Should I Vaccinate My Poultry?

Vaccination can be a good way to prevent or reduce the effect of a specific disease in poultry although it is not a substitute for good husbandry. There are a number of disease classifications:

Viruses, Mycoplasma, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, and Parasites.

• Viruses can be prevented through cleanliness and vaccination. The organisms of all other types of diseases can be killed by chemicals that kill cells, specifically those of micro-organisms.

• Vaccines can be effective in reducing disease in birds, but birds that are exposed to the disease usually still become infected with it and pass on disease organisms to other birds.

Commercial poultry of course are vaccinated to protect them against a multitude of diseases but commercial operations rarely keep birds past 2 years of age and usually operate an all-in all-out policy to minimise the risk of infection.

The Risks

As poultry keepers, we often add birds of different ages gradually to our flock that have different levels of immunity. To add to the risk of picking up a disease, some of us buy birds from shows or auctions where many birds have been brought together, increasing the risk of picking up disease and a few of us even take birds to shows where they could potentially pick diseases up before bringing them home. Vaccination, however, is not usually an option for owners of small flocks since most vaccines come in vials of a minimum 500 or 1000 doses. Unfortunately, poultry keepers with a small flock of birds do suffer from many diseases which could be controlled by vaccination.

So should I vaccinate or not?

Deciding whether or not to vaccinate is a difficult choice. What is the likelihood that your birds will be exposed to a disease? How much will it cost to buy the vaccines and equipment with which to administer them? Remember most vaccines have to be given during the first few weeks of a chick's life. If new birds are never introduced and the birds that leave never come back, the chance of picking up a disease is a lot less. You may decide this is the best way to proceed and not to vaccinate. Some commercially available hybrids are already vaccinated. One or two suppliers (who keep very large numbers of birds) that I have come across do vaccinate their birds although I have met smaller breeders who make claims on their web sites that their birds were vaccinated when in fact when speaking to them, they weren't. It was only the commercial hybrids that they were buying in to sell on that were actually vaccinated.

Personally, I now hatch all of my own eggs to ensure I avoid most diseases, although I do admit to bringing in vaccinated hybrid layers that come from a reputable breeder who supplies commercial outlets too and has very good bio-security measures.

I believe vaccination should be considered if you plan to take birds to shows or you plan to add to your stock from shows, auctions or other outlets. For the average poultry keeper with a small flock, you will struggle to get vaccinated pure breeds as most of the breeders do not vaccinate their birds due to the costs involved. If you practice good husbandry and ensure you do not bring new birds in that may also carry disease then you stand a good chance of keeping a healthy flock.