Abstract: Impact of postbiotics and phytogenics on turkeys challenged with Histomonas meleagridis
The objective of the present studies evaluated a combination of postbiotics and phytogenics (CPP) fed at 1.6 lb/ton on histomonas-challenged poults measuring infection rate, lesion scores and performance in a CRD.
In S1, 2 out of 8 poults/cage were intracloacally challenged with 105 H. meleagridis cells/mL at day 13. Two groups were evaluated: control (C) and CPP, with 10 replicates/treatment and 10 (pre-challenge)/8 (post-challenge) birds/cage from 0 to 33 days.
In S2, all poults were directly inoculated with 105 (L) or 2×105 (H) histomonas/bird at d10. Four groups were evaluated: L + no CPP, H + no CPP, L + CPP, H + CPP with 6 replicates/treatment and 6 birds/cage from 0 to 30 days.
Birds were fed corn and soybean meal based basal diets. Data were analyzed independently using dietary treatments as main factors.
S1 CPP contact birds exhibited a significantly lower horizontal transmission rate and incidence of cecal lesion scores than C (p<0.05). S1 CPP seeders exhibited numerically lower mortality as compared to C (-20%). Additionally, S1 CPP’s body weight was significantly heavier throughout the trial.
In S2, both liver and cecal lesion scores were reduced numerically in birds fed CPP, with lower reported incidences of severity compared to their respective non-CPP counterparts. In S2, post-challenge BW trended heavier, and FI was significantly higher (p<0.05) in CPP birds versus non-CPP.
Based on these trial results, dietary supplementation of CPP was supportive in minimizing clinical signs and production performance impact on poults challenged with histomonas.
This study was conducted by Megan Koppen, Manuel Da Costa, Maci Oelschlager, Cargill Animal Nutrition; Danielle Graham, Aaron Forga, Benjamin Parsons, University of Arkansas; Lisa Bielke, Philip Yeboah, Thaciane Amaral, Demilade Ibiwoye, North Carolina State University. It was presented at the 2025 conference of the American Association of Avian Pathologists.
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