Influence of Covering Reused Broiler Litter with Plastic Canvas on Litter Characteristics and Bacteriology and the Subsequent Immunity and Microbiology of Broilers

Chicken bed reuse

Aviculture is a developed and important industry worldwide. However, it is an industry that produces solid waste such as bedding. As an attempt to reduce environmental impact and productive activity costs, beds are reused by several consecutive lots which can increase microorganism concentration and lead to unsanitary conditions. In this regard, it is essential to adopt a litter pre-treatment during the gap sanitary period between lots to avoid passing problems to the birds from the current flock to the subsequent flock and to guarantee the litter quality. Several factors must be considered to guarantee that there is minimal damage to chicken production. Therefore, this literature review aims to approach the main factors that affect the thermal comfort and chicken litter quality, as well as alternatives used as an alternative biological treatment to guarantee its reuse quality.

Prevalence of Eimeria sp. in Broiler Poultry Houses with Positive and Negative Pressure Ventilation Systems in Southern Brazil

Coccidiosis is an enteric disease caused by protozoa of the Eimeria genus and is of great economic relevance in industrial aviculture. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of Eimeria sp. in broiler poultry houses with positive (System 1) and negative (System 2) pressure ventilation and assess the associated factors. A transversal study was conducted using 8 random broiler chickens from 64 houses (n = 512) and macroscopic and histologic evaluation of the intestines, as well as PCR for Eimeria sp. The prevalence of Eimeria sp. was 90.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 97.8-83.5), with 93.8% (95% CI: 100-85.4) in System 1 and 87.5% (95% CI: 99.0-76.0) in System 2. The most prevalent species was Eimeria acervulina, and the most common combination was Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella. System 2 and the negative Eimeria subgroup showed the best results for feed conversion and daily weight gain. By evaluating litter treatment, we found that quicklime reduced the risk of presence of Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella. In conclusion, Eimeria sp. had a high prevalence in both systems, with a predominance of mixed infections. System 2 and negative flocks showed the best zootechnical results.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Pre-harvest Meat Safety Interventions to Control Foodborne Pathogens in Broilers: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review

Ensuring broilers’ meat safety is a priority to policy makers, producers, and consumers. This systematic review aims to update the recent knowledge on pre-harvest interventions to control main foodborne pathogens in broilers and to assess their effectiveness.

Recent Findings

A total of 815 studies were retrieved from PubMed® and Web of Science for 13 pathogens. In total, 51 studies regarding Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., VTEC, ESBL-AmpC Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringens were included in this review.

Summary

Research mostly focused on Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. Biosecurity and management interventions had mixed outcomes, while the effectiveness of feed additives, though intensively researched, remains controversial. Research on other pathogens (i.e. ESBL-AmpC E. coli/Salmonella, and Toxoplasma gondii) was scarce, with publications focusing on epidemiology and/or on source-attribution studies. This is also true regarding research on Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus as these are frequently controlled by post-harvest interventions. Overall, studies on recent developments of novel pathogen-specific immunisation strategies are lacking.

Effectiveness of poultry litter amendments on bacterial survival and Eimeria oocyst sporulation

AIM

Broilers' optimum performance in response to their genetic potential depends on litter environment which is ideal for bacterial survival and coccidian oocyst sporulation. An in vitro evaluation was conducted for the effectiveness of superphosphate, meta-bisulfide, and charcoal litter amendments in minimizing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium survival, Eimeria oocyst count, and sporulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three groups of 16 litter trays were prepared and inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and Eimeria non-sporulated oocyst. A set of four trays in each group was designed for each one of the chemical amendments. A total of 720 litter samples were collected and examined for bacterial counts, Eimeria oocyst count, and sporulation during the experimental period (35 days).

RESULTS

Litter moisture and pH revealed a highly significant (p<0.001) reduction in all treated litter trays compared to control. Total bacterial count (TBC), total Enterobacteriaceae count, and S. Typhimurium count showed a highly significant (p<0.001) reduction in meta-bisulfide-treated trays compared to other amendments and positive control. Meanwhile, Eimeria oocyst count and sporulation revealed a highly significant (p<0.001) reduction in superphosphate, meta-bisulfide, and charcoal-treated trays, respectively. Temperature revealed a highly significant (p<0.001) weak positive correlation with pH of all inoculated trays, a highly significant (p<0.001) weak negative correlation with moisture percentage of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium inoculated trays, and a highly significant (p<0.001) weak negative correlation with TBC. Meanwhile, relative humidity revealed significant (p≤0.005) weak positive correlation with moisture percentage of E. coli O157:H7 inoculated trays.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that regular usage with periodical reapplication of litter amendments as meta-bisulfide or superphosphate in poultry farms is one of the indispensable managemental and preventive measures for minimizing bacterial survival and inhibiting Eimeria oocyst maturation and sporulation.