Probiotics for poultry

Intensive broiler production can affect the balance of the intestinal microbiota and consequently weaken the animal’s immune system. This predisposes gastrointestinal tract colonization with pathogens that may pose a threat to the health of the animal and/or chicken meat consumers.

Certain infections of the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, such as tose caused by Salmonella and other pathogens like Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens or coccidia, have gained increasing importance in recent years as they are considered a growing threat to the health and performance of birds and to human health. In addition, gut health is of paramount importance in the antibiotic-free poultry production.

Today, the general trend is heading towards reducing the use of antibiotics and curbing the alarming increase in antibiotic resistance. Promoting the responsible use of these molecules has become an essential objective.

For this reason, the use of probiotics in poultry production is of interest when it comes to promoting animal health. Colonizing the gut with potentially beneficial bacteria helps to maintain a balanced gut microbiota and provides a protective intestinal barrier. Furthermore, beneficial microbes can also indirectly diminish pathogen excretion.

Aquilón CyL and the team of Dr. Pedro Rubio (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of León) and Dr. Ignacio Badiola (CReSA IRTA-UAB) collaborate in the implementation of poultry production programs with zero or minimum use of antibiotics based on maintaining the birds’ gut health. To this end, a probiotic product is being developed based on strains of lactic acid bacteria which promotes the gut microbiota biodiversity of the birds in their various stages of growth thereby reducing the incidence of diseases such as necrotic enteritis.

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