Clarification for Broiler Farmers
We have heard that broiler chicks are being vaccinated with the Merk vaccine at one day old, and some veterinarians strongly recommend this vaccination.
This is done at the hatchery.
I would like to clarify the following:
Most cases of Merk’s disease typically occur after the tenth week of the flock’s age. No broiler flock survives to 70 days old, except in some countries where broiler chicks are raised to 60 days or more.
This is because their meat is not used in the food industry. Even these countries used the Merk vaccine in the 1960s and early 1970s due to widespread outbreaks of Merk’s disease in poultry farms. However,
currently, the Merk vaccine is only used for flocks
raised for table egg and hatching egg production.
In conclusion, from both a scientific and practical standpoint:
There is no need for this vaccine and this stress on broiler chicks, especially since broiler chicks in Iraq are raised for no more than six weeks under any circumstances.
Dr. Fouad Al-Sheikhly
Note: For inquiries regarding poultry diseases, please send a detailed description of the condition so that we can answer your question.