There has to be an easier, cause no freaking way/ mereks vaccine

Under the neck skin is easiest. Find a helper to do the pinching.

I tried doing it in their wing skin, but half the time I would poke through. The leg is a no-go too, unless they are asleep.

 

This is my second vaccinating for Marek's. I learned from the first time and this time was better. Grab them with the left hand, index and thumb...on the back of the neck from above...then insert the needle between your fingers, being careful not to inject yourself! You'll feel it going into the skin. Then inject .2 cc into the skin you have pinched. On this batch of 26, I only missed one and had to re-inject. The little stinker was moving too much! This time I just held it til it calmed down.

It gets easier with time. On my first batch of 12, I gave them to some friends and put another batch in the incubator. I was informed one of them died two days ago...and from what they described, it seems like Marek's got it. I probably messed up on the injection since it was my first time. If you don't get it right, it can just go into the feathers and not under the skin, doing no good.

I vaccinated because my original batch of chickens I bought from McMurray's was vaccinated when I got them. They're disgustingly healthy and fat...so I figured better safe than sorry. I've vaccinated this batch too and plan on it in the future for all I hatch. You gotta do what you gotta do. I have a phone call into the extension service to see if Marek's could be in this environment but there is no one in my area raising chickens so this may draw a blank.

Kurt

 

how many days old do the chicks have to be before you give their first shot and what guage needle? on the 15th of this month will have my first batch of chicks and not sure when to vaccinate them