Chickens Mareks vaccine

[Tomokoth]

What is the risk of Marek's to small scale poultry farmers since the vaccine is beyond reach?

 

[Janssen]

From what I heard, Marek's vaccine is really only used at large scale farms that hatch over 1000 chicks and that it is not of major risk to smaller farms.

Our expert @nedward should have more information for you.

 

[nedward]

From what I heard, Marek's vaccine is really only used at large scale farms that hatch over 1000 chicks and that it is not of major risk to smaller farms.

Our expert @nedward should have more information for you.

Mareks vaccine is very fragile and has to be administered with at most care before the birds are exposed to the virus . As such ,besides being available in only large doses which favours large scale farms, most of our small scale farms lack biosecurity hence might lack the necessary hygiene required to handle the vaccine

 

[Janssen]

Mareks vaccine is very fragile and has to be administered with at most care before the birds are exposed to the virus . As such ,besides being available in only large doses which favours large scale farms, most of our small scale farms lack biosecurity hence might lack the necessary hygiene required to handle the vaccine

@nedward so what would you advise small scale farmers? Just don't vaccinate for Mereks and hope strong biosecurity measure wards off the disease?

 

[Janssen]

From @nedward - In response to the mareks vaccine, the institute doesn't produce dosages in less than 1000 doses as a stop gap measure ensuring that the vaccine being very fragile doesn't find itself in the hands of farmers who aren't able to handle it appropriately. The nation can't lose when few small scale farmers lose chicks. Otherwise farmers are often encouraged to work as group or go large scale because small scale doesn't make any economic impact towards food security and business wise it is very expensive raising few chicks