In ovo inoculation of an Enterococcus faecium–based product to enhance broiler hatchability, live performance, and intestinal morphology

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested the use of probiotics, as alternative to antibiotics, to enhance broiler performance. The administration of probiotics in feed has been widely explored; however, few studies have evaluated the in ovo inoculation of probiotics. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the impact of in ovo inoculation of different concentrations of GalliPro Hatch ( GH ), an Enterococcus faecium –based probiotic, on hatchability, live performance, and gastrointestinal parameters. Ross x Ross 708 fertile eggs were incubated, and on day 18, injected with the following treatments: 1) 50 μL of Marek's vaccine ( MV ), 2) MV and 1.4 × 10 5 cfu GH/50 μL, 3) MV and 1.4 × 10 6 cfu GH/50 μL, 4) MV and 1.4 × 10 7 cfu GH/50 μL. On the day of hatch, chicks were weighed, feather sexed, and hatch residue was analyzed. Male birds (640) were randomly assigned to 40 floor pens. On day 0, 7, 14, and 21 of the grow-out phase, performance data were collected. One bird from each pen was used to obtain yolk weight and intestinal segment weight and length. Hatchability was not impacted by any GH treatment ( P = 0.58). On day 0, yolk weight was lower for all treatments than for MV alone. On day 0 to 7, feed intake was lower for 10 5 and 10 7 GH; the feed conversion ratio ( FCR ) was lower for all treatments than for MV alone ( P = 0.05; P = 0.01, respectively). From day 14 to 21, the 10 7 GH treatment had higher BW gain ( P = 0.05). For day 0 to 21, 10 7 GH had a lower FCR than MV alone ( P = 0.03). On day 0, all GH treatments resulted in heavier tissues and longer jejunum, ileum, and ceca lengths than MV alone ( P < 0.05). Spleen weight was higher for 10 5 and 10 7 GH than for MV alone. In conclusion, GH does not impact hatchability, and some concentrations improved live performance through the first 21 d of the grow-out phase. These improvements could result from the increased yolk absorption and improved intestinal and spleen morphology seen in this study.

Recombinant Muscovy Duck Parvovirus Led to Ileac Damage in Muscovy Ducklings

“…Enterococcus is Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic oval cocci, which are present as natural colonizers of the gastrointestinal tract in most humans and animals, and they have been used safely as probiotics [ 94 ]. Enterococcus can improve broiler live performance [ 95 ] and gut microvillus [ 96 ]. Enterococcus might regulate inflammatory responses [ 97 ], and viral infection can reduce the number of intestinal Enterococcus in piglets [ 98 ].…”

Effect of different types of sugar on gut physiology and microbiota in overfed goose

“…The results showed that the content of lactobacillus in jejunum of the maize flour group was significantly lower than that of the 3 sugar treatment groups, which suggested that the abundance of Lactobacillus in jejunum increased significantly after forced-feeding adding sugar. Lactobacillus is a normal beneficial bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, which can stimulate the body to produce immunoglobulin and enhance immunity ( Zhao et al., 2013 ; Castaneda et al., 2020 ). The results showed that the content of serum lactic acid in the 3 sugar treatment groups was higher than that in the maize flour group (19.39, 11.37, 14.98 vs 6.96 for the content of lactic acid in the serum, P < 0.05) ( Figure 1 C; Supplementary S-Table 5).…”

Comparison of overfeeding effects on gut physiology and microbiota in two goose breeds

“…Enterobacter is involved in fat accumulation and lipid metabolism ( Ferreira Barletta et al., 2016 ; Priyadarsini et al., 2020 ). Enterococcus faecium belongs to Lactobacillus , and it is a normal beneficial bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals ( Zhao et al., 2013 ; Castaneda et al., 2020 ). The E. coli causes immunological stress by damaging the intestine of poultry and produces lipopolysaccharide, which can affect the physiological and pathological processes of poultry and interfere with their normal function ( Munyaka et al., 2012 ).…”