Determination of egg production and weight in layers experimentally infected with Salmonella gallinarum

The present study was conducted to determine egg production and weight in layers experimentally infected with Salmonella gallinarum. Twenty layers were used for the research. The layers were purchased at the age of 18 weeks from certified commercial poultry farm in Kujama farm, Kaduna State, Nigeria and housed in the Animal Research Unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The birds were examined to certify that they were disease free by collecting samples from the cloacal. The birds were assigned to two groups (infected and control) of ten layers each. The infected group was challenged with Salmonella gallinarum orally at the dose of 0.5 ml of 9 x 108 CFU/ml. All the birds in the control group were orally given 0.5 ml of normal saline. After the infection, all the infected layers were closely observed for clinical signs of fowl typhoid. Percentage of egg production and body weight were measured from each group at days zero (Day 0), 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42, post-infection (pi). By day seven post infection, all birds in the infected group showed clinical signs typical of fowl typhoid, namely, ruffled feathers, weakness, somnolence, greenish-yellow diarrhea, huddling together, decrease in feed and water consumption, and five of the layers died. There were, however, significant drop in egg production and loss of body weight in the S. gallinarum infected group. Key words: Fowl typhoid, Salmonella, inoculum, layers, egg production, body weight.