Horizontal transmission of Salmonella and Campylobacter among caged and cage-free laying hens.

In each of five sequential trials, laying hens (56-72 wk of age) were challenged with Salmonella and Campylobacter, and 1 wk postinoculation, the challenged hens (n = 3) were commingled with nonchallenged hens (n = 12) in conventional wire cages, on all-wire slats, or on all-shavings floor housing systems. After 12 days, challenged and nonchallenged hens were euthanatized for sample collection. Ceca were aseptically collected from all hens, and the spleen, liver/gallbladder (LGB), lower (LRT) and upper (URT) reproductive tracts, and ovarian follicles (mature and immature) were collected from only the challenged hens after commingling. Samples were divided equally and cultured separately for Salmonella and Campylobacter. Differences in the horizontal transmission of the challenge Salmonella to nonchallenged hens housed in cages (12%), on slats (15%), and on shavings (14%) were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the challenged pen-mate hens over the five trials. However, with the inclusion of residual environmental Salmonella, the recovery of Salmonella from nonchallenged hens housed in cages was lowest at 15%, intermediate for hens on slats at 20%, and highest for hens on shavings at 38%. Among challenged hens housed in cages, Salmonella was recovered from only 27% of the cecum and LRT samples. From challenged hens housed on slats, Salmonella was recovered from 38% of the cecum, 12% of the spleen, 19% of the LGB, 44% of the LRT, and 19% of the URT samples. From challenged hens housed on shavings, Salmonella was recovered from 31% of the cecum; 15% of the spleen, LGB, and URT; and 31% of the LRT samples. Horizontal transmission of Campylobacter among nonchallenged pen-mate hens was significantly lower for hens housed in cages at 28% than for hens on shavings at 47%, with hens on slats being intermediate at 36%. For challenged hens housed in cages, Campylobacter was recovered from 27% of the cecum, 13% of the LRT, 7% of the URT, and 17% of the follicle samples. Among the challenged hens housed on slats, Campylobacter was recovered from 44% of the cecum, 6% of the spleen, 19% of the LGB, 12% of the LRT, 6% of the URT, and 14% of the follicle samples. Among challenged hens housed on shavings, Campylobacter was recovered from 46% of the cecum, 8% of the LRT and URT, and 40% of the follicle samples. The overall results of this study indicate that the caged housing system provided the lowest horizontal transmission level of Salmonella and Campylobacter among egg-laying hens.