VACCINATION PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE HEALTH MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY PRODUCTION. NUMEROUS ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE CONTROLLED THROUGH VACCINATION. HATCHERY SPRAY VACCINATION OF DAY-OLD COMMERCIAL CHICKENS WITH LIVE VACCINES IS A COMMON AND CONVENIENT METHOD. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT SPRAY METHOD IS NOT WITHOUT LIMITATIONS. THUS, RESEARCH SEEKING IMPROVEMENTS IN HATCHERY VACCINATION ADMINISTRATION METHODS IS WARRANTED. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS AT DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING AN INNOVATIVE FOAM-BASED VACCINATION TECHNIQUE AT POULTRY HATCHERIES TO IMPROVE VACCINE EFFICACY. FOAMS INCLUDING VACCINES WILL BE PRODUCED AND SPREAD ONTO THE CHICKS. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON ACCOMPLISHING THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1) TO INVESTIGATE AND SCREEN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FOAM CANDIDATES AND THE BEHAVIOR OF THE CHICKS WHEN EXPOSED TO THE FOAM; 2) TO EVALUATE SELECTED FOAM CANDIDATES ON THE VIABILITY OF LIVE VACCINES; 3) TO DEVELOP A FOAM GENERATION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR LIVE VACCINES UNDER HATCHERY CONDITIONS; AND 4) TO CONDUCT VERIFICATION TESTS USING EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS IN COMMERCIAL TYPE CHICKENS. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE FOAM BASED MASS VACCINATION ADMINISTRATION METHOD FOR POULTRY HATCHERIES AND TO DEMONSTRATE THE ROBUSTNESS, SIMPLICITY, VERSATILITY, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE METHOD. OUTCOMES OF THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL PROVIDE RESEARCH-BASED INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION OF FOAM VACCINATION, IMPROVE HEALTH AND PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF POULTRY AND KEEP AMERICAN AGRICULTURE COMPETITIVE WHILE ENDING WORLD HUNGER.THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES WOULD ADDRESS THE PRIORITY OF AFRI FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM #5: AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY. IT FITS WELL INTO THE GOALS OF ENGINEERING PRODUCTS, AND PROCESSES TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURALLY RELEVANT ANIMAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE SYSTEMS.