Poultry Judging Practice Test

The correct answer is passive immunity. This type of immunity occurs when antibodies are transferred from one individual to another. In chickens, the hen provides antibodies to her chicks through the egg yolk. These antibodies help to protect the chick in its early days of life before it has developed its own immune system and can produce its own antibodies.

Passive immunity is particularly important because it gives the chick immediate protection against pathogens that the hen has been exposed to in her environment. This form of immunity is temporary, as the antibodies will degrade over time and the chick will eventually need to develop its own immunity through exposure to disease and vaccination.

In contrast, acquired immunity relates to the immunity that is developed over time through exposure to pathogens or vaccinations. Inherited immunity typically refers to genetic factors passed from parents to offspring that may affect immune function but does not directly involve the transfer of antibodies. Natural immunity refers to the immune responses developed through exposure to antigens in the environment rather than through maternal transfer via the egg.