What are folks doing for marek's?

[fatjay]

I can get the vaccine, but from what i'm reading, once rehydrated it's only viable for an hour. And it's 1000 doses. I have 30 egg incubator which I plan on loading up with as many as i can.

The vaccine is around $80, so every hatching I get, if it's 30 chicks that's $2.66 per dose.

 

[nuthatched]

The vaccine only prevents (usually) the tumors the cause the symptoms. vaccinated birds can still cache, spread and die from it.
Personally, I'd rather know so I can not be a Typhoid Mary to all the birds in the area.

 

[Debbie292d]

@2ndTink is one I know that vaccinates hers.

We've been doing the prevention dosage for all chickens of CS (Chinese Skullcap, baicalin), presumably will protect them from Marek's and AI. There's a group on Facebook that has links to all of the testing done, where to find the product, dosage, etc. if you're interested. We make up 50# of feed at a time, and it's pretty simple.

 

[fatjay]

All my hatchery birds are vaccinated, as are my neighbors with birds. It's a pretty birdy area.

Thanks for the link, i'll check it out.

 

[2ndTink]

You are correct, once rehydrated it is only good for an hour.

The vaccine can be split into 4, just use a lab spatula to break the little wafer into fourths, fish out 1/4 and hydrate with 40mL (in case your didn't get exactly 1/4) of the diluent. Just be 100% sure you store everything in the fridge and it never gets too warm or too cold. It's still expensive, but it's better than using the whole bottle for one hatch.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

If you look up studies on the subject they all say that Marek's virus is global and found in nearly all flocks all around the planet. It's virtually impossible to avoid. As just one example a 2019 study in Avian Pathology found 98% of tested flocks positive for MDV DNA in the US

The vaccine doesn't prevent catching, transmission or death from the virus, it just prevents symptoms temporarily

As someone with an extremely healthy free-ranging flock I recommend going the opposite route and placing dirt and leaf litter from all sections of your property into your brooder to expose your chickens to environmental pathogens as early as possible

 

[2ndTink]

If you look up studies on the subject they all say that Marek's virus is global and found in nearly all flocks all around the planet. It's virtually impossible to avoid. As just one example a 2019 study in Avian Pathology found 98% of tested flocks positive for MDV DNA in the US

The vaccine doesn't prevent catching, transmission or death from the virus, it just prevents symptoms temporarily

As someone with an extremely healthy free-ranging flock I recommend going the opposite route and placing dirt and leaf litter from all sections of your property into your brooder to expose your chickens to environmental pathogens as early as possible

I agree with a few deviations, the fact that almost all flocks have Mareks I have no doubt. What we do have to realize though is there are many different strains, there are strains that will likely make no bird sick, then there are virulent, very virulent, and very virulent plus strains, the highly virulent strains are the ones that the chickens benefit getting some protection from.

If I kept only the more robust breeds, I would be looking for a path to stop vaccinating my flock. With the strain my flock has plus having bantams, the right choice for my flock right now is to vaccinate. I think this is where it is best for each impacted flock owner to do a lot of research, hear everyone's opinions and experience and then chose what is the best fit for their flock.

 

[fatjay]

You are correct, once rehydrated it is only good for an hour.

The vaccine can be split into 4, just use a lab spatula to break the little wafer into fourths, fish out 1/4 and hydrate with 40mL (in case your didn't get exactly 1/4) of the diluent. Just be 100% sure you store everything in the fridge and it never gets too warm or too cold. It's still expensive, but it's better than using the whole bottle for one hatch.

The ones i've seen are liquid concentrate, not wafer, in a vacuum seal bottle. I was under the impression that once the vacuum seal was toast that was it. I have not seen it in wafer form.

 

[2ndTink]

The ones i've seen are liquid concentrate, not wafer, in a vacuum seal bottle. I was under the impression that once the vacuum seal was toast that was it. I have not seen it in wafer form.

Oh interesting! Can you send a link? I've only found the wafer kind before.

If you used a sterile needle and sanitized the top, I wonder if you could just draw out what you needed and store the rest and keep it sterile?

 

[fatjay]

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...itemGUID=F4B6C842-2D08-46B1-B13A-7581FA5C4631

The rehydration instructions are pretty serious, too. If the vial is a vacuum, you may have a difficult time drawing out what you need.

DIRECTIONS FOR MD-VAC® CFL

1. Vaccinate healthy one-day-old chicks only.

2. Avoid early exposure of chicks to Marek’s virus challenge.

3. Use Zoetis Inc. diluent only. Store diluent at not over 27°C (80°F).

4. 1,000 Doses
Rehydrate only 1 vial (1,000 doses) with 200 mL of diluent.
2,000 Doses
Rehydrate only 1 vial (2,000 doses) with 400 mL of diluent.

5. Remove the central tab of the aluminum seal of the vaccine vial, leaving the outer ring intact. Sanitize the rubber stopper with alcohol. Also, sanitize with alcohol the rubber stopper of the bottle of diluent.

6. Using a sterile syringe and needle, withdraw 3 mL diluent. Then, insert needle through stopper of vaccine vial and discharge syringe contents.

7. Remove syringe and needle. Mix gently until vaccine is dissolved. Pull back on syringe plunger to admit 2 or 3 mL of air. This is very important.

8. Reinsert needle into vaccine vial. Barely penetrate the stopper. Expel the air into the vial (to break vacuum).

9. With syringe and needle still in place, invert the vial and pull back plunger so that all the contents (the rehydrated vaccine) are drawn from vial into syringe.

10. Now, insert the needle into diluent and expel syringe contents into the diluent. Gently swirl until the mixture is uniform. The vaccine is ready for use.

11. During vaccination, maintain the rehydrated vaccine (in the diluent bottle) at 70° to 80°F (21° to 27°C). If the temperature cannot be held as low as 80°F (27°C), place the diluent bottle containing the rehydrated vaccine in an ice bath.

12. For vaccination, an automatic syringe with 22- to 20-gauge needles, 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch in length, is recommended. Make certain that all equipment is sterilized and change needles frequently.

13. Inject each chick subcutaneously with 0.2 mL of the vaccine.

14. Use all the vaccine from 1 vial within 1 hour after rehydrating. Do not save any vaccine that has been rehydrated. Burn vaccine containers and all unused contents.