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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #291887
Title: Salmonella typhimurium litter recovery during rearing of broiler breeder pullets on skip-a-day and every-day feeding programs

Author
item WILSON, KIM - University Of Georgia
item MCLENDON, BEVERLY - University Of Georgia
item Bourassa, Dianna
item WILSON, JEANNA - University Of Georgia
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2013
Publication Date: 7/21/2013
Citation: Wilson, K.M., Mclendon, B.L., Bourassa, D.V., Wilson, J.L., Cox Jr, N.A., Buhr, R.J. 2013. Salmonella typhimurium litter recovery during rearing of broiler breeder pullets on skip-a-day and every-day feeding programs[abstract]. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. 92:(E-Suppl.1)P272.p.92.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The impact of restrictive feeding programs on litter Salmonella contamination after challenge with Salmonella-positive seeder chicks was investigated. Chicks (135/pen) were placed on litter into 3 feeding program rooms, each room containing duplicate pens. Feeding programs began at wk 4 and were as follows: 1) Skip-a-day in the trough feeder (SAD); 2) Every-day in the trough feeder (EDT); or 3) Every-day on the litter (EDL). At 5 wk, 5 Salmonella-seeder pullets (gavaged with 4.0 x 10^4 cells of a nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium on day 1) were commingled in each pen and the litter surface sampled using stepped-on drag swabs at 7, 9, and 11 wk. At 7 wk, from one SAD and one EDT pen Salmonella was recovered from the litter with direct plating and after enriched all six pens were Salmonella-positive. At 9 and 11 wk, pen litter was sampled at the following times: 1) Before feeding, 2) 3 h after feeding, and 3) 6 h after feeding. At 9 wk there were two sampling days for SAD, EDT and EDL and at 11 wk SAD pens were sampled on both off-feed and on-feed days. At 9 wk: SAD had the highest Salmonella-positive litter with 11/12 direct plates positive and 100% following enrichment. EDT had only 2/12 direct plates positive and 100% following enrichment. EDL had the lowest Salmonella recovery, with no direct positive plates and only 58% positive following enrichment. At 11 wk: SAD again had the highest Salmonella-positives for both on-feed day 4/12 direct plates and 100% following enrichment and off-feed days 2/12 direct plates and 100% following enrichment. EDT had only 1/12 positive direct plates but 100% following enrichment. EDL had the lowest Salmonella litter recovery, with no direct positive plates and only 50% following enrichment. There were no obvious associations with the time after feeding of collected litter samples (presence of fresh feces) and Salmonella recovery. These results suggest that feeding broiler breeder pullets SAD may contribute to higher Salmonella litter contamination and persistence after an environmental challenge during rearing.