Vaccinations?

[kada6305]

I have eggs in the incubator from my current flock. Will I need to vaccinate them once hatched? I'm not 100% sure if my current flock was vaccinated (TSC chicks) This is my first time hatching out eggs.

 

[BantamLover21]

It is up to you whether you want to vaccinate your birds or not. I personally have to vaccinate mine, since I have a Marek's disease problem that would probably kill most of the chicks. A lot of people don't vaccinate though, and their birds are still fine.

 

[Wyandottes7]

It is not essential to vaccinate. Very few vaccines are normally given to chickens. Marek's Vaccine is one of the most common, and in many cases, the best. It is given to day old chicks. If Mareks' is a problem in your area, I'd vaccinate.

 

[kada6305]

I have no idea if it is a problem in my area. since I do not know if my flock was vaccinated, would I have to do the entire flock, also?

 

[BantamLover21]

I have no idea if it is a problem in my area. since I do not know if my flock was vaccinated, would I have to do the entire flock, also?

No, you would not have to do your entire flock. You current birds have probably already been exposed to the Marek's virus, so it is too late to vaccinate them. Fortunately, once birds reach an age of one year or more, if they haven't shown symptoms of Marek's yet, they probably won't. If you were to vaccinate, you would just do the chicks when they were 1-3 days old.

 

[kada6305]

Okay great,'my flock is over a year. They were a year in March.so next question..where do I get supplies to give the vaccination?

 

[Folly's place]

Your TSC birds weren't vaccinated unless you special ordered them and paid extra for the vaccination for Marek's disease. You can order the vaccine from catalogs, like Jeffers, as day-olds. The chicks then must be totally isolated from other birds and their "stuff" for about three weeks, time to develop immunity. If you haven't lost birds to Marek's, and keep up your biosecurity, all will be well without it. On the other hand, if the disease comes into your flock, vaccinated birds will do much better. Mary