Vaccination and Poultry (chicken) Production

Abstract

The aim of this review is to provide information regarding the use of vaccines and the methods of vaccination in the poultry industry. Due to genetic selection for fast growth, large breast muscle and egg production, modern day poultry species especially dometicated chickens have lost some of thier ancestory immune ability or defence mechanism making them prone to diseases. Also environmental changes due to climate change has boost the rapid emergence and the spread of poultry disease making the immune defence system of poultry species incapable of protecting the birds from infections and sudden death. The widespread and the distribution of newcastle disease (ND) and some zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza (AI) caused a detrimental effect to the poultry sector and to the human population as well. To boost the immune system of poultry birds to improve welfare and production performances, different types of vaccines and vaccinationation techniques and programmes are employed either pre, post hatch or at the maternal level. The primary goal of a vaccines is to prevent and control contagious diseases. The type of vaccine as well as the vaccination programme and technique used by poultry farmers are influenced by several conditions such as the type of production, local pattern of disease, costs and potential losses.