New research suggests that probiotics can help protect broilers against gut diseases, such as necrotic enteritis. Increasingly, probiotics serve as a substitute for antibiotic growth promotants, which are no longer used.
The gut microbiome is the new frontier in poultry research, and few people know more about it than Lisa Bielke, PhD, distinguished scholar of turkey health at North Carolina State University.
An experimental gut treatment led by molecular microbiologist Melha Mellata, PhD, Iowa State University, demonstrated that using host-specific bacteria improved overall immunity and resistance to bacteria in young chicks.
Gut microbial integrity is affected when poultry experience stress, pathogen exposure or are treated with antibiotics, ultimately impacting levels of important substances such as butyric acid, an energy source for cells in the gut lining. How this compound is replaced can have crucial effects on animal performance and return on investment,.
Controlling foodborne pathogens in poultry requires nearly identical approaches whether production is conventional or antibiotic-free, according to Chuck Hofacre, DVM, PhD, president of the Southern Poultry Research Group, Inc.
Change is constant and there’s always a learning curve. Such was the case around 2017, as pressure built toward more cage-free housing systems for egg-laying hens along with the push to reduce antibiotics or antibiotic substances in animal diets.
Between most poultry companies raising a portion of their birds with no antibiotics and FDA imposing more limits on how antibiotics can be used, the poultry industry has turned to a rapidly growing menu of alternative therapies to help maintain a healthy gut.
The diet and gut drive a bird’s growth, but they also play a role in the immune system and physiology of the animal, which influences health and disease outcomes.
