1
|
Gontar Ł, Sitarek-Andrzejczyk M, Kochański M, Buła M, Drutowska A, Zych D, Markiewicz J. Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Bedding Materials Containing Parts of Medicinal Plants. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15041290. [PMID: 35207831 PMCID: PMC8877630 DOI: 10.3390/ma15041290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms thriving in poultry bedding materials during their exploitation are involved in the development of several diseases and disfunctions of animals. They can also contaminate food products and pose risks to the environment and human health. This study provides an analysis of dynamics and diversity in microbiological contamination observed during the exploitation of poultry bedding materials containing parts of medicinal plants: Satureja hortensis, Origanum vulgare, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris, compared with standard types of beddings: straw chaff and straw pellets. The research was carried out in two 42-day experimental cycles involving in total 2400 broiler chickens. Each week, the total count of mesophilic bacteria, fungi and yeasts, the presumptive presence and count of Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia sp., Listeria sp., Salmonella sp., and Candida sp. were determined by culturing on selective media, along with pH and moisture measurements. After 35 days of the experiment, a reduction of the total count of mesophilic bacteria above 1 log compared to the control (11.86 vs. 13.02 log CFU/g) was observed. As the count of yeasts decreased after 21 days, an increase in the total count of bacteria was reported, which indicates a strong competition between microorganisms. The results improve our understanding of the temporal effects of using materials containing parts of medicinal plants on the microbial contamination in poultry litter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Gontar
- Correspondence: (Ł.G.); (M.S.-A.); Tel.: +48-42-636-12-59 (Ł.G.); +48-42-636-12-26 (M.S.-A.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
de Torres Bandeira J, Bandeira da Silva T, César Azevedo de Brito B, Souto Maior Muniz de Morais R, Edna Gomes de Barros M, Maria Cavalcante Rocha P, Chaves Jimenez G, de Assis Leite Souza F, Evêncio-Neto J. Circadian variation in ammonia levels in broiler chickens raised under different climate conditions. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2021.1999097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Maria Edna Gomes de Barros
- Laboratory Technician, Animal Histology Laboratory, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (Ufrpe), Brazil
| | | | - George Chaves Jimenez
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (Ufrpe), Brazil
| | | | - Joaquim Evêncio-Neto
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (Ufrpe), Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Adler C, Schmithausen AJ, Trimborn M, Heitmann S, Spindler B, Tiemann I, Kemper N, Büscher W. Effects of a Partially Perforated Flooring System on Ammonia Emissions in Broiler Housing-Conflict of Objectives between Animal Welfare and Environment? Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030707. [PMID: 33807897 PMCID: PMC7999410 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Previous studies have shown positive effects of a partially perforated flooring system on animal welfare in broiler housing. Towards the end of the fattening periods, the present study showed a higher ammonia emission rate (NH3 ER) for a partially perforated flooring system compared with a littered control barn. Nevertheless, the measured NH3 concentrations were below 20 ppm, except during a mechanical litter treatment in the winter fattening period. Furthermore, the system offers the possibility of applying practical solutions that were not feasible before. By using underfloor air extraction, manure belts, or acidification systems underneath the elevated perforated area, NH3 concentrations and the resulting NH3 ER could be reduced. Thus, with some optimization, the partially perforated flooring system could be used to contribute to an increase in animal welfare and environmental protection at the same time. Abstract A partially (50%) perforated flooring system showed positive effects on health- and behavior-based welfare indicators without affecting production performance. Ammonia (NH3) is the most common air pollutant in poultry production, with effects on animal welfare and the environment. The objectives of animal welfare and environmental protection are often incompatible. Therefore, this study addresses the question of how a partially perforated flooring system affects NH3 emissions. According to German regulations, three fattening periods were carried out with 500 Ross 308 broilers per barn (final stocking density: 39 kg m−2). The experimental barn was equipped with an elevated perforated area in the supply section, accessible by perforated ramps. The remaining area in the experimental barn and the control barn were equipped with wood shavings (600 g m−2). Besides the different floor types, management was identical. Air temperature (Temp), relative air humidity (RH), NH3 concentration, and ventilation rate (VR) were measured continuously. Furthermore, dry matter (DM) content, pH, and litter quality were assessed. Towards the end of the fattening periods, the NH3 emission rate (ER) of the partially perforated flooring system was higher compared with that of the littered control barn (all p < 0.001). This effect is mainly caused by the higher NH3 concentrations, which are promoted by the lack of compaction underneath the elevated perforated area and the increase in pH value under aerobic conditions. Nevertheless, the partially perforated flooring system offers different approaches for NH3 reduction that were previously not feasible, potentially contributing equally to animal welfare and environmental protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Adler
- Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (M.T.); (I.T.); (W.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Manfred Trimborn
- Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (M.T.); (I.T.); (W.B.)
| | - Sophia Heitmann
- Institute of Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.H.); (B.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Birgit Spindler
- Institute of Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.H.); (B.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Inga Tiemann
- Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (M.T.); (I.T.); (W.B.)
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicole Kemper
- Institute of Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.H.); (B.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Wolfgang Büscher
- Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (M.T.); (I.T.); (W.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Crippen TL, Sheffield CL, Singh B, Byrd JA, Beier RC. How Management Practices Within a Poultry House During Successive Flock Rotations Change the Structure of the Soil Microbiome. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2100. [PMID: 31572320 PMCID: PMC6753631 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome within a poultry production house influences the attainment of physiologically strong birds and thus food safety and public health. Yet little is known about the microbial communities within the house and the effects on the soil microbes onto which the houses are placed; nor the effects of management practices on their equilibrium. This study looked at the soil bacterial microbiome before a broiler house was constructed, then through 11 flock rotations (2.5 years) that included a partial clean-out and a total clean-out within the management regimen. Major shifts were observed, occurring at the taxonomic class level, related to the introduction of bedding and birds on top of the soil. The partial clean-out of litter did not change the soil bacterial community in any substantial way, only prompting a temporary increase in some genera; however, the total litter clean-out caused a major increase in a cohort of Actinobacteria. The underlying soil contained bacteria beneficial for poultry metabolism, such as Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, Bacteriodes, and Ruminococcus. Additionally, management practices affected the class structure of the soil bacterial community beneath the poultry house. The scheduling of these practices should be leveraged to exploit maintenance of beneficial bacteria that maximize microbiome contributions to bird production processes, while minimizing possible antibiotic-resistant bacteria and environmental effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tawni L. Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Cynthia L. Sheffield
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Baneshwar Singh
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - J. Allen Byrd
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Ross C. Beier
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Qasim W, Moon BE, Phonsuwan M, Jo JS, Lee MH, Nafees M, Kim HT. Effects of an Aluminum Sulfate and Ferric Chloride Blend on Poultry Litter Characteristics in Vitro. J APPL POULTRY RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3382/japr/pfx046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
6
|
Lu M, Bai J, Xu B, Sun Q, Wei F, Tang X, Zhang H, Li J, Wang G, Yin Q, Li S. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on relieving ammonia stress and hepatic proteomic analyses of broilers. Poult Sci 2017; 96:88-97. [DOI: 10.3382/ps/pew285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
7
|
Crippen TL, Sheffield CL, Byrd JA, Esquivel JF, Beier RC, Yeater K. Poultry litter and the environment: Physiochemical properties of litter and soil during successive flock rotations and after remote site deposition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 553:650-661. [PMID: 26990075 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The U.S. broiler meat market has grown over the past 16 years and destinations for U.S. broiler meat exports expanded to over 150 countries. This market opportunity has spurred a corresponding increase in industrialized poultry production, which due to the confined space in which high numbers of animals are housed, risks accumulating nutrients and pollutants. The purpose of this research was to determine the level of pollutants within poultry litter and the underlying soil within a production facility; and to explore the impact of spent litter deposition into the environment. The study follows a production facility for the first 2.5 years of production. It monitors the effects of successive flocks and management practices on 15 physiochemical parameters: Ca, Cu, electrical conductivity, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, moisture, Na, NO3(-)/N, organic matter, P, pH, S, and Zn. Litter samples were collected in-house, after clean-outs and during stockpiling. The soil before house placement, after the clean-outs and following litter stockpiling was monitored. Management practices markedly altered the physiochemical profiles of the litter in-house. A canonical discriminant analysis was used to describe the relationship between the parameters and sampling times. The litter profiles grouped into five clusters corresponding to time and management practices. The soil in-house exhibited mean increases in all physiochemical parameters (2-297 fold) except Fe, Mg, %M, and pH. The spent litter was followed after deposition onto a field for use as fertilizer. After 20 weeks, the soil beneath the litter exhibited increases in EC, Cu, K, Na, NO3(-)/N, %OM, P, S and Zn; while %M decreased. Understanding the impacts of industrialized poultry farms on the environment is vital as the cumulative ecological impact of this land usage could be substantial if not properly managed to reduce the risk of potential pollutant infiltration into the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tawni L Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
| | - Cynthia L Sheffield
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - J Allen Byrd
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Jesus F Esquivel
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Ross C Beier
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Kathleen Yeater
- USDA-ARS-PA-NRRC, Office of the Director, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building D, Suite 300, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Brooks JP, McLaughlin MR, Adeli A, Miles DM. Cultivation and qPCR Detection of Pathogenic and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Establishment in Naive Broiler Houses. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2016; 45:958-66. [PMID: 27136163 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2015.09.0492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Conventional commercial broiler production involves the rearing of more than 20,000 broilers in a single confined space for approximately 6.5 wk. This environment is known for harboring pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but studies have focused on previously established houses with mature litter microbial populations. In the current study, a set of three naive houses were followed from inception through 11 broiler flocks and monitored for ambient climatic conditions, bacterial pathogens, and antibiotic resistance. Within the first 3 wk of the first flock cycle, 100% of litter samples were positive for and , whereas was cultivation negative but PCR positive. Antibiotic resistance genes were ubiquitously distributed throughout the litter within the first flock, approaching 10 to 10 genomic units g. Preflock litter levels were approximately 10 CFU g for heterotrophic plate count bacteria, whereas midflock levels were >10 colony forming units (CFU) g; other indicators demonstrated similar increases. The influence of intrahouse sample location was minor. In all likelihood, given that preflock levels were negative for pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes and 4 to 5 Log lower than flock levels for indicators, incoming birds most likely provided the colonizing microbiome, although other sources were not ruled out. Most bacterial groups experienced a cyclical pattern of litter contamination seen in other studies, whereas microbial stabilization required approximately four flocks. This study represents a first-of-its-kind view into the time required for bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance to colonize and establish in naive broiler houses.
Collapse
|
9
|
Felipe SDOL, Jadir NDS, Luiz FTA, Joerley M, Luciano BM. Air pollution and their mitigation measures in Brazilian poultry production. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.5897/ajar2015.10356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
|
10
|
Canonical discrimination of the effect of a new broiler production facility on soil chemical profiles as related to current management practices. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128179. [PMID: 26029909 PMCID: PMC4452585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect dirt-floored broiler houses have on the underlying native soil, and the potential for contamination of the ground water by leaching under the foundation, is an understudied area. This study examines alterations in fifteen quantitative soil parameters (Ca, Cu, electrical conductivity, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, NO3, organic matter, P, pH, S, soil moisture and Zn) in the underlayment of a newly constructed dirt-floored broiler house over the first two years of production (Native through Flock 11). The experiment was conducted near NW Robertson County, Texas, where the native soil is a fine, smectitic thermic Udertic Paleustalfs and the slopes range from zero to three percent. Multiple samples were collected from under each of three water and three feed lines the length of the house, in a longitudinal study during February 2008 through August 2010. To better define the relationship between the soil parameters and sampling times, a canonical discriminant analysis approach was used. The soil profiles assembled into five distinctive clusters corresponding to time and management practices. Results of this work revealed that the majority of parameters increased over time. The management practices of partial and total house clean-outs markedly altered soil profiles the house underlayment, thus reducing the risk of infiltration into the ground water near the farm. This is important as most broiler farms consist of several houses within a small area, so the cumulative ecological impact could be substantial if not properly managed.
Collapse
|
11
|
van der Hoeven-Hangoor E, Rademaker CJ, Paton ND, Verstegen MWA, Hendriks WH. Evaluation of free water and water activity measurements as functional alternatives to total moisture content in broiler excreta and litter samples. Poult Sci 2014; 93:1782-92. [PMID: 24812231 DOI: 10.3382/ps.2013-03776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Litter moisture contents vary greatly between and within practical poultry barns. The current experiment was designed to measure the effects of 8 different dietary characteristics on litter and excreta moisture content. Additionally, free water content and water activity of the excreta and litter were evaluated as additional quality measures. The dietary treatments consisted of nonstarch polysaccharide content (NSP; corn vs. wheat), particle size of insoluble fiber (coarse vs. finely ground oat hulls), viscosity of a nonfermentable fiber (low- and high-viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose), inclusion of a clay mineral (sepiolite), and inclusion of a laxative electrolyte (MgSO4). The 8 treatments were randomly assigned to cages within blocks, resulting in 12 replicates per treatment with 6 birds per replicate. Limited effects of the dietary treatments were noted on excreta and litter water activity, and indications were observed that this measurement is limited in high-moisture samples. Increasing dietary NSP content by feeding a corn-based diet (low NSP) compared with a wheat-based diet (high NSP) increased water intake, excreta moisture and free water, and litter moisture content. Adding insoluble fibers to the wheat-based diet reduced excreta and litter moisture content, as well as litter water activity. Fine grinding of the oat hulls diminished the effect on litter moisture and water activity. However, excreta moisture and free water content were similar when fed finely or coarsely ground oat hulls. The effects of changing viscosity and adding a clay mineral or laxative deviated from results observed in previous studies. Findings of the current experiment indicate a potential for excreta free water measurement as an additional parameter to assess excreta quality besides total moisture. The exact implication of this parameter warrants further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - C J Rademaker
- Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, NL-6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - N D Paton
- Cargill Animal Nutrition, 10 Nutrition Way, Brookville, OH 45309
| | - M W A Verstegen
- Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, NL-6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - W H Hendriks
- Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, NL-6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, NL-3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|