In poultry production, part of the important managerial practices is vaccination. Vaccination in laying chickens is one of the effective ways to boost the immunity of chicken. It is simply the introduction of the disease-causing pathogens or its product into the bird’s system such that they gain resistance over the subsequent attack from the pathogen.

Vaccination is not limited to layers along or only chicken; all livestock can be vaccinated against their peculiar diseases at a certain period of their age.

Vaccination in layers is very compulsory; the health of the layers is the wealth of the farmer. The layers must be healthy always; any deviation in the normal state of health leads to a drop in production and conversely a drop in the productivity of the farm enterprise. Hence, the health of the layers is paramount to the success of the farm.

Prevention is better than cure. Vaccination is a preventive measure of avoiding diseases in a poultry farm. If you do not prevent your layers from diseases, then be ready to treat them when they are down on any diseases. Mind you, prevention is cheaper than treatment; this makes a vaccination for layers cheap to achieve.

Insights on the vaccination in layers

The vaccination schedule for layers can be referenced to that of day-old-chicks. There are some vaccines that are administered at the chick’s stage. One of the beauties of vaccination is that it is an aggregated program; it is a foundation on which the immunity of the layers is built.

This vaccination schedule is divided into two; the brooding stage and the rearing stage. The brooding stage starts from day 1 to 4 weeks of age. Here, the pullets are reared in enclosing where environmental parameters are modified to ensure their growth. Some vaccines are administered during this stage.

Some vaccines are also administered during the rearing stage, which starts from about 4-16 weeks. These vaccines could be a repetition of the ones administered during the brooding stage weeks. At 16 weeks, the pullets are set to lay; hence, they are transferred to the cage, where they spend the rest of their life in case of a battery cage system or laying pen if the deep litter system is adopted.

All layers are vaccinated against Marek’s disease, Newcastle disease NDV, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD Gumboro), Avian encephalomyelitis and Fowl Pox at different ages. The vaccines are usually given before the commencement of lay. When layers start to lay, administration of vaccines is not really common, unless when there is a prevailing disease, usually Newcastle Disease.

Lastly, vaccines are administered through different routes; some are served through drinking water, some are subcutaneous, under the skin, while some are administered through the wing web or aerosol. The routes of administration of each vaccine have been stated in the vaccination schedule below. Follow this vaccination schedule judiciously to ensure the immune system of the layers is properly built.

Vaccination schedule for layers within the first 4 weeks (brooding stage)

Vaccine	Duration/age of the bird	Route of administration
Marek’s	Within 24 hours of hatching	Subcutaneous
IBD Gumboro	Between 2-4 weeks	Through drinking water or spray
Newcastle i	2 weeks	Through drinking water
Infectious bronchitis i	0- 4 weeks	Through drinking water
Fowl Pox	0-6 weeks	Through the wing web
E. coli	0-6 weeks	Through drinking water
Salmonella	Day 7	Through drinking water

Vaccination schedule for layers 4 – 16 weeks (point of cage) vaccine

Vaccine	Duration/age of the bird	Route of administration
Newcastle ii	Within 5-8 weeks	Through drinking water
Infectious bronchitis ii	Within 5-8 weeks	Through drinking water
Newcastle iii	Within 10-12 weeks	Through drinking water
Newcastle iv	Within 14-16 weeks	Through drinking water or intramuscular
Infectious bronchitis iii	Within 14-16 weeks	Through drinking water or intramuscular
Avian encephalomyelitis	Within 6-15 weeks	Through drinking water or wing web

Precautions on vaccination of layers

There are some precautions you must follow to enhance the efficacy of the vaccine.

Give anti-stress two days before and after vaccination. This is because vaccines are stress-inducing; hence, you need anti-stress in form of multivitamins to cushion the stress.
Do not vaccinate sick layers. Vaccination is for prevention of diseases and not the treatment of diseases. Use drugs to treat sick birds and not a vaccine.
Vaccinate during the cooler part of the day. Vaccination is best done early in the morning.

Vaccination schedule for layers is one of the important documents needed to run a successful poultry farm. lastly, vaccination is a timely operation; you must ensure you administer vaccines at the right period.

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18 thoughts on “VACCINATION SCHEDULE FOR LAYERS”

Sharp Garuda
October 15, 2018 at 12:30 pm

Thanks for the information.

Olaniran christiana
June 21, 2019 at 12:59 pm

Ï appreciate this teaching more Blessing sir

rjb
February 10, 2020 at 4:57 pm

if laying hens are slaughtered at 85 weeks, are the vaccinations given at 16 weeks a hazard to consumers?

1. Agbabiaka Abdulquadri
  February 11, 2020 at 2:52 am
  
  No, it is not. Usually, the presence of vaccines in chicken is just for 21 days after administration. After then, the chicken product can be consumed.
  
Adebambo
April 25, 2020 at 3:18 pm

Can all the route vaccine be given immediately one had just be administered for example after marek’s can IBD Gumboro be given the next day

Benedict
May 4, 2020 at 11:50 am

Nice teaching i love to learn more sir thanks

Ifeanyi Daniel Chijioke
August 11, 2020 at 6:48 pm

Thanks for the lecture

SAMUEL HWANDE
August 14, 2020 at 2:22 pm

Thanks for this elaborate write-up, this is very very useful to some of us who are intending to venture into layer farming. more grease to your elbows.

Esther
September 4, 2020 at 3:10 pm

Thanks for sharing on treatment of coccidiosis with herb. My question is since am giving the chicks antibiotics, vitamins and other medication as the need may arise can i still administer the herb to them for treatment or prevention of coccidiosis.

Thanks

Engr Aminu A. Dumburi
September 20, 2020 at 1:21 pm

We thank you for sharing your Poutry experience with us beginners we cherished your concern for poutry farming growth in Nigeria. My own issue is am beginners and non professional in Poultry farming but I have passion for it. I just bought 1000 16 weeks old layers from cage system and i am doing deep liter system of poultry farming. Kindly give me some guidelines which will assist me to manage these birds with the change in system. Secondly, I am experiencing some death in these few days.
Thank you.

Jennifer Aneke
April 19, 2021 at 11:49 am

If to buy day old layers please what are the drugs form day old to 16week and how to give it

Francis kareri
August 25, 2021 at 5:55 am

Am a layers farmer based in Kenya.Does this vaccination schedule apply to farmers here in Kenya as it seems simplified than what local vets are recommending to us.

1. The Admin
  August 25, 2021 at 8:22 am
  
  Yes.
  
Muabecho Idrisu
March 2, 2022 at 10:40 am

Thanks for your lecture.It is really amazing indeed may Allah provide you more knowledge to share with the livestock farmers insha Allah.

Enwezor Titi Obiamaka
March 16, 2022 at 9:34 pm

I’m grateful for this piece of information. It’s very helpful. Thank u.

Abudu olorunleke Stephen
April 6, 2022 at 11:25 pm

Good write up very helpful appreciate

Alex
May 5, 2022 at 9:42 pm

I really appreciate your efforts in putting up this write, its quite educating and will definitely benefit all readers, thanks.

Aaron Mashilo
May 6, 2022 at 6:34 pm

I thank you for the vaccination layout simple and straightforward

Thanks
aaromash