New member getting butt kicked by Mareks

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Wolgy

Wolgy

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jun 9, 2014
10
0
22
Hi all,
Preparing to put down my 3rd pullet this year. This is a BLRW I hatched myself four months ago. Dang it. Can you vaccinate chickens anytime or only when they are chicks? Where do you get the vaccine to do it yourself?

Happy to be here, second year chicken raiser. I have 18 (soon to be 17) chickens for pets/layers and 20 broilers that will be ready in a month.

Thanks,
Wolgy
 
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Welcome to BYC!

So sorry you are going thru the Mareks issues. Very devastating disease. From what I understand, you can only vaccinate day old chicks. Very small window to do this and even then, the vaccine does not prevent it in the flock, only makes it easier on the birds and their chances of survival are much better.

May I make a suggestion? I had a very contagious bacteria run thru my flock years ago...MS...very hard to get rid of. I would cull all of your existing flock. You might want to move your entire operation to a new coop, new grounds, don't let them free range for a long while till the virus dies down. I did this with my flock and I am MS free. The virus will be dormant in your coop, flooring, bedding, walls everywhere. Start completely over, use new feeders, waterers, new brooders, new everything. And any new chicks you order from hatcheries, have them give the Mareks vaccine at the hatchery. If you get these chicks from somewhere else, or hatch them yourself, have the vaccine on hand and give it to them that first day.

I hope you can get a handle on this. So sorry.
 
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I just looked at the FAQ and now I'm really depressed. Looks I will have it now and forever. TwoCrows, it says that Mareks could stay around for years after I culled the flock, regardless of how well I cleaned. As long as it doesn't affect the eggs and meat, I will just have to live with it.
 
Wolgy said:
I just looked at the FAQ and now I'm really depressed. Looks I will have it now and forever. TwoCrows, it says that Mareks could stay around for years after I culled the flock, regardless of how well I cleaned. As long as it doesn't affect the eggs and meat, I will just have to live with it.
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Thats why I said to move your entire operation to new ground. Build a new coop and run and don't let them free range, at least on the ground that the original flock did. So sorry.
 

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