Vaccination is cheap insurance. Skipping it costs far more — a preventable disease can wipe out a batch in days. Here's a typical broiler schedule and how to handle vaccines properly.

A typical broiler schedule

  • Day 1 (hatchery): Marek's disease and often the first Newcastle disease (ND) dose.
  • Day 7–10: Newcastle disease (Lasota), usually in drinking water or as an eye drop.
  • Day 14: Gumboro (infectious bursal disease) — first dose.
  • Day 21: Gumboro — second dose, or an ND booster.
  • Day 28: Gumboro — third dose in some programmes.

This is a guide, not a prescription

Programmes vary by area and local disease pressure. Follow the programme from your hatchery or veterinarian — they know what's circulating where you are.

Handling makes the difference

  • Keep vaccines cold — a broken cold chain means a useless vaccine.
  • Use clean, chlorine-free water for water-based vaccines, and withdraw water briefly first so birds drink it up quickly.
  • Vaccinate only healthy birds, and keep brooding temperatures steady around vaccination day.

Vaccines don't cover everything

Coccidiosis is controlled with coccidiostats in the feed, not a vaccine, and bird flu has no routine farm vaccine in Nigeria — it's a reportable disease. Good biosecurity still does most of the protecting.

Key takeaways

  • Vaccinate on a consistent schedule from day one.
  • Follow your hatchery or vet's programme for your area.
  • Keep vaccines cold and use clean water.
  • Vaccines don't replace biosecurity.