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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Egg and Poultry Production Safety Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403458
Research Project: Reducing Pathogen Contamination Risks and Improving Quality Attributes of Eggs and Egg Products through Housing System Management and Egg Handling Practices

Location: Egg and Poultry Production Safety Research Unit

Title: Pullet Rearing Conditions and Susceptibility to Experimental Salmonella Enteritidis Infection.

Author
item Gast, Richard
item Jones, Deana
item Guraya, Rupinder - Rupa
item Garcia, Javier
item KARCHER, DARRIN - Purdue University

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2023
Publication Date: 6/1/2023
Citation: Gast, R.K., Jones, D.R., Guraya, R., Garcia, J.S., Karcher, D.M. 2023. Pullet Rearing Conditions and Susceptibility to Experimental Salmonella Enteritidis Infection. American Association of Avian Pathologists. p.65.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The dissemination and prevalence of the egg-associated pathogen Salmonella Enteritidis in laying flocks can be influenced by the poultry housing environment. The egg industry is shifting toward cage-free housing, but the food safety implications of this transition are unresolved. In the present study, internal organ colonization by S. Enteritidis was assessed in egg-type pullets after rearing in different housing conditions. In each of two similarly designed experiments, 16-wk-old pullets were transferred from a rearing facility to a containment facility with 4 isolation rooms simulating commercial cage-free barns with perches and nest boxes (72 birds/room). 24 pullets in each of 2 rooms were orally inoculated with S. Enteritidis immediately after placement in this facility and an identical proportion of pullets in the other 2 rooms were similarly infected at 19 wk of age. At 1-2 wk after each inoculation, samples of liver, spleen, and intestinal tract were collected from all birds for bacteriologic culturing. The 1st trial compared the consequences of rearing pullets in conventional cages to rearing in a cage-free system: S. Enteritidis was isolated significantly more often from spleens (56% v. 47%) and intestines (90% v. 83%) of cage-reared pullets than from birds reared in cage-free housing, especially among birds infected at 16 wk of age (1 day after placement in the containment facility). The 2nd trial compared the consequences of rearing pullets at 2 different bird stocking densities in cage-free housing: the frequency of S. Enteritidis recovery was not affected by stocking density during rearing, but S. Enteritidis was found significantly more often in livers (39% v. 29%) and spleens (40% v. 28%) from birds infected at 19 wk of age than from those infected at 16 wk. This study documents the importance of attentive pathogen risk reduction at a critical phase (at or just before sexual maturity) in the productive life of egg-laying flocks.