INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction This guide is designed to help field personnel in the correct use and administration of poultry vaccines. It is intended as a practical field reference to offer standard operating procedures to improve the delivery and efficacy of vaccines in the hatchery and at the farm in order to optimize flock performance and immunity. For more information on vaccination procedures, please consult your Cobb Technical Service Representative. COBB VACCINATION MANAGEMENT GUIDE 1.1 Why Do We Vaccinate? Correct vaccination is an essential part of a good poultry management program and vital to the success of any poultry operation.
Effective preventive procedures such as immunization and biosecurity protect hundreds of millions of birds worldwide from many contagious and deadly diseases and have resulted in improved flock health and production efficiency. For breeders, some additional goals include: » Protect the bird (as a pullet or hen) against specific diseases Immunization cannot be a substitute for poor biosecurity and sanitation. Thus, vaccination programs may not protect birds that are under stress or raised in unhygienic conditions.
» Protect the progeny of the hen against vertical transmission of disease » Provide passive immunity to progeny The primary objective of immunizing any poultry flock is to reduce the level of clinical disease and promote optimal performance. The use of certain vaccines in chicken flocks (i.e. Salmonella vaccines), can be useful to reduce disease in the poultry flock and may also have a positive impact on human health by reducing the risk of human infection through food consumption. 2