Single hen

[Chillicat]

Don't know why I didn't think of this before but its just dawned on me that our home hatched chick, Poachy, hasn't been vaccinated...........should I have given her something as a chick?

 

She's now 26 weeks and is currently on a preventative course of Flubenvet with the other girls (they are year old Omlet girls who have been vaccinated), plus they have Diatom in their food, Battles Poultry Drink in their water and some Poultry Spice in their food when its really cold.

 

Advice on what to give and where to get it from would be welcome as I intend to home hatch some more in the near future.

 

Thanks

[The Dogmother]

The only times that chicks are vaccinated are usually when they are produced en masse for the egg or meat market. It simply isn't finanacially viable to do it otherwise, and the vacccines come in such large quantities.

 

None of my pure breeds are vaccinated and they're all sickeningly healthy.

[Chillicat]

Phew, thanks Claret.

You know when you have one of those usually when its REALLY late at night.......I had one of those!

[The Dogmother]

No worries, we all do that

[pearcie]

im intrested in this aswell because i have three eggs in a incubator at the moment so if they are not vaccinated does this mean they could carry somenela etc and pass it on to us im just a bit worried because i have young children and they love a runney egg would not like to think there was a risk the hens we have are all hybrids and have been vaccinated .............

[The Dogmother]

I would say that if you follow common sense hygiene rules then you won't run the risk of contracting salmonella. If you're that worrid about it, then buy vaccinated hybrids rather than hatchign your own.

 

As with all vaccines, it isn't 100% effective anyway ansd should be repeated with boosters regularly.

[Hen Watch]

In Practical Poultry Magazine - April 09 edition - Page 18 - someone has written a letter asking about DIY vaccination. Their reply about "live" and "non-live" vaccines seemed a bit complicated and also if live vaccine is used those birds could become carriers. You might want to take a look at it.

[Chillicat]

I haven't vaccinated my Poachy, but have recently eaten her eggs, which are luverly

I'm still alive...... .........so that's got to be ok not to vaccinate chicks and to eat their eggs!

[pearcie]

i assumed it would be ok as you cant get the vaccine in small quantities but its nice to hear other peoples views for reassurence ...l.

[cordelia]

when I got my girls they had to go onto growers pellets as they were 13 and 14 weeks...that had the agent in to prevent coccidiosis...it had to be stopped at 16 weeks because of this medicine..

 

just a thought.....I think it was a Farmgate brand..growers pellets, Im not sure what age it starts...some chick crumbs are medicated too...