Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[seminolewind]

Quote: You may be much better off hatching and taking them to a friend or relative. Selling from your home is feasible, but a ton of work to not contaminate. When I had new chicks hatched, I'd vaccinate them and then take care of everything after a shower and leave it at that. Not easy. You are better off selling hatching eggs.

 

[kelck22]

So I can still sell hatching eggs with no problem? I have worked very hard to get BCM that all lay 9s on the color scale. None of my marans seem to be sick.

 

[seminolewind]

So I can still sell hatching eggs with no problem? I have worked very hard to get BCM that all lay 9s on the color scale. None of my marans seem to be sick.

Marek's is not passed thru eggs.

 

[seminolewind]

I've been giving my 2 wasters lots of goodies to eat. It does make them happy. The first crazy chicken lady in history cured everything with good cake or buttermilk. So they get lots of good cake.

 

[seminolewind]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...nd-cures-by-nancy-luce-1871-chicken-lady/0_50

that's the link to Nancy Luce's cures

 

[barnyardmommy]

I have 2 questions about the mareks virus.

Question no. 1. If I already have adult chickens and I get chicks from a hatchery that are vaccinated for mareks, when I decide in the future to put the two groups together will the vaccinated ones expose the older ones to the mareks virus.

Question no. 2. I don't know if my older chickens were vaccinated for mareks, I got them as baby chicks from 4 different feed stores. If I hatch eggs in an incubator will these chicks possible catch mareks from my older chickens if the older ones were indeed vaccinated.

I hope these questions make sense. I'm really debating on getting vaccinated chicks in the spring, but I don't want to put my older hens in danger.

Thanks

 

[schnebbles]

it will not expose your older ones to mareks. You should be safe to get vaccinated chicks no matter what. Please do get vaccinated chicks because you don't want mareks!

 

[BigECarter]

If I hatch eggs in an incubator will these chicks possible catch mareks from my older chickens if the older ones were indeed vaccinated.

I don't think that chicks would catch Marek's from the grown birds. You can buy the vaccination on-line and vaccinate incubated chicks yourself.

 

[Nambroth]

I have 2 questions about the mareks virus.

Question no. 1. If I already have adult chickens and I get chicks from a hatchery that are vaccinated for mareks, when I decide in the future to put the two groups together will the vaccinated ones expose the older ones to the mareks virus.

No, the Marek's vaccination is a different serotype than the kind that chickens get sick from. Marek's vaccine is either turkey Merek's (MDV-3) or a combo of sertoype 2 Marek's (MDV-2). The Marek's disease that chickens get sick from is serotype 1 Marek's (MDV-1). These are three different species of the virus. It's a myth that the vaccine itself can expose chickens to Marek's disease.


Question no. 2. I don't know if my older chickens were vaccinated for mareks, I got them as baby chicks from 4 different feed stores. If I hatch eggs in an incubator will these chicks possible catch mareks from my older chickens if the older ones were indeed vaccinated.

As per my above answer, the vaccine itself can NOT cause a chicken to catch Marek's disease. If your older chickens were vaccinated (or not) and then were later exposed to the virus, then they will be carriers of the virus for life. IF the virus is on your property you can accidentally expose new baby chicks if you are not careful. The virus is carried in dander and very fine dust from exposed chickens, so it is easy to track it inside on clothing and hair.
IF your older chickens have never been exposed to Marek's disease, the newborn chicks are not at risk.
Marek's disease can not be passed on through the egg itself (it cannot be given from the mother hen to her egg).

I hope these questions make sense. I'm really debating on getting vaccinated chicks in the spring, but I don't want to put my older hens in danger.

Thanks

There is no danger in vaccination. The only real argument against vaccination is that if you properly vaccinate chicks at one day old, and they are later exposed to Marek's, they may never show symptoms and thus you may not know they've been exposed. But they will have a much higher chance to survive. Since most of us in this thread tend to have loved flocks with birds we keep for more than just 'livestock', and don't want to experience losses, vaccination is a no-brainer. The choice to vaccinate is yours. I have more information in the FAQ in my signature if you'd like to learn more about the vaccine.

 

[seminolewind]

I have 2 questions about the mareks virus.

Question no. 1. If I already have adult chickens and I get chicks from a hatchery that are vaccinated for mareks, when I decide in the future to put the two groups together will the vaccinated ones expose the older ones to the mareks virus.

Question no. 2. I don't know if my older chickens were vaccinated for mareks, I got them as baby chicks from 4 different feed stores. If I hatch eggs in an incubator will these chicks possible catch mareks from my older chickens if the older ones were indeed vaccinated.

I hope these questions make sense. I'm really debating on getting vaccinated chicks in the spring, but I don't want to put my older hens in danger.

Thanks

I personally would vaccinate or get vaccinated chicks from now on in because you need to protect the babies. Whether or not I've had exposure or not. I've learned the hard way that Marek's can be in your flock for years and a person may not ever know.