Last year we got our first chicks, and had them vaccinated against Marek's and coccidiosis. We will be picking up our current year chicks from the hatchery next week. I read (somewhere!) that my prior, vaccinated chickens are now carriers for Marek's. Therefore I am having all new chicks vaccinated. Is this correct? I am not planning to vaccinate the new ones against cocci since apparently it is in the ground anyway, and I do have some sulfa to treat them with if needed. Does this all sound like the right thing to do?
I believe you are correct about vaccinated chickens then being carriers so to speak of the Marek's. If I didn't want to get chicks vaccinated for the coccidiosis then I would definitely feed medicated chick starter as it helps them to develop an immunity when they are exposed to it, but that's just me.
I think that is how it works. Its something I am deciding about. The lady at ideal told me if I have vaccinated birds here I must vaccinate all birds that would be in contact with them in the first 7-8 months of their life because the vaccinated birds are carriers and would infect new birds. I just feed the the medicated chick starter food and never had a problem with coccidiosis
Thanks all, lowcountrypoultry, we're getting the following: 2 speckled sussex pullets and 1 roo 1 welsummer pullets 1 buff o pullet 2 slw pullets 1 black australorp pullet We already have 3 EEs and a Buff O hen from last year. There's no medicated feed at my feed store, so I may call the hatchery and have them vaccinate for cocci...definitely going to do the Marek's. Edited to fix smileys.
On the Featherfanciers website, Peter Brown describes the vaccine used for Mareks. It is my understanding that the actual vaccine they use is not the Mareks virus at all, but rather, a virus strain from turkeys. It does not prevent Mareks disease but it prevents the formation of tumors, which is what will eventually kill you birds. With that in mind, Mareks Vaccine would not create a carrier situation in you chickens and in fact I had my first hatchery chicks vaccinated for Mareks with no problem to my flock of chicks raised here with that were never vaccinated. That being said, Mareks is extremely common and is present in many places without our being aware of it. After 4 untroubled years I did finally get Mareks in my flock and even thought I raise all my own chickens now, I choose to vaccinate all chicks that hatch here and I vaccinate any birds that come to my property from other breeders no matter the age.
