Egg Quality and Production Following Infectious Bronchitis Virus Exposure at One Day Old

ABSTRACT One-day-old pullet chickens from an infectious bronchitis-free flock we e exposed to Massachusetts serotype infectious bronchitis virus. Permanent damage was caused in the oviduct which led to permanently reduced production and quality when the chickens came into lay. The following characteristics of eggs from infected chickens were found in significant numbers: faculty-shaped eggs, calcareous deposits, ridges on the shell surface, yolk separating from albumen and albumen sticking to shell membrane on breaking the egg. Each chicken was consistent in the type of egg laid and there was a positive correlation between abnormal egg quality and morphological lesions in the oviduct. There was also a positive correlation between shell and internal abnormalities. POULTRY SCIENCE 51: 582-585, 1972 INFECTIOUS bronchitis (LB.) has long been associated with the reproductive tract (Van Roekel et al., 1939). Hens that have recovered from the disease lay eggs of poor internal and external quality. Produc-tion is also reduced (Urban and Goodwin