Vaccinate or Not

[jolenesdad]

@Mixed flock enthusiast i think your question is really important.

Those that are fairly educated about the entire process include a plan of no chicken keeping for years if they become infected. I think for the traditional small backyard chicken keeper that really needs to be stressed.

“I don’t vaccinate, I breed for resistance and this is why that’s good....however.... these are the additional things I’m prepared for if disease does strike.”

that last part is what’s left outDo you want a really pure flock that’s very natural? Well, you probably need to be at least prepared to do some heavy culling. That does t work for a lot of people.

I myself always subscribed to the canary in the coalMine theory and have had mixed birds. Mostly because my hatchery birds came with it, and my own hatched birds do not.

however recently after having to cull a few birds for various reasons I’ve decided to vaccinate my adult birds as well because having to cull my entire flock would be personally devastating after the time we have spent together.

in addition I raise meat birds and that means hundreds of chicks in and out each year. I specifically like a strain of hybrid broiler from Moyers hatchery and they vaccinate in ovo so I feel like my whole flock should be vaccinated.

really appreciate the insight of both Mixed Flock Enthusiast and @ChocolateMouse here in this thread, providing valuable insight into various viewpoints.

I know some people roll their eyes at another endless vaccination debate but I’ve learned lots.

 

[FortCluck]

@Mixed flock enthusiast i think your question is really important.

Those that are fairly educated about the entire process include a plan of no chicken keeping for years if they become infected. I think for the traditional small backyard chicken keeper that really needs to be stressed.

“I don’t vaccinate, I breed for resistance and this is why that’s good....however.... these are the additional things I’m prepared for if disease does strike.”

that last part is what’s left outDo you want a really pure flock that’s very natural? Well, you probably need to be at least prepared to do some heavy culling. That does t work for a lot of people.

I myself always subscribed to the canary in the coalMine theory and have had mixed birds. Mostly because my hatchery birds came with it, and my own hatched birds do not.

however recently after having to cull a few birds for various reasons I’ve decided to vaccinate my adult birds as well because having to cull my entire flock would be personally devastating after the time we have spent together.

in addition I raise meat birds and that means hundreds of chicks in and out each year. I specifically like a strain of hybrid broiler from Moyers hatchery and they vaccinate in ovo so I feel like my whole flock should be vaccinated.

really appreciate the insight of both Mixed Flock Enthusiast and @ChocolateMouse here in this thread, providing valuable insight into various viewpoints.

I know some people roll their eyes at another endless vaccination debate but I’ve learned lots.

I have learned a lot too. I still won't vaccinate, but I will take the precautions that I need to in order to protect my flock.

I watch my chickens at different times during the day so I am sure that I would notice anything different about them and I would instantly take care of it. I wouldn't sit on it and wait to see if it passes, that doesn't work with my animals. They are always treated instantly.

 

[jolenesdad]

I have learned a lot too. I still won't vaccinate, but I will take the precautions that I need to in order to protect my flock.

I watch my chickens at different times during the day so I am sure that I would notice anything different about them and I would instantly take care of it. I wouldn't sit on it and wait to see if it passes, that doesn't work with my animals. They are always treated instantly.

Sounds like a great plan for you and the way you keep chickens and what you do with them.

my personally thoughts on so many things are always evolving it gets confusing in my head at times.

this week I’ve had an enlightening experience. I keep what I would consider extremely clean environments yet must not have exposed my youngest round of chicks appropriately and am now left treating 60 5 week old chicks for coccidiosis with bloody poop and the like after letting them out to range the very first time earlier in the week. I do believe I caught it immediately because of my level of attention, and may only have two out of 60 chicks sick.

I have always done everything by the book, and it just has been an incredibly eye opening experience that you really have no idea what may be lurking in your soil. It’s been a bit humbling to realize what you don’t know again when you thought you had handled something like exposure to coccidia to develop immunities.

alas, thanks to BYC, I’m learning every day!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

It is a good question. I think almost everyone with an even partially unvacced flock is prepared to either go chickenless for a long time or immediately switch to a dramatically closed flock.

For me right now I am about to move in the next few years. So basically I'd burn the coop to the ground, drop all my chicken equipment in bleach for a week, then rubbing alcohol for a week, and then wait to start over where I'm moving to. I might get quail in the meantime because they are unobtrusive. But in the future those plans look different.

 

[jolenesdad]

It is a good question. I think almost everyone with an even partially unvacced flock is prepared to either go chickenless for a long time or immediately switch to a dramatically closed flock.

For me right now I am about to move in the next few years. So basically I'd burn the coop to the ground, drop all my chicken equipment in bleach for a week, then rubbing alcohol for a week, and then wait to start over where I'm moving to. I might get quail in the meantime because they are unobtrusive. But in the future those plans look different.

BURN IT DOWN!

I know this is a serious thought but that just made me chuckle a bit.

okay so two questions I have....one Because I’m moving too.

do you have any concerns for what happens when you move to an area where you don’t know what’s prevalent?


also to anyone else here, and I hope this doesn’t get too off topic.

I’ve had some crows move along the creek this week. I like the hawk deterrent aspects. Is it asking for it to try and create an area where I feed the crows to keep them around for hawk deterrents? (id setup a feeding station several hundred feet from my fenced in acreage for chickens.)

 

[FortCluck]

Sounds like a great plan for you and the way you keep chickens and what you do with them.

my personally thoughts on so many things are always evolving it gets confusing in my head at times.

this week I’ve had an enlightening experience. I keep what I would consider extremely clean environments yet must not have exposed my youngest round of chicks appropriately and am now left treating 60 5 week old chicks for coccidiosis with bloody poop and the like after letting them out to range the very first time earlier in the week. I do believe I caught it immediately because of my level of attention, and may only have two out of 60 chicks sick.

I have always done everything by the book, and it just has been an incredibly eye opening experience that you really have no idea what may be lurking in your soil. It’s been a bit humbling to realize what you don’t know again when you thought you had handled something like exposure to coccidia to develop immunities.

alas, thanks to BYC, I’m learning every day!

I give my chicks dirt from outside when they're a few days old to help expose them. So far it's worked, but I've never dealt with coccidia.

How did you treat it? Antibiotics?

 

[jolenesdad]

I give my chicks dirt from outside when they're a few days old to help expose them. So far it's worked, but I've never dealt with coccidia.

How did you treat it? Antibiotics?

Me too but I failed and didn’t include soil from the chicken area this time.


Im
Treating the meat birds with Corid. @ChickenCanoe has been incredibly insightful.

 

[FortCluck]

Me too but I failed and didn’t include soil from the chicken area this time.


Im
Treating the meat birds with Corid. @ChickenCanoe has been incredibly insightful.

Good to know. I couldn't imagine that happening. My kids would probably do that too they forget so easily.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I give my chicks dirt from outside when they're a few days old to help expose them. So far it's worked, but I've never dealt with coccidia.

How did you treat it? Antibiotics?

Antibiotics only treat some bacteria. Some have become antibiotic resistant superbugs.
Coccidia is a protozoa. Amprolium and sulfa drugs are the only treatment.
Far than half of the things that may afflict chickens can be treated with antibiotics.

 

[FortCluck]

Antibiotics only treat some bacteria. Some have become antibiotic resistant superbugs.
Coccidia is a protozoa. Amprolium and sulfa drugs are the only treatment.
Far than half of the things that may afflict chickens can be treated with antibiotics.

Im allergic to sulfa like anaphylaxis so someone else would have to give it to them.