Unsecure chicken perches

[sandyhas3chucks]

Why is this the case? "In a back garden situation this isn’t really necessary",

and are vaccines still not available except in batches of 100?

and if I get 2 young chicks from a breeder will they be vaccinated?

[Lewis]

The risk is lower in a backyard compared to a shed of 30,000 commercial chickens.

Most smaller scale hobby breeders will try to breed resistance rather than vaccinate.

 

The vaccines are live and you're right, only available in a large doses so its not cost effective to vaccinate just a few. Some people will do it but its not essential or needed in most situations.

It depends what you get and who you get them from - chances are they won't be, which isn't necessarily a problem

[LolaLayla]

I wondered about this too, particularly salmonella. I am ignorant about this (where do hens get salmonella from?) but thought there would be a higher chance of humans getting it from a raw egg laid by chickens who were not inoculated against it. At the moment I feel confident that my hybrids eggs will be fine in that respect but if I get other girls it may not be the case. What are your thoughts

[Lewis]

The hens can get Salmonella from wild birds or rodents - not sure how high the risk is though.

Some can infect the chickens and they won't really show signs of it, just be carriers, but won't infect people...

 

As long as you keep everything in the coop clean, the chickens are healthy and you cook meat + eggs you should be fine.

If you're worried, just make sure you clean your hands after handling/cleaning out your birds and raw meat

[LolaLayla]

Thanks for the info. I keep the girls clean and they are healthy. It's more about raw egg use e.g. poached eggs or mousses particularly if I was cooking something for Gran whose immunity may not be as strong as ours, but at the moment I feel all is ok as I know they have been inoculated.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I was actually more worried about things like Mareks... and

infectious bronchitis.

Although the later you can get nosodes for..

[Space Chick]

I vaccinated my chicks I hatched this year against Mareks.... But that is because I hatched Silkies which are prone to it... And I've previously lost unvaccinated Silkies to Mareks.

 

My vet got the vaccine for me, it cost £40, and I vaccinated 12 chicks.... So only a few quid per chicken... I felt it was worth it for peace of mind.

[sandyhas3chucks]

thanks for that info, my vet thought perhaps I should contact a club as they might get vaccines in for a group of them...

[Cranberry]

My vet said he could not get less than 1000 maric doses, the local battery farm does it but then I've heard you can't run vaccinated and non-vaccinated together so I did not bother. I bet Deffra have a problem with sharing vaccines. They won't let you share for larger animals.

[sandyhas3chucks]

hmmm it is quite a dilemma, to vaccinate tr not EVEN if vaccines were or become available.

But seems awful when reading posts that Mareks suspected so PTS

Which of the vaccine bulk done diseases are treatable and which are fatal I wonder

[Cranberry]

Your hens will have been vaccinated being ex-bats so i would say get vacinated chicks. Just ask the breeder if they are. In my opinion prevention is better than cure however your hens are unlikely to contract these deseases being so pampered and so few. Just make sure you get your chicks from a really good breeder and go with your gut instinct.

[sandyhas3chucks]

yes but would seem unless you buy from a big breeder then vaccinatiomn is not a viable options for most small breeders ...

I "think" that is what folks are saying..

[laurmurf]

you'll only be likely to get vaccinated stock if you buy hybrids or adopt ex-batts (also hybrids). you won't be likely to get vaccinated pure breeds from poultry breeders.

[Cranberry]

Some pure breeders vaccinate but sandyhas3chucks has ex-bats and they will have been done. I have been told not to run the 2 together as the vaccine is live and the vaccinated birds will infect the non-vacinated birds. However I did not know this when I got my ex-batts and I usually run them all together. Does anyone know the truth of this?

 

At the end of the day the pure breeds seem to be naturally resistant and if you do loose them, sad as it would be, it is only 1 or 2 its not 50,0000.