[blume]

hello again, have got three bantam chicks (2 days old) and wondered what against and how to vaccinate them? is there anything else i'll have to do to keep them healthy? any advise will be welcome! thanks

[joyofchicks]

I asked my vet about vaccination last year after my broody hatched four chicks from hatching eggs I'd bought.  He laughed and told me they only came in batches of 1000.  I decided not to go any further as the chicks were not for sale but for me to increase my own small flock.  I'll be interested to hear how others have dealt with this issue.

[bamford6]

youre best bet is black rocks vaccination done £ 4 to £ 8 pound bird will live for 5 or six yeres

[shetlandpaul]

I asked my vet about vaccination last year after my broody hatched four chicks from hatching eggs I'd bought.  He laughed and told me they only came in batches of 1000.  I decided not to go any further as the chicks were not for sale but for me to increase my own small flock.  I'll be interested to hear how others have dealt with this issue.

did he mention the cost. if you have a few dozen then for the most common desises they are not expensive. i was looking last year so i can't remember the cost but i think it was about £15 per vaccine. you do have a lot of waste.

[Sharondp]

Apologies for harping on but.......when i went on the River Cottage Chicken Keeping Course  someone asked about vaccinations.

The consensus was that if you have a small 'backyard' concern, then vaccinations shouldn't be necessary. Vaccinations are given to large flocks due to the close proximity that they live in, because any bugs could spread like wildfire. If you have good husbandry, worm regularly, you should be fine.

As previously mentioned, the vaccinations come in huge packs and you'll waste so much! In fact someone on the course took her 3 chickens to the vet to be vaccinated and he laughed at her too!  Were you on the course joyofchicks?

[joyofchicks]

No, SharonP, not guilty!  I was just at the vet with the dog and asked the question.  Too far away from River Cottage in NE Scotland and with a vet more used to farmers and small domestic pets than backyard flock owners.  The word from your chicken keeping course is reassuring for those of us who want to do the right thing by our hens, though.

[Rosemary]

I've had the same advice and have never vaccinated. So far we've not had any significant problems with mortality.

There should be an icon for "fingers crossed" or "touch wood".