DISTRIBUTION OF TESTS AND REACTORS 



A total of 947,590 chicken samples from 11 counties was tested and the per- 

 centage of positive tests was 0.0001 (table 1). The single reactor, a Brown Leghorn 

 hen, was found in a small fancier's flock in Worcester County. Essex, Plymouth, 

 Middlesex, and Worcester Counties led in the number of samples tested. 



The following breeds were tested: Australorp, Bantam, Barred Plymouth Rock, 

 Columbian, Cornish, Crosses, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, White 

 American, White Leghorn, White Plymouth Rock, White Wyandotte. 



The White Plymouth Rock, Barred Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, White 

 Leghorn, and New Hampshire were the predominating breeds tested. Of the total 

 samples tested 40.19 percent were taken from White Plymouth Rock, 18.28 percent 

 from Barred Plymouth Rock, 12.64 percent from Rhode Island Red, 7.25 percent 

 from the White Leghorn, and the remainder from other breeds. 



Of the 860,873 samples collected from females 33,580 were from hens, and 

 827,293 from pullets, with 0.00 and 0.0001 percent reactors, respectively. Among 

 the 86,717 samples collected from males none were positive. 



ANNUAL TESTING OF FLOCKS 



Table 2 lists the results from flocks tested (1) for the first time, (2) intermit- 

 tently, (3) for two consecutive years, and (4) for three or more consecutive years. 



In the group tested for the first time, 22 flocks were tested which revealed the 

 single infected bird. The infected flock represented a small group of fancier's birds. 

 The infection in this flock was first identified among birds exhibited at the Boston 

 Poultry Show. A later complete test of the flock revealed no additional infected 

 birds. The average number of birds per flock in this group was 723. 



No reactors were detected among the flocks in the intermittent, two-year, and 

 three-year tested groups. The average number of birds per flock in the respective 

 groups was as follows: intermittent— 2,162; two-year group — 3,686; three-year 

 group — 4,970. 



For all four groups 218 flocks were tested, representing 944,955 birds and 

 947,590 samples, of which 0.0001 percent were positive. The 208 flocks that were 



Table 2. Annual Testing Versus Single and Intermittent Testing 



