when NOT to vaccinate

[Xanthfox]

Sorry if this seems redundant but I cant find anything on the cut off age to vaccinate your chickens. I have 4 month old hens that we just got. It turns out their not vaccinated. are they too old?

 

[matt44644]

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou..._poultry/vaccination_programs_in_poultry.html

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nice link Matt.

The one often available to us not shown in the chart for the laying hens is Coccidiosis. The commercial operations don’t vaccinate for Coccidiosis, they handle that a different way. If you decide to vaccinate for Coccidiosis, you need to do that about three weeks before they come into contact with the ground or any other source of the Coccidiosis bug. It takes them two to three weeks to develop immunity. If you get that, it is normally at the hatchery.

I don’t vaccinate for Coccidiosis, just introduce some dirt to them while they are in the brooder and keep the brooder dry so they can develop their own immunity from that. Many people use feed medicated with Amprolium to help reduce the chance of them getting sick from the Cocci bug but I don’t do that either.

Many of us don’t vaccinate for anything, but some do. It’s a personal choice.