MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

Rispens was an advance over HVT but at least in the US is not available to small scale operations.
If you are lucky enough to be able to source Rispens you should actually ask for a combination vaccine. Rispens has been becoming progressively less effective as a vaccine over the years but is still extremely good when used in combination (mostly with HVT).
There is a lot of supporting underlying biology why that is the case - it is even a named phenomenon that for some reason I can’t remember!
I am a bit brain foggy today.
All that said, survival of chicks that have been properly vaccinated with HVT is very high. I would have to dig up the papers again but if left quarantined for 7 days it is something like 95%.
My trade-off in giving Tassels vaccinated chicks is age of chick vs % survival Marek’s free. After 5 days of quarantine it is something like 80%.

If I can find a vet to vaccinate future day olds, I'll go with the vaccine they recommend. Mainly because the MD strains in an isolated continent like Australia will differ from those prevalent elsewhere.

 

[fuentemoon]

https://www.revivalanimal.com/learning-center/how-to-use-oxine-ah

I recal reading that activated oxine is misted into the air in some commercial poultry concerns to combat respiratory problems. I can't find the article.

The info i read was using NON activated oxine as a mist. Activating it makes it poisonous.

 

[Down Under]

If I can find a vet to vaccinate future day olds, I'll go with the vaccine they recommend. Mainly because the MD strains in an isolated continent like Australia will differ from those prevalent elsewhere.

Good luck with that MaryJanet, the one that they have here has to be mixed up in batches of 1000 doses. When I looked into there was someone 45 minutes from me that organised days for everyone to take their chicks there. Probably your best bet would be to find a breeder near you that advertises that they sell vaccinated birds and find out where they go or to contact the poultry clubs in your area to find out who does it, with batches of 1000 doses it is usually the more the merrier to cut down on waste and costs.

 

[MaryJanet]

Answers from Dr Jing.

Here's my list of Qs for Dr Jing. Let me know if you'd like specific MD Qs asked. All answers will of course be relevant only to the South Australian context.

Is there a test to differentiate between serotype strains? What samples are required?

She's enquiring with the lab and will get back to me. Samples will be either blood or feather.

Does the practice offer vax for day olds? Which?

She's enquiring into the cost.

Did Dora have MD?

Yes.

(Explains many of the flock health issues I've encountered)

Is it spread by wildbirds?

Wild poultry will have Marek's and will spread it to backyard flocks. No question.

Other wildbirds may carry virus dander to a backyard flock.

Are all backyard flocks exposed?

Yes, but more so if they come into contact with wild poultry like geese, ducks etc.

And not great news for Bernadette. It's best she's euthanized now rather than later. That's booked in for Thursday morning.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

And not great news for Bernadette. It's best she's euthanized now rather than later. That's booked in for Thursday morning.

I’m so sorry.

 

[MaryJanet]

I’m so sorry.

Thank you.

To be honest, it's what I anticipated. Poor thing.

 

[Shadrach]

In the UK mycoplasma is endemic. In the West Country where I am it is believed the vast majority of chickens are carriers. DEFRA and many vets used to, and maybe still do, recommend culling those infected.
More recently many chicken keepers have rejected the culling advice, the reasons being it is so prevelant that most flocks would have to be culled if the expert advice was taken. More importantly, if one culls the infected then the ability of the species affected to manage the disease and build resistance to it is taken away to a great extent.
It's a bit like the advice we got during the peak of covid. While we didn't kill everyone who contracted the disease the management of it was of a similar nature, vaccinate and isolate.
Well, covid is still here and most of us have survived it. It's much the same with Mycoplasma. It becomes critical in times of stress and ill health, but otherwise the chickens live through it and hopefully in time they will build some immunity to it.
Mareks is much the same. Fayoumies for example are said to be immune to Mareks and there have been reports from China and some other regions of Asia that mortality from the disease is declining.
Culling chickens with Mareks is in my opinion very short sighted. There are chicken keepers on this forum who have Mareks in their flock and while some of the flock die,others do not.
We don't kill humans when they get infectious diseases why would we treat chickens any differently?

 

[RoyalChick]

We don't kill humans when they get infectious diseases why would we treat chickens any differently?

I am in a very different place from you on that one.
A painless end is a service I feel I owe my chickens if nature doesn’t manage it for them.
I just wish I had someone who would perform that service for me when my suffering exceeds my joy.
It is not to do with contagious disease - that ship has sailed in most cases - it is to do with pain and suffering.

 

[BY Bob]

And not great news for Bernadette. It's best she's euthanized now rather than later. That's booked in for Thursday morning.

I sorry to hear that. Poor thing.

 

[LozzyR]

Thank you.

To be honest, it's what I anticipated. Poor thing.

Big hugs to you and Bernadette.