OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[Briggadane]

Does anybody have experience with Meriks? Exactly how contagious is it?

 

[big medicine]

Does anybody have experience with Meriks? Exactly how contagious is it?

Been a while since I've dealt with marek's desease.

There seems to be some variance in susceptibility to marek's, Some breeds, sometimes even family lines within a breed seem to have better natural resistance. Unfortunately it always seemed to be a youngster that I had high hopes for as a future breeder that would come up limping. Before I started inoculating my Brahmas as day olds, I might expect to lose somewhere between 5 to 10 percent of that years hatch on an average year.. Since I've been inoculating the past 12 years or so, have had no problems.

Now your mileage may vary, depending on how resistant your birds are.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

 Been a while since I've dealt with marek's desease. 

There seems to be some variance in susceptibility to marek's, Some breeds, sometimes even family lines within a breed seem to have better natural resistance. Unfortunately it always seemed  to be a youngster that I had high hopes for as a future breeder that would come up limping. Before I started inoculating my Brahmas as day olds, I might expect to lose somewhere between 5 to 10 percent of that years hatch on an average year.. Since I've been inoculating the past 12 years or so, have had no problems. 

Now your mileage may vary, depending on how resistant your birds are.

How did you deal with it? Start over? New property?

 

[big medicine]

How did you deal with it? Start over? New property?

Just started inoculating chicks as they came out of the incubator, and kept them in a brooder down in the basement for their first 14 days or so, in order for them to build up their immunity. If you are buying chicks from a hatchery, most offer the option to vaccinate for marek's. I think I also gave all my old birds a shot when I mixed up the first batch of vaccine, probably didn't help them much, but you always have extra vaccine that you throw out anyway, only good for an hour or so once you mix it.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Hi all haven't been here in quite a while.
I have some reading to do.

 

[ToniTalley]

Welcome back!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Welcome back!

Thanks Toni

 

[cabinchicky]

Big Medicine, what do you use to inoculate chicks? Hope I have some hatch this year and need to get supplies ready.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I breed Swedish Flower Hens. Currently we have started hens, chicks from 12-6 weeks & of course hatching eggs.

 

[big medicine]

Big Medicine, what do you use to inoculate chicks? Hope I have some hatch this year and need to get supplies ready.

https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies...id=574&zenid=119a1a20c6c94146627edd6c96336b03


Let Victor know what you are dealing with and he can put together the syringes and stuff you will need. You can get it mailed to you, or Victor usually sets up at most of the bigger shows. Bring a cooler and ice if you are picking up at a show as the vaccine needs to be kept cold.

Now this is a 1000 dose unit. I try to keep everything sterile while drawing it off into smaller doses so one unit will cover my usual 4 or so hatches a year. Once you mix the vaccine (in small bottle) with the dilutant (in large bottle) you only have an hour or so before it goes bad.