Effect of a Naturally Occurring Outbreak of Newcastle Disease on Egg Quality and Production

Abstract INTRODUCTION FIVE investigations reporting losses in egg quality due to Newcastle disease (ND) have been published: Lorenz and Newlon (1944); Berg, Bearse and Hamilton (1947); Parnell (1950); Dearstyne, Lucas, Glazener and Blow (1950); and Pomeroy and Brandly (1953). A preliminary report on the effect of ND on egg quality was made by Quinn (1950). The purpose of this paper is to report observations on egg quality, egg production and mortality from October 1, 1948 to October 18, 1949, in a flock of White Leghorn pullets selected and bred for eggs having superior albumen quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS A naturally occurring outbreak of ND was observed at Beltsville in April, 1949, in a flock of early hatched White Leghorn pullets used in egg quality investigations, and kept in a conventional laying house. At 600 to 700 yards from the laying house were several colony houses which contained later hatched White Leghorn …