and adult?? Specifically those vaccinated for cocci and Marek's??

 

[Trevorusn]

Also, when said birds have chicks will those chicks possibly contract Marek's from vaccinated parents?