Gene transfer in poultry by introduction of embryo cells in ovo

摘要

A method of altering the phenotype of a bird comprises introducing a DNA sequence into somatic cells of a bird contained within an egg during in ovo incubation. The DNA sequence is selected to be effective to cause a change in phenotype, such as an increase in growth rate, feed efficiency, or both in the bird after hatch. A DNA sequence may further be selected to increase disease resistance or induce disease prevention by the expression of an antigen over a period of time.