vacinated or not?

[Oobhakeb]

Well, Im wanting a hen house and trying to get away from the industrialized farm factories and raise my own chickens for their eggs. My question is, do I have them shipped vaccinated or not? What are the pros and cons? Any answers? Also, what kind of supplements or vitamins should I get to raise my chicks? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Judy]

You have to do most vaccinations yourself, and you have to purchase them in large quantities, as they are packaged for commercial operations. Mine were not vaccinated against anything and I did not give supplements other than treats. A lot of backyard owners do much what I did and don't have problems.

One caution on Marek's vaccination, which is the only one you can have done at the hatchery when you order your chicks: If you have them vaccinated, they can then shed the virus to other chickens.

Here is all about chicken vaccinations:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps030

Your county extension agent should know what chicken diseases are endemic to your area.

 

[Oobhakeb]

Quote:
Thanks for the info...yes Ive read about the Mareks but was wondering about the others that are due around 8-10 weeks. These will be my first chickens so Im not worried about shedding of the virus. Thanks again!

 

[Judy]

I understand these will be your first, but it means that all future chickens are at risk; I think this includes any you hatch. It's not 100% protection anyway. This is why I didn't do it.

 

[Oobhakeb]

well, Im kinda on the same page as not vaccinating them. Or if there are some that i should absolutely vaccinate for and some not so much...at any rate...thanks for responding..

 

[enggass]

I have 5 pullets that cam from a hatchery last spring. Vaccinated.
I plan on hatching my own eggs this coming Spring. How great of a risk is there that my new non-vaccinated birds could get Marek's?
Until what age are Marek's vaccinated birds able to 'shed' Marek's?

UPDATE: I just found this...
I understand your and your poultry pal's concerns but you are right in your thinking about Marek's disease. Marek's disease virus is everywhere. In fact, the vaccination of poultry for Marek's disease is a race to see which virus is going to win in the bird.....the vaccine virus or the disease causing virus. While it is true that Marek's disease vaccinated birds are infected with the vaccine virus for life,
I am not aware of them shedding the vaccine virus. The good news is that the vaccine viruses do not cause disease so your chickens are safe and not "Typhoid Marys." The other vaccines used in poultry do not cause
"Typhoid Marys" except for almost all vaccines used to protect against Infectious Laryngotracheitis. Chickens vaccinated with those vaccines can shed the vaccine virus and the vaccine virus will make non-vaccinated chickens sick.

As for vaccinating your chickens for other diseases, I only recommend vaccinating chickens against diseases you have had or that are in your area. In most cases, that only includes fowl pox. Please note that chicken pox is a human disease and not a chicken disease. The virus that causes chicken pox in humans does not cause disease in chickens
nor do humans get it from chickens.

Hope this helps,

R. M. Fulton, D.V.M., Ph.D.

 

[Oobhakeb]

very informative, thanks