Author
Hume, Michael | |
Corrier, Donald | |
Nisbet, David | |
DELOACH, JOHN - 6202-30-10 |
Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Chicks at one day of age were treated with a mixture containing 29 beneficial bacteria referred to as CF3**TM. Previous studies demonstrated that the growth of Salmonella in the digestive tracts of young chicks experimentally infected with Salmonella 48 h after the chicks were treated with the CF3**TM bacteria was reduced. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of CF3**TM treatment on Salmonella infection in chicks when exposure to Salmonella occurred at 4, 24, or 48 h after they were given CF3**TM. The results indicated that following experimental infection with Salmonella the numbers of Salmonella were significantly decreased in chicks treated with CF3**TM as early as 4 h after the treatment. The results of this study are of interest to researchers, growers, and producers of poultry products. Technical Abstract: Broiler chicks were treated by oral gavage on day-of-hatch with a continuous-flow competitive exclusion culture containing 29 cecal bacteria (CF3**TM). At 4, 24, or 48 h post-treatment, chicks were challenged by oral gavage with 10**2 or 10**4 Salmonella to determine the effects of challenge time and dosage on Salmonella cecal colonization. Cecal propionic acid concentrations increased (P = 0.001) 1 day post-treatment in chicks given CF3**TM. The increased propionic acids concentrations were indicative of the establishment of the CF3**TM bacteria. Salmonella population in the ceca decreased (P = 0.001) on average 6 log10 units in two trials in chicks challenged 4 h post-treatment with 10**4 Salmonella cfu. The early establishment of CF3**TM bacteria in the ceca followed by 10**2 and 10**4 challenges resulted in 0.03% and 0.03%, respectively, of the ceca testing Salmonella culture-positive, compared to 28% and 95%, respectively, culture-positive ceca in untreated chicks. Treatment of chicks with CF3**TM bacteria also resulted in significant decreases in Salmonella culture-positive ceca when chicks were challenged at 24 and 48 h post-treatment. The results from this study indicated that young broiler chicks were protected against cecal colonization when challenged with 10**2 and 10**4 dosages of Salmonella as early as 4 h post-treatment on the day-of-hatch with the CF3**TM bacteria. |