PERFORMANCE OF THREE NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKEN STRAINS VACCINATED AGAINST NEWCASTLE DISEASE IN OVO AND POST-HATCH

Abstract

Indigenous Chickens (IC) population in Nigeria is threatened due to high Mortality Rate (MR) from Viral Diseases (VD). Vaccination is currently the most effective preventive measure against VD such as the Newcastle Disease (ND). Vaccination during embryonation could help to mitigate susceptibility to ND post-hatch. Information on in ovo and post-hatch vaccinations of IC in Nigeria is scanty. Therefore, performance of three strains of IC vaccinated against ND in ovo and post hatch were investigated. Parent stocks of IC comprising five cocks and 25 hens each of Normal Feathered (NF), Frizzle Feathered (FF) and Naked Neck (NN) strains were obtained from a reputable source to produce Hatchable Eggs (HE). Two hundred and forty HE of each of NF, FF and NN chickens were incubated for 18 days. At day 18, HE were candled and 60 Fertilised Eggs (FE) from each strain were drilled and injected with 0.2 mL Injection Water-IW (T11) or B1 Lentogenic Strain-B1LS (T12) ND vaccine using in ovo procedures. At hatch, 10 chicks (r=6) each from the strains were injected subcutaneously using 0.2 mL IW (T21) or B1-LS (T22) in a randomised complete block design. On days 1, 21, 42, 63 and 84, blood (2 mL) was sampled (r=5) for Geometric Mean Antibody Titre (GMAT), and at week 16, blood (5 mL) was sampled (r=5) for haematological profile using standard procedures. Body Weight Gain (BWG), mortality and hen-day production were recorded during early (22-42 weeks), mid (43-59 weeks) and late (60-72 weeks) phases of egg production. Data were analysed using ANOVA at 0.05 At days 21, 42 and 84, GMAT of birds vaccinated in ovo (T12) and post-hatch (T22) and their controls (T11 and T21, respectively) were similar. At days 1 and 63, GMAT differed significantly across all treatments and were 3.2±0.1 and 3.3±0.2 (T11), 4.0±0.1 and 6.0±0.2 (T12), 2.0±0.1 and 3.1±0.2 (T21), 2.5±0.1 and 4.5±0.2 (T22), respectively. At day 63, GMAT was significantly higher in FF (4.8±0.2) than NF (4.4±0.2) and NN (3.6±0.2), while at day 84, GMAT in FF (3.2±0.1) was similar to NF (3.0±0.1) but significantly higher than NN (2.4±0.1). Monocytes and lymphocytes in T12 (3.41±0.03%, 64.1±0.1%) and T22 (3.36±0.03%, 64.2±0.1%) were significantly higher than in T11 (3.31±0.03%, 63.2±0.1%) and T21 (3.28±0.03%, 63.1±0.1%, respectively). Similarly, heterophil and white blood cell count (x103 /mm3 ) in T12 (29.6±0.1%, 3.47±0.02) and T22 (29.5±0.1%, 3.47±0.02) were significantly higher than in T11 (29.2±0.1%, 3.41±0.02) and T21 (29.1±0.1%, 3.42±0.02, respectively). The B1-LS had no effect on BWG, while it significantly reduced mortality from 2.8±0.0% (T11 and T21) to 1.8±0.0% (T12 and T22). Hen-day production was significantly improved by vaccination and ranged from 53.63±0.00% (T11) to 54.62±0.00% (T22), 68.56±0.00% (T11) to 69.63±0.00% (T22), and 50.48±0.00% (T11) to 51.43±0.00% (T22) for early, mid and late laying phases, respectively. In ovo vaccination against Newcastle disease was superior to post-hatch vaccination. Hen-day production was enhanced and mortality was reduced using the B1 Lentogenic strain vaccine in the Nigerian Indigenous Chicken strains for both in ovo and post hatch vaccinations.