Single Hen, Lost Sister to Marek's

[nakdash]

Hey Everyone! Would like your input.

Recently lost my hen to Marek's and I now have a single hen and she has not had any signs of the disease in the past few weeks. I want to add friends, but not sure how to do so and if I should get vaccinated or unvaccinated chicks/hens?

My current hen is not vaccinated.

 

[Silkies rule Forever]

Don’t put any more chickens in the place the sick chicken was or anywhere near your remaining hen!! They have a 90 percent chance of getting it, especially if they are chicks!!

 

[Silkies rule Forever]

Vaccinate her and any new ones you get!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Your hen almost certainly has Marek's. She may not be showing symptoms, but she has it. Good/Bad news--so do about 80% of the birds in the United States, and very few die of Marek's.

I would get an older hen or two to keep your girl company--older hens are more likely to be able to keep their place in the pecking order, without too much bullying and stress. Chicks are going to have to be separated until they're old enough to fend for themselves with her--and she'll be alone for all of that time.

If you get older hens, they'll almost always already have Marek's, because it's such a prevalent disease. Because of this, and because the vaccination is quite often ineffective in older birds, I would not bother vaccinating them.

If you do decide to get chicks, let me start by saying that I have Marek's in my flock (most people do) and have raised many chicks with the flock. Only one chick ever got Marek's, and out of a few hundred total birds, I've only ever had two cases of Marek's, without vaccinations.

The vaccine has been shown to be about 90% effective. So if it would give you peace of mind, please, by all means--vaccinate any new chicks.

End Note: I personally would not sell or buy chickens from a flock vaccinated for Marek's because the vaccine is what is known as a "leaky vaccine"--the vaccinated birds can still get Marek's, but they keep the symptoms masked. That means that birds from a vaccinated flock can carry a really bad strain of Marek's, without ever showing signs--and could infect my flock with a killing strain of Marek's, worse than the one that they already have.

Check out this Marek's Article if you want to know more about Marek's.

 

[aart]

Was the Mareks confirmed with sample sent to a pathology lab?

 

[Folly's place]

x2; is it confirmed by a necropsy? If yes, then I'd recommend only buying vaccinated chicks, isolating them away from your place for two to three weeks, and starting with them.
Any older birds you bring home are at risk; consider birds who were already vaccinated as babies, to give them better protection.
Many flocks do NOT have Marek's disease, and birds from a clean flock, if unvaccinated, will be in trouble at your coop.
All the best,
Mary