THE IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH IN POULTRY
FIVE ESSENTIAL FACTS
A robust gut microbiome is essential to poultry performance, health and productivity1,2
Gut microbiome functions include protection against pathogens, nutrient production, and immune system maturation1.
Conversely, poor gut health may result
in lower absorption and utilisation of
nutrients and reduced growth1
Developing a robust gut microbiome early in a bird’s life will benefit its future production2.
Larger birds display all the hallmarks
of a robust gut microbiome3
GUT IMBALANCE ON THE RISE
Recently, there has been an increase in poultry digestive diseases due to gut imbalances (otherwise known as dysbiosis) but why is that?1
Many factors can disrupt the microbiome, including:1
- Nutritional factors
- Pathogenic bacteria
- Early life, before a robust gut microbiome has been established.
- Chronic stress (e.g. heat stress)
- Antibiotic therapy
PROBIOTICS: A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON INTESTINAL INTEGRITY
- In commercial conditions, probiotics can positively influence the gut microbiome in birds by colonizing the digestive tract and improving the gut environment2.
- This process promotes Intestinal Integrity and positively affects performance2.
- Continuous administration of probiotics ensures a constant source of bacteria, to maintain the positive effects of colonisation2
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF PROBIOTICS
- Aruwa CE, et al. (2021) Poultry gut health – microbiome functions, environmental impacts, microbiome engineering and advancements in characterization technologies. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 12:119.
- Bostvironnois, et al. (2023) Supporting normal function of the gastro-intestinal tract with effective probiotics. Poster - International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta I 23-24 January, 2023.
- Lundberg R, et al. (2021) The link between broiler flock heterogeneity and cecal microbiome composition, Animal Microbiome 3:54.
