By vaccinating your chicks, you’re giving them the best start to life.

Coccidiosis in poultry is a highly prevalent parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria, which are host-specific parasites that target different regions of the intestinal tract. Once ingested, the parasite invades and multiplies within the cells lining the gut, leading to destruction of intestinal tissue, impaired absorption of nutrients, and disruption of normal digestive processes. Because Eimeria organisms undergo rapid cycles of multiplication inside the host, even a small initial exposure can trigger a large-scale infection within days, making outbreaks sudden and severe. Young birds, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, and flocks kept in damp, overcrowded, or unhygienic environments are particularly vulnerable. The disease poses a major challenge to  people raising poultry as it can result in poor growth rates, reduced feed conversion efficiency, lower egg production, and in heavy infections or left untreated, significant mortality.

Prevention of coccidiosis in poultry has increasingly shifted toward vaccination, which works by exposing birds to controlled doses of live Eimeria species so that they can build natural immunity without suffering the full effects of disease. Unlike coccidiostats, which suppress parasite activity in the gut but do not allow birds to develop long-lasting protection, vaccines stimulate the bird’s immune system to recognize and control future infections. This is particularly valuable in young chicks, where early exposure under controlled conditions helps establish flock-wide immunity as they grow. Vaccination is now widely used in breeding, and is applied individually to ensure every chick receives a uniform dose. When paired with good management practices, vaccination provides a sustainable, long-term strategy for controlling coccidiosis while reducing reliance on in-feed medications.

When attending your chick vaccination appointment, please ensure you bring the following:

• Your chicks in one secure box, lined with clean, dry bedding such as sawdust or wood shavings. This keeps them comfortable and reduces stress during travel.

• A second empty box, also prepared with fresh bedding. 

After vaccination, your chicks will be placed into this clean box for the journey home.  

The ideal size of the boxes will vary depending on the number of chicks you bring along. The box should be large enough so all of the chicks have a place to stand on the base, but not so much room that they can slip around.

Boxes with high sides are ideal to ensure the chicks cannot jump out of their own accord when the box is open

By bringing both boxes with fresh, new bedding, you help ensure the vaccination process runs smoothly and your chicks remain safe, clean, and stress free

To protect the health of your chicks and our own flocks, we take biosecurity very seriously. 

For this reason, our vaccination service will be carried out in a separate designated area, not inside our farm shop. 

This ensures there is no risk of cross-contamination between visiting chicks and our poultry.  When you arrive for your appointment, please bring your chicks directly from your car to the vaccination area. 

We kindly ask that you do not take them into the shop, even while they are in their boxes, as this helps keep our space safe for everyone’s birds. 

After vaccination, your chicks can be returned to the car before you browse or make purchases in our shop.  

For your convenience, we also provide a holding area near the vaccination space, where your chicks can safely wait while you enjoy your time at the shop. 

These measures are in place to protect both your birds and ours, ensuring a safe, clean environment for all.

Once your chicks have been vaccinated against coccidiosis, it is important that they are not fed medicated chick starter. Medicated feeds contain coccidiostats, which interfere with the immunity your chicks are developing through vaccination. To support their health and ensure the vaccine works as intended, we recommend feeding a non-medicated starter.  We stock Green Valley Grains products in our farm shop, which provide high-quality nutrition without added medication. These feeds are an excellent choice for vaccinated chicks, giving them the best start in life while protecting the effectiveness of their coccidiosis vaccination.

To help keep your chicks comfortable on the journey home, we provide free warm packs in our farm shop. These packs, filled with wheat and/or lupins, are a simple way to ensure your chicks stay cosy and stress-free while travelling.  While the warm packs are free to take, we kindly invite you to make a donation to Project Hope Horse Welfare - a wonderful organisation we proudly support. Every contribution goes directly toward caring for horses in need, so by keeping your chicks warm, you’re also helping give another animal a brighter future.