SmartVac enables the poultry industry to apply a wide range of vaccines in-ovo, including Gumboro, Marek, ND and Coccidiosis vaccines. This is optionally performed in combination with nutritional components – for chickens with a healthy gut, favourable microbiota, enhanced immunity, and thus improved field performance.
The innovative SmartVac design features a sophisticated dual needle system, which consists of an outer needle to penetrate the eggshell and an inside needle to dose the vaccine and nutrients.
This ensures that each vaccination is administered consistently and safely in the egg’s amniotic fluid. The inner needle does not have a sharp end, which avoids lesions to the embryo and promotes optimum security in the process.
SmartVac was designed to maximise the safety of the injection process, by focusing on the development level and needs of the growing embryo.
The Embryo Soft Touch® (EST®) sensor on the injector allows automatic and individual adaptation of the injection depth to each single embryo, regardless of egg and embryo size. EST® also detects when the setter tray has an empty egg position or contains non-viable eggs (infertiles or early deads), helping to reduce wastage of valuable vaccine. Only eggs containing grown embryos are inoculated with vaccine or nutrition.
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SmartVac has major biological and commercial advantages for your hatchery
Earlier immunity
SmartVac provides earlier exposure to various vaccines and nutrients, supporting early development of the immune system and improving the birds’ health and disease resistance.
In-ovo feeding
SmartVac positively affects the chick’s vitality, early growth and gut health. Adding nutrients while the chicken is still in the egg helps improve the day old chick weight, growth performance and breast muscle weight of broiler chickens.
Animal welfare
SmartVac birds are less stressed when vaccinated in-ovo. Possible injury to the live embryo is avoided because the system only injects into the amniotic fluid. Minimal post-hatch chick handling reduces stress and improves comfort.
More consistency
SmartVac reduces possible human error, with fewer people needing to be trained and monitored than with manual subcutaneous vaccination.
Reduced labour costs
SmartVac in-ovo vaccination significantly reduces the labour required, compared to subcutaneous vaccination of day old chicks.
Uniform delivery
SmartVac uses an automated and uniform process to deliver constant volumes and concentrations of vaccines and nutrients to each embryo, regardless of the size of the egg or embryo.
Reduced processing time
SmartVac reduces processing time from hatcher to farm, eliminating the need for post-hatch vaccination. This means that day old chicks have faster access to food and water, which improves chick quality.
Controlled hygiene
SmartVac ensures controlled hygienic conditions, by maintaining a sterile environment in and around the injection area.
Selective inoculation
SmartVac applies selective inoculation by identifying non-viable eggs (infertile or early deads) and empty egg positions on the setter tray, thus reducing vaccine waste.
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