Vaccination scheme
Broilers: vaccination from first day of life.
Future layers or breeders: vaccination from first day of life or during the 3rd to 4th week of life for immediate protection of young chickens and priming for subsequent vaccinations with an inactivated vaccine.
Layer or breeders: vaccination from onset of lay.
One dose per chicken to be administered with drinking water or by spray. The quantity of water to be used depends on the method of administration. Never use less than 1 dose per bird.
Drinking water
Discontinue any drinking water medication 24 hours before vaccination. Water containing a high level of free chlorine should not be used. A general indication is that if chlorine can be detected in the water by smell or taste it could deactivate the living virus. If so, half a litre (1 pint) of skimmed milk should be thoroughly mixed into every 20 litres (5 gallons) of water or skimmed milk powder added at a rate of two grams per litre of water before adding vaccine.
Only perfectly clean and rust free utensils and drinkers (preferably plastic) should be used, and disinfectants must not be used for cleaning. Ensure that there is enough drinking trough space to allow all birds immediate access to the vaccine. No untreated water should be available until the treated water has been consumed.
Withhold drinking water for 2 hours before vaccination to stimulate thirst. Remove the aluminium seal from the vaccine vial. To dissolve the vaccine pellet, the rubber stopper should then be removed whilst the vial is immersed in a plastic measuring jug containing 1 litre (approximately 1 quart) of clean cool water. Half fill the vial with water, replace the stopper and shake to dissolve any remaining vaccine.
The vaccine concentrate should then be added to and thoroughly mixed with sufficient drinking water to last for approximately 2 hours.
The approximate drinking water requirements for vaccination can be calculated from the age of the birds. Use as many litres of water as the age of the birds in days, per 1000 birds, up to a maximum of 40 litres per 1000 birds.
Distribute the diluted vaccine evenly in the drinkers. Do not expose prepared drinking water vaccine to sunlight.
Return to regular watering only after the vaccine water has been consumed. The vaccine solution is best divided so that the drinkers are charged at least twice with vaccine to ensure a more widespread uptake.
If nipple drinkers are employed, ensure that header tanks are continually refilled with water containing vaccine.
The vaccine may be used in automatic watering equipment. However, the main supply should only be turned on when all the vaccine treated water has been consumed.
NB: Check that birds are never left without water after vaccine treatment.
Spray
Poulvac IB primer has been used in most types of spray equipment. The equipment should provide a droplet size of 0.12 to 0.15mm diameter. The distance from the spraying head to the bird must be approximately 50 cm. Use 0.15 to 0.5 litres of water per 1000 birds depending upon the type of spray equipment to be used.
The vaccine should be dissolved as described under drinking water administration. The vaccine concentrate should then be added to the water in the sprayer tank and thoroughly mixed.