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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172104
Title: EFFECT OF PROBIOTIC CULTURES OR ANTIBIOTICS ON ENTERITIS-SUSCEPTIBLE POULT PERFORMANCE WITHIN BROODING HOUSES

Author
item HIGGINS, STACY - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item TORRES-RODRIGUEZ, A - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item VINCENTE, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item NAVA, G - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item PIXLEY, C - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item SARTOR, C - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item TELLEZ, G - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item DONOGHUE, DAN - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item HARGIS, BILLY - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2003
Publication Date: 9/29/2004
Citation: Higgins, S.E., Torres-Rodriguez, A., Vincente, J.L., Nava, G.M., Pixley, C.M., Sartor, C.D., Tellez, G.I., Donoghue, D.J., Donoghue, A.M., Hargis, B.M. 2004. Effect of probiotic cultures or antibiotics on enteritis-susceptible poult performance within brooding houses [abstract]. Poultry Science. 83(Suppl 1):1779.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sixteen wire-panel pens were constructed within a commercial brooding house, allowed comparison of 4 different treatments (4 pens/treatment, 18 poults/pen) in 3 trails. At one week-of age, treatments included: non-treated controls, organic acidifier followed by 2 Lactobacilli (LAB) culture, organic acidifier followed by 11 LAB culture, or amprolium and/or neomycin for 7 days (as per company prescribed treatment of flock). In trial 1 and 2 there were no significant differences (p<0.05) between any treatments, however, at 21 days, the mean weight of pens receiving the 11 LAB culture was heavier (380.91g) than non-treated controls (353.79g) and antibiotic treated poults (370.46g) in trial 1. In trial 2, at 33 days old, the mean weight of pens receiving the 11 LAB culture were higher (913.14g) than control pens (893.05g) but were the same as pens receiving antibiotic treatment (912.86g). However, we also observed faster gain between days 25 and 33 in the 11 LAB treatment (396.59g), but the slowest gain in antibiotics treated pens (382.66g). In the third trial, we evaluated three treatments in a commercial house from day 12 to day 47 during an outbreak of Salmonella seftenbury infection. Treatment groups were non-treated controls, 11 LAB culture (no organic acidifier), or antibiotics (penicillin, 3-Nitro, and/or neomycin sulfate) followed by 3 days of 2 LAB culture. In this experiment, the poults receiving antibiotics followed by probiotics had significantly higher gain (856.62g) over the duration of the experiment (from day 12 of age to day 47) compared the other treatments (control-745.82g, 11 LAB-777.18g). In trial 3, however, the gain between days 29 to 47 was not significantly different between antibiotic-treated poults (379.12g) and 11 LAB treated poults (372.92g). In summary, we found that administering a prophylactic treatment of probiotic culture achieved similar or better performance than antibiotics alone. However, during a disease outbreak, administration of appropriate antibiotics followed by a probiotic culture caused significantly higher gain over the duration of the experiment.