[emotion-2003]

hi
i am going to hatch some chicken eggs.this is obviously first time so i dont have any experiance.could you please give me some advice about vaccination?where and how can i do vac?
do yuo think buying hens better way then hatch eggs?
cheers

[joyfull]

buying point of lay is a lot better or buy day/week old colour sexed chicks this way you will get hens and not cockerels. I have recently had to cull 14 cockerels that hatched last year as they are very difficult to rehome (I did manage to rehome 6 but that was all  ).

[emotion-2003]

thanks for your usefull advice:)
can anyone suggest me where can i buy healthy pol near ROMSEY/ HAMPSHIRE area?
cheers

[Aunt Sally]

Have a look here:

http://www.poultry.allotment-garden.org/poultry-suppliers/hen-for-sale-Hampshire.php

[Tony H]

Hi i have hatched some eggs and as you will read on here its stresfull when eggs dont hatch and then you have the problem of male chucks, it is great watching them hatch thou. but i would say on the whole its better to get day old chicks, just as rewarding watching them grow, iv got some black silkies growing well and will be getting some more in the future, but if you realy want to go down the road of hatching just make sure the eggs are from a reputable supplier good luck what ever you chose 

[tstainesmoore]

Hey yeah i would advise hatching you rown its great fun, etc. However you may get stuck with lots of males and sometimes hatching eggs can go wrong so i would probably buy some day olds or young birds and rear them that way. To ensure females only buy autosexing breeds.

[emotion-2003]

hi
thanks for your advice.i believe hatching is more fun but i am just in stress about vaccination.because i dont want to see that my children getting ill(salmonella...etc) the best way as you said buying young hens/POL.
thanks again

[joyfull]

most small breeders don't vaccinate their hens, the reason being is that the vaccine comes in doses of 500 or 1000 so not really an option.

[emotion-2003]

ok.but what about some virus,illness:(
do you think we dont get any infections from eggs?

[GrannieAnnie]

I like most people here have never got any infections from my eggs.  Your housekeeping goes a long way to preventing illnesses in your chooks, keep them nice, clean and healthy and they will reard you with the most tasty eggs you have ever eaten!

Like Joyfull says, vaccines come in large doses, not really viable for small breeders.  I did have a go at vaccinating my chicks once, but my customers weren't really bothered, and some people have lost chickens to illnesses even though they have been vaccinated.