Ceva Group and Jmages D’bestline Train Poultry Farmers On Hatchery vaccination Innovation in Ibadan

Photo : (L-R) Dr. Sunday Ofuegbe, Elder Omidokun Oyekunle and Rev. Tunde Owolabi_

In a bid to provide useful information on the newly innovative bird’ vaccination to maximize profits in poultry farming, especially to poultry farmers at the grassroots, Ceva Sante Animale and Jmages D’bestline Farms have organised a one-day seminar in Ibadan with the theme ‘Better Protection plus Better Health is Equal to Better Profit.’

The seminar featured expert speakers Dr. Francis Adebayo and Dr. Sunday Ofuegbe, who discussed the latest advancements in bird vaccination and health management strategies. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in discussions and share experiences, ensuring they left with valuable insights to enhance their poultry farming practices.

Dr. Francis Adebayo delivered two papers on “Best practices in broiler production: Unlocking genetic potentials through strategic management” and another on “Common disease and protocol for water vaccination in broiler production,” while Dr. Sunday Ofuegbe talked on Better production, better health = better profit” during the seminar held on Friday.

Rev. Tunde Owolabi, the Managing Director of Jmages D’bestline Agro Allied Limited, emphasized the significance of the poultry sector in contributing to people’s diets during his opening speech. He noted that the poultry industry plays a strategic and vital role in a nation’s food security.

“This seminar is to breathe new life into the poultry business, because a better life for the chicken is a better life for the farmers. What we have brought in today in conjunction with Ceva Group is to make sure that we give you what you need to do to make sure that your birds are well protected,” said Rev. Owolabi.

He added that “there is a new innovation, which is the hatchery vaccination as against the usual water vaccination. You give hatchery vaccination, and the birds are covered for life.
The innovation in this type of vaccination is that once the bird is vaccinated, it covers it for a very long period of time and reduces the intake of antibiotics on the farm. That means reducing costs and also upping your profits. Aside from that, you can be sure that all the birds are covered because all the birds are vaccinated one by one.”

“One of the most important things about this vaccine usage is that it reduces the endemicity on the farm. Over a period of time, you’re not going to find infections on your farm any longer if you stick with us using this vaccine. I believe this innovation is a game changer in the industry,” he averred.

Dr. Francis Adebayo, in summary of his presentation, described hatchery vaccination as a valuable tool for poultry producers, offering early disease prevention, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to adapt vaccination programs to specific needs.

He said innovations in hatchery vaccination, including new vaccine technologies and automated systems, are further enhancing its benefits and making it a standard practice in many regions; saying equipment like spray cabinets and trolley sprayers improves vaccination efficiency and quality.

“Hatchery vaccination offers several advantages for poultry farming, including early disease prevention, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to adapt vaccination programs to specific needs. Innovations in hatchery vaccination include the use of new technologies like recombinant vaccines, automated vaccination systems, and in ovo.”

Dr. Sunday Ofuegbe of Ceva Santé Animale, a French-based firm and world leader in vaccine production for poultry, in his papers said Ceva had been researching and looking at how they can solve problems in the poultry industry, especially when it comes to the issue of vaccination, because there are lots of drawbacks in the way farmers vaccinate their birds, and that’s why Ceva researched and discovered that vaccinations that are being done at the farm can be taken to the hatchery level.

He explained that presently the birds are being vaccinated against the diseases that are prevalent in Nigeria, talking of Newcastle disease and Gumboro disease, which can cause about 80 percent mortality. Infectious bronchitis and infectious bursal disease are also part of the problems facing poultry farms in Nigeria.

“So this issue of hatchery vaccination is very key and important, and it has been done in various parts of the country with lots of success, and that’s why we are bringing it now to the grassroots,” said Dr. Ofuegbe.

Also speaking, the Chairman Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Oyo State Chapter, Elder Omidokun Oyekunle, said, “People will be saying poultry production is difficult, but this seminar has spelled it out. How I can term this exercise of today is layers and broilers productions made easy, and that is why I am congratulating poultry farmers in Oyo State for having this kind of lecture at this time.”

“I also want to congratulate and thank the organizers for their efforts in organizing this event. If you’re able to get your day-old from a reputable source like D’bestline Hatchery Farms and follow the ABCD of vaccination, you have no problem, and the ABCD I mentioned starts from the hatchery, and Ceva is there to provide all the necessary logistics, and with that your products are internationally accepted,” said Oyo PAN boss.