Outline

Vaccination and Medication

Programs for Small Poultry Flocks • Vaccination
• What is vaccination?
Dr. Nathaniel L. Tablante • Do I need to vaccinate? Why or why not?
Associate Professor and Extension Poultry Veterinarian • If yes, when, how, and with what?
VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Maryland College Park • Medication
8075 Greenmead Drive
College Park, MD 20742 • What is medication?
Tel. 301-314-6810
nlt@umd.edu • Do I need to medicate? Why or why not?
• If yes, when, how, and with what?

Why small flock owners seldom

Vaccination vaccinate their birds
• What is vaccination?
– Inoculation with a specific • Rarely have disease problems
biological substance
(antigen) to stimulate
• Unaware that disease is present
resistance or immunity to a
particular disease
• Do not get the disease(s) properly diagnosed
– Usually, the antigen is a • Do not know where to purchase vaccines
small dose an attenuated
(weakened) organism that • Vaccines are too expensive because they
www.cartage.org.lb/.../antigenAB.gif
triggers the body’s defense usually come in 500, 1000, or 10000 dose vials
mechanism to produce
antibodies or certain cell
types to attack the invading
organism

Do I need to vaccinate my birds? Do I need to vaccinate my birds?

• You may not need to • Consider vaccinating your
vaccinate your birds if: birds if:
• Your flock is “closed”, i.e. • Your birds have experienced
new birds are never disease problems in the past
introduced and birds that
leave your farm are not • You take your birds to poultry
allowed to return shows or swapp meetingsg

• Your flock has been • You buy birds from hatcheries,

disease-free and there are bird auctions, or other sources
no diseases that are and add them to your flock
prevalent in your area flickr.com/photos/41505728@N00/245688578
flickr.com/photos/31169339@N07/3863356745

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 What types of vaccines can I use? Recommended Vaccination Program for Chickens
Age Disease Route
• Vaccines for diseases • Vaccines for diseases 1 day Marek’s -subcutaneous (inject under skin at back of neck)
caused by viruses caused by bacteria 10 and Newcastle/ -drinking water, eye drop, or intranasal
• Live attenuated virus vaccines • Live attenuated or killed 35 days Bronchitis (ND/IB)
preparations of bacteria that
• Contain live attenuated 6 wks Laryngotracheitis -eye drop (use tissue culture origin or TCO vaccine)
stimulate antibody production
viruses that reproduce in the
host and stimulate antibody • Commonly called bacterins 8 wks Avian Enceph. -drinking water
production
10 wks Fowl pox -wing web
• Killed (inactivated) virus 12 wks Fowl cholera -subcutaneous
vaccines
12 wks ND/IB -drinking water, eye drop, or intranasal
• Contain killed virus particles 6 months (repeat vaccination of pullet and layer flocks
that stimulate antibody
www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/intervet-scherin... 9 months at 3-month intervals to maintain immunity)
production
12 months
15 months OR
vaccinate with killed vaccine via intramuscular route
at time of housing (18-20 wks)
Source: Penn State Poultry Health Handbook, 4th ed.

Recommended Vaccination Program for Purchased

Recommended Vaccination Program for Turkeys
Pullets and Mature Chickens
Age Disease Route Age Disease Route
1 day Turkey Coryza -live Bordetella vaccine given intranasally
Placement ND (B-1) -drinking water, eye-drop, or intranasal
(Rhinotracheitis) at hatchery
IB (Mass) (DO NOT SPRAY)
14 days Turkey Coryza -live culture vaccine via drinking water
4 wks later ND (LaSota) - drinking water, eye-drop, or intranasal 21 days Newcastle Disease -live B1 or PMV3 via drinking water
IB (Mass or Conn)
OR 28 days Hemmorhagic Enteritis -live culture vaccine via drinking water
kill d ND/IB
killed -intramuscular
i t l (no further ND/IB 6 wks Fowl Cholera -live culture vaccine via drinking water or
vaccination needed) killed vaccine by intramuscular injection
8 wks Newcastle Disease -live virus vaccine via drinking water
Repeat at 12 wk ND (LaSota) -drinking water, eye-drop, or intranasal
intervals (if using IB (Mass or Conn) 10 wks Fowl Cholera -2nd FC vaccination: live or killed vaccine
live ND/IB) (last dose for hens)
12 wks Newcastle Disease -live vaccine via drinking water

Source: Penn State Poultry Health Handbook, 4th ed. 14 wks Fowl Cholera -live culture vaccine (last dose for toms)

Source: Penn State Poultry Health Handbook, 4th ed.

Tips for Successful Drinking Water Vaccination* Tips for Successful Drinking Water Vaccination
*adapted from Penn State Poultry Health Handbook, 4th ed.

• In hot weather, keep water • Provide clean, pure (potable) water for your poultry at all times.
from birds for 1 hr prior to • Store and handle all vaccines properly:
vaccination; increase to 2 hrs – Keep vaccines refrigerated until immediately before use. Protect from heat and
in cold weather direct sunlight at all times.
– Use vaccines before their expiration date.
• Scrub waterers thoroughly with www.vactora.com/image/5.jpg
– Burn or disinfect empty vaccine containers before discarding. An open vaccine
brush, removing all dirt, container may still contain enough live virus to cause infection.
infection
droppings, and slime. Make
• Prepare the vaccine/powdered skim milk/water mixture in a clean
sure everything is clean before
container.
mixing and administering
– Mix powdered skim milk with water (3 oz packet of skim milk powder per 10 gal
vaccine. DO NOT USE water) in a dispensing container. The milk proteins will neutralize small amounts
BLEACH AS IT WILL of sanitizer and other contaminants that may be present in the water. Skim milk
INACTIVATE THE LIVE also keeps the virus alive and prolongs its potency.
VACCINE. – Reconstitute the vaccine per manufacturers directions.
– Add the reconstituted vaccine to the milk/water solution.
Mix thoroughly.
www.vintagegardengal.com

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 Tips for Successful Drinking Water Vaccination Subcutaneous Vaccination
• Immediately administer the milk-vaccine/water mixture. Let the birds
drink.
• Encourage birds to get to the waterers and drink the vaccine. The
water-vaccine mixture must be consumed within 15 to 20 minutes.
• After all birds have consumed the water-vaccine mixture, turn on the
regular
l water t supply
l or fill empty
t waterers
t with
ith ffresh
h water.
t
• Record the date of vaccination, vaccine serial number, and other
pertinent information on the flock’s health chart.

www.jphpk.gov.my/English/p18bird.jpg

Eye Drop Vaccination Wing Web Vaccination

www.doae.go.th/.../detail/vaccine/images/32.gif

www.itswild.org/images/page_image/poutry.jpg

Intramuscular Vaccination Final Thoughts on Vaccination

• Vaccination is no substitute for good
management.
• Never vaccinate for a disease that is not present
in your flock or area/region. This will only
introduce a new disease to your birds.
• Vaccines do not provide 100% protection.
Diseases are best prevented through good
biosecurity, nutrition, and management.
www.daylife.com/photo/03Y1b2k3zp174

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 Medication Do I need to medicate my birds?
• What is medication? • Only if a specific disease or condition is
– The administration of therapeutic agents to diagnosed in your flock.
treat various infectious diseases or conditions: • If you suspect disease, call your veterinarian,
Extension agent, or MDA Animal Health Technician
• Worms = anthelmintics (dewormers)
• Bacteria = antibiotics* • Submit sick birds to a diagnostic laboratory
• Coccidia = coccidiostats • Treat with the proper therapeutic agent based on
the confirmed diagnosis
• Fungi = antifungals
• Always follow label directions and withdrawal times
• Lice and mites = insecticides/acaricides
• Vitamin/Mineral deficiencies = Vit/Min supplements

*Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections

Common Diseases and Medications Common Diseases and Medications

Disease Medication Dose Disease Medication Dose
Coccidiosis Amprolium Prevention: 0.0125% in feed continuously Mycoplasmosis Tylosin* 2 gms/gal of water for 2-3 days
(Amprol) until 8 weeks of age (Tylan) withdrawal: chickens: 1 day; turkeys: 5 days
Treatment: 1/3 oz. powder/gal. water for
10-14 days Erythromycin* 0.5 gm/gal of water for 5 days
(Gallimycin) withdrawal: 1 day
Roundworms Piperazine 50mg/lb body weight for 1 day
(Wazine) Broilers: 4 wks; repeat at 6 wks of age Bacterial Oxytetracycline* 1 gm/gal. of water
Pullets: 5 wks; repeat at 30 day intervals infections (Terramycin) withdrawal: 5 days
until 21 wks of age
Chlortetracycline* -same as for oxytetracycline
Other worms Fenbendazole 1 oz Safeguard or Panacur per 15-20 lb (Aureomycin)
(Safeguard) feed for 1 day or 1.2 oz/100 lb of feed for 3
(Panacur) days. Dissolve the fenbendazole product in Sulfamethazine* 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) per gallon
one cup of water. Mix this solution well into (Sulmet 12.5%) of drinking water for 6 days
the feed and give to the birds as their only withdrawal: 10 days
feed source.
Tetramisole 20 mg. per bird per day (1 gm. powder Sulfaquinoxaline* -same as for sulfamethazine
(Tramisol) per gallon water for 1-2 days).
*do not use in birds that lay eggs for human consumption

Disease
Common Diseases and Medications
Medication Dose
Final Thoughts
Lice and Mites Carbaryl -apply 5% dust to vent and feathers or
(Sevin) place the bird into a garbage bag
containing the medicated powder with the
• Do not vaccinate for diseases that are not
birds’ head out and rotate/shake the bag to
completely cover the bird with powder
present in your flock
-repeat every 2 weeks
-withdrawal: 7 days • Treat diseases only when necessary and
Rickets Vit. D3 -provide water-soluble Vit. D3 for 3-7 days
upon proper diagnosis
di i
Encephalomalacia Vit. E - Vitamin E and/or selenium in feed and/or • Use medications judiciously and
water
responsibly
Roup (Vit. A def.) Vit. A -Vit. A in feed or water for 5-7 days
• Always follow label directions