Raising egg-laying hens for vaccine and antibody production

Turning point from the LIFSAP project

Both the parents-in-law and parents of Pham Thi Le are livestock farmers and own egg farms. Following that tradition, in 2010, she started her own egg-laying hen farm. Having worked as an agricultural extension officer, she applied her knowledge to production, maintaining a steady flock of 5,000 ISA Brown hens, commonly known as red hens.

By pure coincidence, seven years ago, her farm joined the LIFSAP project, which helped connect her with veterinary pharmaceutical companies that wanted to test their products on poultry. One of those companies needed fertilized eggs (embryonated eggs) to produce vaccines. Since her farm did not yet produce such eggs, Le had to purchase from other sources, collecting tens of thousands of eggs each time.

As for the process, the virus sample used to produce the vaccine is injected into these embryonated eggs. The eggs are then incubated for several days before being checked for embryo development. During that period, the virus multiplies, and the liquid inside the egg is collected. This liquid, which contains the virus, is then purified and processed to create the vaccine.

For inactivated vaccines, the virus is killed. For live attenuated vaccines, the virus is weakened. Another variant, antibody eggs, follows a different process. Hens are injected with an antigen, and their eggs, instead of being incubated, are cracked to extract components used for antibody production. All vaccines and antibodies derived from eggs must go through rigorous purification, testing, and quality control before being approved by authorities and released to the market.

The production of vaccines and antibodies from eggs is widely practiced due to its simplicity and proven technology. Its main drawback is that it takes time and requires a large number of eggs to meet production demand. This disadvantage, on the contrary, is a good opportunity for farms that produce eggs as raw materials for making vaccines and antibodies because the price that pharmaceutical companies purchase is always much higher than the price of regular eggs.

Realizing that sourcing embryonated eggs externally was costly and unstable, five years ago Le switched to producing them directly on her farm. She even taught the technique to her brother, Pham Van Thuc, who ran another farm. They imported Egyptian white roosters to breed with ISA Brown hens (red hens). If bred naturally, one rooster can mate with 10 hens, but through artificial insemination, one rooster can fertilize up to 20 hens with consistent quality, so Le chose the more efficient option.

No fear of losses

In terms of output, sometimes the company purchased all her eggs, while at other times, it bought only part of them at a fixed price of about VND 2,900 - 3,000 per egg (depending on whether they were antibody or embryonated eggs). The remaining eggs were sold at market prices.

“Embryonated eggs can only be harvested for about six months at most. At the early stage, the eggs are too small, and when the hens become old, their laying rate drops and the shells become thin, making them unsuitable. Antibody eggs are easier to cultivate,” said Le while giving a tour around her farm.

At first glance, her operation looks like any other egg farm; the only difference is that instead of going to the market, the eggs are dedicated to vaccine production. While commercial egg prices fluctuate wildly, the price for embryonated or antibody eggs used in vaccine production remains fixed at a relatively high level throughout the year.

“The advantage of producing eggs for vaccines and antibodies is quite clear. While commercial egg prices can drop as low as VND 800 - 1,000 per egg, causing heavy losses, with a fixed-price contract for embryonated or antibody eggs, there’s virtually no room for losses, only big or small profits. Of course, farms must follow the company’s standards in feeding, watering, and medication, but that’s not too difficult once you get used to it,” Le said.

According to Le, upon cooperation, companies will supply all necessary supplements such as liver and kidney detoxifiers, cooling agents, and probiotics, as well as provide free technical support during the entire production process, helping reduce costs significantly.

At first, the business side was cautious and only signed small contracts, but once trust was built, they began ordering in large quantities. The farm must then meet strict requirements, not only in quantity but also in quality, egg uniformity, cleanliness, and the hens’ care from hatching to laying. When the hens get sick, the farm owner cannot treat them independently; company veterinarians must handle it.

“In Vietnam, the market for antibody and embryonated eggs used in vaccine and antibody production is very promising due to high demand. However, vaccine and antibody production from eggs is still at a moderate scale. Farms can feel safe signing contracts with veterinary companies as they would rarely face losses. For example, I only raise one farm of 5,000 hens for embryonated and antibody eggs but earn more than several commcerical egg farms combined. Commercial egg production can be extremely risky. Some of my relatives even had to sell land to cover losses,” Le said.

With production costs of around VND 1,500 per egg and selling prices of VND 2,900 - 3,000 per egg, plus income from selling culled hens after a year of laying, Le’s farm brings in an annual profit of approximately VND 300–500 million. In 2025, with higher egg prices and favorable weather reducing disease and mortality, she expects profits to rise even more.