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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Livestock Behavior Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #352814
Research Project: Protecting the Welfare of Food Producing Animals

Location: Livestock Behavior Research

Title: Effects of a dietary synbiotic inclusion on bone health in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress episodes

Author
item YAN, FEIFEI - Zhejiang A & F University
item MOHAMMED, AHMED - Assiut University
item MURUGESAN, RAJ - Biomin America, Inc
item Cheng, Heng-Wei

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2018
Publication Date: 12/11/2019
Citation: Yan, F., Mohammed, A.A., Murugesan, R., Cheng, H. 2019. Effects of a dietary synbiotic inclusion on bone health in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress episodes. Poultry Science. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey508.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey508

Interpretive Summary: Skeletal disorder has been recognized as a critical issue impairing health and well-being of farm animals including poultry. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a dietary synbiotic inclusion on bone health in broiler chickens exposed to daily cyclic heat stress. Results showed that the dietary synbiotic supplementation improves the bone mineralization and health via reducing the negative effects of heat stress. This information can be used by poultry producers to develop a management strategy for improving chicken health and welfare.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a dietary synbiotic inclusion on broiler bone health under daily cyclic heat stress. Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old Ross 708 broilers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (n=8): a regular diet (control) and the regular diet mixed with a commercial synbiotic product at 0.5 (0.5X) or 1.0 (1.0X) g/kg. The synbiotic contains a prebiotic (fructo-oligosaccharides) and a probiotic mixture of four microbial strains (Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Lactobacillus reuteri). Room temperature was gradually decreased from 35 ºC on d 1 by 0.5 ºC/d for the first 14 d; then a cyclic heat stress episode (32 ºC/9 h/d) was applied from d 15 to 42. Gait score assessment and the latency to lie test were conducted when broilers were 40 and 41 d of age, respectively. The tibia, femur, and humerus were collected for measuring bone parameters at 42 d of age. The data indicated that bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and bone area were increased and the level of gait score was decreased in 1.0X group (P < 0.05) but not in 0.5X group (P > 0.05) compared to controls. The proportions of broilers showing signs of lameness were in the order of 1.0X group (25%) < 0.5X group (45%) < control (54%). Compared to controls, synbiotic fed broilers, regardless of dosage, stood much longer (P = 0.03) during the latency-to-lie test. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of the synbiotic improves bone health of broilers subjected to the cyclic heat stress episodes, resulting in an improvement in walking ability.