ARS | Publication request: EVALUATION OF STOCKING DENSITY ON INTESTINAL MOCROFLORA OF BROILERS

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: October 30, 2004
Publication Date: January 15, 2005
Citation: Putskam, M., Vizzier-Thaxton, Y., Dozier III, W.A., Thaxton, J.P., Roush, W.B., Branton, S.L., Morgan, G.W., Miles, D.M., Lott, B.D. 2005. Evaluation of stocking density on intestinal microflora of broilers. Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting. Abstract 71. p. 18.

Technical Abstract: Product quality in broilers, as indicated by microbial numbers on meat, is indirectly related to the microbial flora of the total intestine. The question of whether stocking density impinges on microbial related product quality has not been investigated previously. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbial flora of the entire intestine in broilers as influenced by stocking density. Two trials were conducted and in each trial 1,488 male chicks were randomized across 32 floor pens to simulate a final density of 30, 35, 40, and 45 kg/m2 based on a projected final BW of 3.29 kg. At 49d, 2 birds were selected at random from each of the 32 pens. Each bird was killed by cervical dislocation and within 10min both the small and large intestines were removed aseptically. Small and large intestines were each deposited into a sterile zip-lock bag and placed in an ice bath. Immediately after collection of intestines, the sealed intestinal samples were frozen at -20C for later microbial analysis. Samples were removed from the freezer, thawed in a cool water bath and aseptically cut into pieces for analysis. Serial dilutions were made for enumeration using standard plate counting techniques for anerobic, anaerobic, coliform and mold counts. Results show that density had no effect on microbial counts in either segment of the intestine. Apparently, stocking density does not affect microbial numbers in the intestines of broilers.