SOURCES OF SALMONELLAE IN AN UNINFECTED COMMERCIALLY-PROCESSED BROILER FLOCK

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (3) , 267-274
Abstract
Cultural monitoring was used to study the incidence and sources of salmonellae in a 4160 bird broiler flock during the growing period, transport and processing in a commercial plant. No salmonellae were isolated from any of 132 litter samples or 189 chickens cultured during the 7 wk growing period, even though nest litter samples from 4 of the 8 parent flocks yielded salmonellae and Salmonella worthington was isolated from the meat meal component of the grower ration. On arrival at the plant, 2/23 birds sampled carried S. infantis on their feathers, although intestinal cultures failed to yield salmonellae. Three of 18 processed carcasses sampled yielded salmonellae (S. infantis and S. heidelberg, S. typhimurium var. copenhagen). The most likely source of these salmonellae was the plastic transport crates, since 15/107 sampled before the birds were loaded yielded salmonellae (S. infantis, S. typhimurium). The crate washer at the plant did not reduce the incidence of Salmonella-contaminated crates, since 16/116 sampled after washing yielded salmonellae (S. infantis, S. typhimurium, S. heidelberg, S. schwarzengrund and S. albany).