Field trials with an oil emulsion infectious bursal disease vaccine in broiler breeder pullets

Two independent field trials were undertaken with commercial broiler companies in separate sections of Alabama in order to test the efficacy of an experimental commercially prepared oil emulsion infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine in broiler breeder pullets. The IBD vaccine was tested both for safety and the production of neutralizing antibodies in pullets and their progeny as well as its ability to prevent early field exposure to virulent IBD virus (IBDV) in broiler progeny that may lead to immunosuppression resulting in poor performance. The following was demonstrated in both trials: 1) the IBD vaccine had no adverse effect on breeder performance, 2) the IBD antibody titers in breeders peaked at 10 weeks postvaccination (PV) and remained about 1.5 to 4 times higher than nonvaccinated breeders through 25 weeks (PV), 3) 1-day IBDV maternal titers in broilers were related to the parental titers, 4) the IBD vaccination in pullets prevented early infection to field IBDV in progeny as determined by antibody titers and various performance parameters.