Antibody production and Escherichia coli resistance in socially stable flocks of dwarf and nondwarf chickens.
Dwarf and normal pullets from lines that had undergone selection for divergence in juvenile body weight were maintained in cages as socially stable flocks. Antibody titers were measured at 6 and 14 weeks of age and an Escherichia coli challenge was administered at 16 weeks of age. There was a significant line by dwarf genotype interaction with dwarfs having lower antibody titers than normal pullets in the low weight line and higher antibody titers in the high weight line. The mortality of dwarfs from the low weight line to an Escherichia coli challenge was much higher than that of any other group. These results were consistent with those from previous experiments where the Escherichia coli challenge was given to hens in single cages.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002645:Chickens; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005838:Genotype; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology