Vaccinating chicks

[Silkie Princess]

Hello! I just wanted to ask, do you have to vaccinate chicks? I have 7-8 week old chicks hatched with an incubator. They are probably going to be integrated into a flock of 13 chickens and 3 silkie roosters. Should I vaccinate them? Also, I have 10 chicks raised by a broody hen. Should I vaccinate them too?
Thanks!

 

[LizzzyJo]

The issue with vaccinating your own hatchlings for Merek's is that it comes in 1,000 dose quantities that can't be saved indefinitely. I buy all vaccinated chicks from the hatchery, but when I hatch I don't bother because they have to be away from the disease for two weeks or so after vaccination. It is completely up to you. If you have unvaccinated chickens, then you just have to be extra vigilant with biosecurity.

edit to say that mine are hatched with a broody, so they can't be kept 'sterile'