Vol. 9, Issue 5, Part B (2025)

Background: Newcastle Disease (ND) remains a significant threat to poultry farming globally and is especially concerning in the Babylon Governorate of Iraq, where poultry farming is both a livelihood and a food source for many. Effective vaccination against NDV is critical for maintaining the health and productivity of broiler chickens. This study evaluates the efficacy of various NDV vaccination methods in broiler chickens, aiming to identify the most suitable approach for the specific conditions of the Babylon Governorate.

Materials and Methods: The Study was conducted on 1,000 broiler chickens distributed evenly across five groups: an unvaccinated control group, and four vaccinated groups receiving the NDV vaccine via drinking water, eye drops, spray, and subcutaneous injection. The LaSota vaccine strain was used, administered at 7 and 21 days of age. The study assessed the vaccination's effectiveness by measuring seroconversion rates using the Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test, evaluating clinical protection against a virulent NDV challenge, and monitoring the birds' growth performance.

Results: The vaccinated groups showed significantly higher seroconversion rates and better protection against the NDV challenge compared to the control group, with the spray and eye drop methods demonstrating the highest efficacy. The spray method, in particular, was found to be most suitable for large-scale application in broiler operations due to its ease of administration and minimal stress to the chickens. Importantly, vaccination did not adversely affect the growth performance of the broiler chickens.

Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate vaccination method for controlling ND in broiler chickens within the specific environmental and operational context of the Babylon Governorate. The superior efficacy of the spray method aligns well with the needs of local poultry farms, offering a practical and effective solution for NDV prevention that can be easily integrated into existing farm management practices.