Evaluating performance, intestinal lesions, and immunity related genes in heritage and modern broiler breeds during a necrotic enteritis challenge.

In this comparative study, the differential responses of heritage (ACRB; Athens Canadian Random Bred) and modern (Cobb) broilers to a necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge were evaluated. The design was a 2×2 factorial with breed (ACRB and Cobb) and challenge (non-challenged and NE-challenged) as main factors. On day (d) of hatch, 96 male chicks (48 ACRB and 48 Cobb) were allocated to 4 experimental groups with 8 replicate cages and 3 birds/cage.

A review on the effect of soy bioactive components on growth and health outcomes in pigs and broiler chickens.

While soy products have long been included in animal diets for their macronutrient fractions, more recent work has focused on the immunomodulatory potential of bioactive components of this feedstuff. This comprehensive review aims to identify the current state of knowledge on minor soy fractions and their impact on the health and growth of pigs and broiler chickens to better direct future research. A total of 7,683 publications were screened, yet only 151 were included in the review after exclusion criteria were applied, with the majority (n = 87) of these studies conducted in pigs.

Effects of a coccidiosis challenge on dietary methionine recommendations in broilers.

Broilers are commonly exposed to coccidiosis infections, and the use of dietary strategies to reduce losses in growth performance has practical implications for the poultry industry. Methionine (Met) is typically the first limiting amino acid for broilers and is involved in metabolic and immunological pathways; however, literature is conflicting on how dietary Met requirements are affected by environmental stressors. Our objective was to assess how the Met requirement changes during coccidiosis based on results of growth performance, carcass traits, and health outcomes.

Refined functional carbohydrates reduce adhesion of Salmonella and Campylobacter to poultry epithelial cells in vitro.

The development of interventions to reduce human foodborne pathogens in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of chickens will be important for improving the microbial food safety of poultry. Saccharomyces-derived prebiotic refined functional carbohydrates (RFC), composed primarily of β-glucans, mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), and D-mannose have been demonstrated to reduce GI colonization of Salmonella and Campylobacter when administered to poultry. Although they are presumed to inhibit adhesion of pathogens to the GI epithelium, this functionality of RFC has not been well characterized.

Administration of dietary prebiotics improves growth performance and reduces pathogen colonization in broiler chickens.

Dietary prebiotics are thought to be potentially important alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production because of their beneficial performance and health effects. The administration of dietary prebiotics has been demonstrated to improve animal health, growth performance, and microbial food safety in poultry production. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Saccharomyces-derived prebiotic refined functional carbohydrates (RFC) with yeast culture on growth performance and gastrointestinal and environmental microbiota when administered in-feed and through drinking water to broiler chickens.