I was inquiring about some chicks from someone on craigslist. It's mosquito season bad and most of my flock has already gotten or still has signs of pox so I've been nervous about bringing new babies in unless they have been vaccinated. I asked this person if their chicks had been vaccinated against anything so I know if I have to buy the vaccines or not. They said the chicks parents were vaccinated so the chicks didn't need to be. Is that true? Am I still going to have to vaccinate them for pox at 5 weeks?
I'm not sure if vaccines would transfer, I'm thinking no. However, if the hens raise the chicks themselves, they do pass on antibodies to the chicks through the hen's droppings.
Maternal antibodies in chicks are not lifetime antibodies and become undetectable after a few weeks, thus leaving the chick open to all and any viral agents. You will still need to vaccinate.
