Vacinate baby chicks or not?

[QuiltinChick]

Our chicks will be coming in about 3 weeks. They are on order from a hatchery about 2 hours away. We are going to pick them up and not have them shipped. McMurray hatchery offers to vacinate the chicks against Mareck's disease and Coccidiosis.

Is this something we should do, or should we just feed them the medicated feed? If we feed the medicated feed, does that replace both vaccinations or just one of them?

Oh, the close we get, the more questions I have!!!!

THANKS!!!

 

[leadwolf1]

Definitely vaccinate for Marek's. Right now, I am dealing with this devastating disease and wished that I had had the foresite to vaccinate. If you can, vaccinate for coccidia too, even though it is relatively easy to cure, it can be very deadly if not caught in time. Then, you would want to feed nonmedicated feed since the medicated feed is for protection against coccidia.

Good luck with your new babies

 

[QuiltinChick]

THANKS for the clarification!!!

I'm sure I will be back with many, many more questions before we bring them home. We're so excited, we can hardly wait. We haven't told the kids yet that we are going to pick them up or when we will be getting them. They would drive us crazy waiting for the big day!!!

 

[leadwolf1]

My kids love our chickens and each chick becomes someone's Smart idea not telling them ahead of time!!!

 

[QuiltinChick]

OK, so I contacted the hatchery and told the to vaccinate all the chicks for Marek's and Coccidiosis. Does anyone know if they will vaccinate the "free rare chick" that will be included with our flock or do I need to specifically tell them to do so? We are only being charged to vaccinate the chicks we have purchased. I would hate to have that one "free" chick expose the rest.

Anyone know???

 

[leadwolf1]

No idea, I would call and make sure!

 

[QuiltinChick]

So, I called the hatchery and they do vaccinate the "free rare" chick. They just don't charge for the vaccination since the chick is free. Makes sense and thats how I thought it would be handled, but I wanted to make sure. I would be more then willing to pay for the vaccinations just to protect the rest of the flock.

Oh, I can hardly wait!!! I am in love with chickens and I have never even owned one!!!!

 

[leadwolf1]

Congratulations!!!!! Enjoy your babies, they are so much fun and very, very addicting....