Questions about baby chicks and marek's disease.

[LunaMarieWolf]

I do not know if I need to put this in a different forum or what but I am thinking about ordering some bantam chicks through a hatchery online next spring.

I saw they can't vaccinate against marek's disease. Is there a reason they can't? Can I buy the vaccinations online and vaccinate the chicks myself?

I breed, raise and keep some of my chickens and I have never vaccinated the chicks I hatched against Marek's.

(So if my flock was to become infected with Marek's I would lose most of my flock)

So could I vaccinate the bantam chicks against Marek's myself so incase my flock does become infected, I won't lose the bantams?

 

[azygous]

Vaccine is available but you have to buy enough for hundreds of chickens, and that's why individual flock keepers don't do it.

It's not the sure-fire protection against guarding against Marek's as you think. It's still possible for vaccinated chickens to get a different strain than they were vaccinated for.

Where do you live? Are there any wild turkeys that hang around? Wild turkey flocks have a mild form of Marek's that they shed, and chicken flocks will pick it up and develop resistance to Marek's just as if they've been vaccinated.

The best alternative is to request the vaccine when ordering baby chicks, and use a hatchery that does. But if you have wild turkeys, the job is being done for you.

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

Vaccine is available but you have to buy enough for hundreds of chickens, and that's why individual flock keepers don't do it.

It's not the sure-fire protection against guarding against Marek's as you think. It's still possible for vaccinated chickens to get a different strain than they were vaccinated for.

Where do you live? Are there any wild turkeys that hang around? Wild turkey flocks have a mild form of Marek's that they shed, and chicken flocks will pick it up and develop resistance to Marek's just as if they've been vaccinated.

The best alternative is to request the vaccine when ordering baby chicks, and use a hatchery that does. But if you have wild turkeys, the job is being done for you.

Yes I do have wild turkeys that hang around. I live out in a clearing in the middle of the woods and right behind the coop there have been turkey hens roaming around with little babies.

 

[AmyJane725]

Yes I do have wild turkeys that hang around. I live out in a clearing in the middle of the woods and right behind the coop there have been turkey hens roaming around with little babies.

That's awesome. Can you get them to gobble at you? Such a funny sound.

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

That's awesome. Can you get them to gobble at you? Such a funny sound.

Nope as much as I would love for that to happen the turkeys take off as soon as they see us.

 

[AmyJane725]

Nope as much as I would love for that to happen the turkeys take off as soon as they see us.

Aw, too bad. Woulda been fun.

 

[azygous]

Turkeys here are very people friendly. They come right up to me and bat their long eye lashes and ask for a handout. They enjoy partying with my chickens. Everyone has a great time.
Try to find the one that is not a turkey.

 

[Folly's place]

Some hatcheries will vaccinate bantam chicks, and I'd buy from one of them.
Mary