Effect of dietary supplementation with a probiotic (Enterococcus faecium) on production performance, excreta microflora, ammonia emission, and nutrient utilization in ISA brown laying hens

The ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters due to resistance issues has urged scientists to find alternatives to antibiotics. Entercoccus faecium is one of the probiotics which have been used as an alternative to antibiotics in the livestock industry. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotic (Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134) supplementation on production performance, feed intake, egg quality, excreta microflora, ammonia emission, and nutrient utilization in laying hens. A total of 288 ISA brown laying hens were used in a 27 wk feeding experiment and randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 8 replicates of 12 birds each. The treatments were CON (basal diet), PB1 (basal diet + 0.005% E. faecium), and PB2 (basal diet + 0.01% E. faecium). Overall, our results demonstrated that E. faecium supplementation resulted in a significant increase in egg production, egg shell thickness, and nutrient digestibility (dry matter, nitrogen, and energy) in laying hens, and a significant reduction in fecal coliform counts as compared with CON. The shift of excreta fecal microbial composition by E. faecium supplementation was accompanied by increased nutrient retention and reduction in nutrient excretion, leading to improved nutrient digestibility and reduced excreta ammonia emission. Overall, E. faecium supplementation appears to have a beneficial effect in ISA brown laying hens and should be considered as a positive diet supplement to use in the industry.

Ileal digestibility of nutrients and amino acids in low quality soybean meal sources treated with β-mannanase for growing pigs

Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy, dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and amino acids and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids in low quality soybean meals with different CP concentration (SBM 44% CP and SBM 48% CP) with or without 400 U β-mannanase/kg supplementation were evaluated in 20 cannulated barrows ((Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc) with an average BW of 25.08±3.42 kg. A N-free diet was used to determine basal endogenous losses of amino acids. The supplementation of β-mannanase improved (P0.05) AID of N and energy. The type of SBM (SBM 44% CP v. SBM 48% CP) had no effect on AID of DM, N and energy. β-mannanase improved (P<0.05) AID of sum of essential amino acids, arginine, histidine, lysine, valine and glycine. The SID of lysine was higher (P<0.05) in enzyme supplemented than in non-supplemented diets. Larger AID and SID of threonine and proline (P<0.05) were observed in SBM 48% CP than in SBM 44% CP. In conclusion, the supplementation of enzyme improved AID of arginine, histidine, lysine, valine and glycine, but it did not cause marked difference in SID of these amino acids except for lysine. The low nutrient digestibility of the SBM sources used in the present experiment might have favoured the positive effect of β-mannanase supplementation.

Gut Health of Pigs: Challenge Models and Response Criteria with a Critical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Selected Feed Additives - A Review

The gut is the largest organ that helps with the immune function. Gut health, especially in young pigs has a significant benefit to health and performance. In an attempt to maintain and enhance intestinal health in pigs and improve productivity in the absence of in-feed antibiotics, researchers have evaluated a wide range of feed additives. Some of these additives such as zinc oxide, copper sulphate, egg yolk antibodies, mannan-oligosaccharides and spray dried porcine plasma and their effectiveness are discussed in this review. One approach to evaluate the effectiveness of these additives in vivo is to use an appropriate disease challenge model. Over the years, researchers have used a number of challenge models which include the use of specific strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, bacteria lipopolysaccharide challenge, oral challenge with Salmonella enteric serotype Typhimurium, sanitation challenge, and Lawsonia intercellularis challenge. These challenge models together with the criteria used to evaluate the responses of the animals to them are also discussed in this review.

Probiotics in Salmonella-challenged Hy-Line brown layers

A total of 192 Hy-Line Brown 40-week-old Salmonella-free layers were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments in a 5-wk experiment to test the efficacy of probiotics on egg production and quality, excreta and intestinal microbiota of laying birds challenged with Salmonella gallinarum. Dietary treatment comprised of (1) NC: ; basal diet, negative control, (2) PC: ; basal diet + oral S. gallinarum administration, positive control, (3) T1: ; basal diet + 0.1% Bacillus subtilis RX7 1 × 10(9) cfu/g + S. gallinarum administration and (4) T2: ; basal diet + 0.1% Bacillus methylotrophicus C14 1 × 10(9) cfu/g + S. gallinarum administration. All birds (n = 144) except NC were orally challenged with 1 ml suspension of 10(8) cfu/mL S. gallinarum KVCC BA 0700722 once at d 28 after the initiation of experiment. The egg production improved in post Salmonella-challenged birds whereas egg equality was improved during pre-challenge in probiotic supplemented birds compared to NC and PC. The Salmonella counts in the excreta were lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than PC at the end of the experiment whereas the Lactobacillus counts in the excreta were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 compared with NC. The Escherichia coli counts in excreta were numerically lower in T1 and T2 than PC. In the small and large intestine, there was slight increase in Lactobacillus counts in T2 compared with PC. The Salmonella counts in small and large intestine tended to be lower in T1 and T2 as compared with PC. However, Salmonella counts in challenged birds not supplemented with probiotics were significantly higher than non-challenged birds.