HATCHERY VACCINATION 2 Hatchery Vaccination In the hatchery, many chicks can be vaccinated conveniently and effectively. For this reason, an increased number of vaccinations are being given at this point. 2.1 In-Ovo Vaccination At the hatchery, there are two options for vaccine timing; in-ovo (embryonic developmental day 18 to 19,) or the day of hatch. To inoculate embryos at transfer, live or recombinant vaccines are injected through the air cell of the egg. The efficiency of the in-ovo vaccination process has improved throughout the years with the introduction of machines to inject a whole tray of eggs simultaneously.
Eggs must be oriented correctly in the trays with the air cell facing up. Malposition eggs will not be vaccinated correctly resulting in lack of vaccine efficacy or even embryonic death. COBB VACCINATION MANAGEMENT GUIDE In-ovo vaccination is performed at the time when the hatching eggs are transferred from the incubator to the hatcher. The process and technique used to administer vaccines in-ovo is critical as the delivery must be made to precise locations within the egg and with the highest hygiene levels possible. For optimal performance, vaccine inoculation must be done between 18 and 19 days of incubation either via the amniotic or the intraembryonic route.
Provided certain criteria are met, including timing and site of vaccine application, vaccine mixing, machine sanitization, and hatchery management specifications, the in-ovo vaccination has proven to be an efficacious and convenient method of vaccination. In the last few years, in-ovo technology has been extended for other vaccines and efforts to extend it for other viral, bacterial and coccidiosis vaccines are in progress. 6