In this study, 151 (18.6%) of 814 ceca obtained during in-line processing o
f 28 broiler (Hybro G, Avian, Arbor acres, and Cobb breeds) and 5 layer (Ro
ss, Tetra SL, Isa Brown, and Brown Nick breeds) flocks in Turkey were found
to be contaminated with four different Salmonella serovars. Only Salmonell
a enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Enteritidis (Salmonella Enteritidis) was
recovered from layer birds, whereas Salmonella Enteritidis (81.5%), Salmon
ella Agona (7.6%), Salmonella Thompson (10.1%), and Salmonella Sarajane (0.
8%) were isolated from broiler birds. Isolations of Salmonella Agona and Sa
lmonella Thompson from poultry are reported for the first time in Turkey. T
he isolation of Salmonella Sarajane front Chickens is the first report in t
he world. The standard method of National Poultry Improvement Plan, U.S. De
partment of Agriculture, was used to detect Salmonella from chicken cecal s
amples. Primary and delayed secondary enrichments (PE and DSE) were done in
tetrathionate-Hajna broth (TTHB). Two different agar media, xylose lysine
tergitol 4 (XLT4) and brilliant green with novobiocin (BGN) were used to ob
serve, and compared for their isolation and selective differentiation of, S
almonella-suspected colonies. Isolated salmonellae were then biotyped and s
erotyped. Ninety-one and 151 salmonellae were isolated with XLT4 agar after
PE and DSE, respectively. From the same samples, BGN agar was able to dete
ct only 50 and 131 Salmonella after PE and DSE, respectively. The isolation
rate with XLT4 was 11.2% (P < 0.01) with PE, and this rate increased to 18
.6% after DSE. Also, the RE isolation rate (11.2%) with XLT4 agar was signi
ficantly higher (P < 0.01) than PE with BGN agar (6.1%). Salmonella was iso
lated from 39.3% (11 of 28) of the broiler flocks and from 60.0% (3 of 5) o
f the layers. The detection sensitivity of the isolation method was determi
ned as 1 CFU g(-1) experimentally. These data demonstrate the presence of S
almonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Thompson, Salmonella Agona, and Salmonell
a Sarajane in chicken flocks in Turkey.