Method of producing avian eggs and birds of germ-free status

Abstract

The invention provides a method of rearing a bird of germ-free status. The method comprises housing a bird as a parent bird, surgically removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird, incubating the egg still in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird. The invention also relates to the production of avian eggs of germ-free status.

1 - 57 . (canceled)  
   
   
       58 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a specified germ-free status in a sterile environment comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 housing a bird as a parent bird;  
 removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird; and  
 incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;  
   (b) housing the laying bird;    (c) using the laying bird to lay another egg; and    (d) removing the egg obtained from step (c) to another sterile environment.    
   
   
       59 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 58 .  
   
   
       60 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status in a sterile environment comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a flock of similar birds all reared under the same conditions;  
 housing one of the birds as a parent bird;  
 removing an egg from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird; and  
 incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;  
   (b) housing the laying bird;    (c) using the laying bird to lay another egg; and    (d) removing the egg obtained from step (c) to another sterile environment.    
   
   
       61 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 60 .  
   
   
       62 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status in a sterile environment comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a flock of similar birds all reared under the same conditions;  
 housing one of the birds as a parent bird;  
 performing a laparotomy incision and tying off the oviduct of the bird at both ends with sutures prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird;  
 transecting the oviduct distal to each suture;  
 removing the egg in its shell enclosed in the oviduct;  
 sterilizing the oviduct;  
 removing the egg;  
 sterilizing the exterior of the egg shell; and  
 incubating the egg and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;  
   (b) housing the laying bird;    (c) using the laying bird to lay another egg; and    (d) removing the egg obtained from step (c) to another sterile environment,    in which the egg is, on laying, immediately removed and the shell of the egg is sterlized.    
   
   
       63 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 62 .  
   
   
       64 . A germ-free bird hatched from a germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status comprising the steps of, in a sterile environment: 
 housing a bird as a parent bird;    removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird;    incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;    testing the laying bird for specific contaminants to provide a measure of the germ-free status;    housing the laying bird in another sterile environment;    using the laying bird to lay the egg of a germ-free status; and    removing the egg of a germ-free status to another sterile environment.    
   
   
       65 . A germ-free bird hatched from a germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a specified germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 housing a bird as a parent bird;  
 in a sterile environment removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird; and  
 in a sterile environment incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;  
   (b) housing the laying bird in a sterile environment; and    (c) using the laying bird to lay the egg of a specified germ-free status in a sterile environment.    
   
   
       66 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 65 .  
   
   
       67 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising obtaining a flock of similar birds all reared under the same conditions; 
 housing one of the birds as a parent bird; and  
 in a sterile environment removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird;  
 in a sterile environment incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird;  
   (b) housing the laying bird in a sterile environment; and    (c) using the laying bird to lay the egg of a germ-free status in a sterile environment.    
   
   
       68 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 67 .  
   
   
       69 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a bird of germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a flock of similar birds all reared under the same conditions;  
 housing one of the birds as a parent bird;  
 in a sterile environment performing a laparotomy incision and tying off the oviduct of the bird at both ends with sutures prior to transfer of an egg to the cloaca in the parent bird;  
 transecting the oviduct distal to each suture in a sterile environment;  
 removing the egg in its shell enclosed in the oviduct in a sterile environment;  
 sterilizing the oviduct;  
 removing the egg in a sterile environment; and  
 sterilizing the exterior of the egg shell;  
   (b) incubating the egg and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird in a sterile environment;    (c) housing the laying bird in a sterile environment; and    (d) using the laying bird to lay the egg of a germ-free status in a sterile environment;    in which the egg of a germ-free status is, on laying, immediately removed and the shell of the egg of a germ-free status is sterilized.    
   
   
       70 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg as claimed in  claim 69 .  
   
   
       71 . A germ-free bird hatched from a germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca, produced by a method of providing an egg of a germ-free status comprising the steps of: 
 housing a bird as a parent bird;    in a sterile environment removing an egg in its shell from the parent bird prior to transfer of the egg to the cloaca in the parent bird;    incubating the egg in its shell and hatching the egg to produce a laying bird in a sterile environment;    testing the laying bird for specific contaminants to provide a measure of the germ-free status;    housing the laying bird in a sterile environment;    using the laying bird to lay the egg of a germ-free status in a sterile environment; and    removing the egg of a germ-free status to another sterile environment.    
   
   
       72 . A germ-free egg free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca.  
   
   
       73 . A germ-free bird free of contamination by bacteria which would normally enter the porous egg-shell in cloaca.  
   
   
       74 . The germ-free egg according to  claim 58 , wherein the bacteria include anaerobic and aerobic species, commensal species and species associated with the gut.  
   
   
       75 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg according to  claim 74 .  
   
   
       76 . The germ-free egg according to  claim 72 , wherein the bacteria include anaerobic and aerobic species, commensal species and species associated with the gut.  
   
   
       77 . A germ-free bird hatched from the germ-free egg according to  claim 76.