Home Hatching and Vaccination for Mareks

[Engteacher]

If one is hatching eggs or obtaining day old chicks from a friend, how does one vaccinate the chicks? I'll be in this position in the spring, so I want to be sure that when I start my laying flock with those beautiful, non-hatchery birds they will remain healthy.


Can we vaccinate them ourselves? Where do we get vaccine and needles? Should we vaccinate for Fowl Pox, too? We don't have birds yet, but our neighbors used to - very unhealthy, free ranging birds that would hang out under our bird feeder for lack of other food. We look forward to establishing a strong, back yard flock and having chickens for many, many years. We're getting 25 Wellies as layers and some meaties on a quick trip from pasture to freezer. Do I vaccinate meaties, which will come from a hatchery, if I only have them for 12 weeks?

Give me your best advice. I'm listening!

 

[AHappychick]

jeffers has them the cheapest, first state vet has them and also has Amprol in liquid form so you can get both from there. (Amprol is for cocci good to have on hand unless you do medicated feed)

 

[Engteacher]

Thanks, Happychick! I found the website and have bookmarked it. I was surprised my ag extension website doesn't talk about preventative measures for small backyard flocks other than these birds are vulnerable to the same diseases as large producers.

What do you folks who are hatching chicks do? I see lots of posts under the Disease and Emergencies section in which the answer is Mareks or Fowl Pox, and I don't want to be in that position.

Should I talk to my vet? She's a pretty good friend and is the one who spends her days driving around to the local farms delivering calves and stitching up horses. I would think she'd know about the health of local poultry. Should I ask her what she would recommend for preventative measures for my birds?

 

[bigchickenman]

I've hatched babies for six years now and always give mine medicated chick starter and have never had any problems.I also give mine vitamins in there water from day one till about twelve weeks old .Hope this helps.