What to do?! treat and vaccinate or too late? I don't understand these diseases!

[PastyButtsMom]

Hi everyone. My broody hen unexpectedly hatched 3 chicks over the past 2.5 days. I had some left over chick starter and grit but other than that, have not given them anything extra. I've been so stressed about where she is with these babies - in an Eglu Cube which will totally not work since it's so high up - I can imagine the babies falling off trying to follow her AND I have a hen who refuses to lay anywhere else, so she just holds it until Mama Bear lets her in but today, she nearly didn't lay at all and was looking to be in bad shape until I held the chicks and made Mama come out so poor Lavender (bottom of pecking order) could lay.

So, to my most urgent question - is it too late to vaccinate them for Mareks and Cocci? They haven't left the nesting box of the Eglu. Should I feed them medicated chick feed? Right now I am giving them Scratch & Peck Organic chick starter. I really want to understand the risk - seems like these diseases are so hard to understand. I've read some people say that because they don't bring in other birds and are careful with their clothing etc that they're aren't concerned about Mareks or Cocci entering where they keep their chickies, but then others say the wind carries it and it's everywhere/unavoidable, and in the dirt and carried by wildlife. What is the real deal? How prevalent are these diseases, and can the chicks build an immunity to cocci on their own? What do all you do? feed medicated or vaccinate for cocci, or nothing? do you vaccinate for Mareks? I hate this worrying.

Apologies for the frantic language and the really bad grammar - I'm exhausted. I thought "I'll just leave it to the Mama" but of course, now I'm a nervous wreck. Thanks in advance for any and all help/suggestions/recommendations

 

[BDutch]

Where did you get you’re chickens from? Did you buy them as vaccinated chicks? Are they from a hobbyist who never vaccinated? It depends!

I would make a nest box on the ground for momma and chicks. If you have a safe run and a roof on top you can use a cardboard box to create a temporary nest.

 

[BDutch]

If the chick feed is old you better buy a new bag. Old feed has a lack of vitamines. You can give the old feed when they are a few weeks old if it stil has a good scent and you add vitamines, by giving the chicks extra’s like fine chopped grass , fruit, veggies and supply grit on the side. But remember that this is not a balanced food.

 

[PastyButtsMom]

Where did you get you’re chickens from? Did you buy them as vaccinated chicks? Are they from a hobbyist who never vaccinated? It depends!

I would make a nest box on the ground for momma and chicks. If you have a safe run and a roof on top you can use a cardboard box to create a temporary nest.

Thank you for the reply! Ok, so I have 3 hens I bought from a local small scale breeder. She sells chicks that she breeds as well as chicks that she gets from breeders. She explained to me that she doesn't vaccinate (for Mareks) the chicks born on her farm but she only brings vaccinated birds in from the outside. This made sense to me before I understood that vaccinating for Mareks works like the Covid vaccine in that it protects (ideally) the vaccinated from serious illness but they can still be carriers! So, 2 of the 3 were vaccinated for Mareks but the Mama hen (an EE) was not. They, all 3, were "treated" for cocci.

As for the nest, I did that and tried to move them today - I first put the chicks in the new nest area, already set up and then added Mama but she seems so stressed and wouldn't settle down, and the last hatched chick was only about 5 hours old and looked cold since she wouldn't set down, so I just gave up and moved them back. Was thinking I'd try again tomorrow - do you think she'll eventually calm down and accept the new nest (a large sized cat carrier within the run (under a roof). I can take a picture if that helps. I really want to move her as it's really stressful so any pointers are much appreciated. I was also afraid that she'd step on the babies while she was frantic. I gave her the remaining eggs (she insists on continuing to sit on them even though I'm all but certain no more will hatch) after I put her and babies in new nest and I think she wanted to get back to the old nest thinking there were still eggs there. She was very stressed over it all..

 

[PastyButtsMom]

If the chick feed is old you better buy a new bag. Old feed has a lack of vitamines. You can give the old feed when they are a few weeks old if it stil has a good scent and you add vitamines, by giving the chicks extra’s like fine chopped grass , fruit, veggies and supply grit on the side. But remember that this is not a balanced food.

Thank you again. Whoops, I mis-stated that. The grit is from when my girls were little (Feb-April) but the starter is new (I bought it the same day the first chick hatched - Saturday afternoon) but it's not medicated. Should I buy medicated feed to give them instead to protect against Cocci? Is it truly too late to vaccinate for Mareks? Can't I still vaccinate them in the case that I don't have it currently on my property but in case they get exposed when they're older? Is there some reason they say it has to be done day 1? Also, how would I have them vaccinated? at a vet? Thanks again!

 

[BDutch]

You don’t need feed with coccidiosis meficine in it if you have just a few chicks and a healthy spacious environment (imho).

As for the broody. She is still hatching and it was too soon to replace her. If the mamma leaves the nest she might go with her chicks into the cat box by herself. The only problem that can occur is if the chicks go down the ladder and can’t go up again. If you can check on them during the day there will be no problem. In the night they won’t come down. And the mother will cluck for them to come to her.

Often the best choice is to have faith in the choices the broody mama makes. But young chicks can have a problem with steep ladders. Last hatch I made a easy, less steep ladder over the original one. And the chicks had no trouble with it. On other occasions I put a cardboard box under the nestbox area the hen used for a few days. A week after hatch mama and chicks went upstairs again.

under the ladder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Should I buy medicated feed to give them instead to protect against Cocci? Is it truly too late to vaccinate for Mareks? Can't I still vaccinate them in the case that I don't have it currently on my property but in case they get exposed when they're older? Is there some reason they say it has to be done day 1? Also, how would I have them vaccinated? at a vet? Thanks again!

They've already been exposed to the flock so no point in vaccinating for Mareks. As far as I understand, Mareks vaccine has to be administered some 10-14 days before exposure to birds that could carry it (sounds like you don't have known carriers).

If you still want to vaccinate, do you have a vet that will see chickens? Most people do medical care of chickens at home, so if you don't already know of a vet, you would need to inject them yourself.

I don't use medicated feed. My initial group of chicks had coccidiosis but subsequent chicks haven't. Chicks can gain some resistance to coccidiosis by simply being outside, ingesting small amounts of soil that could have the parasite or even poop from the adults.