title: Improved broiler performance associated with Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale vaccination in breeders.
abstract: During a field study in 2010 the daily growth, feed conversion, first-week mortality, broiler loss due to mortality and slaughterhouse condemnation, and production index were monitored in 100 broiler flocks derived from four breeder farms vaccinated with Nobilis OR inac and four Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale-unvaccinated breeder farms of the same organization in Belgium. Other parameters related to the broiler flocks, such as flock size, season, age of the breeders, and corresponding breeder farms, were also noted. All gathered data were examined with ANOVA, linear correlation, and linear regression analyses. Results demonstrated a significant 22.3% lower broiler loss and a significant 3.9% higher production index in the broiler flocks derived from breeders vaccinated with Nobilis OR inac. These results confirm field observations obtained in 1999, thereby providing further evidence for an effect of O. rhinotracheale vaccination in breeders with regard to the improved performance of broilers.
authors.affiliation: MSD Animal Health Belgium, Stallestraat 73, 1180 Brussels, Belgium. peter.de.herdt@merck.com
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Herdt
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Broeckx
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vankeirsbilck
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Den Abeele
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Gorp
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001530:Belgium; D002645:Chickens; D045826:Flavobacteriaceae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary; D016014:Linear Models; D045246:Ornithobacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines