I am about to order 4 dozen or so different breed sexed chicks soon to jump start my new farm set-up. I was gonna start slow then grow, but have gotten too impatient, so will probably order all at once instead of 1 dozen at a time. I hope to get 1 doz. California grey & white, about a dozen RIR, 18 sex-linked, and 1 doz Ameraucana. I want a variety to decide which breeds I prefer and so I can have white, brown, and ee. Since these will be my 1st chickens, I need to be sure about what I should and shouldn't worry about as far as vaccines go. I have to be as careful as possible with cost (our budget is EXTREMELY tight), but I don't want to be so cheap that I end up paying for my impatience with hens lives. What diseases must be vaccinated for at birth and which can wait until I can do it myself? Are any recommended, but not a BIG worry? I know lots of people do rabies annually on goats, but I don't. I'm not worried because our babies are pretty safe from any risk of exposure. I don't mind doing anything I REALLY SHOULD do, but I don't want to spend a lot more than I need to. Like I said, since I'm spending more at the outset to get a quicker jump-start on my flock, I want to be sure to get any vaccines necessary to protect that investment, without going a lot further than I need to. Any advice from experienced folks is GREATLY appreciated. THANKS!!!
It can vary from country and even state to state as to what vaccines are recommended. I am fairly sure that vaccines for mereks disease would be recommended. Since a number of vaccines are given in the first day, it may be better to contact your supplier and ask them their advice (they may charge a little extra for vaccinated chicks, i'm not sure), as well as check with your state agricultural department (or whatever the term may be) to be sure. Just googled something you may find useful http://www.scpoultry.org/pfarming/ All the best CT
I would definitely get them vaccinated for Mareks disease. Many people are opting for the coccidiosis vaccine if available. Mareks can wipe out most of the flock if it is in your environment. You will be better off getting all of your chicks at the same time, both with preventing diseases that can affect chicks when having multiple age chicks together. Coccidiosis is one of the things that may be a problem with multiple age chicks. Also you won't have younger chicks being picked on by older ones, and problems with integrating chicks of different ages.
Thanks sooo much for the feedback. I really am a total noob, I mean Daddy was raised on a farm and we spent holidays and summers with Nannie, but this is MY first farm. We are at our family land returning it to the farming scene after a 25+ year absence. I'm super excited and eager to learn the right things to do. I'm very active on BackYardHerds, since we have Pygmy goats, but this is the very beginning with chickens. I don't think you can edit a thread title here like you can on BYH, so I'm gonna start a new thread with my new question. I went to a local auction last night and got 2 hens and a roo. I need to know what to do for them (they're full grown, but less than a year) to be sure they're as safe as I can make them. I know to quarantine, even though that's not really an issue since they're the 1st grown-ups. Is it too late to give them shots for Marek's and Coccidiosis? Is it a shot for Coccidiosis? I did say I'm a total noob.
