Vaccinate or Not

[FortCluck]

Some people wear different shoes and/or clothes than they wear out or walk through bleach before going in the yard. I don’t do any of that but some people do. I try to remember to wear different shoes but always forget.

I have certain shoes that I use to go out in public and I wear my farm boots only on my farm.

Chicks that are brought here are out in the brooder until they're old enough to go with the flock. We rarely bring home older birds. HeiHei has been the only one recently.

 

[NHMountainMan]

But if I walk in there I'll end up getting Marek's... Now how do I buy my feed without buying from a farm, mill, or feed store? Do you know how many chicken owners walk on those properties?

See where I'm getting at It's impossible to avoid it... That's why I say it's more fear-driven. Yes, You can get it from going out in the public, or you could put your chickens in a bubble.

Discussing vaccines in general is always contentious. Think about the debate on vaccinating children!

In this case - there is a vaccine that can increase the survivability of your flock, without risk of infecting your flock (If I'm reading earlier comments correctly) - then why not vaccinate? There seems to be a disputed single study that says the vaccine could create a hotter strain - but if that strain hit your flock, nothing you could do about it. As a community of chicken keepers- whether you choose to vaccinate or not is a personal choice. This is not like measles, in which 95% vaccination rate creates a "safe herd" - With wild birds spreading it - no vaccine will ever get to protect enough of the "herd" to eliminate it. And whether you chose to vaccinate or not won't matter either, if my flock can be infected by a wild bird, or a trip to the feed store.

 

[CSAchook]

My last batch of hatchery chicks were vaccinated for Marek's. I was splitting the order with my Dad and he has a Marek's positive flock. It was introduced to the property by wild birds. He now keeps a closed flock (once birds go in they never leave the property) but he would like his girls to live as long as possible. (For those that do not know, Marek's fatalities are most common in POL and very old birds.) Raising chicks and losing 30% of them at POL was depressing to say the least. And breeding for resistance is not an option for him because he lives in the city and cannot keep a rooster.

So the chicks I kept were also vaccinated. It left me with a mixed flock of vaccinated and unvaccinated birds which I had no problem with.

Coccidiocis was the only other vaccine the hatchery offered and I felt that was unnecessary for my climate and flock size.

Yes, this!
The Marek's vaccine is obviously controversial but to use blanket statements for all vaccines and all diseases is confusing and misleading.

Most vaccines heavily depend on herd immunity, and the more people who vaccinate, the more we are protected as a society (near impossible to achieve with poultry).
Others, like the flu vaccine, are constantly changing due to genetic drift.
Some vaccines are airtight and others are very leaky, simply due to the nature of the disease.

What is "the vaccine?" Marek's?
That is very easy to say if you have never had Marek's annihilate a flock before.

You commented after I wrote this there's actually 4 people I think

No. I started commenting on page 3. Tes’s comments are on page 4.
And yes, she lost an entire flock to a nasty strain of Marek’s.

I just don't understand what the vaccine does...

It has been explained several times on this thread. I will quote my explanation below.

To be clear, getting Marek's vaccinations doesn't prevent my Dad's birds from contracting Marek's. It just keeps them from dying of Marek's. They are still carriers for the disease which is why he keeps a closed flock.

But if I walk in there I'll end up getting Marek's... Now how do I buy my feed without buying from a farm, mill, or feed store? Do you know how many chicken owners walk on those properties?

See where I'm getting at It's impossible to avoid it... That's why I say it's more fear-driven. Yes, You can get it from going out in the public, or you could put your chickens in a bubble.

I think fearing for the death of your flock is completely reasonable and not something for you to be dismissive of. How we care for our birds is an entirely personal decision based on a myriad of factors. I would never insist that vaccines are necessary for someone else’s flock. But you do not need to make fun of those that choose the option. We are not trying to “live in a bubble” We all just want what is best for our birds.

 

[CSAchook]

My point is though everyone is so worried about Marek's, but it's already all around us so there really is no way of preventing it. The vaccine really doesn't prevent it, does it?

@CSAchook says they vaccinate

I understand what you are saying, but this thread has not really helped me on why people vaccinate except for the few people who have contracted Marek's in their flocks and vaccinate now to protect their future flocks.

That was auto correct They do NOT.

 

[FortCluck]

Discussing vaccines in general is always contentious. Think about the debate on vaccinating children!

In this case - there is a vaccine that can increase the survivability of your flock, without risk of infecting your flock (If I'm reading earlier comments correctly) - then why not vaccinate? There seems to be a disputed single study that says the vaccine could create a hotter strain - but if that strain hit your flock, nothing you could do about it. As a community of chicken keepers- whether you choose to vaccinate or not is a personal choice. This is not like measles, in which 95% vaccination rate creates a "safe herd" - With wild birds spreading it - no vaccine will ever get to protect enough of the "herd" to eliminate it. And whether you chose to vaccinate or not won't matter either, if my flock can be infected by a wild bird, or a trip to the feed store.

So damned if you do... Damned if you don't

I don't talk about kid vaccines that's a whole other can of worms

You say you don't vaccinate your cornishx is that because they live such a short time on your property?

 

[FortCluck]

That was auto correct They do NOT.

So you vaccinate? Does that mean you don't buy from others who don't?

Say a friend has chicks you want... You don't get them?

 

[ShrekDawg]

So damned if you do... Damned if you don't

I don't talk about kid vaccines that's a whole other can of worms

You say you don't vaccinate your cornishx is that because they live such a short time on your property?

I would guess it’s so they don’t contaminate the meat? But idk if vaccines would do that or not?

 

[FortCluck]

I would guess it’s so they don’t contaminate the meat? But idk if vaccines would do that or not?

But he vaccinates his red rangers...

 

[NHMountainMan]

So damned if you do... Damned if you don't

I don't talk about kid vaccines that's a whole other can of worms

You say you don't vaccinate your cornishx is that because they live such a short time on your property?

This is my first time ordering. I'm not vaccinating them to save the .50/bird. With a 6-8 week life before processing, doesn't seem to matter to me. They'll also be very far from my existing flock. No chance of contact, except for me going between the flocks... which as I type this means I'll be to cross contaminant...huh...?????

 

[ShrekDawg]

But he vaccinates his red rangers...

I think I missed that part. Hmm... idk then.. must be what you said about them living so short anyway?