Group selection for adaptation to multiple-hen cages: humoral immune response

• Published in: Poultry science 1996-11, Vol.75 (11), p.1315-1320
• Main Authors: Hester, P.Y. (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.), Muir, W.M, Craig, J.V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Aging - physiology; ALOJAMIENTO PARA AVES; ANIMAL COMPETITION; Animals; Antibodies - metabolism; BATTERY CAGES; CAGE D'ELEVAGE EN BATTERIE; CHICKENS; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - immunology; COLD; Cold Temperature; COMPETICION ANIMAL; COMPETITION ANIMALE; CRITERE DE SELECTION; CRITERIOS DE SELECCION; EPREUVE D'HEMAGGLUTINATION; ESTRES; ESTRES TERMICO; Female; FEMALES; FEMELLE; FRIO; FROID; HAEMAGGLUTINATION TESTS; HEAT STRESS; HEMAGGLUTINATION TESTS; HEMBRA; Hot Temperature; Housing, Animal; IMMUNE COMPETENCE; IMMUNE RESPONSE; IMMUNODEFICIENCE; IMMUNODEFICIENCY; INMUNODEFICIENCIA; JAULAS EN BATERIA; LOGEMENT DES VOLAILLES; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; POLLO; POULET; POULTRY HOUSING; PRUEBAS DE HEMAGLUTINACION; REPONSE A LA SELECTION; REPONSE IMMUNITAIRE; REPUESTA A LA SELECCION; RESPUESTA INMUNOLOGICA; SELECTION CRITERIA; SELECTION RESPONSES; Selection, Genetic; STRESS; STRESS RESPONSE; STRESS THERMIQUE; Temperature
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.0751315

A selected line of White Leghorns, which has shown improved survivability and reduced feather loss in large multiple-hen cages, was evaluated for humoral immune response to SRBC under both stressed and unstressed conditions. Three lines of chickens (selected, control, and commercial) were housed in either single- (1 hen) or multiple-hen cages (12 hens, social competition) and subjected to a cold ambient temperature (0 C) at 33 wk of age and to two heating episodes (38 C) at 44 wk of age. Each hen was challenged intravenously with 1 mL of a 7% saline suspension of SRBC at the time that cold exposure was initiated. Hens subjected to high ambient temperatures had been exposed previously to a cold temperature, but were not challenged with SRBC until 16 to 18 h following the end of the second heating episode. Exposure to cold caused immunosuppression in single-caged hens, but not in hens in colony cages. Single- vs colony-caged hens of the control environment challenged with SRBC at 33 wk of age had similar primary hemagglutinin responses to SRBC. Hens subjected to heat experienced immunosuppression at 9 and 12 d following challenge to SRBC when compared to the controls. Hens of multiple-bird cages challenged with antigen at 44 wk of age had a significantly lower hemagglutinin response to SRBC than those reared in single-bird cages. The three lines of genetic stock had similar primary hemagglutinin responses to SRBC; the interactions of genetic stock with cage size or environmental temperature were not significant. It was concluded that genetically selecting hens for survival in multiple-hen cages did not affect their humoral immune response to SRBC.