VACCINATIONS FOR CHICKENS: HOW TO VACCINATE, ANNUAL AND DISPOSABLE VACCINATIONS

Poultry is sick no less than other animals that are bred in private farmsteads, and sometimes feathered ills occur even more often, leading to massive losses of livestock. Of course, any owner wants to protect himself as much as possible from financial losses, using for this purpose a variety of methods, in particular, vaccination of chickens. We propose to study this topic more thoroughly.

Vaccination Needs

Vaccination of chickens is the most effective way to prevent various ailments, and any veterinarian will confirm this to you. It is much easier to prevent the development of the disease than to treat it, so it is better to spend money only on the vaccine. There are specific and non-specific prophylaxis, and if in the first case we are talking about preventing infection, then in the second one has to talk about complex actions aimed at timely inhibiting the development of the disease and its spread (for example, diseased individuals are deposited in the quarantine zone, and the rest increase the dose vitamin supplements and water purification). It is mandatory to vaccinate the bird against Newxole’s disease (pseudo-pills), Marek, Gamboro, infectious bronchitis, egg-lay syndrome, smallpox, and some other common infectious and bacterial ailments. How exactly to perform the processing, we will tell you now.

Did you know? The founder of modern vaccination was Louis Pasteur - a French microbiologist, who in the early nineteenth century conducted experiments on chickens. It was then that it was established that weakened microorganisms introduced into the body contribute to the development of immunity.

Types of vaccination

For an unprepared poultry farmer, any vaccination may seem like a daunting task, and taking all chickens to the vet is not always cost-effective. That is why we suggest you consider several typical ways of using the vaccine, with a detailed step-by-step description of each process.

Subcutaneous Injection Vaccination

This is probably the easiest and easiest variant of an injection injection, which involves the introduction of a needle under the skin of a chicken or adult chicken. There is nothing particularly difficult in this, but it is better to enlist the help of another person who will hold the bird during the injection itself.

The process of vaccination in this case involves the following actions:

Prepare the vaccine (it should be in room conditions for at least 12 hours), once again check the date of its manufacture and the possibility of subcutaneous use (this is indicated on the package).
Select the injection site: for example, the back or upper portion of the neck of a chicken, or the inguinal crease located between the thigh and the abdominal cavity.
Give the chicken to the helper's hands, and have him rotate him so that the needle goes under the skin as gently as possible: if the injection is in the neck, the bird's head should look at the person who holds it, and the wings and limbs should be well fixed. When injected into the groin fold, the chicken must be held so that its breast “looks” at you (in appearance it seems that the bird is lying on its back in the hands of an assistant).
At the injection site, lift the skin of the chicken, holding it with the index, middle and thumb. Thus, it turns out a certain pocket between the skin and the muscle layer.
In this place, enter the needle into the subcutaneous space (at first you can feel some resistance, but as soon as the needle breaks through the skin, it will go farther easier). If resistance is felt and with further introduction of the needle, it is likely that it reached the muscle tissue. At this point, pull the syringe slightly toward you and change the angle of its insertion so that the syringe goes clearly into the subcutaneous space.
Perform an injection by pressing on the plunger of the syringe and squeezing out the fluid.
Pull the needle out.

At the end of the procedure, it is worth making sure that the needle did not pierce through the skin and the vaccine did not flow out from the opposite side. If this happens, the feathers will be slightly wet.

Vaccination with intramuscular injection

As the name suggests, in this case the needle should not fall under the skin, but into the muscle of a chicken or a chicken. Naturally, when performing the procedure, it is better to seek the help of an assistant, who should keep the bird.

For proper vaccination, you must perform the following steps:

Prepare the vaccine by checking the expiration date and type (required for intramuscular injection), as well as heating it at room temperature for 12 hours.
Place the bird on the table and let your assistant hold it. The easiest way to perform an injection is at the same time holding the knee tendons and legs of the chicken on one side, and both wings on the other, that is, putting the chicken on its side.
Determine the keel bone that divides the chick's chest into two parts (the vaccine should be injected into a place 2.5-3.5 cm from the keel brush - in the middle of the sternum).
Insert the needle into the muscle tissue at a 45-degree angle and make sure that it hit it without causing any bleeding (the appearance of a bloody speck indicates that you pierced the venous or arterial wall). If the blood is still made, then pull out the needle and enter it in another place.
Click on the plunger of the syringe and release the vaccine, making sure that the solution will not spill.
Carefully remove the needle.

Important! Both in the first and in the second cases you should securely fix the bird, because this way you can not only quickly make the injection, but also injure the chicken less.

Vaccination with eye drops

In comparison with the previous methods of vaccination, this is probably the most time consuming, because you still need to get exactly in the eyes of the chicken. Naturally, for these purposes you will need a pipette and a properly prepared vaccine, which is often used in a chilled state (for ease of use with a large population, you can drop the diluent and the vaccine itself into an ice container). Instillation by instillation is a fairly effective preventive method, but only if all actions are performed correctly.

Did you know? Chickens have their own language, and what we take for clucking is actually the same speech as human. Moreover, the chicken begins to "communicate" with the hen still in the shell, a few days before its hatching.

This process consists of the following steps:

Dilute the vaccine (you need to mix two substances that are in the same package, after making sure that the correct diluent temperature is not more than +8 C °). If it is necessary to vaccinate a large number of birds, it is desirable to divide the prepared, diluted solution of the vaccine into several parts, poured into separate bottles. Of course, each of them must be in the ice.
Put on the pipette included in the kit on the bottle with the preparation and shake the bottle a little. Pipettes on the vessels will differ from each other, but in any case they must be firmly fixed so that the vaccine does not flow through the gap.
Well holding the bird, drop her eyes (it is possible with the help of an assistant): grab the head and turn the beak towards you. After you drop 0.03 ml into each eye of the chicken, hold it for a while longer (the drug should drain through the nostrils).

Vaccination through drinking water

This method of vaccination is typical mainly for large bird factories, where injections or dripping the eyes of birds for a very long time. The only thing that should be remembered in this case is the possibility of using only pure water, without chlorine impurities. In addition, before using the vaccine, it is necessary to stop the supply of drink, so that chickens strongly want to drink.

Learn how to use La Sota vaccine for pigeons.

The medicinal solution should be drunk within a few hours, and even after several days, standard medications can be added to the water (if they have been used before).

The process of preparing a vaccine for soldering chickens is simple, especially if the hen house has a watering system (often used on chicken farms):

Make sure that the irrigation system is free of chlorine and is not clogged with other harmful deposits (neither chlorine nor drugs should pass through the canals for at least 48 hours before the intended vaccination).
Stop the water supply in the system: at a consistently high temperature in the chicken coop 30-60 minutes before the introduction of the vaccine, and 60-90 minutes, if the chickens are kept in cooler conditions.
Calculate the volume of water so that the chickens drank all the liquid in two hours. For example, 40 thousand chickens at two weeks old will drink about 1120 liters of water.
If there are hand drinkers in the house, stabilize the liquid by adding 500 g of nonfat milk into the water for every 200 liters. For poultry farms with installed tank drinkers, the vaccine must be mixed with the pressure in the tank. In automatic systems, the stabilization process is performed using special preparations (for example, "Cevamune"), marketed in the form of tablets or solutions.
Resume the flow of water to the drinkers, calculating the amount of liquid for two hours. With manual water supply, all vaccines in the same quantity are distributed in basins.

Important! When vaccinating chickens in this way, it is important to ensure unhindered access to drinking water of absolutely all birds.

Vaccination with a sprayer

Spraying the vaccine is another popular preventive method when there is a large population of chickens. This time the vaccination is performed at night, when the temperature in the chicken coop and the intensity of illumination drop significantly. In the dark, bird activity is reduced, and after 7-10 minutes, you can turn on the light again and process it. In addition to the vaccine solution itself, you will also need a special sprayer that allows you to cope with the work in record time. The workflow in this case consists of the following steps:

Checking the performance of the sprayer. Check the permeability of all channels by spraying 4 liters of pure distilled water, with the obligatory control of the time required for complete emptying of the tank (do not forget that the particle size for spraying needs to be properly selected: for two-week-old chickens it is 80-120 microns, and for older birds - 30-60 microns).
Preparing the required amount of distilled water, taking into account the specific sizes of each chicken - on average, 500-600 ml will be enough for 1000 heads 14 days old, and 1000 ml of water will be enough for 1000 birds aged 30-35 days).
Preparation of purchased vaccine. Open the bottle, add distilled water to its contents and mix everything thoroughly by shaking the bottle well. It is possible to mix the compositions with the help of clean plastic containers, which will be especially appropriate when vaccinating large livestock.
Vaccine distribution and poultry house preparation. This stage involves the installation of a minimum level of ventilation of the room and a decrease in its illumination, which should reassure chickens.
Immediate treatment of the bird from the sprayer: one person must walk slowly back and forth, separating the vaccinated individuals left and right. During processing, sprayers should be located 90 cm above bird heads. Try to keep the pressure of the device in the range of 65-75 PSI in the process of work, and even if each brand of such equipment has its own characteristics, you can always find a way to set the desired pressure.
Restoration of the usual conditions of the birds. Once the processing is complete, you can restart the ventilation system, and after 5-10 minutes turn on the light.
Cleaning the spray tank device. To do this, you need at least four liters of water, which you need to shake each time in the tank and spray until the liquid runs out.

Important! The back of the sprayer used should be regularly checked and, if necessary, replaced. If you have a model with batteries, then do not forget to charge them after each use.

Vaccination using a wing mesh

This option of prophylactic treatment is used in the most difficult cases when there is a likelihood of the spread of serious ailments (for example, avian cholera or encephalomyelitis). Vaccines of this kind are used only in a diluted state and with the help of an assistant, since it is necessary to ensure unhindered access to the chicken wing.

The process of vaccination in this case looks like this:

We part the vaccine, mixing it with a thinner according to the instruction.
The assistant lifts the wing of the chicken (no matter what, the main thing is that it should be clearly in front of the person performing the injection).
We tear several feathers from the membranes on the wings so that you can clearly see the place of the future injection, and the vaccine was not in the feathers.
We collect from the bottle the right amount of solution, deepening only the tip of the needle.
We pierce the lower part of the wing mesh (we try not to fall into the blood vessels or bone) and smoothly release the vaccine.
We withdraw the syringe.

After vaccinating 500 heads, the needle must be replaced, and a week after the injection, its effectiveness can be assessed by the presence of scars in the places of contact with the needle.

Read also about how to treat chicken disease.

Vaccines to be administered each year

Chickens suffer from many different diseases, and for the prevention of some of them a single vaccine will not be enough, so it is worth considering the situation when the vaccination of poultry should be carried out every year.

Infectious bronchitis

This viral disease is equally dangerous for young inhabitants of the coop, and for older birds. The consequences of infectious bronchitis are expressed in damage to the organs of the reproductive system and the kidneys, which reduces the quantity and quality of eggs laid. A good option for the prevention of such a condition would be the use of a vaccine from the "H-120" strain, presented in amorphous form, or in the form of tablets that must be dissolved in water before serving (this process takes no more than 1-2 minutes). One dose of the vaccine contains 10,000 EID50 of the attenuated strain H-120 of the infectious bronchitis virus of chickens (IB) from the serotype Massachusetts. The mechanism of action of the vaccine provides for the production of immunity in birds to the IBC virus, and the strain itself is not dangerous for them. The body defenses of the chicks are activated as early as 21 days after the second vaccine and remain at a high level for the next three months.

Salmonella

Salmonellosis is an infectious disease that causes pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract of chickens, which causes septicemia. In the chronic or subacute form of the disease, inflammation of the lungs and arthritic damage to the joints of the bird are characteristic. If we take into account the age sign, the young chickens suffer the most. They have increased drowsiness, muscular weakness, nasal discharge and wheezing associated with it.

We advise you to read about how to treat infectious bronchitis and salmonellosis in chickens.

In individuals older than two weeks of age, goiter atony or diarrhea are diagnosed along with difficulty breathing. Usually chickens die 5-10 days after the onset of the disease. To prevent the disease, you can use timely vaccination, using a suspension of cells of the strain Sal. enteritidis 204, with which sucrose, gelatin, distilled water are present in the vaccine. For prophylactic purposes, the vaccine is introduced into the body of two-day chickens with water, with re-vaccination in the same way after two days. Specific dosage and other important information can be found in the data on the package with the selected type of drug.

Atypical Plague

The disease in many ways resembles the classic version of the bird plague. The incubation period, on average, lasts from 4 to 25 days, but the disease itself develops within 4-8 days (in rare cases even longer).

Did you know? It is an atypical plague called "Newcastle disease", although in the literature it is found under other names: pneumoencephalitis, disease of the Philippine Islands or Filaret.

In any case, we are talking about a serious viral disease of the bird, which is characterized by depression, rejection of food and water, the appearance of wheezing and difficulty breathing. Birds become less mobile, more sit with bowed head and mucus flowing from the beak.

There are still no highly effective means of treating the disease; therefore, vaccination is more common for prophylactic purposes. Today, there are several popular preventive drugs, among which emit a dry virus vaccine from La Sota strain. It can be used by instillation into the nose, spraying or watering with a drink. Самым надёжным способом вакцинации из всех перечисленных считается интраназальный (в нос). После разведения в пропорции 1:25, в каждую ноздрю птицы нужно капнуть по две капли. Livestock vaccinations are performed when chickens reach 15–20, 45–60– and 140–150 days of age, and then every six months. The body's defenses are activated already after 8-10 days after treatment.

Video: pseudotum or Newcastle disease

Adenovirus

This disease occurs in severe form, characterized by liver damage (various types of hepatitis) and is diagnosed mainly in young birds. Among the main signs of development of the disease are anemia, hemorrhages in the muscles, a decrease in egg production and a decrease in the weight of the eggs, as well as the inability of the chicken embryo to develop normally. Today, there are 12 serotypes of adenoviruses belonging to the GAL groups, type 1 EDS-6 and 5 CELO, the latter being the most pathogenic. These small, enveloped viruses multiply in the cell nucleus, forming crystalline eosinophilic inclusions. For the prevention of the development of the disease, a good solution would be to use a vaccine against adenoviral hepatitis, for example, a vaccine preparation for the prevention of adenoviral hepatitis with inclusions - hydropericarditis. It contains theothenin-inactivated adenoviral hepatitis antigen with inclusions - hydropericarditis of chickens strain T-12, due to which the resistance of the organism of chickens to adenovirus increases several times.

Important! Regardless of the processing time, poultry meat can be used without restriction.

For birds, the effect of such a vaccine is absolutely harmless. Immunity to the disease persists for six months, after which it is necessary to do re-vaccination. The first use of the drug is possible when clinically healthy chickens are 10-12 days old, and treatment is performed by injection into the muscle of the thigh, chest, or subcutaneous area of the lower third of the neck.

It is advisable to pretreat the site of drug administration with alcohol. The second time vaccination is performed when the chickens reach 100-120 days and at the same time use a double dose (the norm for the first time is 0.3 ml).

Vaccines that are made once

In order to protect chickens from serious infectious diseases, it is important to take all available preventive measures, the main of which will be described vaccination. Unlike the previous group of ailments, the following list includes diseases that require a single use of the vaccine. Consider each of them.

Infectious disease bag Fabricius

Fabrizius' bag (or bursa) is the internal organ of chickens that can be affected through the digestive system. At the initial stage of Gumbore disease, its increase, edema, hyperemia and even hemorrhage into the inner part is observed, which is most often found in young birds. The main external symptoms of the disease are diarrhea and levity of chickens, and treatment is possible only with the help of surgical intervention, which in practice is used infrequently.

To prevent illness and not think about its treatment, day-old chicks are vaccinated: intraocularly or by drinking the selected vaccine. Preparations for the disease Gamboro can be used in conjunction with vaccines for such popular ailments as the disease of Newcastle and Marek, as well as infectious bronchitis.

Learn how to treat a dangerous disease like Newcastle disease.

In this case, a dry GM97 vaccine used for oral administration will be appropriate (10 ml of pure water is introduced into the vial and gently shaken until the tablet is completely dissolved). With the maximum strengthening of the immune forces of the body, there was a minimal effect of the vaccine on the lymphoid system of the bursa. The body's defense is strengthened already 2 weeks after the use of the drug.

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis - a known disease of parasitic chickens that occurs in two stages: in the avian organism and beyond. With the course of the disease, pathological changes in the digestive tract of chickens occur, which lead to high mortality of the population. Today, 7 types of disease are known, for the prevention of which both aerosol vaccines and liquid emulsions, sometimes even introduced into eggs, can be used.

Such an "egg method" makes it possible to form the immunity of the chick before hatching, significantly reducing the incidence rate. Preventive measures will also be relevant on the first day of chick life. Under the conditions of an incubator, vaccination can be performed using an aqueous solution, by spraying, which makes it possible to achieve 90% processing efficiency. one drop is less than 10 times smaller than the gel analog, therefore the fluff coating of the chicks gets wet much more. Gel drops are pecked by chickens within three minutes after application, ensuring even higher efficiency. In addition, the use of gel solution "Immunox" can and method of feeding chickens, which will also bring a good result.

Laryngotracheitis infectious

Laryngotracheitis in chickens is characterized by lesions of the tracheal mucosa, larynx and conjunctiva of birds' eyes. The causative agent of the disease is a virus belonging to the family Herpesviras. The incubation period of the disease lasts about 6-10 days and is directly dependent on the immunity and conditions of the chickens. May occur both acutely and completely asymptomatic. With severe disease in chickens, sinusitis, conjunctivitis and a sharp decrease in egg production are observed, up to 30%.

Important! Two-month-old chickens and adult chickens can be vaccinated once, but chickens should be treated twice with an interval of 20-30 days.

Mortality from choking birds is often 50%. Vaccination of the livestock will help prevent the development of problems by various methods: watering, spraying or eye instillation, the latter being the most effective solution. In particular, this method uses the popular vaccine "Intervet". Livestock processing is carried out either upon arrival at the farm, or upon reaching 30-60 days of age.

Marek's disease

Marek's disease or simply paralysis of birds, like many of those described, is of viral origin. Its main features include paralysis of limbs of chickens, proliferation of lymphoreticular tissue in the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as the membranes of the eyes and internal organs. In order to increase the resistance of the organism, in this case vaccination is used with live, naturally-weakened microorganisms of this disease or the herpes virus of turkeys.

The most optimal form of the vaccine is considered to be liquid as well as dry, but in both cases it will be safe for chickens of any age. Among the popular drugs in the domestic market can be noted liquid bivalent culture virus vaccine against Marek's disease from strains of the herpes virus of chickens ("ARRIAH"). In any case, whatever the vaccine you choose, do not forget that this is a chemical composition, and the attitude towards it should be appropriate. Before vaccinating chickens, find out how this is done correctly and carefully read the features of using a particular solution. You can also make trial vaccinations of a small number of birds, and only then vaccinate the remaining population. Timely vaccination will save you from future problems.