STUDIES ON EFFICACY OF TRANSFER OF ANTIBODIES TO SOME VIRUSES FROM HENS TO THEIR EGGS AND CHICKS

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the rate of antibody transfer on a flock basis from hens to their eggs and day-old chicks raised in a commercial setting. One hundred randomly selected hens from a commercial breeder flock were bled at 24, 45, 50, 60 and 65 wk of age. At day of bleeding, the collected eggs were identified and tracked through hatching where 100 hatchlings were randomly sampled and bled from the jugular vein and other 100 sample of eggs were collected . and separate yolk from it. Antibodies against 3 different pathogens were quantified from the collected serum and yolk samples using Hemagglutination Inhibition test (HI) for evaluation of humeral immune response to NDV and AIV and ELIZA for IBDV, and the percentage of maternal antibodies transfer was calculated from the egg antibody titer divided by the hen antibody titer ,Also the percentage of maternal antibodies transfer was calculated from the chick antibody titer divided by the hen antibody titer. The results showed efficacy of antibody transfer to tested virus from hens to their eggs and chicks.