Is it best to have chicks vaccinated for Marek’s Disease?

[Tovah]

Hey there BYC experts! We are just starting out and looking to purchase a few chicks. I noticed that some people post that the chicks are vaccinated for Marek’s Disease and some do not. Is it necessary to look for chicks that are vaccinated? What if I get chicks that are not vaccinated? Are there other diseases that they should be vaccinated for? If I buy unvaccinated chicks, where would I go to get them vaccinated? Can I do it myself?

OK, a ton of questions..... Any help is so appreciated!

 

[lavenderlakefarm]

It all depends where you get your chicks. Remember all vaccines carry the dead bacteria to immunize. If you get unvaccinated chicks and then add some other chicks that have been vaccinated, you run into the chance of them catching mareks because the vaccine carries the dead bacteria to give them antibodies. I really don't get mareks to my chicks unless it is a preorder and requested by my customer. I breed ameracaunas and sell locally.