Hatching my own eggs - how do we vaccinate?

[Eggscaping]

Fertile eggs can be purchased. But then after your chicks hatch, how do you get them vaccinated? And for what in particular? I can't imagine the degree of delicacy I'd have to have to inject a teensy tiny chick with anything!

 

[Cyprus]

You can purchase Marek's vaccines online, however the vaccine only stops the bird from showing symptoms if they get the disease. It will not stop them from contracting it.

 

[Eggscaping]

I read an article that talked quite a bit about it. It said that if a bird gets the disease and you have to cull it, that bird should not be eaten. Is that canon, or are there differences of opinion on that?

 

[Chickassan]

That is fairly cannon, you should not eat sick birds. As for your original question if you're hatching eggs there is no pressing reason you should worry about vaccination. I assume these are your personal birds am I correct?

I read an article that talked quite a bit about it. It said that if a bird gets the disease and you have to cull it, that bird should not be eaten. Is that canon, or are there differences of opinion on that?

 

[Eggscaping]

That is fairly cannon, you should not eat sick birds. As for your original question if you're hatching eggs there is no pressing reason you should worry about vaccination. I assume these are your personal birds am I correct?

They will be, yes. To recap, we are moving in a year when my partner is 66 and can get her full social security benefits. We will sell our house, move to Lakeside, OR (VERY small town) and then undertake the building of a couple of chicken coops and the accumulation of a flock of maybe 10 chickens. Right now, I/we are just full of questions - trying to gain knowledge in advance so that we won't make too many mistakes. Hence all my questions. Thank you very much for responding!

 

[Chickassan]

Well then don't even worry about it! Just hatch your eggs and enjoy the chickens. You plan for a nice, reasonably sized flock just for family not for public sale so it will be fine.
The only way things get complicated aside from just general chicken shenanigans is when you're dealing with the public.

They will be, yes. To recap, we are moving in a year when my partner is 66 and can get her full social security benefits. We will sell our house, move to Lakeside, OR (VERY small town) and then undertake the building of a couple of chicken coops and the accumulation of a flock of maybe 10 chickens. Right now, I/we are just full of questions - trying to gain knowledge in advance so that we won't make too many mistakes. Hence all my questions. Thank you very much for responding!

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I never thought to vaccinate my chickens. I am so following this thread.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Chickens vaccinated against Marek's disease rarely get sick. But the vaccine does not prevent them from spreading Marek's to unvaccinated birds. “With the hottest strains, every unvaccinated bird dies within 10 days. This is what I found online. It pretty much is what @Cyprus said