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Thanks for the link!
I'm hatching small quantities several times this year, but some are definitely destined to show in the local fair. So I need to vaccinate them. $13 doesn't seem like a lot of $, and if the vaccine stores any length of time I should be able to do all the new peeps.
My original peeps were vacinated when I bought them. Seemed very worth the cost to be on the safe side, even though I wasn't going to show them. There are chickens in our area, so I figured that was safest.
The vaccine doesn't store long. There is a freeze dried tablet and a bottle of mixing solution. It all has to be kept in the fridge. I cut the tablet into quarters and only use 1/4 at a time. The unused portions of the freeze dried tablet will keep in the fridge for a while, but not forever. If your hatches will be within 2 - 4 weeks of eachother it should keep long enough.
If you are expecting more chicks at different times, cut the tablet into fourths and only use 1/4 of the liquid solution and 1/4 of the tablet to mix your vaccine (you could also use 1/2 of each). Make sure you use a sterilized glass container. If mixing it all, use the bottle they provide. Each chick gets .2 (it's marked on the syringe) injected just under the skin. One person holds the baby. Another lifts the skin slightly on the back of the neck near the base and and injects just under the skin. It will leave a little bump that will go away. Some people prefer giving the shot in the leg instead of the neck. Just remember that it is supposed to be given just under the skin, not into a muscle. Very experienced people on another forum gave me these instructions and I verified it with the manufacturer. The vaccine must stay refrigerated and is only good for about one hour once it is mixed.
) Is this something you would recommend? Why or why not? Thanks!
