Water vaccination is, in general, the least stressful for the birds and less labor-intensive for farm staff. Be sure to properly store, handle, and mix the vaccine.
Preparing waterlines for vaccine
- Turn off chlorine and run vaccine stabilizer 24 hours before vaccination
Day of vaccination
- Flush tank and pump with clean water
- Turn off water to flock (6:00 am preferably)

- Raise drinkers so the birds can't reach (7:00 am)
- Fill tank with required water to last for 2.5 - 3 hours (normally this is about 25-30% of the daily water consumption)
- Mix vaccine and stabilizer in a clean bucket (used only for vaccinations) and add to tank, stir vigorously
- Include dye to track vaccine water

- Turn on pump and flush drinker lines until dye comes out at the far end of the line
- Dump all bell drinkers into a bucket until blue dye appears, prior to lowering the lines
- Be certain all nipple line cups are blue prior to lowering the lines
- Restrict water access for 1 - 1.5 hours (calculate back from the time the drinkers were raised)
- Lower drinkers to bird level and allow access
- Stir the flock every 15 minutes to encourage drinking
- Vaccine should be consumed in about 2.5 - 3 hours
- Perform 100 bird tongue checks to confirm vaccination accuracy
- Return to normal water sanitation system about three hours after vaccine is finished