In ovo evaluation of FloraMax®-B11 on Marek´s disease HVT vaccine protective efficacy, hatchability, microbiota composition, morphometric analysis, and Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broiler chickens

Authors: TEAGUE, K. - University Of Arkansas; GRAHAM, L. - University Of Arkansas; Dunn, John; Cheng, Hans; ANTHONY, N. - University Of Arkansas; LATORRE, J. - University Of Arkansas; MECONI, A. - Pacific Vet Group-Usa, Inc; WOLFEDEN, R. - Pacific Vet Group-Usa, Inc; WOLFEDEN, A. - University Of Arkansas; MAHAFFEY, B. - University Of Arkansas; BAXTER, M. - University Of Arkansas; HERNANDEZ-VELASCO, X. - The National Autonomous University Of Mexico; MERINO-GUZMAN, R. - The National Autonomous University Of Mexico; BIELKE, L. - The Ohio State University; HARGIS, B. - University Of Arkansas; TELLEZ, G. - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2016
Publication Date: 2/4/2017
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5763042
Citation: Teague, K.D., Graham, L.E., Dunn, J.R., Cheng, H.H., Anthony, N., Latorre, J.D., Meconi, A., Wolfeden, R.E., Wolfeden, A.D., Mahaffey, B.D., Baxter, M., Hernandez-Velasco, X., Merino-Guzman, R., Bielke, L.R., Hargis, B.M., Tellez, G. 2017. In ovo evaluation of FloraMax®-B11 on Marek´s disease HVT vaccine protective efficacy, hatchability, microbiota composition, morphometric analysis, and Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 96(7):2074-2082. doi:10.3382/ps/pew494.

Interpretive Summary: Probiotics are attractive additives to animal feed to improve animal health and growth plus serve as an alternative to antibiotics. In this experiment, a defined lactic acid bacterial culture was delivered in ovo to chicken embryos to determine if this routine practice in the poultry industry was feasible. It was found that the probiotic did not negatively impact the efficacy of Marek’s disease vaccines in egg-type chickens, and had a beneficiary influence on reducing Salmonella prevalence in meat-type chickens as well as improving body weight gain. This work demonstrates probiotics are a viable approach to improve poultry health and growth without negating the positive protective actions of vaccines in chickens. US and world consumers will benefit from implementation of this probiotic to chickens by having access to healthier and more economical poultry meat and eggs from birds with improved welfare.

Technical Abstract: Four experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of in ovo administration of FloraMax®-B11 (FM) on Marek´s disease (MD) herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) vaccine protective efficacy, hatchability, microbiota composition, morphometric analysis and Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection in chickens. In Exp. 1, day 18 White Leghorn embryos were randomly distributed in four groups: 1) HVT vaccinated in ovo and no Marek’s disease virus (MDV) challenge; 2), HVT + FM vaccinated in ovo and no MDV challenge; 3) HVT vaccinated in ovo and challenge with very virulent MDV (vvMDV; strain 583A); 4), HVT + FM vaccinated in ovo and challenge with vMDV. Exp. 2 was designed exactly the same as Exp. 1 but chicks were challenged with very virulent MDV (vvMDV; strains Md5 and 612). In both experiments, birds were monitored until 8 wk of age, and tested for MD incidence. Exp. 3 and 4, day 18 commercial broiler embryos were injected in ovo with either saline or FM to measure hatchability and gastrointestinal composition. In addition, in Exp. 4, all chickens that hatched were then orally gavaged with SE at hatch and kept for 7 d to monitor post hatch BW. In Exp. 1 and 2, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between MD percentage in birds vaccinated with HVT alone or HVT + FM. In Exp. 3 and 4, administration of the probiotic did not negatively affect hatchability, but did reduce lactose positive Gram negative bacteria. Further, increase in BW was associated with higher villi surface area in ileum in chickens that received the probiotic as well as a significant reduction in the SE incidence. These results study suggest that in ovo administration of FM does not negatively impact the ability of HVT to protect against MD or hatchability of chickens, and improves BW during the first 7 d of life and decreases SE recovery in broiler chickens.