An automatic or solar powered chicken door that doesn't cost the same amount as replacing the whole flock 5 years in a row might be nice... 
What poultry product do you wish you had?
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- #92
Timer and mechanicle sliding doorAn automatic or solar powered chicken door that doesn't cost the same amount as replacing the whole flock 5 years in a row might be nice...
I mean the cheapest I've found is like $150. Which is still a lot. I think I spent less than that on the whole coop (mostly salvaged but still!). I'd love something for under 80 that works even in cold weather. ;_; That way it's only the cost of replacing a whole flock of chickens one year instead of two or more.
Also, I don't have power in the coop. And the solar powered ones are over 200 easy (most are 250-300). I can't run power out to the coop so I could literally replace my whole flock 4 years in a row for that cost.
Like I wish there was a real, affordable option for my coop and there aint. if the doors were 80 I might be able to afford the solar myself, but they aren't and the solar ones are twice the cost.
I have an idea for building something but the person I had to prototype it isn't available to do so and idk what I'd be doing.
Also, I don't have power in the coop. And the solar powered ones are over 200 easy (most are 250-300). I can't run power out to the coop so I could literally replace my whole flock 4 years in a row for that cost.
Like I wish there was a real, affordable option for my coop and there aint. if the doors were 80 I might be able to afford the solar myself, but they aren't and the solar ones are twice the cost.
I have an idea for building something but the person I had to prototype it isn't available to do so and idk what I'd be doing.
Wimomof2
Chirping
So if my 20 new chicks got the mereks vaccine then I can't ever put them with my flock that hasn't had it because they will contract it? I knew I shouldn't have done it!Survive, yes. Pass it on to others forever, you bet ya!
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- #95
You can put them together. Let me put it this way: it is not a death sentence. It is not a guarantee that the vaccinated birds will give your unvaccinated birds Mareks. It's just a higher risk. And the real risk comes from if, per say, a vaccinated bird contracts mareks and, because of the vaccine, doesn't die from it. Then nobody knows they had it, they can't be tested for it because the vaccine would throw a positive test, and then those carrier birds can now transmit the virus to previously unaffected birds.
Really, vaccinated birds pose a higher risk to birds who are already immunocompromised. There is a reason that vaccinated birds are not allowed to cross country borders or load airplanes.
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- #96
I did NOT read the whole articld but I got enoigh to gather the point, authority and credibility.
Here is a good article explaining the implications of the Mareks vaccine.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous
Here is a good article explaining the implications of the Mareks vaccine.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous
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- #97
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/
Big ol dump of off-topic mareks info under this spoiler for you.
The way the the virus works is the chicken catches the virus, like a flu, from germs in the environment. Then they carry it in their bodies for a while benignly while it reproduces. At some point the virus starts causing symptoms and it effects the nervous system, the chicken develops tumors, then wastes away. It's during this phase that a lot of the virus is shed into the environment (though some is shed before this too). Then the chicken eventually dies.
The way it works if they're vaccinated is it happens the same way. The vaccine doesn't infect the birds. First they must come in contact with Mareks, through dander on clothes, another chicken, etc. Then they carry it benignly for a while. Then the time when the un-vaccinated chicken would become sick, the vaccinated chicken doesn't, it simply carries on, but the virus is still there and reproducing inside the chicken. In fact, because the chicken is healthy the virus actually lives on in the chicken better than it would in a chicken that was ill and dying and so it sheds MORE of the disease not less. But the vaccinated bird itself remains mostly unaffected and doesn't die.
But then the vaccine only works to prevent the symptoms SOME of the time, and gets worse every year like flu shots (though those get reformulated based on projections yearly). At best, 10% of vaccinated chickens will develop symptoms and die anyhow, at worse it could be more than half.
But all of that is only relevant if your chickens are exposed to Mareks in the first place. If your birds are never exposed to Mareks, vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens are identical. Practicing good biosecurity is the best way to keep your chickens safe.
But a vaccinated chicken is always a huge risk to bring into a flock as a result and I don't like getting vaccinated chickens. Because unlike unvaccinated chickens who, when held in quarantine for a month, will likely develop symptoms become sick and be an obvious risk that you can then manage... A vaccinated chicken could come in perfectly healthy, go through quarantine for months without a single symptom, and then kill the whole flock without ever batting an eye.
It's worth noting that most human vaccines and pet vaccines (like rabies) are normally totally sterile and don't leak. So they actually produce an immune response strong enough to kill off the virus entirely in the body so it's like it never existed and the infected person doesn't shed the virus. Which is why most people/pet vaccines matter for disease eradication, but Mareks sucks.
The way it works if they're vaccinated is it happens the same way. The vaccine doesn't infect the birds. First they must come in contact with Mareks, through dander on clothes, another chicken, etc. Then they carry it benignly for a while. Then the time when the un-vaccinated chicken would become sick, the vaccinated chicken doesn't, it simply carries on, but the virus is still there and reproducing inside the chicken. In fact, because the chicken is healthy the virus actually lives on in the chicken better than it would in a chicken that was ill and dying and so it sheds MORE of the disease not less. But the vaccinated bird itself remains mostly unaffected and doesn't die.
But then the vaccine only works to prevent the symptoms SOME of the time, and gets worse every year like flu shots (though those get reformulated based on projections yearly). At best, 10% of vaccinated chickens will develop symptoms and die anyhow, at worse it could be more than half.
But all of that is only relevant if your chickens are exposed to Mareks in the first place. If your birds are never exposed to Mareks, vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens are identical. Practicing good biosecurity is the best way to keep your chickens safe.
But a vaccinated chicken is always a huge risk to bring into a flock as a result and I don't like getting vaccinated chickens. Because unlike unvaccinated chickens who, when held in quarantine for a month, will likely develop symptoms become sick and be an obvious risk that you can then manage... A vaccinated chicken could come in perfectly healthy, go through quarantine for months without a single symptom, and then kill the whole flock without ever batting an eye.
It's worth noting that most human vaccines and pet vaccines (like rabies) are normally totally sterile and don't leak. So they actually produce an immune response strong enough to kill off the virus entirely in the body so it's like it never existed and the infected person doesn't shed the virus. Which is why most people/pet vaccines matter for disease eradication, but Mareks sucks.
But yeah, a sterile Mareks vaccine - one that actually kills off the virus like human vaccines do - would be amazing and all my birds would be vaccinated for it all the time if it existed.
Wow, I didn't know vaccinated birds could not fly! 
On planes, I mean. Always learning here!
On planes, I mean. Always learning here!- Thread starter
- #100
Only if vaccinated for certain things like Virulent Newcastle Disease.Wow, I didn't know vaccinated birds could not fly!
Sorry, I'm not the best at explaining things
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