Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #63503
Title: EFFECTS OF A COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION CULTURE ON (CF3) SALMONELLA CROP AND CECAL COLONIZATION IN BROILERS DURING GROWOUT

Author
item Hume, Michael
item Corrier, Donald
item Nisbet, David
item Deloach, John

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Salmonella colonization in young chicks may persist until the chicks reach market age and can lead to cross-contamination of carcasses during processing. Prevention and treatment of Salmonella colonization is a major concern to poultry and food industries and to the consumer. A culture, designated CF3 and containing 29 different bacteria, has been developed and dcharacterized in our laboratory, and has been shown to reduce Salmonella colonization in the crop and ceca of young chicks. Half of the chicks in the present study were treated at 1 day of age with CF3 to determine the effects on Salmonella crop and cecal colonization during growout and at market age. All chicks at 3 days of age were challenged orally with Salmonella. Crops and ceca from untreated chicks during growout and at market age contained greater numbers of Salmonella than ceca from CF3-treated chickens. Greater percentages of crops and ceca during growout and at market age from untreated chicks than from treated chickens contained Salmonella. Litter contamination by Salmonella at growout was reduced in pens that held treated chickens compared to litter from pens that held untreated chickens. Results indicate that CF3 reduced crop and cecal colonization by Salmonella at growout, which may reduce the number of Salmonella entering the processing plant and decrease the potential for carcass contamination during processing.

Technical Abstract: Broiler chicks were inoculated by gavage on the day-of-hatch with a characterized continuous-flow (CF3) competitive exclusion culture, that contained 29 different bacterial isolates, to determine the effects on Salmonella cecal and crop colonization during growout. Chicks at 3-d-old were challenged by gavage with 10**4 Salmonella. Propionic acid increased (P