Vaccating mixed flock

[samoogle]

Hello,

This is my first time posting and I hope I'm asking in the right place.

I have a mixed age flock. In March I purchased 5 showgirls from one hatchery and 3 silkies from a show breeder.

These two sets of birds have given me the run around on illnesses and just over all need for care. I also got three turkeys from a known trusted breeder whom I've dealt with before and those birds are tonka strong.

These new birds have never been introduced to my flock since, I'm not trusting their health at this point.....I've had to treat them for coccidiosis, mites (preventative), and now I have one of that group who's been in the house with me for two weeks with ...as the vet said "hopefully it's minor and viral" (obviously not an aviary vet) and I replied with give me antibiotics because I don't trust that diagnosis.

It is at this point I have two options.....cull my entire new set of chickens and turkeys since they have mingled or premptively vaccinate both sets of flocks.....my only hitch....what in the ever loving world can I vaccinate chickens and turkeys for?

So far no one else from the...."sick flock" has presented symptoms like the one in quarantine but can I ever reintroduce this bird back without vaccinating the "sick flock"? Much less my original flock?? I had read that if its Mycoplasma Gallisepticum he's a carrier for life??? Could they all have it and just not present symptoms??

And with that idea in mind what are the vaccines I can use for both turkeys and chickens?? I can't seem to find complimentary vaccine schedules for a mixed age/species.

If you've made it this far, thank you and I welcome some ideas as I'm at a loss on what should be done.

 

[nuthatched]

If the sick flock has been exposed to the one that was feeling, then it's too late to vaccinate them. I believe merecks vaccine must be given within a few days of hatch so I think it's too late either way.
What are the symptoms that make you think it's merecks?

 

[azygous]

If you want the most pertinent advice, you'll need to let us know your geographical location. For example, if you live in Florida or elsewhere in the south where mosquitos are neighbors, it would be helpful to vaccinate for fowl pox. If you are sure your chickens haven't been exposed to Marek's there is a vaccine for that. It's dubious whether coccidia vaccine is useful since there are nine strains and not all are covered.

 

[LaFleche]

The Marek's vaccine has to be given the first day of life, meaning right after they hatch, and they will have to be kept isolated/separated for at least one month with strict biosecurity precautions taken to not transfer any dust or else from your other chickens to them.

So for your chicks it is too late.

 

[samoogle]

If you want the most pertinent advice, you'll need to let us know your geographical location. For example, if you live in Florida or elsewhere in the south where mosquitos are neighbors, it would be helpful to vaccinate for fowl pox. If you are sure your chickens haven't been exposed to Marek's there is a vaccine for that. It's dubious whether coccidia vaccine is useful since there are nine strains and not all are covered.

Sorry I'm in South East Texas..... mosquito hell. I am most concerned about Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, this chicken has had eye swelling on one eye, sneezing and a cough...still eating, drinking, chirping and now on an antibiotic.

None of the others nor the turkeys have these symptoms though which is why it's put me in a bind to cull just this one that I've got isolated or give him the treatment and wait 30 days then simply reintroduce.

The vaccine I found for MG looks like it's only approved for chickens and I can't seem to find anything else regarding turkey vaccination for it.

I had wondered if I needed to vaccinate my entire flock (both sets) at this point for mereks since I simply don't trust this sick flock to be free of it. My original flock is housed on completely separate grounds away from this sick flock but I was hoping there would be a day I would be introducing this new flock as I had never intended to keep two completely separate flocks for life.

 

[azygous]

The problem with vaccinating any chicken other than new-to-the-world chicks is that Marek's strains are everywhere. If you have wild turkeys, they are leaving a form of Marek's virus shed everywhere around your place. You can even bring Marek's home on your clothing if you've visited anyplace where it's present. So it almost never does any real good to vaccinate older chicks and chickens. It won't hurt them, though, just a waste of vaccine.

However, if you are getting new chicks, and you wish to vaccinate them for Marek's before you expose them to your flock, it does no harm to use up the vaccine doses (you typically get 1000) on the rest of your flock.

But you definitely would be very wise to vaccinate for fowl pox. The wet form is just hideously miserable.

 

[Maiahr]

I have experience with Marek vaccinated and Marek non-vaccinated mix flock. Total kill for the non-vaccinated. The vaccinated are carriers of the virus (I was told by a vet it is a "living" vaccine whatever this may mean), they sometimes exhibit some of the symptoms, do not die from Marek, but they infect all the non-vaccinated chicken who subsequently die. Basically any non-vaccinated chicken exposed to a vaccinated will get sick of Marek and most probably die.

 

[azygous]

Everyone interested in Marek's vaccine for chicks or older chickens needs to read this. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous It explains the confusion over "leaky vaccine" and vaccinated birds transmitting the virus to other chickens.

In a nutshell, the vaccine does not directly cause the disease to occur in unvaccinated chickens by vaccinated chicks. The fact is that Marek's vaccine is not perfect. It only encourages the vaccinated birds to develop resistance to the disease and they can still be infected if exposed to it. These infected, though vaccinated, birds can then infect other chickens who may then die from the disease.

The fact is that your Marek's vaccinated chicks cannot give Marek's to your other chickens. Your other chickens will not get Marek's unless they are exposed to Marek's virus. There is no such thing as getting Marek's from the vaccine or from vaccinated birds unless they carry the active virus.

I know it all seems confusing, but bottom line is it's safe for you to bring vaccinated chicks into your flock.

 

[samoogle]

Everyone interested in Marek's vaccine for chicks or older chickens needs to read this. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous It explains the confusion over "leaky vaccine" and vaccinated birds transmitting the virus to other chickens.

In a nutshell, the vaccine does not directly cause the disease to occur in unvaccinated chickens by vaccinated chicks. The fact is that Marek's vaccine is not perfect. It only encourages the vaccinated birds to develop resistance to the disease and they can still be infected if exposed to it. These infected, though vaccinated, birds can then infect other chickens who may then die from the disease.

The fact is that your Marek's vaccinated chicks cannot give Marek's to your other chickens. Your other chickens will not get Marek's unless they are exposed to Marek's virus. There is no such thing as getting Marek's from the vaccine or from vaccinated birds unless they carry the active virus.

I know it all seems confusing, but bottom line is it's safe for you to bring vaccinated chicks into your flock.

I can't thank you enough for clearing that up for me.Thank you!