Oregon

[BGMatt]

Sorry BGMatt.. I haven't been flowing our forum very closely and missed your posting.

I would love to but I can't have rooster... we did rehome unwanted another 5 more hens and now up to 12 adults hens, 5 4 months hens, 15 baby chicks...

He might part with just some females, that's a big flock, but I can sympathize with not wanting to see birds end up in a dead end. I'll PM you his contact info.

 

[dischick]

Hello,

So I am new to chickens for keeps (we used to raise just for meat) and I purchased 8 chicks from Coastal. Ive reading about Marek's and am considering vaccinating even though they may have been exposed. Has this disease been prevalent in the SE Portland area? I'm in Jennings Lodge. I wondering if I should just start over with some hatchery birds that are vaccinated. Reading all this dos or don'ts is freaking me out!! Overall, my birds have been healthy and fine.

 

[bullrunslabs]

Have you called Coastal to find out if the hatchery they used has vaccinated them already. Some hatcheries do it before shipping the chicks out. It may be worth checking into. I have not personally had experience with the disease but am considering buying the vaccination for my chicks in my brooder...

 

[dischick]

Have you called Coastal to find out if the hatchery they used has vaccinated them already. Some hatcheries do it before shipping the chicks out. It may be worth checking into. I have not personally had experience with the disease but am considering buying the vaccination for my chicks in my brooder...

I actually went in and asked them and I was told no. Plus they don't carry the vaccine. I will have to order that online through TSC.

 

[Renee97038]

I wouldn't vaccinate for Mareks. There have been some recent findings that the vaccination is creating super Mareks shedding from carrier birds that have the vaccine. Here is the recent study.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/

 

[Renee97038]

And I have also mixed non vaccinated chicks into vaccinated chicks together and never had a problem.

 

[bullrunslabs]

Thank you for the information!

 

[Gatewayto]

Hello,

So I am new to chickens for keeps (we used to raise just for meat) and I purchased 8 chicks from Coastal. Ive reading about Marek's and am considering vaccinating even though they may have been exposed. Has this disease been prevalent in the SE Portland area? I'm in Jennings Lodge. I wondering if I should just start over with some hatchery birds that are vaccinated. Reading all this dos or don'ts is freaking me out!! Overall, my birds have been healthy and fine.

Welcome Dischick -
We do not vaccinate our chickens and haven't seem any problem yet (this is only our 5th month in raising chickens). We do have chickens ranges from 2 weeks to 3 years old, but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a problem.

For the last couple of months on our forum I have only read of 1 case of Marek and that was close to coastal Oregon. As you have read Marek is very damaging to a flock. Understanding the damager I'm still not vaccinating our flock, not because of being stubborn, but rather, I have always like the idea of natural section. At the same time I respect those that does protective of their flock.

 

[Zanna]

Welcome Dischick -
We do not vaccinate our chickens and haven't seem any problem yet (this is only our 5th month in raising chickens). We do have chickens ranges from 2 weeks to 3 years old, but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a problem.

For the last couple of months on our forum I have only read of 1 case of Marek and that was close to coastal Oregon. As you have read Marek is very damaging to a flock. Understanding the damager I'm still not vaccinating our flock, not because of being stubborn, but rather, I have always like the idea of natural section. At the same time I respect those that does protective of their flock.

My feelings are exactly the same, have never vaccinated against Mareks. I have been raising/breeding chickens in the Willamette Valley for almost 10 years now (several hundred a year) and have maybe lost one bird early on in all the years to Mareks. I say maybe as I never sent the bird in for a necropsy so no way to know for sure but the symptoms/death fit. The vaccination I believe will mask symptoms but not prevent birds from being carriers and spreading it around. If Mareks ever becomes prevalent in my flock I may reconsider but honestly, don't ever see that happening. I also raise some turkeys which are supposed to help chickens build immunity to Mareks. Never studied the reason but have heard that from several reliable sources so believe it to be true.

 

[dischick]

Thanks everyone. I am going to go with not vaccinating. They are happy and I enjoy having them. We will go with the flow.