A novel automated gel-beadlet system for vaccinating chicks proved successful in providing uniform coverage against coccidiosis.
Research led by Matthew Jones, DVM, PhD, at Southern Poultry Research Group, tested the new approach in experiments with individual birds and groups in pens.
The gel-beadlet technology is designed to ensure that a soft gel sticks to the down of chicks and is uniformly ingested by the birds while they preen. Unlike water-based formulations, the beadlets reportedly do not reduce chicks’ body temperature.
“If we use a vaccine in our [coccidiosis control] programs, it’s important to have uniform application and uptake because we want the birds to be exposed. We want the levels [of vaccine uptake] to come up. Then, we want the birds to develop immunity and become protected over time,” Jones told an audience at the 2024 International Poultry Scientific Forum. Read more