Abstract

    One hundred and sixty one-day-old layer chicks were divided into four experimental groups A, B, C and D, with 40 birds in each group. Group A was kept as control (non-vaccinated), group B was given vaccine but not medicated, group C was administered vaccine as well as multivitamins for 3 days post-vaccination, while group D was also medicated with aspirin for 3 days post-vaccination. The parameters studied were: heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, serum biochemical analysis (serum protein, glucose and cholesterol), antibody response against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). At the end of experiment (42nd day) adrenal glands from 10 randomly selected birds from each group were subjected to gross and histopathological examination and adrenal/body weight ratio was also determined. The results showed non significant difference among different groups. However, the group that was given multivitamins showed maximum immune response against IBDV, while the aspirin therapy did not show any significant difference. It can be concluded that vaccine produced undetectable stress in layer chicks and the vitamin supplementation evidently showed as an immuno-potentiating effect.