Veterinary vaccine story: [Part 1] Trust from healthy ducks

In the Southeast, duck farmers like Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuan are clearly feeling the effectiveness of the new vaccine, helping ducks stay healthy and reducing risks during the epidemic season.

In the morning at the high-tech duck farm of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuan in Phuoc Thanh commune, Ho Chi Minh City, the bustling sound of ducks quacking has become a familiar sound. Having been involved in duck farming for more than 20 years, she happily said: "Listening to the ducks quacking is more fun than listening to music, because as long as they live, we can make a living."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan is still diligently checking her flock of more than 20,000 ducks in a closed cold farm. This is one of the few high-tech duck farming models operating stably in the locality. Photo: Tran Phi.

Every year, when the rainy season comes, Mrs. Thuan worries. Ducks are susceptible to respiratory diseases, and Newcastle disease or bird flu is always lurking somewhere. “If you are not careful for a few days, you will lose the whole flock,” she said. One year, the epidemic broke out quickly, ducks died en masse, causing tens of millions of dong in damage. She once thought about quitting the job, but then came back, because “as long as farmers have ponds and ducks, they can survive.”

In recent years, thanks to training in biosafety farming techniques and full vaccination, Mrs. Thuan's duck flock has become healthier. In particular, since using the Poulvac® Procerta® HVT-ND vaccine, she has seen clear results. "Previously, the ducks often sniffled, ate poorly, and grew slowly. Now that they have been vaccinated, the ducks are agile, eat well, have smooth feathers, and the loss rate has decreased significantly," she said with a relieved smile.

Not only vaccines, the high-tech cold barn model also contributed to changing the way Mrs. Thuan raised ducks. The farm is equipped with a cooling system, misting, ventilation fans and closed waste treatment. Thanks to that, the environment is always clean, the odor is significantly reduced, the ducks are less sick and gain weight quickly. "In the past, I only knew how to raise ducks, now I have to know how to vaccinate and keep the environment clean. If the ducks are healthy, I will be healthy too," she said, her eyes shining with the pride of a farmer who dares to innovate.

According to Zoetis experts, Poulvac® Procerta® HVT-ND is a high-tech vaccine that uses gene recombination to create sustainable immunity against Newcastle virus. Photo: Tran Phi.

Regarding acquiring new knowledge and accessing new vaccine sources, in mid-October, Ms. Thuan attended the Poulvac® Procerta® HVT-ND vaccine launch event, held on October 24 in Ho Chi Minh City by Zoetis Vietnam Co., Ltd. “At first, when I heard about recombinant vaccines, I didn't understand anything, I just knew it was a new, better medicine. But when the veterinarian explained, I realized that the technology is really good now, it can protect a whole flock of ducks with just a few small injections,” she said.

According to Zoetis experts, Poulvac® Procerta® HVT-ND is a high-tech vaccine that uses gene recombination to create sustainable immunity against Newcastle virus. This vaccine not only helps chickens but also ducks increase their resistance to the disease, especially suitable for the hot and humid climate of the South.

Mr. Tran Phu Cuong, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City, commented: "High-tech cold-house duck farmers like Ms. Thuan really need effective disease prevention tools. When injecting recombinant vaccines, the health of the livestock is guaranteed, drug costs are reduced, and the quality of output products is also more stable."

For Mrs. Thuan, the most precious thing is not technology, but peace of mind. “Now the ducks grow quickly, traders come to buy regularly, I no longer stay up all night to watch for epidemics. Sometimes when it rains heavily, I still sleep well because I know the ducks are protected,” she smiled gently, her eyes full of satisfaction.

Based on the results, the vaccination schedule is flexibly adjusted to ensure the ducks need the strongest immunity at the right time. Photo: Tran Phi.

Regarding her upcoming plans, Ms. Thuan said she will expand her pond and increase herd to 2,000 out of a total herd of 20,000. “I will do it in moderation, but with good techniques and vaccines, I believe I can do it,” she shared. Her small story is like a slice of life for thousands of farmers in the Southeast, who are learning every day how to farm more modernly and more steadfastly amid the challenges of the pandemic.

According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City, the Southeast region has a large poultry population, but also has many potential epidemic risks due to the hot and humid climate and the mixed-population farming model. Therefore, putting new vaccine strains into practice is a necessary direction to help people reduce risks and move towards sustainable farming. "In the past, we only knew how to raise poultry, now we have to know how to vaccinate and keep the environment clean. If the ducks are healthy, we are also healthy," said Ms. Thuan.

The drops of sweat and the bustling quacking of ducks are evidence of a returning faith, the faith of farmers in science , in technology, and in their own hands. Amidst the fluctuations of weather and disease, the image of Mrs. Thuan and her flock of healthy ducks is a simple but vibrant picture of the Vietnamese countryside today.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/cau-chuyen-vaccine-thu-y-bai-1-niem-tin-tu-dan-vit-khoe-manh-d782049.html