Vaccinate or not to vaccinate...

[happima]

Just lost my five week old chick to a leg paralysis that I suspect was Mareks. I am waiting for lab results to confirm. Was a brutal thing to go through. Vaccinate your chicks. Mareks is brutal. The vaccination does not compromise organic status, does it? Can't think of a better way to spend a buck on a chick. Read some of those threads on the disease board. Mareks in not pretty and if there is a safe way to avoid, seems a no brainer.

 

[leadwolf1]

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My thoughts exactly...and, Ideal will vaccinate chicks for 10 cents!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

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You really need to check with the organization certifying organic to be sure. It is a live virus so probably not, but not all certifying agencies follow the exact same rules. And that live virus used to vaccinate the chickens is actually Turkey Marek's. I'm not sure how different organic organizations handle that.

 

[eggdd]

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first, it depends on the organic agency. if i were in charge and you vaccinated, i would not give you organic status. in my opinion it's clearly not organic.

secondly, a question. you only had one bird sick?

 

[kingsfarm]

are you talking about ALL vaccines? Foul pox also? or only Mereks? please clarify...

 

[LiLRedCV]

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You said it! While there are many who may disagree with you? I'm not one of them.

 

[eggdd]

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You said it! While there are many who may disagree with you? I'm not one of them.

x2

 

[happima]

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You really need to check with the organization certifying organic to be sure. It is a live virus so probably not, but not all certifying agencies follow the exact same rules. And that live virus used to vaccinate the chickens is actually Turkey Marek's. I'm not sure how different organic organizations handle that.

The online literature I've read indicates that vaccines do not compromise organic status. Of course, you'd need to check with your local certifying organization, but chances are good that you'd be ok.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...m-processing-for-organic-producers-table-eggs

I still have three chicks. I got them myself from a breeder who had no exposure to Mareks and I took them to my home where they were my first ever chicks to raise. Now, as I said, I haven't received results of cause of death, so silly to argue about how my chick got Mareks. But I believe that this virus is prevalent.

My other three chicks are healthy and fine. They are vaccinated, as was the chick that died. But this just happened last week, so I don't know what will happen with my ladies. I'm hoping/praying that the living three will be fine.

I just don't think that anyone should flat out be against vaccines, either to save money or to be organic. Now, if there is research out there indicating that there is harm caused by the vaccine or that it is useless, I'd like to know. But so far considering what I've read and listening to people who raise chickens who I respect, the Mareks vaccine seems like a very wise precaution to take care of the safety and health of your flock.

 

[MissJenny]

I have a small flock -- under 8 birds -- which are handled by no one and I handle no one else's birds. The nearest chickens to me are more than a mile away. The only new chickens I bring in are hatched here by my own hens, who were hatched here. Yet, I have lost not one but two chicks to Marek's -- someone said it's brutal -- that isn't even the half of it. Marek's is a totally preventable disease and 100% fatal to affected birds -- why risk it? Once they are sick your heart falls to your stomach and you know there is no good outcome to this...

Jenny

 

[clairabean]

For us, it does not matter if vaccinations do or do not make an 'organic status'. To me, if it is not organic, so we will not eat it.