The effects of viral strain, viral dose, and age of bird at inoculation on subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV J) persistence, neutralizing antibody (VNAb) response, and tumors were studied in commercial meat-type chickens. Chickens were inoculated on the fifth day of embryonation (5 ED) or on day of hatch (DOH) with either 100 or 10,000 50% tissue-culture infective dose (TCID₅₀) of one of three ALV J strains, namely ADOL Hc1, ADOL 6803, or ADOL 4817. At 1, 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, and 32 wk posthatch, chickens were examined for ALV J viremia and VNAb against the inoculated strain of ALV J. A high incidence (83%–100%) of ALV J persistence was observed in all treatment groups. Development of VNAb did not always lead to viremia-free status; even though 18% of the chickens developed VNAb, only 4% were able to clear viremia. The viral strain, dose, and age of bird at inoculation seemed to have an effect on the incidence of VNAb; however, the differences were statistically significant in only some treatment groups. Chickens infected with ADOL 6803 had higher incidence of VNAb than chickens infected with ADOL Hc1 and ADOL 4817 (P < 0.05 in groups 5 ED at 100 TCID₅₀ and DOH at 10,000 TCID₅₀). There was a trend in all groups inoculated with 100 TCID₅₀ to have higher incidence of VNAb than that of groups inoculated with 10,000 TCID₅₀ (ADOL 6803 at 5 ED and ADOL 4817 at DOH [P < 0.05]; ADOL Hc1 at DOH [P < 0.08]). In most treatment groups (ADOL Hc1 at 100 and 10,000 TCID₅₀, ADOL 6803 at 10,000 TCID₅₀, and ADOL 4817 at 100 TCID₅₀), chickens inoculated at DOH had higher incidence of VNAb than that of chickens inoculated at 5 ED (ADOL 6803 at 10,000 TCID₅₀ [P < 0.05], ADOL Hc1 at 100 TCID₅₀ [P < 0.08]). Incidence of ALV J-induced tumors and tumor spectrum were influenced by viral strain, age at inoculation, and VNAb response.