Effect of early gut microbiota intervention using pre-designed poultry microbiota substitute on broiler health and performance

Abstract

Context: The designer gut microbiota in broiler chickens is a novel concept involving post-hatch inoculation of chicks with beneficial or commensal non-pathogenic bacteria as an inoculum. This process aims to control gut colonisation by administering desirable microbiota to prevent access to harmful and pathogenic bacteria via competitive exclusion. Aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of one such intervention on broiler gut microbiota, microbial diversity and growth performance. Methods: The intervention involved spraying the newly hatched chicks with a commercially available mix of non-pathogenic bacterial species isolated from chicken intestine. Key results: Bodyweight gain was significantly higher in the treated group, and performance measures showed improvement. Beta diversity analysis showed a significant difference in the gut microbiota between the control and treatment groups. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the effects and potential benefits of early intervention to influence gut microbial composition and improve the uniformity across the flock and enhance broiler health and performance. Implications: This study has highlighted the complexity of microbiota dynamics and the need for further research to fully understand the implications of designer gut microbiota in poultry production.