Vaccinating your chicks

[chubbchubb7]

Hey I have a hen that is sitting. In hopes that she hatches the chicks, I wanted to know about vaccinating them. What do I use? Where do I get it? How do I do it?
We've had bad luck with hens that weren't vaccinated and I want to make sure these get vaccinated.

 

[Pyxis]

What are you wanting to vaccinate for?

 

[chubbchubb7]

Lol now that would be a good question and I even thought about it as I was typing but was hoping someone would just tell me what to do hahaha
I've never heard anyone say what exactly they have been vaccinated for.... Is it Merricks? Coccidiosis? Are those the two main ones?
All I know is an old chicken grower told me don't get em if they aren't vaccinated. You'll just have problems. He was right. But vaccinated for what I don't know. I think he was talking about Coccidiosis. Does that sound right?

 

[Pyxis]

Well, I don't vaccinate mine and they're fine. Marek's is the usual vaccine. Coccidiosis is something they can be 'vaccinated' for too, but it's not really a vaccination, they're actually fed cocci spores and infected with a low danger strain of it. Honestly I don't think that's ever really necessary and if you're worried you could always just feed medicated feed.

On the Marek's vaccine front, you could vaccinate if your flock actually has Marek's, but otherwise I really wouldn't worry about it, unless you want to drop the money on a bottle that has 1000 doses that you will use very few of, and then on top of that have to buy a cooler to ship it in, ice packs for the cooler, and fast shipping so it reaches you still cold. So that's going to be around $60. And then you'll also need to get syringes somewhere to actually administer it. But if you really want to do it I can link you to a place to get the vaccine.

 

[chubbchubb7]

Oh ok. I'm new to the chick thing.
We have just had problems with chickens getting sick. Almost like a cold and they don't recover. Right or wrong we now give them LA and they get over it ok. So I guess we will just let it be. Thx

 

[lazy gardener]

LA?

 

[Pyxis]

Oh ok. I'm new to the chick thing.
We have just had problems with chickens getting sick. Almost like a cold and they don't recover. Right or wrong we now give them LA and they get over it ok. So I guess we will just let it be. Thx

That's not Marek's or coccidiosis, that's a chronic respiratory disease. And it's never actually cured, your birds will always carry it for life. Depending on which one they have they can even pass it through their eggs to chicks, so please never sell or give away birds or chicks from your flock or sell eggs for hatching as you will pass the disease to other people's flocks.

 

[book313]

I disagree. I live organically, and do not believe that vaccinating our chicks and chickens is a good idea. Besides, all things happen for a reason. But if you don't vaccinate, and make sure your chickens immune is strong, you will most likely not run into problems.

All things happen for a reason. Don't doubt.

Hope this could help in your decision...
Edited by Staff

 

[book313]

Good decision! I would never vaccinate my chicks.

 

[book313]

@Pyxis
Is it a disease that the flock was born with and can pass on? And does that mean that there eggs are still edible/healthy enough to eat?

Thank you!