Vaccinate or Not

[Shadrach]

I don't vaccinate.
If a chicken is carrying something contagious and potentially lethal then I want to know about it. I do not want to be responsible for transmitting a disease to other peoples flocks.
My opinion is many of these diseases would be better controlled through decent bio security. Wild birds get blamed for spreading Mareks and with many other diseases fault is found with something we have little control over.
My belief is the way we buy, keep, swap, show and in general manage our flocks must play a large part in the spreading of disease. It's we chicken keepers that need to sort ourselves out attempting to tackle disease.
I would like to see a little notice come with every chicken
Now you've got your chicken, close your flock.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Now you've got your chicken, close your flock.

This is the extent of it for me. In almost 10 years I've never sold a chicken and haven't had the desire to. Nor do I go to other chicken keepers places or have them at mine

 

[ShrekDawg]

All the ones that hatched on the farm are in great shape and laying. I figure I'd know by now if I had Mareks

Yeah I’m sure you would!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks!! This makes a lot of sense. This whole thing is very interesting. So it seems they never should have vaccinated to begin with? BunI guess they didn’t want to lose birds and money?

I think there’s been a lot of soul-searching about this within the industry. Wikipedia says that the 60s virus wasn’t tumorogenic and wasn’t very lethal, but I’m not sure that’s correct. I’ve read that the vaccine came into wide use for broilers because so many carcasses were being condemned for tumors... At any rate, the vaccines have been in use for years, and the hot strains are now present and established as well.

 

[Shadrach]

This is the extent of it for me. In almost 10 years I've never sold a chicken and haven't had the desire to. Nor do I go to other chicken keepers places or have them at mine

A bit antisocial then.....

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks, that makes sense. I’ve tried to be careful and not wear the same shoes and stuff near the little ones but if it travels on clothes or skin I probably have.. but I try to tend to the babies first so I don’t bring anything to them. They’ve never been outside. In the laundry room currently.

I considered buying the vaccine but it’s only sold in 1000 dose vials and I only have 9 chicks.

I’m not sure if they have the wild version or not. But we do have tons of wild birds around being set back in the woods. All kinds of song birds as well as robins, woodpeckers, hawks, owls, turkeys. The turkeys especially love hanging in the back near the chickens. Never had a sick bird or seen a sick wild bird but I’m sure it’s highly probable we have the disease but

Turkeys were the original source of HVT - people used to keep chickens with turkeys to get the chickens infected with HVT so that they wouldn’t come down with Marek’s! Maybe you have HVT in your flock and it’s protective?

 

[ShrekDawg]

This is the extent of it for me. In almost 10 years I've never sold a chicken and haven't had the desire to. Nor do I go to other chicken keepers places or have them at mine

I’ve only had mine a little over 4 but I haven’t sold any either and the only ones I’ve added have been hatchery chicks and these hatching eggs. That said, I did end up with several cockerels I need to rehome so I’m worried about putting them out there. :/

 

[FortCluck]

This is the extent of it for me. In almost 10 years I've never sold a chicken and haven't had the desire to. Nor do I go to other chicken keepers places or have them at mine

I sell chickens, but all of mine are healthy as far as I know. I meet everyone at tractor supply and no one comes on our property to buy.

Also I tell everyone to quarantine for at least a month to make sure they're in okay health before they add them to their flock.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think there’s been a lot of soul-searching about this within the industry. Wikipedia says that the 60s virus wasn’t tumorogenic and wasn’t very lethal, but I’m not sure that’s correct. I’ve read that the vaccine came into wide use for broilers because so many carcasses were being condemned for tumors... At any rate, the vaccines have been in use for years, and the hot strains are now present and established as well.

That makes a lot of sense! I imagine that was quite the loss.

Turkeys were the original source of HVT - people used to keep chickens with turkeys to get the chickens infected with HVT so that they wouldn’t come down with Marek’s! Maybe you have HVT in your flock and it’s protective?

Maybe!! That would be good if it was, right? We have tons of turkeys. Haven’t seen any lately but over the years they’re always hanging around the chicken coop and back yard and a few months ago we had a couple females hanging out for a while.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I sell chickens, but all of mine are healthy as far as I know. I meet everyone at tractor supply and no one comes on our property to buy.

Also I tell everyone to quarantine for at least a month to make sure they're in okay health before they add them to their flock.

I think since yours aren’t vaccinated, you would know if you had the disease. Mine are so I do worry a bit that I wouldn’t know.