In Coop Brooder

[Ridgerunner]

So in summary, you're saying DONT put days old, Merek's vaccinated chicks in a brooder in a coop where the older flock will get exposed.... Yes ?? Obviously asking about this scenario because it is precisely what I DO, do......

If you put the vaccinated chicks in there and your flock has Marek's they can get infected before the vaccine takes effect. The same is true for chicks vaccinated for Coccidiosis, if your flock has Coccidiosis the effects of the vaccine can be negated by the chicks getting sick before the vaccine can take effect.

I am not a medical professional but I'd expect this to be true for many vaccines, for chickens as well as for humans.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So in summary, you're saying DONT put days old, Merek's vaccinated chicks in a brooder in a coop where the older flock will get exposed.... Yes ?? Obviously asking about this scenario because it is precisely what I DO, do......

My entire flock is vaccinated for Marek's because that's how the feed stores order them around here.

Vaccines need to have time to prime so 2 weeks seems to be the commonly quoted duration that chicks would need for the vaccine to provide protection before they're exposed to the adults.

Realistically... I'm not going to remember to chase down hubby and make sure he remembers to change clothes and shoes, and my dogs roll around in the lawn and carry all sorts of things back into the house. So strict biological quarantine isn't happening in my set up, and as I favor the ease of early integration and early exposure to other parasites like coccidiosis, the chicks immediately go into the outdoor brooder regardless.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I think it's important

If you put the vaccinated chicks in there and your flock has Marek's they can get infected before the vaccine takes effect. The same is true for chicks vaccinated for Coccidiosis, if your flock has Coccidiosis the effects of the vaccine can be negated by the chicks getting sick before the vaccine can take effect.

I am not a medical professional but I'd expect this to be true for many vaccines, for chickens as well as for humans.

Possibly it's due to the fact that I've always had chicks vaccinated for Mareks that my flock does not have Mareks. I really don't see myself going back to keeping chicks in my house for any amount of time so based on past results = no issues with putting chicks directly in coop brooder I'm going to keep doing that and recommending that. I think it's important when these questions are asked for the OP to see different scenarios and experience, things to consider when making your own decision, not just a hard fast rule. I'm not a medical professional either, I just know what has worked for me. All of that said, I don't get Coccidiosis vaccine and I find myself treating a chick for Coccidosis 1 out of 3 new flocks lately. That vaccine is not common in chicks that you get 2nd hand. Mareks is pretty standard.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My entire flock is vaccinated for Marek's because that's how the feed stores order them around here.

Vaccines need to have time to prime so 2 weeks seems to be the commonly quoted duration that chicks would need for the vaccine to provide protection before they're exposed to the adults.

I have a few little chicken houses in my run, that are not in my coop. A broody jail, hospital, they could easily be brooders. But considering how highly contagious Mareks is, I don't think that a brooder in my run even though separate from my coop house would be an actual quarantine area. So I'm confused on what's being recommended in this thread. A very separate brooder, as in far away from coop/run? Indoors for 2 weeks? It's kind of a shift away from the idea that you do not need to brood indoors so I'm resistant. But maybe I'm just confused, that's why I'm asking questions. I'm not a very paranoid person so I tend to go with what works but I'm definitely open to changing my process if I should.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But considering how highly contagious Mareks is, I don't think that a brooder in my run even though separate from my coop house would be an actual quarantine area.

What are you quarantining against? Marek's can spread on the wind from a great distance. The further you are from the run and other chickens the safer you are but there will be a risk. If you brood the chicks in your house and change clothes so you don't track in the virus you can get a pretty good quarantine.

Coccidiosis is spread by them pecking and eating where other chickens have pooped. There is a bit more to it than that but that's the essence. Chickens can spread dirt, poop, and such when they scratch but distance can be very effective against Coccidiosis while the vaccine is taking effect.

So I'm confused on what's being recommended in this thread. A very separate brooder, as in far away from coop/run? Indoors for 2 weeks? It's kind of a shift away from the idea that you do not need to brood indoors so I'm resistant.

If you are not talking about vaccinated chicks none of this applies. Brood in your coop or run. If you vaccinate your chicks you can still brood them in the coop or run. If your flock is infected that could negate the effects of the vaccination. If your flock is not infected the vaccine will set. If you brood isolated from your flock long enough for the vaccine to establish itself it doesn't matter if your flock is infected or not, the chicks are still protected.

But maybe I'm just confused, that's why I'm asking questions. I'm not a very paranoid person so I tend to go with what works but I'm definitely open to changing my process if I should.

We are not trying to tell you what you have to do. We are trying to give you the information so you can make up your own mind on what to do in accordance with your wants and desires. We are trying to help you make an informed decision. But that has to be your decision.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

This is not about me at all. I just keep going back to the actual question from the OP. It went south in my opinion on the subject of Vaccines. OP said chicks will be vaccinated and adults have been vaccinated. So all the talk about vaccine set up doesn't really lead to encouraging or discouraging this specific brooder in the coop situation, it's additional hypothetical information. Everyone is a vaccinated = DO the brooder in the coop as planned. That's what I'm saying at any rate.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is not about me at all. I just keep going back to the actual question from the OP. It went south in my opinion on the subject of Vaccines. OP said chicks will be vaccinated and adults have been vaccinated. So all the talk about vaccine set up doesn't really lead to encouraging or discouraging this specific brooder in the coop situation, it's additional hypothetical information. Everyone is a vaccinated = DO the brooder in the coop as planned. That's what I'm saying at any rate.

I think it's hard to answer because for me personally, what I might advise doesn't necessarily match up to what I would do. I'd encourage people to consider biological quarantine, especially if they have valuable birds. I myself wouldn't bother, like I've tossed started pullets from the feed store's lot right in with my existing ones.

Because true biological quarantine is difficult especially with Marek's I would think the risk is somewhat reduced if vaccinated chicks are being added to a flock where adults were all vaccinated. But that's with the caveat that that's a layman's opinion.