# i did it! vaccinated for mareks



## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

After much long thought and internal debate i decided to vaccinate for Mareks disease. Mareks is a HIGHLY contagious airborne disease that's latterly everywhere! After talking to a doctor of poultry he helped me dispel some misinformation that i had once believed about the Mareks vaccine. I learned its ideal to vaccinate at hatch however it CAN be done at any age. The goal being to vaccinate BEFORE exposure to the disease. This is why they say to do it at hatch to lessen chance of exposure.another thing i learned was the vaccine is NOT the Mareks virus itself. It does NOT make your bird contagious as i once thought. There was just a really great radio internet show on this subject that the chicken whisperer did. I learned you CAN mix vaccinated birds with non vaccinated birds that the vaccinated birds WONT make UN vaccinated ill..so armed with new informed with new correct information i decided to do it! After injections my birds did NOT have any reaction at all! This vaccine is only given sub Q or under the skin.I'm really glad i did it and my girls are now protected. I just wanted to share.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

That's awesome ! We just got our flock NPIP tested. Interesting to watch . So all 42 chickens and guineas were done. My Silkies were the worst to do ! I was shocked because they are the nicest! My poor Silkie Edith didn't have much blood to give but she was a trooper.


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## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

That's wonderful!! I was quite supprised mine didn't even flinch except one didn't like her skin pinched! Its a great feeling to know we are trying our best to keep our flocks healthy and happy! I went over this in my head a thousand times before i made my decision. Now I'm greatful i was able to do it! God knows i love my birds and will do all i can to try to protect them! It was a hard decision for me for some reason i think because of a lot of MIS information going around regarding Mareks i got scared. But after i learned the facts i felt much more comfortable! Mareks being virtually everywhere i feel good about my decision.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Great job realsis! Luckily mine came vaccinated when I got them. Whew! I'd stink at trying to vaccinate them myself. To give my big dog her annual vaccination shot is one thing but the chickens, I'm more nervous about because they are so much smaller. Again, great job!!!


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

Whats involved in doing this if you hatch a small batch of eggs yourself?


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

I wrote and illustrated a step by step article for how to vaccinate for Marek's Disease
and put it on my website here: http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/Vaccinate.html


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## Alyssa (Mar 28, 2013)

So I how do I learn if my bird has been vaccinated or not? And how can I find a single dose if it has not been vaccinated?


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

Alyssa said:


> So I how do I learn if my bird has been vaccinated or not?


You can ask the person/hatchery from where you got the bird. They should know. 



Alyssa said:


> And how can I find a single dose if it has not been vaccinated?


Marek's vaccine does not come in a single dose, sadly. It comes in one form, and one form only. Enough to vaccinate thousands of chicks. It's not cheap, about $32 with the shipping. Where did you get your bird from again?


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## Alyssa (Mar 28, 2013)

From a friend that got it fertilized before they rehomed their roo, they wanted their kids to see that process and pretty sure that they didn't use medicated feed or get it vaccinated.


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

How old is this bird now? While you could, theoretically vaccinate it, I don't know that I would at this stage of the game. While Marek's is everywhere, (and I do mean everywhere, from the feed store to the hardware store to Wal-Mart even, anywhere people go who have chickens you can be sure they're tracking it around), on the other hand if YOU are really good about not wearing clothing in your poultry area that has been elsewhere, you'll reduce exposure to your birds.

We have "chore clothes" that we wear that never leave the farm. That includes everything from shirts/pants/coats/hats/gloves/boots, the works. None of that goes off the farm, and that way when we're doing chores we're wearing clothing that hasn't been around other people and their birds. So less likely to bring in something that has come from someone else's flock.

Chore clothes and town clothes, that's how we do it. Plus, I keep a small dish basin with water in it and slop some bleach in it, into which we step before we go into the main coop area each time, in and out. Of course, that doesn't work in the depth of winter, but three seasons it provides some protection against germs. 

It's always a risk, dealing with disease. You will have to decide if you want to take the chance. You can vaccinate it, or not.


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## Alyssa (Mar 28, 2013)

Trill is 11 weeks. I would totally vaccinate ... I just would not be aware of how one would get a single dose with which to vaccinate a single bird. Wonder if there are "chicken vaccination parties" where folks could all pitch in and get the amount of doses that one would need ...


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

People buy a bottle and split it (share it). Or you could get a dose from a friend or someone who hatches a lot of chicks. A breeder maybe.


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

Yes, sadly there is no "single dose." You have to just buy the whole kaboodle and do it at once.


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