SALMONELLA COLONIZATION AND SHEDDING PATTERNS OF HENS INOCULATED VIA SEMEN

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of inseminating hens with semen contaminated with marker strains of Salmonella enteri tidis and S. typhimurium. Eggs were collected and examined for salmone llae. In Expt. 1, 3/57 (5.3%) of eggs from S. enteritidis-challenged h ens and 2/50 (4.0%) of eggs from S. typhimurium-challenged hens were c ontaminated with salmonellae. Salmonellae were recovered from only the shell. In Expt. 2, however, no eggs from S. typhimurium-challenged he ns were contaminated; 2/73 (2.7%) of the eggs from S. enteritidis-chal lenged hens were contaminated. In Expt. 1, S. typhimurium was present in 30% of the oviducts and 20% of the ovaries; S. enteritidis was pres ent in 20% of the oviducts and 20% of the ovaries. No salmonellae-cont aining oviducts or ovaries were found in either S. enteritidis- or S. typhimurium-challenged hens in Expt. 2. S. enteritidis and S. typhimur ium were found in fecal samples taken 24 hr after insemination, but on ly S. enteritidis was fecally shed 7 days after insemination (20% in E xpt. 1). Data indicate that semen may serve as a vehicle for transmiss ion of salmonellae to the hen, which may result in sporadic production of contaminated eggs.