Effects of dose of antigen and social environment on antibody response of high and low antibody response chickens.

Chickens selected for high (HA) and low (LA) antibody response were exposed to 10-fold doses of red blood cell and killed bacterial antigens while in three different social environments. Antibody responses of the HA and LA line chickens differed most in the socialized environment and at lower doses of antigen. Dose effects were most pronounced in LA-line chickens whereas relationship of humans to chickens was most important to HA-line chickens. Socialized chickens were more consistent than ignored chickens in their response to successive antigens. Correlation between antibody response to red blood cell antigen and Mycoplasma gallisepticum lesions was stronger among socialized chickens than among ignored chickens.