Vaccinate or Not

[Bonnie Gruenberg]

Does anyone know where one can get the eye drop vaccines for mycoplasma? I can only find the injectable.

 

[Chooks for chooka]

Who gets their chicks vaccinated...

Why or why not

Answer poll then comment you opinions below

Who gets their chicks vaccinated...

Why or why not

Answer poll then comment you opinions below

When I bought my girls, they were 17 weeks old,almost ready to lay. They had been vacinated for Mareks, unfortunately, Molly must have missed out during the vaccination process and she suffered. A few days with a limp that increased to the point where she was not able to walk. Trip to the vet and I had to say goodbye to her.
This disease or terrible, if nothing else, protect your flock from this fate.

 

[farmmanjim]

Who gets their chicks vaccinated...

Why or why not

Answer poll then comment you opinions below

Yes i do. I have bought babies and pullets unvaccinated and lose many of them in the first 2-3 years. There are many diseases and illnesses they can get.
I have had chickens in my life for nearly 60 years. I buy them now from reputable hatcheries and vaccinated. I have one girl thats 7 years old and going strong.
Not vaccinating is a early death warrant in todays polluted environments.

 

[goatgirl72]

I do not vaccinate. I do not beleive in that. I give my hens and rooster food grade diatomaceous earrh free range and dust the coop as well as put organic apple.cider vinegar in their water. They are very healthy.

 

[MY FYN 79]

This is our first go-around with chickens, and we chose to have our day olds vaccinated for Mareks and Cocci from Murray.

I understand both sides of the argument. Our decision was based on the fact we have a small flock (17 birds currently) and will not sell or distribute any of the birds. We do not even have a roo. It turns out we really care for the birds as a family (myself, wife and 7 year old daughter.) They bring so much joy to our daily lives caring for them the best we can. They have a much larger than necessary coop, great plenty roosting space, and pine shaving bedding in their coop which we keep very clean.

Wisconsin winter obviously puts a kink in this, but we allow them free range of our 6 acre property whenever the weather is appropriate. This includes digging and pecking in areas that large flocks of wild turkeys, deer, raccoons, possum etc. are often in, in our 2.5 acre field which has cow manure spread in it etc. Barn swallows swarm the inside the barn their coop is built in. If a chicken is going to run across something to make them sick, we feel its gonna happen here because of their lifestyle of freedom to pursue "happiness."

Given all that, right or wrong, our decision to vaccinate was based on the feeling that allowing this type of freedom to mingle with so many wild birds and animals, our best bet to not have sickness or death was indeed to vaccinate. No one here or anywhere else will be getting our vaccinated birds. When we finally make the difficult decision for the first time at what age or circumstance we get new young laying girls, our current flock will end up as soup birds for us and our families. The first time will be difficult, but knowing we provided them a great home and freedom throughout their lives will help lessen the blow.

 

[jodiefoster]

I have seen more problems from vaccinating than not vaccinating so I leave them with natural immunity.

 

[cmohlin89]

Nope. I only want to breed from naturally healthy stock. No sense in letting sickly birds reproduce.

For that matter I only rarely use antibiotics. If I'm trying to save a bird I really care about I'll go that route, but then they're pulled out of the breeding flock and put into the pet flock or I'll find a home for them.

 

[jolenesdad]

Your vet may not know much about chicken vaccines but also the Fowl Pox vaccine is different than the Mareks vaccine. Many professionals suggest you do NOT vaccinate your flock for Mareks. Some suggest not vaccinating at all.

Additionally;
Good dog breeders regularly remove sick dogs from their breeding stock, especially if it is genetic. Some do get put down if they are too sick. Some humans chose not to have children to avoid passing certain conditions down as well. I'm one of them.
My chicks are not $500 dogs who I have put $2000 of vet care into who I expect to live long and fruitful lives as my companions or working animals.
My chickens are not human beings and share very little in common with humans.
Children and my dogs being genetically healthy or easy to detect specific diseases in is not intrinsically linked to this nations food security or my personal food security.
Human children and dogs have lived and evolved exclusively to work in tandem with other humans and form intelligent, emotional and social bonds. Chickens have not.
Some places do eat dogs. I would if I had to (though probably not MY dogs).
Children and my dogs are few individuals in my house, not potentially hundreds of birds I'm probably going to eat anyhow.
Dog and human vaccines do not leak like the Mareks vaccines do.

This is apples to oranges. You can keep your chicken as pets if you wish. You can love them as pets if you wish. Certainly nobody will stop you from that. But please don't bring the weird gaslight-y concept of "Oh you eat animals!? Well would you eat YOUR CHILDREN AND PETS!?!?" here. They're not the same, there are intrinsic differences between the two.

I’m not sure I 100% agree with the first statement that professionals don’t recommend vaccinations. That in itself is actually the most confusing part to me. I have yet to meet a true professional in the industry that doesn’t encourage vaccinations. That would be my regular vet that helps me with chicken stuff, avian vets I’ve been to, specialty vets at Texas A&M, hatchery owners, hatchery workers, etc.

The only people I know that do not recommend it are breeders and small flock owners. I don’t understand this. To me it seems that the only advice to not vaccinate is not professional advice. Or people are taking advice meant for a different level of chicken keeper than they are. Most people that breed chickens are not actually chicken breeders. They’re hobbyists.

Im not trying to be combative, Because I myself have a flock with home hatched chicks that are not vaccinated and hatchery chicks that are.

a leaky vaccine doesn’t mean that a healthy chicken is going around dropping Mareks off at every Corner of the coop. It means an infected bird would be. So in a small personal flock, what’s the difference? Your hens are alive. If they were unvaccinated, they get infected, still shed the virus on your property... and likely die. Either way, you get mareks on your property and youre likely vaccinating every future bird you want, so why not start out that way and not lose birds?

 

[Vicker]

I never have vaccinated them. I see no reason with a backyard flock.

 

[marilyn1954]

Can I say I'm shocked you don't.

Just whatever vaccines these hatcheries offer. I don't even know everything they offer. I'm hoping someone can tell me

I get mine all vac from the hatchery they give mareck's only. I have my original chickens that are 9 years old only have had 3 ever die and I believe it was from natural causes. The 3 died in different years. Even my 9 year old “old ladies” still lay at least one day a week. They free range, I give them layer and cracked corn. I stopped giving cracked corn at one point in time and they stopped laying so I give cracked corn everyday, not a lot but one scoop. I have a second group that is 3 years old, all well no problems and I’m getting 26 more the end of Februar, I have no idea what other vacs there are, but the hatchery tells me best to get the mareck's vac so I do. They charge me I think a few cents each chick For the vacs.
Mareck's disease -- nervous system: Introduction
Mareck's disease -- nervous system: A viral disease that affects poultry - it is very contagious and is a herpes virus. The virus tends to affect the nerves and cause tumors in internal organs. Poultry may be unable to lay eggs or may even die. Young birds are more susceptible than older birds with death most common between the ages of 8 and 20 weeks. The virus may attack the nervous system and result in paralysis or it may attack the visceral system and cause tumors in the internal organs. Some birds may die without any obvious symptoms. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Mareck's disease -- nervous system is available below.