Storms and chickens

[Claire B]

On Friday I purchased 3 more chickens (pics to follow, just charging the batteries for the camera) but in my excitement I forgot to ask the breeder if they had been vaccinated I telephoned them today and was told that they have not been but if I keep them clean and healthy there should be no problem.

 

I just don't know what to do now, do I take them back Find a vet to vaccinate them or will they be alright as the breeder said

 

Any advise would be greatly appreciated

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I had the same problem as you - and panicked, like you .

 

I think (from reading on here) that if they've come from a small flock (mine did) there's no real need to vaccinate them.

 

Also, I think (may be wrong ) that they have to be vaccinated at birth so you can't do it later.

 

My girls are fine and seem very healthy so I've given up worrying .

[chelsea]

I thought all chooks had to be vacinated? especially if being sold by a breeder?

 

I thought they would vaccinate against mareks disease, salmonella and newcastles disease etc?

[xScrunchee]

Have no idea about vaccinations but can't wait to see pics of the new girls and your new run

 

Have been checking regularly to see if you put the pics on

[jomaxsmith]

I was told that if they're vaccinated you can sell the eggs, so presumably you won't be able to sell those from your chooks.

 

Don't know about the health benefits to the chooks of vaccination but I'm assuming if you bought hens from someone who has a few chickens or as day old chicks then they wouldn't be vaccinated

 

Jo

[Snowy]

Most small breeders don't vaccinate their flocks. My pure breeds are not vaccinated, supposedly they have developed a stronger natural resistence to disease.

[Claire B]

Thanks all for your advice I am feeling less worried now and will be keeping my new girls.

 

Will look on the internet to see if we can sell their eggs as we are always being asked for them.

 

Does anyone already sell their eggs from non vaccinated chickens

 

ps. Pictures of new girls are being upload on to the laptop as I type this

[Snowy]

I couldn't find anything about not being able to sell eggs from unvaccinated chickens. I definitely have one unvaccinated, possibly 3, but I sell their eggs. If you are selling them yourself the rules are not as strict as if you were selling them to a shop to sell to sell to the public. I will keep searching!

[Egluntyne]

**this** is an interesting article.

 

Worth a read.

[chelsea]

I just asked hubby and he said if it was a small flock (which yours is) there isnt a problem - which is more or less the same as what eglutine's link says.

[Chicken deficient]

My bantams aren't vaccinated and they have been very healthy so far. I think vaccination is most important for large commercial flocks, which is why hybrids are all vaccinated, whilst most pure breeds are not.

I worried about it quite a lot at first, but then people have been keeping backyard hens for centuries without vaccinating them.

[Snowy]

Found this from Defra - if you scroll to page 17 there is a useful flow chart.

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/regulat/forms/Livestock_prods/eggs/emr1.pdf

 

Basically if you have less than 50 hens you are allowed to sell them from your home, door to door or at market.

[Claire B]

Thanks everyone for easing my mind and big thank you for those who searched through defra and the poultry site some of it was heavy going

[Richard]

I couldn't find anything about not being able to sell eggs from unvaccinated chickens. I definitely have one unvaccinated, possibly 3, but I sell their eggs. If you are selling them yourself the rules are not as strict as if you were selling them to a shop to sell to sell to the public. I will keep searching!

 

My hens aren't vaccinated, and I sell a dozen eggs a week to the same people every week. I went through all the regs I could find about selling eggs, and as long as you aren't selling to shops or the like it seemed pretty OK,

 

All I do on the ones I sell (and on the ones I give away) is put a label with the date the earliest laid egg in the box was layed. And I tell them to eat them within three weeks - which always gets a laugh becos they say that the eggs are so good they never last more than three days before they are eaten, let alone three weeks!

[Claire B]

Thanks Richard, I will start to label the boxes

 

I know what you mean about the eggs not lasting long, as soon as we give them the eggs they order more. If we sold our eggs to everyone who wants them we had none for ourselves