Quote: This is just my opinion but I think it is a personal choice at this point. Like I said above, it is a race for the virus or vaccine to take hold first. If you've never had a problem with your flock having Mareks and you don't go to swaps, practice good biosecurity you probably would be ok not vaccinating. Seems like chicks or young birds are the one most susceptible to Mareks so if you don't vaccinate and they make it to adult hood without them getting Mareks chances are you don't have carriers in your flock. That is one way to test your flock (again my opinion), raise young birds and if they thrive without any losses your chances are pretty good you don't have it in your flock. But that can change at any time and it doesn't have to be brought in by another bird. It can be carried in the wind, on your car tires, on your feed bags, you name it. I'm not trying to scare anyone but we all know how virus's spread. After all, think about it. you wash your hands, clean your house and you've caught how many virus's in your lifetime??? And you have no idea where you really picked it up, because if you did you would have prevented it right ?
With all that being said, even though a vaccinated birds still will get Mareks disease their risk of developing the fatal tumors is greatly reduced, thus not loosing it to this horrid disease or having to put it down.
Then there are those that want to breed for resistance...... at least that is what they think they are doing because their birds don't get Mareks does not mean they are immune (again my opinion) That being said, if they haven't lost any birds to Mareks disease either means they do not have it in their flocks, they have not been exposed, they have developed an inmmunity (which I doubt, again my opinion) or they are just Lucky !
Their are a few breeds of chickens that supposedly are more prone to Mareks.... from what I've read. Silkies are one of them and I can't remember what the others are, one of the dark brown egg layers CRS has kicked in. (again that is just what I've heard)
I've heard that people have been told by State Veterinarians that Mareks is everywhere !!! I think there are different strains though. I know some of it affects the eyes, another they get the tumors that cause the lameness and then there is another virus that has the same symptoms as Mareks and I can't recall that one right now. It starts with an L...... something or other ??
I used to vaccinate my chicks when I hatched them out myself. The key is to vaccinate them at one day old. I seldom did it on day one !!! So maybe it was useless. When I order my chicks I always order the vaccine however with my orders this spring I lost a lot of chicks. The hatchery said the stress of the shipping and stress of vaccinations most likely contributed for their loss since they said the vaccinations are stressful for them. No doubt and I'm not sure how gentle they are or who does it ???
So.... can you see.... for every reason to vaccinate there is another not to !!!! So basically it is an individual choice. Just another fact..... say you have all vaccinated birds and you hatch or purchase unvaccinated birds or chicks and the new chicks develop Mareks..... FACT.... they did not get it from your vaccinated birds BECAUSE they were Vaccinated !! They got if because they were either carriers OR from some place else NOT because the first birds were vaccinated and the new birds weren't. You can mix vaccinated and non vaccinated birds. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Remember the Mareks Vaccine is made from type of Mareks that turkeys get, it will not cause Mareks disease even if it doesn't prevent it (hope that makes sense)
Ok, gotta go start supper for Crabby Pants. He got called into work for a few hours today. Didn't get the message right away... sure he would answer his own phone !!!!
Wow, gonna watch World News, just said they are going to be talking about the Amish.....The Amish World Exposed.... Is there such a thing as an Amish Mafia ???? Should be interesting !!
