This best practice addresses the challenge of reducing the risk of salmonella in broiler chicken farms, although its prevalence has decreased significantly in the last decade.

Reducing the risk of salmonella involves implementing comprehensive prevention and control programs. In certain situations and circumstances, which must be assessed by the responsible poultry farmer and veterinarian, a high epidemiological risk of infection is identified. Some of these risk factors may include a previous broiler batch or an epidemiologically related farm, or the farm’s proximity to a pig farm or land organically fertilized with slurry.

When these or other unspecified circumstances arise, vaccinating chicks in the first few days of life becomes an additional tool for reducing the risk of salmonella infection. The vaccine is administered orally. It should be noted that this vaccination is not mandatory according to official salmonella control programs, although it is considered an option.