Tdgill, sorry you lost a roo. At 2 years old, chickens show resistance, so it's hit and miss at who may be affected. You may have none or sporatic losses. Most of my losses were birds under a year old, except maybe 2 were older.
Way back in the day, losses were immense. In the 70's, US hatcheries for public consumption got up to 60-80% deaths from Marek's before methods were changed. Large chicken raisers learned to have an "all in all out system", no mixing ages. And thoroughly disinfecting between batches, and vaccinating chicks. The losses over a period of time became 5%.
But, up til now, as chickens got popular and kept by more and more people, we, in general, were not doing anything to prevent Marek's in our flocks. We were buying chickens randomly, mixing ages, not able to disinfect between hatches due to free ranging, and not vaccinating, and led to believe that it was only a problem in large commercial operations. It was already too late for us to learn the symptoms, or, think that only a small group of symptoms means Marek's, (paralysis, dying for no noticeable reason, eyes becoming oddly shaped, and paralysis only when a bird has one leg forward one leg back.) Those are the classic symptoms that anyone can recognize. But there are more symptoms outside that, and Marek's has no rules.
So now the problem is ours and it's massive. The only way to battle this is having closed flocks, meaning only chicks hatched by you, or bought from a hatchery as a vaccinated day old. And the ones hatched in your own incubator vaccinated day one, and either group kept quarantined for 2-6 weeks to let the vaccine take hold. In that way, your own flock will not kill off your babies, and the day olds will not be bringing Marek's into your flock because of never being exposed to carriers .
Protecting your own chickens is the first step to prevent deaths. Marek's will never go away. The vaccine only protects against the tumors and nerve damage of paralysis. They can still carry it , even tho vaccinated, but not get it from the vaccine.
The feed store guys and other people will tell you they don't have Marek's or they were vaccinated. You can't know, and it would be guessing.
I have learned that there is now a blood test. It's not 100% reliable, and most of the time, it's too late. Vaccinate. Close your flock.
I had a closed flock, all were hatched by me or hatchery day olds. I commited myself to keeping my flock closed. I broke that rule and bought a little silkie pullet. Now my flock has Marek's. It only took one.
Way back in the day, losses were immense. In the 70's, US hatcheries for public consumption got up to 60-80% deaths from Marek's before methods were changed. Large chicken raisers learned to have an "all in all out system", no mixing ages. And thoroughly disinfecting between batches, and vaccinating chicks. The losses over a period of time became 5%.
But, up til now, as chickens got popular and kept by more and more people, we, in general, were not doing anything to prevent Marek's in our flocks. We were buying chickens randomly, mixing ages, not able to disinfect between hatches due to free ranging, and not vaccinating, and led to believe that it was only a problem in large commercial operations. It was already too late for us to learn the symptoms, or, think that only a small group of symptoms means Marek's, (paralysis, dying for no noticeable reason, eyes becoming oddly shaped, and paralysis only when a bird has one leg forward one leg back.) Those are the classic symptoms that anyone can recognize. But there are more symptoms outside that, and Marek's has no rules.
So now the problem is ours and it's massive. The only way to battle this is having closed flocks, meaning only chicks hatched by you, or bought from a hatchery as a vaccinated day old. And the ones hatched in your own incubator vaccinated day one, and either group kept quarantined for 2-6 weeks to let the vaccine take hold. In that way, your own flock will not kill off your babies, and the day olds will not be bringing Marek's into your flock because of never being exposed to carriers .
Protecting your own chickens is the first step to prevent deaths. Marek's will never go away. The vaccine only protects against the tumors and nerve damage of paralysis. They can still carry it , even tho vaccinated, but not get it from the vaccine.
The feed store guys and other people will tell you they don't have Marek's or they were vaccinated. You can't know, and it would be guessing.
I have learned that there is now a blood test. It's not 100% reliable, and most of the time, it's too late. Vaccinate. Close your flock.
I had a closed flock, all were hatched by me or hatchery day olds. I commited myself to keeping my flock closed. I broke that rule and bought a little silkie pullet. Now my flock has Marek's. It only took one.
