Coccidiosis vaccination benefits ABF and conventional flocks

Whether turkeys are raised by conventional means or in an antibiotic-free (ABF) system, it’s imperative to protect them from coccidiosis.

A live vaccine such as Coccivac-T is ideal in both production systems. Poults can be vaccinated as early as day of hatch. By the time birds are transferred from brooding to finishing house, they have developed complete immunity to all major pathogenic strains of Eimeria, the cause of coccidiosis. Early vaccination stimulates immunity without adversely affecting flock performance.

As with every business venture, cost is an important consideration. Vaccinating with Coccivac-T in turkeys, however, is generally cheaper than using in-feed anticoccidials. Turkeys and heavy toms take longer than broilers to reach market weight, so the vaccine becomes cheaper than in-feed anticoccidials because only one dose is needed for life-long protection. In other words, the cost stays the same regardless of the length of growth phase. In contrast, the cost of in-feed anticoccidials increases when more feed is needed to bring birds to market.

When Coccivac-T is incorporated into an anticoccidial-rotation program, it restores the efficacy of worn-out anticoccidials by reseeding the house with Eimeria oocysts that are still sensitive to anticoccidials. This article is based on a presentation made by Dr. Lloyd Weber at the Association québécoise des industries de nutrition animale et céréalière (AQINAC) Symposium held in Drummondville, Quebec, in November 2008.