Safe?

[Raelyn]

I'm just beginning my research into hatching our own eggs.

How do you know that the eggs you are buying are from healthy stock?

I've read quite a few posts on here of people buying off of ebay, are there diseases that can be passed through the egg?

What vaccinations do I need to do when my new chicks hatch? I've heard of Marek's, are there others?

Thanks everybody! Sorry for the newbie questions

 

[galanie]

All you can do is buy eggs from a reputable source to ensure they are healthy. But they usually are.

You don't need to vaccinate your hatchlings. I would feed them medicated feed but they won't bring Merek's to your flock.

I think there is at least one that can be transferred via egg but I don't recall which. I'm sure someone will chime in

Grats, by the way for introducing yourself to hatching and finding the right place for info

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I am very pickey about where I get hatching eggs from, and don't get them very often. I am NPIP Certified which mean my flock is Pullorum-Typhoid clean. So I can only purchase from other NPIP breeders.

I do not vaccinate my hatchling, nor have I used medicated feed in the last 3 years.

Newcastle disease can be passed through the egg, but Newcaslte-infected embroys die before hatching. Infectious bronchitis can be passed through the egg, but normally the embroys will not hatch. Mycoplasma gallisepticum
(MG) can be passed through the eggs. Avian Encephalomyelitis can be passed from hen to chick via the egg. Pullorum, which NPIP breeders are tested for, can be passed through the egg. See here for more info. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Also, just because somebody is NPIP tested, doesn't mean that their flock doesn't have something else. In the past I have seen people post online about how their chickens are sick, next thing you know they are selling hatching eggs from those same birds.