Hi
Of course, animals will respond. But the response to antigens is different depending on many factors including most important - the maturation of the immune system. So the level of "adequacy"/expectations could be different depending on briding method, GIT microbiome, physiological status of animals, and age/immune system maturity.
"These immunoglobulins are specific to the microbes encountered by the hen during its lifespan and are captured from the bloodstream to be incorporated in ovarian growing follicles. These maternal immunoglobulins ensure the protection of the embryo during incubation but more surely to the chick, after abdominal resorption of the residual yolk sac occurring just before hatching."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128096338205682
"older birds may invest differently in some immune components as compared to younger birds based on their protective value at the time (Norris and Evans 2000; Holmes and Martin 2009) and such a pattern might be explained by the immunoredistribution hypothesis (Braude et al. 1999), i.e. a reallocation of resources from one immune component to another. An energetic shift from one immune component to another like this could further be explained by the avoidance of autoimmune diseases which have been shown to increase with age (Grubeck-Loebenstein and Wick 2002)."
Article Growing old with the immune system: A study of immunosenesce...
Some additional references:
Article Effects of age on immune function in broiler chickens
Article Age-dependent immune responses and immune protection after a...
Best regards
Tomasz
Hi,
you can also check Pauly et al. (2008) work on laying capacity and specific IgY production. They found that total IgY content was greater during the second year of immunization.
Hope it helps!
Article Monitoring of Laying Capacity, Immunoglobulin Y Concentratio...