Enriching ISA brown and Shaver white breeder diets with sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increased embryonic utilization of docosahexaenoic acid.

There is limited information on feeding egg-type chick breeders n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and its impact on hatching egg quality and embryonic fatty acid (FA) utilization. We investigated the effects of feeding brown and white egg-type chick breeders diets containing sources of n-3 PUFA on egg composition, apparent embryonic FA utilization, and intestinal FA transporter in hatchlings. Twenty-six-week-old ISA brown and Shaver white breeders were fed either 1) control (CON); 2) CON + 1% of microalgae (DMA, Aurantiochytrium limacinum) fermentation product, as a source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); or 3) CON + 2.60% of coextruded full-fat flaxseed and pulse mixture (FFF, 1:1 wt/wt) as a source of α-linolenic acid (ALA). Test diets had similar total n-3 and n-6:n-3 ratio. Eggs were hatched, and residual yolk (RY) samples taken for FA analyses. Apparent embryonic FA utilization was calculated by subtracting concentration of FA in RY from concentration of FA in yolk before incubation. There was an interaction between strains and diets (P < 0.05) on DHA in phospholipid and triglyceride fractions of yolk. Both n-3 PUFA sources increased DHA to a greater extent in Shaver white than in ISA brown. The interactive effect of strains and diets (P = 0.019) on embryonic utilization of ALA was such that DMA and FFF reduced ALA utilization, and this pattern was more prevalent in Shaver white birds than in ISA brown birds. There was no interaction between strains and diets on DHA utilization (P > 0.05). Embryos from hens fed n-3 PUFA sources used less total FA in phospholipid fraction (P < 0.001), and they preferentially used more DHA than CON embryos. Shaver white embryos used more (P < 0.05) ALA and DHA than ISA brown embryos. Although data suggested Shaver white had higher propensity of depositing DHA than ISA brown, irrespective of strain, feeding n-3 PUFA modified embryonic pattern of FA utilization toward utilization of DHA.

Live Eimeria vaccination success in the face of artificial non-uniform vaccine administration in conventionally reared pullets.

Live Eimeria vaccines against coccidiosis in poultry initiate immunity using a vaccine dose containing few oocysts; protection is enhanced through subsequent faecal-oral transmission ("cycling") of parasites in the poultry house. Spray-administered Eimeria vaccines can permit wide variations in doses ingested by individual chicks; some chicks may receive no primary vaccination at all. Consequently, protective immunity for the entire flock depends on successful environmental cycling of vaccine progeny. Pullets missing primary vaccination at day of age can become protected from coccidial challenge through cycling of vaccine progeny oocysts from vaccinated (V) cage mates. This study tested whether 40% cage floor coverage (CFC) with a durable material could improve protection against challenge in these "contact-vaccinated" (CV) or successfully V pullets. The six treatment groups tested were CV, V or sham-vaccinated pullets cage-reared on either 0% or 40% CFC. Oocyst output was measured separately for each group for 30 days following vaccine administration. Lesion scores, body weights and total oocyst outputs were measured to quantify protection at 30 days of age against single or mixed Eimeria species challenge infections. Use of 40% CFC to promote low-level oocyst cycling impacted the flock in two ways: (1) more uniform flock immunity was achieved in the 40% CFC (CV similar to V pullets) compared with 0% CFC and (2) protection was enhanced in the 40% CFC compared with the 0% CFC. The use of CFC is an easily adopted means of improving live Eimeria vaccination of caged pullets.

Shedding of live Eimeria vaccine progeny is delayed in chicks with delayed access to feed after vaccination.

Hatching, processing and transportation result in inevitable delays before chicks are placed into brooding and receive their first feed and drinking water after hatching. To determine if delayed access to feed for different durations following live Eimeria vaccination affected initial shedding of vaccine progeny, replacement layer chicks (480, Lohmann-LSL Lite) aged approximately 6h after hatch were administered a commercial live Eimeria vaccine. Vaccinated chicks were divided randomly into groups and were provided access to feed immediately (0 h) or after a delay of 6, 12, or 24 h (4 treatments × 6 replicates per treatment × 20 pullets per replicate). All pullets were provided drinking water immediately following vaccination. Fecal oocysts shed per gram of feces for each cage replicate was determined daily from 4 to 9 days post inoculation. Chicks provided feed immediately had peak oocyst shedding at 5 days post-inoculation but delayed access to feed for 24h was associated with a 2 days delay in peak oocyst shedding to 7 days post-inoculation. Chicks with delays in access to feed of intermediate duration (i.e. 6 or 12h) had peak oocyst shedding at 6 days post-inoculation. Overall oocyst shedding was not affected. Live Eimeria vaccination success may be measured by evaluating initial shedding of oocysts at some pre-established time after vaccine application, usually by a single fecal collection conducted at 5, 6 or 7 days post-inoculation. Recognizing that withholding feed following live Eimeria vaccination shifts the time of the resultant peak oocyst shedding complicates the assessment of vaccine application; if delayed access to feed is not taken into account, it is possible that false conclusions could be drawn regarding the relative success of vaccine administration.