Which birds receive the Salmonella enteritidis vaccine that reduces fecal shedding by protecting ovaries and oviduct?

• A. Chicks
• B. Laying hens
• C. Roosters
• D. Ducks

Answer: (B)

Protecting the reproductive tract of laying hens with a Salmonella enteritidis vaccine reduces the bacteria in the hen’s body and feces and blocks the bacteria from reaching the ovaries and oviduct, which in turn lowers contamination of eggs. This approach specifically targets egg safety, since only laying hens produce eggs and thus are most impacted by vertical transmission through the oviduct. By immunizing layers, you reduce fecal shedding that can contaminate the environment and the eggs themselves.

So, the birds that receive this vaccine are laying hens. Roosters, chicks, and ducks aren’t the primary targets for this egg-safety vaccine strategy because it’s aimed at preventing Salmonella from entering eggs during formation in the ovaries and oviduct, a process relevant to hens actively laying eggs.