do you guys vaccinate your chicks?

[therealestchicken]

never thought of this, what are the reasons I should vaccinate? or is it too late? I had a staggard hatch with 15 chicks, 9 hatched and 6 to go. the oldest is I believe 6 days old. They are all doing great I was just curious

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't. It doesn't prevent them from getting Marek's, it just keeps them from getting the tumors. So my flock could be infected and I wouldn't know. I'd rather know. Others may do differently. If you hatch your own, you have to give the vaccine in the first 24 hours, and it only comes in a 1,000 dose package which you can't store, it has to be used right away.

 

[sdm111]

Never vaccinate for anything

 

[Folly's place]

Mareks vaccine needs to be given nearly at hatching, and the chicks need to be totally isolated from the (possibly infected) flock for the next two or three weeks while they develop protection. It protects from the tumors that kill many birds infected with Mareks disease, and doesn't protect them from infection.
Having both hatchery birds who were vaccinated, and
birds hatched here not vaccinated, it will become apparent when and if this disease ever arrives in our flock.
People who take birds to poultry shows often vaccinate their flock for other poultry diseases, and in the face of a fowl pox outbreak, vaccinating birds not already sick can help.
So, it depends on your situation, there's no one blanket 'right answer'.
Mary

 

[BDutch]

No, no if you have a healthy flock, there is no need to vaccinate against infectious diseases. Besides that, it’s super expensive and impossible to vaccinate chicks with broodies effectively against Marek.

I buy hatchery eggs to avoid health problems like Mareks disease. Never bought (vaccinated) chicks who could infect my current flock after my initial start.

 

[NatJ]

never thought of this, what are the reasons I should vaccinate?

It depends on which vaccine you are talking about. Several different ones exist.

Mareks vaccine is one. I see that several people have already talked about it.

There are also vaccines for Coccidiosis, Fowl Pox, and more that I don't remember off the top of my head.

But each vaccine is only good for preventing one kind of problem. So you have to consider them individually.

Some vaccines address things that may not be a problem for you (if you have a history of raising chicks with no coccidiosis trouble, you might have no interest in coccidiosis vaccination.)

Some vaccines are impractical to do at a home scale (as mentioned above, Mareks generally falls in that category.)

or is it too late? I had a staggard hatch with 15 chicks, 9 hatched and 6 to go. the oldest is I believe 6 days old. They are all doing great I was just curious

Different vaccines are administered at different ages.

But the general pattern is that you have to give it before the chicks have the problem. If they already have symptoms of Mareks or Coccidiosis or Fowl Pox or whatever, it is too late to give that vaccine to those chicks. But if the adult flock has a disease, it can sometimes be a good idea to vaccinate new chicks against that disease to help protect them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It depends on which vaccine you are talking about. Several different ones exist.
.......................... But the general pattern is that you have to give it before the chicks have the problem. If they already have symptoms of Mareks or Coccidiosis or Fowl Pox or whatever, it is too late to give that vaccine to those chicks. But if the adult flock has a disease, it can sometimes be a good idea to vaccinate new chicks against that disease to help protect them.

Good post! Some others are good also.

what are the reasons I should vaccinate?

If you have a history of a specific disease in your flock you might want to investigate vaccinating for that specific disease. If a specific disease is prevalent in your area you might consider it. It's just like you, there is no one vaccine that protects you from everything. Each vaccine is very specific in what it does.

You need to vaccinate long enough before they are exposed to that specific disease so they can develop immunity. If they have never been exposed then older chickens can be successfully vaccinated, but that is easier right after they hatch. The longer you keep them the more likely they are to be exposed. The ideal situation if you vaccinate is if you hatch them with an incubator, immediately vaccinate them, and keep them in a brooder in your house for a few weeks. Exposure to other chickens or even the outside environment may introduce the disease.

I don't vaccinate mine but the only disease I know I have in my flock is Coccidiosis. I manage that by keeping the brooder dry and feeding them dirt from the run while they are in the brooder, starting at Day 2 or 3 and repeating twice a week. By keeping the brooder dry the numbers of the bug that cause Coccidiosis do not multiply to great numbers which allows the chicks to develop a natural immunity in two to three weeks without a vaccination. My brooder is in the coop with the adults so my chicks are going to be exposed anyway but feeding them dirt guarantees exposure.

I can't do that with chicks raised by a broody hen. One time when the weather set in wet for a long time chicks with a broody hen showed signs of Coccidiosis, that's how I know I have it in my flock.

I can't tell you what to do, you'll have to decide that on your own based on your conditions and experiences. Hopefully this helps you make an informed decision.

Good luck and welcome to the experience.

 

[Neeser]

I don't. It doesn't prevent them from getting Marek's, it just keeps them from getting the tumors. So my flock could be infected and I wouldn't know. I'd rather know. Others may do differently. If you hatch your own, you have to give the vaccine in the first 24 hours, and it only comes in a 1,000 dose package which you can't store, it has to be used right away.

Thank you for great info. We hatched five chicks on Wednesday and Thursday, and was wondering about the vaccine. Congrats on your hatch!

 

[ClickityChick123]

I've never vaccinated any of my chickens and they all have been fine

 

[ThePoultryDoc]

never thought of this, what are the reasons I should vaccinate? or is it too late? I had a staggard hatch with 15 chicks, 9 hatched and 6 to go. the oldest is I believe 6 days old. They are all doing great I was just curious

What were you considering vaccinating against?

• Marek’s disease: This vaccine is a live, cell-associated product that must be administered at hatch or very soon after via injection. Marek’s virus is widespread in most environments, so the vaccine only works if given before chicks are exposed to the wild-type virus. If your oldest chicks are already six days old, it’s too late for this one.
• Coccidiosis (cocci): There are vaccines available to protect against several Eimeria species. However, if you’re feeding medicated starter feed (with coccidiostats), it will inactivate the vaccine. In backyard flocks, where bird density is lower, coccidiosis pressure is generally lower too, so vaccination isn’t always necessary. Be cautious with anticoccidial drugs like amprolium (Corid); using them improperly can interfere with the birds’ natural development of immunity, which could set you up for problems later.
• Mycoplasma: This is common in backyard poultry, but effective vaccines are limited and not routinely used. While Mycoplasma on its own usually causes mild disease, it can can be complicated by bacterial or viral infections.