A skim milk stabilized water vaccine for Newcastle disease (B1-type LaSota): its effectiveness under modern commercial cage layer methods of delivery

For flock vaccination, B1-type LaSota Newcastle disease water vaccine was used in chicken under commercial cage layer conditions using two different methods, Swish Corporation pipes and cups, and stainless stell troughs, in an effort to determine their effectiveness. The concentration of virus in trough and cup samples collected at the beginning and the end of the lines were the same except in one instance where little or no virus was transported to the end of the trough. Satisfactory results were obtained when the test was repeated a year later. Serum HI titers determined before and after vaccination demonstrated adequate flock serum titers and indicated that both methods of application were reasonably effective. In laboratory trials, different water pipes (black, polyvinyl chloride pipe and Hart cups, green, polyvinyl chloride pipe and Swish cups, and old, rusty, galvanized pipe) normally used in cage operations were tested. Our findings indicated that dried skim milk powder (DSMP) was essential in stabilizing vaccine virus in the containers tested and that an adequate vaccine virus concentration was maintained in the three types of pipe tested when DSMP was used. Without DSMP the vaccine titers were adversely affected.