Chicken vaccination schedule: Newcastle disease and fowl pox
Ages and routes from WOAH and extension guides.
Reserve nowVaccinate chicks against Newcastle disease with La Sota B1 drops at 7–10 days and La Sota in drinking water at 28–35 days, then repeat; give fowl pox vaccine by wing-web stab, at 12–16 weeks in one extension guide. Newcastle disease kills about 90% of an infected native flock. Vaccine, dose and brand: ask your vet. Rather buy than raise? See our native chicken for sale in Ronda, Cebu.
Vaccination schedule at a glance
| Age | Vaccine | How |
|---|---|---|
| 7–10 days | NewcastleLa Sota B1 | Eye, nose or vent drop |
| 28–35 days | NewcastleLa Sota | Drinking water |
| Every 3–4 months | NewcastleHeat-stable live vaccine, village flocks | Eye drop |
| 12–16 weeks | Fowl pox | Wing-web stab |
| 7–10 days after | Fowl pox check | Look for a scab at the stab site |
Sources: WESVARRDEC guide (Business Diary, 2022) (7–10 and 28–35 days), ACIAR training manual, 2002 (every 3–4 months), UF/IFAS Extension VM021 (fowl pox age), WOAH Terrestrial Manual, fowlpox, 2023 (check). Doses and brands: ask your municipal agriculture office or vet.
Know the two diseases
Fowl pox
Dry pox leaves scabs on the comb and wattles; wet pox grows in the mouth and windpipe and can kill close to 50% of young birds (WOAH). Mosquitoes and mites spread it.
Why boosters
Antibodies from the hen can block early vaccine, so chicks are vaccinated again 2–4 weeks after the first dose (WOAH).
Commercial flocks and good practice
For commercial flocks where Newcastle disease is mild and sporadic, WOAH gives this example: live B1 by eye drop or spray at 1 day, B1 or La Sota in water at 18–21 days, La Sota in water at 10 weeks and an inactivated oil vaccine at point of lay. Where the disease is severe, add La Sota at 35–42 days (WOAH Terrestrial Manual, 2021).
Vaccinate only healthy birds and treat sick ones first (WESVARRDEC). Control mosquitoes as part of fowl pox prevention (UF/IFAS). Report sudden deaths to your municipal vet. House and space: chicken coop design; feed and roosters: native chicken farming guide.
Keeping hens for eggs? See egg price per tray or reserve native eggs. Selling birds? Compare native chicken prices or buy wholesale native chicken.
Gepanaga’s Farm in Ronda opens in April 2027. Reserve free-range native chicken: a vet health certificate with every batch, NMIS slaughter on request, a 30% deposit for seasonal reservations. Delivery in Ronda and southwest Cebu; Cebu City by arrangement.
Questions
When do you vaccinate chicks for Newcastle disease?
La Sota B1 drops at 7–10 days and La Sota in drinking water at 28–35 days (WESVARRDEC guide). Ask your vet.
How often do you repeat the Newcastle vaccine?
For village flocks on a heat-stable eye-drop vaccine, every 4 months; some countries prefer every 3 (ACIAR, 2002).
How is fowl pox vaccine given?
By wing-web stab, at 12–16 weeks in the UF/IFAS guide. A scab at the stab site 7–10 days later shows it took (WOAH).
What are the signs of Newcastle disease?
Sudden deaths, twisted neck, diarrhoea, soft-shelled eggs or no eggs (WOAH).
Can I vaccinate sick chickens?
No. Make sure birds are healthy and treat sick ones first (WESVARRDEC guide).
Sources: WOAH, Newcastle disease (2021) · WOAH, fowlpox (2023) · ACIAR Monograph 87 (2002) · UF/IFAS VM021 · WESVARRDEC guide · DOST-PCAARRD
