What vaccines do my chicken need?

[minimaj03]

Hi, I have had chickens for about a year now. My chickens have always come from individuals, I haven't ordered from a hatchery yet. Somehow I didn't know when I started that they need vaccines. That being said, I have a few questions. I know I'm asking for a lot of info.

1. For the grown birds I have, what preventative vaccines/meds can I give them to ensure they don't catch anything. I have "just for look and breed for chicks" birds, "egg layers" and "meat" birds (standard and bantam)...I also have ducks, quail, geese, guineas, turkeys and want to get pheasants.

2. For the young birds and chicks, what do I need to give them. When I order from a hatchery, I will have them vaccinated for Marek's there. What else should they be vaccinated for? Also, for the chicks I have, where can I find the Marek's vaccine? Do you treat all poultry and birds the same? Do they need to be vaccinated more than once? At certain ages? etc.

All answers and info would be greatly appreciated! It would awesome if y'all could include some website references and URLs

Thank you so much!!!

 

[TOP KNOT]

All unneeded, keep them fresh clean water, well ventilated, draft free, clean coop with access to pasture. Good management is the way to good health. Look up Joel Salatin, he is amazing.

 

[StruckBy]

I have to admit that in close to 2 decades I've never had a single feathered creature vaccinated & have never had any problems. But I also free-range which I'm pretty convinced keeps them healthier.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If you have plenty of room (no crowding) a good plant, get your foundation stock from a reliable source, and don't turn your coops into a home for wayward pullets, or a sanctorum for sick fowl, you'll likely never have a bad disease problem. That's 5 ifs in a row, and I am not too happy about many of us achieving every single "if" I've just mentioned. Before you do nothing about vaccinations however, find out what's the worst poultry diseases in your area are, and vaccinate for these diseases if it seems necessary. A sharp hatchet protects against more communicable chicken diseases than all the vaccines, antibiotics, pills, salves, probiotics, powders, poultices and vitamins drops in the world.

 

[donrae]

When I buy chicks from my local Grange, I'm pretty sure they have marek's vaccine. Other than that, I've never vaccinated a bird. I only bring in day old chicks, no older/adult birds, and would never ever "rescue" a bird. Birds around here get better or they die, that's just how it goes. IMO treating illness leads to unthrifty birds that have to be coddled to stay alive. I need healthy, thrifty, uncomplicated birds.

 

[showinbirds]

Not vaccinateing can cost you your flock. Check your area ask a vet , be aware!

 

[Stewarts]

Donrae, that's a pretty harsh attitude and not someone I'd be giving or trading birds with.

 

[Stewarts]

I have a little 'rescue' wild turkey hen that friends of ours found in a ditch. It took some doing to get her back to health - her owners had the same attitude as Donrae and let two of their turkey's die on the road and a third starve to death after it got caught between some buildings. This little girl went to our neighbors yard instead but she was so weak from starving that when hubby picked her up, she weighed practically nothing. Two months later, after a month in the house, she's a healthy, happy, laying turkey hen! There is much to be said for 'saving' a bird from death if you can intervene in time.
Healthy and in the coop!

In the house for a month with Henny the meat hen for company.

Donrae, you should think twice before adopting that attitude.

 

[donrae]

Well hon, I'm not trading birds with anyone, or having anyone give birds to me, so that's a pretty moot point, isn't it? But I can guarantee if you bought birds from me, they'd be healthy, not carriers of anything, and you'd not risk your flock buying birds from me.

What part of my "attitude is harsh"? The fact I won't take in birds with questionable histories? That's not harsh, that's good biosecurity. So, so many threads here about folks bringing in "rescue" birds or even just older birds and introducing illness and losing their flock, or winding up with a flock of carriers where they CAN'T sell or swap birds. I chose to keep my flock safe, that's "harsh"? No, it's smart.

Not treating a sick bird is "harsh"? This has been discussed as nauseum on this forum and there are a lot of us who don't treat sick birds. Poster right above me seems to have the same attitude, why is mine singled out? Read around a lot and you'll see I'm so not the only one who doesn't treat sick birds. If you see that as harsh, we'll just agree to disagree. I'm not changing my management style, I see no need to.

I'm very insulted at being compared to someone who let their birds "die in the road and starve to death". No where in my post, or any post I've made in this forum, have I ever suggested either of those two things are okay, and saying so is quite rude. I'm not seeing how you think that's an appropriate comparison? My birds are well fed, healthy, safe and secure. My attitude's just fine, thank you very much.

 

[Stewarts]

When I buy chicks from my local Grange, I'm pretty sure they have marek's vaccine. Other than that, I've never vaccinated a bird. I only bring in day old chicks, no older/adult birds, and would never ever "rescue" a bird. Birds around here get better or they die, that's just how it goes. IMO treating illness leads to unthrifty birds that have to be coddled to stay alive. I need healthy, thrifty, uncomplicated birds.

Struckby has never vaccinated and never had any problems and free ranges the birds. Its perfectly ok not to vaccinate, in fact its safer for bird and human. What I take issue with is the harsh attitude some people have towards birds that are not their own or that others have hurt and would prefer to leave to suffer and die a terrible death rather than to intervene just to keep their own flock safe.

Look again at the turkey hen hubby and I rescued. She was in ill health and slowly starving, our neighbors didn't know what to do and knew we had birds so they called us to see if there was anything we could do. We quarantined her until she got stronger and the only med we gave her was SuperBoost. It cost me $8 for the package. With a little kind and gentle intervention she improved and was spared a horribly painful death.

You say you 'need' healthy, thrifty, uncomplicated birds' - treating an illness does not lead to unthrifty birds because, like it or not, they are as prone to sickness as we are. Read all the people raising chicks they hatched or bought and asking how to save a sick chick. Are they to let them die in order to have 'healthy, thrifty, uncomplicated birds?' That's the attitude of letting only the strongest survive.
The way you put yourself across makes the reader think you are uncompromising in you dis-compassion toward any bird that is sick and desperately needing a little human compassion and that your own birds, as you put it 'get better or they die'. I am not inferring you would allow a bird to die but the way you come across makes the reader wonder what you would do.

I've raised my flock from the egg and I had plenty of chicks that were sick. Saving them has not weakened my flock nor are they 'unthrifty', rather they are the healthiest birds you will ever see, even though I had to coddle them for a short time, it paid off in spades. Raising these birds requires an investment of personal time and resources or simply, don't raise them.

I apologize if I offended you, Donrae.