There is no single vaccination schedule that suits every broiler farm in Pakistan. The right plan depends on what the hatchery gave, the chicks' maternal antibodies, the diseases around you and the season. Below is a sample plan to take to your vet, not to copy, followed by the parts that farmers control completely: keeping the vaccine cold, giving it correctly and writing everything down.
Why the schedule changes from farm to farm
Your vet will think about:
- What the hatchery gave. Many chicks receive vaccines at the hatchery, for example a spray for Newcastle and infectious bronchitis, or a vector vaccine for Gumboro or Newcastle. Repeating or ignoring these changes the plan.
- Maternal antibodies. Chicks get antibodies from the parent flock. They protect early on but can block a live vaccine given too soon, which matters most for Gumboro.
- Local disease pressure. Areas with frequent Newcastle, H9 or Gumboro may need a stronger plan or extra doses.
- Season. Some diseases are reported more in certain seasons, and heat or cold affects how birds handle vaccination.
- Batch length. A 32-day batch and a 42-day batch may not need the same boosters.
A sample plan to discuss with your vet
This table shows the kind of plan many broiler farms talk through with their vet. The days are approximate and only for discussion. Your vet may change the days, the vaccines, the route, or leave some out.
| Age (approx.) | Vaccine discussed | Common route | Note for your vet talk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 to 1 | Check what the hatchery gave | Hatchery | Ask for the hatchery's vaccine list in writing |
| Day 5 to 7 | Newcastle (often with infectious bronchitis), live | Eye drop or drinking water | Some vets add a killed Newcastle or Newcastle plus H9 injection around this time |
| Day 10 to 14 | Gumboro (IBD), live | Drinking water | Timing depends on maternal antibodies and hatchery vaccine |
| Day 18 to 24 | Newcastle booster, live | Drinking water | Some plans also give a second Gumboro dose in this window |
Points to raise with your vet:
- Is an H9 vaccine needed in our area, and should it be combined with Newcastle?
- Is hydropericardium (Angara) a problem around us, and do we need a vaccine for it?
- Does the hatchery vaccine mean we skip or move any dose?
- Which route is best on our farm: eye drop takes more labour but each bird gets a dose; water is easier but needs good drinker management.
- What should we do if a vaccine day falls in a heat wave?
For more on the two diseases most of this plan is built around, read Newcastle disease (Ranikhet) and Gumboro (IBD) in broilers.
The cold chain: keep the vaccine alive
A live vaccine is made of living virus. Heat and sunlight kill it. A vaccine that got warm on the way to the farm looks the same in the bottle, but it protects nothing. Many "vaccine failures" are really cold chain failures.
- At the shop: buy only from a dealer who keeps vaccines in a working fridge. Check the expiry date and that the vial is intact.
- On the way: carry vaccines in a cool box with ice packs. Do not let vials touch ice directly, and never put them in a freezer. In summer, do not leave the box in a parked car or in the sun on a motorbike.
- On the farm: keep vaccines in a fridge at 2 to 8°C, in the middle shelf, not the door or the freezer. A cheap fridge thermometer is worth having.
- At use: take the vaccine out only when everything is ready. Once mixed, use it quickly, within the time on the label. Throw away leftover mixed vaccine safely.
Water vaccination step by step
Most broiler vaccines in Pakistan go through drinking water. Follow the label and your vet; these are the common steps:
- Stop sanitisers. Chlorine and other water sanitisers kill live vaccines. Stop them before vaccination, as your vet advises.
- Clean water lines in advance, so no medicine or dirt is left inside.
- Make the birds thirsty. Lift water for a short time before vaccinating, so all birds drink together. In hot weather keep this time short, and never leave birds without water in the heat of the day.
- Use a stabiliser. Add skim milk powder or a vaccine stabiliser to the water first, as the label says, and then the vaccine.
- Right amount of water. Use enough water that birds finish it in about 1 to 2 hours. Too much and some vaccine is left; too little and some birds miss out.
- Enough drinkers. Every bird must reach water at the same time. Walk slowly through the shed to move birds towards drinkers.
- Best time: early morning, when it is cool.
For eye drop vaccination, make sure each drop goes into the eye and the bird blinks before you let it go.
Records: write every vaccination down
Records protect you when something goes wrong and help your vet plan the next batch. For each vaccination write:
- Date and bird age
- Vaccine name and type (live or killed)
- Batch number and expiry date
- Route (eye drop, water, injection)
- Number of doses and number of birds
- Who gave it
- Any reaction seen in the next days
Keep the empty vial or box label until the batch is sold. If Newcastle or Gumboro breaks through, your vet will ask for exactly these details. Our guide on record keeping for poultry farms shows how vaccination records fit with daily feed, water and death records.
After vaccination
- A mild sneeze or cough for a few days after some live respiratory vaccines can happen. Tell your vet if it is strong, lasts long or deaths rise.
- Keep the shed comfortable and avoid other stress, such as moving or weighing birds, for a day or two.
- Restart water sanitisers only when your vet says it is safe.
Poultry Curve can hold your vaccination record with the daily log, so the dates, batch numbers and reactions are in one place when your vet asks. You can also ask Helper to remind you of the vaccine days you agreed with your vet.