Vaccinations and antibiotics for poultry
Vaccinations are an essential part of improving bird health and are a strong component of biosecurity.
As vaccinations prevent diseases from occurring, they reduce the need for medications, such as antibiotics, to be given to birds.
Vaccinations for egg-laying birds
Egg-laying birds should be sourced from a reputable pullet rearer where possible, to be sure that all important vaccinations were given during the rearing process, in a correct and professional manner.
Appendix C of the Australian Eggs Vaccination Training Manual (PDF) provides a generic vaccination program for the egg layer bird.
Under the Livestock Act 1997, any poultry flock with over 1,000 chickens, where at least one chicken in the flock is over 24 weeks of age, must be vaccinated against Newcastle disease. This is in accordance with the National Newcastle Disease Management Plan coordinated by Animal Health Australia.
Vaccinations for broiler birds
Most broiler bird vaccinations are done at the hatchery.
Producers are encouraged to ask the hatchery which vaccinations can be provided to day-old chicks. In SA, these include:
- Marek’s disease
- infectious bronchitis
- infectious bursal disease.
Vaccinating broiler birds against infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is difficult to perform and can cause disease in young birds. It is not advised unless performed by skilled personnel at the commercial level.
Vaccinations for other poultry species
Vaccinating ducks, turkeys and quail is not routinely done, unless a specific disease is diagnosed on the farm and vaccination is provided by veterinary authorisation.
Antibiotics for poultry
There is a limited number of antimicrobials registered for poultry in Australia, largely to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotics for poultry require a veterinary assessment and prescription. It is important to note the withholding period (WHP) – this is the number of days that eggs or meat from the chicken cannot be consumed since administering the antibiotic.
