[dannyboy2010]

hi all, just wondered if i can pick your brains...

if and when i hatch any more chicks is it possible for me to do it myself to keep the costs down, or is it vet job?

if it is possible can you get all the gear and vaccine from the vet?

many thanks

[joyfull]

most backyard poultry keepers don't bother vaccinating. Vaccines come in batches of 500 and 1000 so you would be wasting an awful lot - some don't keep (Mareks has to be administered within an hour of opening or it won't work). The vaccination programe also starts on day 1 and some are given in the water and others by vaccine gun.

[Casey76]

I looked into it, and the costs are astounding!

The mycoplasma vaccine as about 300€ and comes in 1000 dose vials - which might be Ok for hatcheries, but not for me, even if I do have a large back yard flock!

In France if I want to show, I have to get a vet certificate to prove my chickens have been vaccinated against Newcastle Disease.  This vaccine is quite cheap (<9€), however I have to get the vet out to my property to administer the vaccine, so not quite so cheap!

Battery hens are given a battery (lol) of vaccine, starting at 1 day, through to 16 weeks.  Some vaccines are only considered viable/to be working properly 4 weeks after the last dose - some vaccines need more than one dose to be covered properly.  All vaccines "wear off" after about 62 weeks.

So, in answer to your question, yes it is possible to buy the vaccines from your vet, and the equipment to vaccinate your birds, however it may end up costing several hundred pounds, even if you only vaccinate 3 or 4 hens!

[D]

As said it can work out more expensive if you do it yourself. However, it would be possible to contact other local poultry keepers and see if they would want to all chip in. That way all flocks can be vaccinated and it lessens the cost for each individual especially since vaccines come in large quantities.

[joyfull]

As said it can work out more expensive if you do it yourself. However, it would be possible to contact other local poultry keepers and see if they would want to all chip in. That way all flocks can be vaccinated and it lessens the cost for each individual especially since vaccines come in large quantities.

but with the Mareks vaccine this has to be administered within 1 hour of opening otherwise it's effectiveness is diminished so will all of the group have chicks available that are the correct age at the same time?

[Dominic]

Happy Chicks sell the 1000 dose vials for newscastle,  mareks and bronchitus

http://www.happychicks.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/Happychicksshop/_317130/1/Poultry%252C%2520Chicken%2520Vaccines

I'm not planning on vaccinating, it would be cheaper to replace the 4 chickens, and theres very little chance of them actualy getting sick.