To Marek’s vaccinate or not, this is my current question

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I currently have two flocks - six hens and one rooster in one flock, and 18 pullets in another. The older flock has been with us for almost a year, the pullets I hatched or purchased as day olds.

My question is - none of the chickens I have now have been vaccinated for Marek’s. I’m going to be purchasing some chicks from a hatchery, should I get them vaccinated? I’ve read so much varying information that my eyes are bleeding, so maybe some personal thoughts can help me make a decision.

Thanks in advance

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

I currently have two flocks - six hens and one rooster in one flock, and 18 pullets in another. The older flock has been with us for almost a year, the pullets I hatched or purchased as day olds.

My question is - none of the chickens I have now have been vaccinated for Marek’s. I’m going to be purchasing some chicks from a hatchery, should I get them vaccinated? I’ve read so much varying information that my eyes are bleeding, so maybe some personal thoughts can help me make a decision.

Thanks in advance

There's no harm in getting vaccinated chicks, and while the vaccines aren't fool-proof, it's not much more expensive, and could give your new chicks that extra bit of protection.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

There's no harm in getting vaccinated chicks, and while the vaccines aren't fool-proof, it's not much more expensive, and could give your new chicks that extra bit of protection.

Thank you.

 

[Beaker99]

I knew it was in my area and how lethal it was so I chose to vaccinate my flock. I have friends who don't, but they have roosters and can grow their flock. Personal choice, really.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I knew it was in my area and how lethal it was so I chose to vaccinate my flock. I have friends who don't, but they have roosters and can grow their flock. Personal choice, really.

That makes sense. I thought I’d read somewhere that if you introduce new chickens that have been vaccinated to a flock that hasn’t been vaccinated, it could be an issue, somehow. Sooo much to know

 

[aldarita]

As you probably have already read, there are many strains of the virus, some of them are very lethal. I have the virus in my yard so after a very hard lesson, now I only get vaccinated one day old chicks. I have some unvaccinated hens several years old that are healthy but are carriers. The virus in in the air and comes to your yard so easily, it was my case since in my 10 years of keeping chickens, I always kept a closed flock.
Vaccinating your one day old chicks will give them an advantage, were you to get the virus in your yard but remember like all vaccines, they are not 100% efficient and like I mentioned above, survival depends on how vicious the strain is.
I don't have roosters. It is another thing to consider. If you want to hatch your own chicks, you will have to vaccinate them too, that means the chicks will have to be in a strict quarantine for 2 or 3 weeks. That also means that your broody won't be able to brood them (this is the hardest thing I had to do) I loved to see my broody with her chicks, but I lost all the chicks to Mareks. They only got to live for about a year.
Don't fret about this, this has happened to me because I already have the virus in my yard but hopefully you will never have it. However I will vaccinate the chicks. Don't worry about your unvaccinated chickens, they won't get the virus from the vaccinated ones.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

As you probably have already read, there are many strains of the virus, some of them are very lethal. I have the virus in my yard so after a very hard lesson, now I only get vaccinated one day old chicks. I have some unvaccinated hens several years old that are healthy but are carriers. The virus in in the air and comes to your yard so easily, it was my case since in my 10 years of keeping chickens, I always kept a closed flock.
Vaccinating your one day old chicks will give them an advantage, were you to get the virus in your yard but remember like all vaccines, they are not 100% efficient and like I mentioned above, survival depends on how vicious the strain is.
I don't have roosters. It is another thing to consider. If you want to hatch your own chicks, you will have to vaccinate them too, that means the chicks will have to be in a strict quarantine for 2 or 3 weeks. That also means that your broody won't be able to brood them (this is the hardest thing I had to do) I loved to see my broody with her chicks, but I lost all the chicks to Mareks. They only got to live for about a year.
Don't fret about this, this has happened to me because I already have the virus in my yard but hopefully you will never have it. However I will vaccinate the chicks. Don't worry about your unvaccinated chickens, they won't get the virus from the vaccinated ones.

Thank you!

 

[aart]

If you want to hatch your own chicks, you will have to vaccinate them too, that means the chicks will have to be in a strict quarantine for 2 or 3 weeks.

@aldarita ... Vaccinated chicks from the hatchery would need to be quarantined also?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Vaccinated chicks from the hatchery would need to be quarantined also?

That is my understanding Aart. It takes two or three weeks for the vaccine to take effect. If the chicks are exposed to the virus before it takes effect the chickens can eventually have symptoms.

My question is - none of the chickens I have now have been vaccinated for Marek’s. I’m going to be purchasing some chicks from a hatchery, should I get them vaccinated? I’ve read so much varying information that my eyes are bleeding, so maybe some personal thoughts can help me make a decision.

The Marek's Vaccine does not prevent Marek's. It is intended to prevent the lesions that cause the damage from forming. Like everything else in reality it is not 100% effective but it works pretty well in preventing the lesions.

Even if they are successfully vaccinated it is possible the chickens can catch Marek's, probably will if they are exposed to it. If they catch it they can spread it. If Marek's is in your flock you have to assume every chicken has it and can spread it, whether or not they are vaccinated or show symptoms.

Not every unvaccinated chicken that has Marek's is affected. It depends on the strain and the resistance of the individual chicken. In some flocks Marek's can practically wipe out the flock. In other flocks very few are affected. It can be anywhere in between. Sometimes Marek's kills, sometimes it cripples. If it is in the flock they are all infected, vaccinated or not.

The vaccination does not give them Marek's and does not make them carriers.

I agree it is a personal decision. Before I got my first flock I talked to my county extension office who hooked me up with a poultry science professor that specialized in chicken diseases. He was also on the poultry inspection team that investigated the flocks that had diseases in the area, commercial and backyard. He said that he was aware of 2 reported cases of Marek's in the county over the past three years and none were in my part of the county. I cancelled the Marek's vaccine and used that money to get extra chicks.

I have no idea what the risk is in your part of New Mexico or how risk adverse you are. If I were in your situation and the current flock did not exhibit symptoms I would not get the vaccination. If I had any reason to believe my flock might have Marek's I would. I don't think it would hurt to get the vaccination, I just don't see it as necessary.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

That is my understanding Aart. It takes two or three weeks for the vaccine to take effect. If the chicks are exposed to the virus before it takes effect the chickens can eventually have symptoms.


The Marek's Vaccine does not prevent Marek's. It is intended to prevent the lesions that cause the damage from forming. Like everything else in reality it is not 100% effective but it works pretty well in preventing the lesions.

Even if they are successfully vaccinated it is possible the chickens can catch Marek's, probably will if they are exposed to it. If they catch it they can spread it. If Marek's is in your flock you have to assume every chicken has it and can spread it, whether or not they are vaccinated or show symptoms.

Not every unvaccinated chicken that has Marek's is affected. It depends on the strain and the resistance of the individual chicken. In some flocks Marek's can practically wipe out the flock. In other flocks very few are affected. It can be anywhere in between. Sometimes Marek's kills, sometimes it cripples. If it is in the flock they are all infected, vaccinated or not.

The vaccination does not give them Marek's and does not make them carriers.

I agree it is a personal decision. Before I got my first flock I talked to my county extension office who hooked me up with a poultry science professor that specialized in chicken diseases. He was also on the poultry inspection team that investigated the flocks that had diseases in the area, commercial and backyard. He said that he was aware of 2 reported cases of Marek's in the county over the past three years and none were in my part of the county. I cancelled the Marek's vaccine and used that money to get extra chicks.

I have no idea what the risk is in your part of New Mexico or how risk adverse you are. If I were in your situation and the current flock did not exhibit symptoms I would not get the vaccination. If I had any reason to believe my flock might have Marek's I would. I don't think it would hurt to get the vaccination, I just don't see it as necessary.

Thank you for that. As none of my flock have show signs of any illness or issues up to this point, I chose to not get the chicks I purchased from the hatchery vaccinated, just to keep some continuity. I have never purchased from a hatchery before, so I was rather nervous about the implications of introducing new chicks. I haven’t heard of anyone in the area dealing with Marek’s, and no one that I have sold chicks to have ever asked if they were vaccinated. It’s good to know of personal experiences, it’s helps to see how it goes in different flocks. My husband and his father have raised chickens on this property for decades, and he insists they never had any illnesses or deaths that he recalls other than predation and old age. But then he admits they only fed, watered and collected eggs. My level of care is a little bit more than that