Vaccination

[LilJoe]

I am just starting to breed and was wondering the benefits of vaccinating. I bought birds from a lady that vaccinated them as chicks. For what? I'm not sure. What should I vaccinate for, benefits, how, and with what?

Thank you!
LilJoe

 

[Folly's place]

There's no one correct answer here.
Marek's disease vaccine is given to day-old chicks, and helps prevent the tumors that kill chickens infected with Marek's disease virus. It doesn't prevent infections, but does prevent suffering and illness. Most 'backyard' chicken keepers only have this done.
People who show their chickens, and big commercial facilities, may have a list of vaccines done for their birds, and it's much more complicated.
Fowl pox vaccinations can be done in the face of a local outbreak.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

This is totally unlike the vaccination schedules for humans, dog, cats, horses, etc.
Mary

 

[LilJoe]

Thank you ^ ^
Is there a certain medication (the word slipped my mind) I need to buy for Mereks or others?

 

[Folly's place]

Not really. Read up on 'biosecurity'; Marek's disease lives for years in the environment if it arrives. Some diseases are eliminated by culling all your birds (including house birds!) and starting over later. Neither stories are good, so prevention is best.
Isolation/ biosecurity helps to prevent issues that can cause real heartache.
I've been lucky, and careful. Mary