Vaccinating for Mareks

[adlynch]

All of my chickens have come from a hatchery and have been vaccinated. We currently have a hen sitting on several eggs due to hatch mid September. I've read several things about mareks on here but everyone seems to have a different opinion. I'm pretty certain I want to vaccinate, but would like reccomendation on where/which vaccine to get.

Are there other diseases I should vaccinate for? (I live in Eastern NC)

Also, I've read where it says vaccinated chicks would need to be separate from the rest of the flock?? Is this true. I was hoping to let mama raise them in a boorder section of our coop, so the chicks and older birds would be familiar with one another.
Thanks in advance!

 

[coach723]

I can't recommend a particular vaccine as I've never vaccinated my chicks that I hatch. Just wanted to say that the world is FULL of mixed flocks of vaccinated/unvaccinated birds. Many people buy vaccinated chicks and do not vaccinate the ones they hatch themselves. The vaccine prevents the birds from developing the tumors associated with Mareks, but it does NOT prevent them from being infected with Mareks, so they can still become infected and pass it to other birds. I'm not advocating either vaccinating or not vaccinating, I think we all need to do our research and make up our own minds. I do know that the chicks need to be vaccinated before they are exposed to the virus, so most recommendations are that it be done at about 24 hours old. I'm going to attach a few links with info that may help, I'm by no means an expert on Mareks, and there are many people on here who have dealt with it and are dealing with it in their own flocks so hopefully you will get more info and opinions.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mareks-vaccine.39918/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/mdvac.htm

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't vaccine my chicks either but I agree it is a personal decision. I'm not going to tell you what to do but I'll eventually get to a recommendation.

The vaccine for Marek's is the turkey Marek's virus. Like Coach said it does not prevent Marek's but it stops the lesions that cause the harm from growing. It takes a week or two to take effect so yes they need to be separated from the flock at hatch and kept away from the flock or the broody for a couple of weeks after vaccination to be sure of protection. It will not hurt to vaccinate your chicks, and the earlier the better, but if they are hatched by a broody it might not do any good if your flock has Marek's. Not all do in spite of some of the stuff you read.

By vaccinating with that turkey Marek's virus you do not make your chickens carriers. Some people worry about that. It's possible they can catch chicken Marek's and pass it on but it is not because of the vaccine.

My recommendation is to call your county extension office Monday and ask to talk to someone about chicken diseases and vaccinations. I did that when I moved here and they put me in touch with a university professor in poultry science that is on the team that investigates chicken diseases in this area. I found out that there had been only one reported case of Marek's in this county in the past two years and that was not near where I was. Not all cases are reported but I figured it wasn't an epidemic here.

We discussed other possible diseases and vaccinations. I told him I was planning on a closed flock. That means I don't take my chickens to chicken shows or other places they can be infected by other birds. I don't add any adults to my flock, the only way I add birds is to hatch them myself or get baby chicks mailed in from an established hatchery. His eventual recommendation was to not bother vaccinating. My risk level was really low. It's not zero but it is low.

You can be in a totally different situation in how you manage them or what diseases may be pretty bad in your area. I think you are way ahead in the game if you can talk to a local expert. One I suggest you ask about is fowl pox. It's spread by mosquitoes but I don't know how bad it is on your part of North Carolina.

 

[Leihamarie]

I have recently learned to vaccinate my chicks for Marek's, because it is prevalent in my area and I have confirmed it in my flock through necropsy. @Ridgerunner gave some great advice on contacting your local extension office to see if Marek's is even a concern in your area before choosing to vaccinate.

IF you do choose to vaccinate your chicks, here's the run-down from my experience:

a) I get my vaccine online from Jeffer's Pet https://www.jefferspet.com/products/md-vac. The HVT vaccine is the only one available to the public, you cannot get the Rispen's combo vaccine. It's important that the vaccine remain chilled, so I pay for an insulated bag and an extra ice pack. I also choose 2nd day delivery with that setup and my vaccine has been fine so far. I use 1/2" insulin needles (29 gauge) that I get from Missouri Medical Supplies. I learned how to vaccinate on youtube and through a poultry veterinary surgery textbook. This was the most helpful video on youtube:

The key is to vaccinate in the lower 1/3 of the neck, pointing needle AWAY from the head and make sure you don't poke the needle all the way through to the other side of the neck and squirt the vaccine out on the floor (it's easier to do than you might think).

b) vaccine schedule: I do a double vaccination. All my chicks get vaccinated either by the hatchery I've ordered them from or by me if I'm hatching on day 1. Then I vaccinate again (re-vaccination) on day 14. This schedule has been shown to provide superior resistance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2643530/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2643530/

c) I've read mixed opinions on the time frame for the vaccine to build resistance. I've read everything from 3-16 weeks to keep them isolated and away from any possibility of being exposed to the virus. If the chicks are exposed to the virus before the vaccine helps them build resistance then the vaccine will be totally useless. In your situation, if Marek's is not prevalent and you choose to vaccinate just in case, then I would feel comfortable letting mama hen raise them. If Marek's IS prevalent in your area then I would brood them myself if I were you.
In my case, I had to sanitize myself EVERY time I came into the house from outside which included taking a shower and changing my clothes before I handled my vulnerable babies. Again, I KNOW I have Marek's in my flock and in my soil and all over my property, so extreme precautions were necessary.

I hope this was helpful. It sounds more complicated than it really is and there's always the option of just letting mama hen brood them and start breeding for resistance with the chicks that make it past POL. I can't have a rooster where I am so that's not an option for me at this point.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

In hatcheries the Marek's vaccine is sprayed onto day old chicks in the form of a superfine mist. Because chicks have a built in pecking response they eat these fine droplets of water with the vaccine in it off of each others down. This vaccine I am told must only be given to one day old chicks.

 

[adlynch]

@coach723 @Ridgerunner @Leihamarie @chickengeorgeto
Thank you all so much for the wonderful advice! Ill definitely be calling to see what diseases are in my area, but I'll have to wait til tomorrow since today is a holiday. Thanks again!