Effect of Immobilization and Formaldehyde on Immunological Responsiveness in Young Chickens ,

Three week old male broiler chicks were immobilized in a dorsal position for 12 hours or given intravenous injections of a 20 % formaldehyde solution. Twelve hours following the treatments the birds were immunized with sheep red blood cells (S.R.B.C). The ensuing primary hemagglutinin responses were serologically monitored by bleeding the birds at three day intervals for IS days following the S.R.B.C.-injections. Immobilization and formaldehyde injections did not suppress the levels of hemagglutinins at any time during the primary immune response. These data suggest that immunosuppression is not characteristic of physiological stress in young chickens.