Which vaccines should a hobbyist buy?

[lizo97]

I want to vaccinate my flock of 13 against fowl pox -- but I discovered they sell combined vaccines as well as a vaccine for coryza. My kids are so attached to the chickens I am doing everything I can to keep them healthy. There is a vaccine for avian encephalitis, newcastle, mycoplasma ... what do you suggest?

 

[Eggcessive]

Where do you live, and are there other poultry farms in your area? Most people do not vaccinate their chickens, although some will get a Mareks or coccidiosis vaccine at the hatchery. Fowl pox is only a real problem in the deep south or in a tropical location. It is spread by mosquitoes. I live in the Ohio valley, and we do not see it. However in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and some other locations, it can be bad, so it may be worth getting. You can help keep your chickens healthy by getting healthy chicks from a hatchery or feed store, feeding a good balanced chick feed, and providing clean water every day. Buying chickens from unkown people, swap meets, and poultry auctions, is a good way to bring in a chronic disease that will be with the flock for life. Here are some links to read about vaccines:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exot...kyard-poultry/vaccination-of-backyard-poultry

https://www.chickenwhisperermagazine.com/health-and-wellness/vaccinating-strategies-for-chicks

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/archive/hot_topics/agriculture/poultry_vaccination.shtml

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

The only thing I vaccinate my birds against is mareks (I show my birds so they are exposed to other flocks and diseases quite often) that vaccination has to be done as chicks before they can be exposed to the virus. I’m assuming the same can be said for other disease vaccines. I would recommend a mareks or coccidiosis vaccine as that is the most common.

 

[lizo97]

I have a lot of wild birds in my area and there is nothing like seeing House Finches with pox -- eyes swollen shut, faces disfigured... I am in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a good place to find the pox vaccine and the pox/avian encephalomyelitis vaccines, and there is a manufacturer’s label available to read how to give and what age to give:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=FCB66D44-434E-4806-9038-6E09BEFC176F

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...MIj8LHqOPP6QIVBdvACh068QBiEAQYASABEgJ4PPD_BwE