Broilers
For spray or eye/nose drop administration.
One dose per broiler chicken to be administered via spray or eye/nose drop from one day of age. An additional dose may be required for broilers or so called heavy roaster birds to be taken beyond 45 days of age at slaughter.
Future layers, Breeders
One dose by spray or eye drop at one day of age. Revaccination by atomiser at 4 and 10 weeks of age. Where atomiser administration is impossible, revaccination by drinking water may be carried out.
Spray
Poulvac NDW has been successfully used in most types of spray equipment; the droplet sizes varying from coarse (knapsack) to very fine (aerosol). 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 one litre (approximately 1 quart) of clean cool water. Half fill the vial with water, replace the stopper and shake to dissolve any remaining vaccine. Stir carefully to ensure even dispersal of vaccine. The vaccine concentrate should then be added to the water in the sprayer tank and thoroughly mixed. Use deionised water or cold clean drinking water containing as little chlorine and as few metal ions as possible.
Vaccination should preferably be performed in the hatchery by hand spray, automatic spraying equipment or by eye/nose drop. Later vaccination should be given by an atomiser.
For spray administration, 250-500 mls of water per 1,000 chicks in the hatchery and 500 mls per 1,000 chicks on the farm is recommended.
Spray Method
Hand spray and automatic spraying equipment (coarse drop spray):
Spray the birds (the distance from the spraying head to the birds must be approximately 50 cm) and make sure all the birds get the vaccine directly.
Use drops with a diameter of 0.12 – 0.15 mm.
In warm weather, vaccination should preferably take place during the coolest part of the day.
Atomiser
Use the atomiser preferably in position 5 (drop size ±0.05 mm).
The birds should not be touched directly, but the area must be sprayed.
Ensure that the ventilation is switched off and that air intakes and outlets are closed during vaccination and for twenty minutes afterwards.
In warm weather, vaccination should preferably take place during the coolest part of the day.
After atomiser vaccination, intake of the vaccine by the birds is by inhalation. The air volume per bird in 30 minutes is independent of the number of birds per house (per m3). Therefore the vaccine concentration in the air has to be constant and independent of the number of birds per house volume (m3). For a good immune response about 10 doses per m3 (giving at least 107 EID50 per m3) are required. This means that the number of doses needed has to be calculated on the size of the house expressed in m3 and multiplied by 10.
It is important to consult your veterinary adviser or Zoetis technical staff before using the spray technique. Vaccination staff should always cover eyes and nose with protective equipment. A full face mask is recommended.
Intranasal
For use in birds from one day of age. Reconstitute the vaccine as directed below. Fit the drop dispenser on the bottle. Place finger over one nostril of the bird, allow one drop of the vaccine to fall into the other nostril. Vaccination is completed when the vaccine is inhaled into the nasal cavity. Do not release the bird until this occurs.
Eye Drop
For use in birds from one day of age. Reconstitute the vaccine as directed below. Fit the drop dispenser on the bottle. Hold the bird so that one eye is pointed upwards and allow one drop of vaccine to fall into the eye. Birds should swallow during vaccination.
Reconstitution for intranasal and Eye Drop Routes
Remove the aluminium foil and rubber stopper from the vaccine vial and add sterile diluent to half fill the vial. Replace the rubber stopper and shake so that all the vaccine material is completely dissolved.
Dissolve the freeze-dried pellet in 30ml sterile diluent for each 1000 doses. Shake gently until completely dissolved. The sterile water for injections should be at room temperature when used.
Drinking Water
Make sure that all conduit pipes, tubing, troughs, drinkers etc are thoroughly clean and free of any trace of disinfectants, detergents, soap, etc.
Allow water to be consumed so that levels in drinkers are minimal before vaccine is applied. If water is still present, drain lines before applying vaccine. Apply vaccine over up to 3 hours, ensuring that all birds drink during this time. It may be necessary to withhold water on some sites prior to vaccination in order to ensure that all birds drink during the vaccination period.
Open the vaccine ampoule under water. Mix the contents of the vaccine ampoule with cold and fresh drinking water at the rate of 1,000 doses of the vaccine to 1 litre of water per day of age for 1,000 chickens. As the concentrated vaccine is slightly viscous, care should be taken to empty the ampoule and its top completely by rinsing them in water. Low-fat skimmed milk powder (i.e. <1% fat) may be added to the water (2 – 4 grams per litre) or skimmed milk (1 litre per 5 gallons of water) to increase the stability of the virus. All tubing should be emptied of plain water, so that the drinkers contain only vaccine water. Ideally vaccine should be administered in the volume of water consumed by the birds in up to 3 hours. If in doubt, measure water intake the day before administering vaccine.
Use the dissolved vaccine immediately following preparation.
Avoid exposure of the vaccine suspension to sunlight.
Water used for drinking administration of a live virus vaccine must be nonchlorinated and contain as few as possible metal ions.