Effect of Surgical and Chemical In Ovo Bursectomy on Hatchability, Mortality Rate, and Antibody Response in Hypertensive and Hypotensive Lines of Turkeys

Abstract

The effect of in ovo bursectomy on hatchability, mortality rate, and antibody response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was studied in hypertensive and hypotensive lines of turkeys. Experiments were conducted to assess the optimal time to perform surgical in ovo bursectomy in turkey embryos for the lowest mortality rate. Factors such as the ease of operation, hatchability, and least deaths were considered. Surgical bursectomies at 25, 24, 23, and 22 day embryonation resulted in 75, 20, 0, and 10% hatchability, respectively. The surgical procedure performed at 25-day embryonation resulted in superior hatchability and ease of operation, and it was less traumatic as evidenced by fewer deaths. The hatchability of embryos injected with testosterone (TE) at 15 days incubation was 55%. Birds subjected to surgery or chemical treatment had increased mortality rates. Cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment at 1 and 2 days posthatch caused a significant increase in deaths over groups not treated with CY. Both primary and secondary KLH responses were significantly lower in bursectomized and TE-injected groups, than in shamoperated or nonoperated control groups.