The effect of various homoeopathic potencies of the antigenic component of a Newcastle disease vaccine on the immune response of broiler chickens to the Newcastle disease vaccine

Abstract

Two hundred and ten (210) commercially produced Hubbard x Peterson broiler chickens were randomly divided into 5 groups of 42 chickens when they were 14 days old. Each group was divided into two replications. Twoseparate rooms of a poultry house were used to house the chickens, and each room housed one replication of each group. Group 1was not vaccinated and acted as an indicator of extraneous Newcastle disease. Group 2,3, and 4 received 12C,30C and 200C potencies ef the antigenic component of the vaccine respectively. Hcmceopcthic remedies were administered in the drinking water from ,day 14 to day 42. Group 5 was the vaccinated control group and received alcohol in the same concentrations as the groups receiving treatment from day 14 to day 42. On day 14 the birds were vaccinated subcutaneously in the retronuchal area with 0.5ml of a killed oil emulsion vaccine. Haemagglutination Inhibition tests were performed to quantify the immuneresponse to the vaccine on blood samples taken from all the birds on days 14, 28 and 42. Three way factorial analyses with groups, rooms and days as factors was carried out USingproe GLM. The daily administration of homoeopathic dilutions of the antigenic component of the Newcastleibition