Poultry vaccination and schedule in Nigeria for layers and broilers

Poultry Vaccination is the first line of action in preventing poultry diseases, especially in Nigeria where highly pathogenic poultry diseases are prevalent. The prevalency of poultry diseases differs between regions/countries.

This is because some environmental factors like temperature and farmers' practices influence the distribution of these pathogens. Therefore it is pertinent you make use of a poultry vaccination schedule that suits your country/region.

In Nigeria however, most farmers in rural areas don’t vaccinate their birds, the few who do, don’t follow standard vaccination procedures, and such practices could lead to vaccine failure as well as creating a breeding ground for endemic poultry diseases such as Newcastle disease, coccidiosis, Infectious bursal disease (IBD), Marek, Salmonella, etc.

Nevertheless, in vaccinating your birds in Nigeria, you should make sure in the first 4 week

You vaccinate against the major diseases: ND, IBD, Marek, Salmonella. For the early onset of immunity to ensure protection.

In the next 10 weeks vaccinate against ND, IB, AE, Coryza, fowlpox, ILT, EDS, Salmonella- some of these vaccines may not be compulsory at this stage, except the disease is endemic or prevalent in your area.

Correct intervals between the various vaccinations are required. Find out from your supplier/hatchery, Instructions for vaccination.

The poultry vaccination schedule below is what I am using, and my birds have been doing just fine. But you should ask from your hatchery, most hatcheries in Nigeria have their vaccination schedules/programs with a slight difference in the time of administration.

Vaccination Schedule For Layers in Nigeria

Age	Vaccine	Route
Day 1	Marek's disease	Given at the Hatchery
Day 9 - 14	Newcastle disease	Drinking water, eye drop
	Infectious Bronchitis (IBV)	Drinking water
Day 14	Infectious bursal disease (Gumboro)	Drinking water
Day 28	Infectious bursal disease (Gumboro)	Drinking water
week 4	Newcastle disease	Drinking water or eye drop
''	Infectious bronchitis (IBV)	drinking water
Week 8	Fowlpox	Wing web jab
''	Avian Encephalomyelitis (AE)	Wing web jam
Week 9	Infectious Coryza 1	Intramuscular
week 10 - 11	NDV ( Komarov Strain)	Intramuscular
Week 12	Infectious Coryza 2	Intramuscular
''	Infectious Bronchitis (IBV)	Drinking water
Week 16	Laryngotracheitis	Spray or drop
week 17	ND + IB + EDS	3 in one Intramuscular vaccine

Optional: Repeat Lasota every month and deworm every 2 months

Vaccination Schedule For Broilers in Nigeria

Age	vaccine/medication	Route
Hatching day	Marek's disease	Given at the hatchery
Day 1-5	Antibiotics + Vitamins	Water
Day 1	Infectious bronchitis	Beak dip
Day 9	1st IBD (Gumboro)	water or eye drop
Day 12	Newcastle (Lasota)	water
Day 16	2nd IBD (Gumboro)	Water
Day 28	NB + IB	Water
Day 32	Fowl Pox	Wing Web

Source: Adapted from Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited.

Optional: Give Coccidiostat every week

For general poultry vaccination schedule for layers and broilers, read Poultry Vaccination

Vaccination is incomplete without proper bio-security measures; I can confidently say that no farmer can get the best protection by implementing only one of these practices.