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Does it matter whether or not you purchase vaccinated or unvaccinated child chicks to create or develop your yard flock of egg-laying hens?
With Easter simply a few weeks away, I assumed I’d pen a couple of phrases about shopping for chicks on your children this Vacation.
Like many mother and father, I bought child chicks for my children at Easter, who rapidly grew inside a couple of weeks to egg-laying birds that we saved in a yard coop.
As I’ve been a yard poultry keeper for a few years now, I assumed I’d opine on my expertise with vaccinated versus vaccinated birds over time!
Does it actually matter? The reply may shock you.
Most Hatcheries Vaccinate Chicks Whereas Nonetheless within the Egg
Vaccination within the hatchery has at all times been thought of by the trade to be the “finest case state of affairs” for child chicks. (1)
For a few years, only some vaccines have been administered. These included:
- Marek’s illness (MD)
- Infectious bronchitis (IB)
- Coccidiosis
- Newcastle illness (ND)
- Swollen head syndrome (SHS)
In recent times, new developments in chick vaccination have occurred with vaccination by eye drop, coarse spray and high-quality spray, subcutaneous injection at day previous, and the more and more well-liked ‘in-ovo’ injection a couple of days earlier than the chick hatches. Under is a video of the method.
This has allowed many extra injections to happen.
Vaccinated Hens Don’t Lay As Lengthy!
In my expertise holding egg-laying hens, those who have been vaccinated as chicks don’t have a tendency to put eggs very lengthy.
Whereas they appear to put usually for the primary 12 months to 12 months and a half, after that, egg manufacturing declines sharply in contrast with unvaccinated hens.
By comparability, unvaccinated hens I’ve saved over time will lay recurrently till they’re 5-6 years previous!
Vaccinated Hens Are Sickly
One other downside with hens that have been vaccinated as chicks is that they are usually rather more sickly.
To provide you some concept, out of a batch of 6 vaccinated chicks I raised a bit of over 3 years in the past, solely 2 stay (and a kind of is at present sick and has solely ever laid deformed eggs).
A few of you is likely to be questioning why I bought vaccinated chicks to start with.
The reason being that I used to be beneath the impression that the feed retailer the place I purchased them had unvaxed chicks. Sadly, this was a mistake on my half.
This error, nonetheless, gave me a perspective for comparability, which I’m now sharing with you!
Weaker Hens Most popular by Predators
One other factor I’ve observed over time is that the vaccinated hens are focused extra by predators.
For instance, during the last 5 years we’ve more and more skilled hawk assaults in our neighborhood because of some heavy growth in a rural space to the north of our neighborhood.
With out exception, the hens which have fallen prey to the hawks have been vaccinated.
Predators instinctively know which animals are the weakest and sickest. They have a tendency to go for these animals because it gives a better price of success.
Is it only a coincidence that each single hen I’ve misplaced to a hawk over the previous couple of years was vaccinated? Maybe, however provided that they have been extra sickly anyway, I doubt that it was happenstance.
At all times Insist on Unvaxed Chicks!
My suggestion to those that hold yard hens is that it’s value it to spend the time looking for out unvaccinated chicks.
And, after all, after getting these cuties, remember to feed them natural unmedicated feed!
You spend plenty of time elevating these infants into adults, and sickly birds that don’t lay as lengthy will not be a superb funding in my expertise.
As well as, who is aware of what the decreased dietary worth of their eggs is likely to be because of this medicalization?
For instance, considered one of my vaxed hens constantly lays deformed eggs (and at all times has). I’ve by no means had an unvaxed hen lay this sort of egg.
Even when the egg appears regular, nonetheless, are the yolk and white really the identical? We do not know at this level. I haven’t discovered any analysis that has appeared into it.
The place to Get Unvaccinated Chicks
There are 3 ways to make sure that the infant chicks you choose for your loved ones to develop up into egg layers are unmedicalized.
Feed Retailer
Some feed shops may have unvaccinated chicks.
Trace: These institutions will nearly at all times be independently owned.
Nevertheless, some domestically owned feed shops may have vaccinated chicks too, so remember to ask and don’t assume (which was my mistake!).
Hatcheries
Whereas fewer and fewer hatcheries are providing unvaccinated chicks, there are nonetheless a couple of round.
Hoover’s Hatchery is the one I like to recommend trying into (you choose vaccination standing at checkout).
The minimal buy is 15 chicks, so shopping for with a buddy or two is a good suggestion should you solely need a couple of chicks at a time.
Hatch Your Personal!
One other nice possibility is to hatch your individual chicks.
All you want is a rooster and a DIY egg incubator to get began.
We bought a big, formidable, and but light cockerel from a neighborhood rooster sanctuary. You don’t even have to boost them from a chick should you don’t need to.
Observe that hatching chicks laid from unvaccinated hens goes to provide the very best outcomes!
Have you ever observed a distinction at your home between the well being and egg-laying capability between vaccinated and unvaccinated hens?
Please share your expertise with us!
(1) Vaccination within the Hatchery
(2) Poultry Vaccinations
(3) Hoover’s Hatchery
