The challenge which the Good Practice (GP) addresses is ‘Improving chick quality’, a key determinant for the success and sustainability of poultry production system.
The objective of this Good Practice is to reduce the use of antibiotics and improve the productive performance of future broilers. this GP foresees at least a monthly audit of vaccination in broiler flocks (via subcutaneous inoculum and coloured spray). Quality and quantity controls are carried out by certified and adequately trained personnel. In the case of hatchery spray vaccination, the colouring of the vaccine in the down is used to check how many chicks have actually been vaccinated.

In addition to this, a check is made on the quality of the droplet size (i.e. the quality of the vaccine); in the case of subcutaneous vaccination (both in the hatchery and on the farm), the audit checks not only the correct inoculation point and the possible presence of vaccine outside of it, but also the dose administered (number of animals vaccinated/vial). In the case of vaccination by mouth, the ingestion rate is assessed.