Protective effect of used poultry litter and lactose in the feed ration on Salmonella enteritidis colonization of leghorn chicks and hens

Abstract

The effect of dietary administration of lactose and used poultry litter, containing cecal and fecal droppings from adult broilers, was evaluated for protective effects against Salmonella enteritidis colonization in leghorn chicks and 16-week-old hens. The addition of used litter as 5% of the feed ration significantly decreased (P < 0.01) Salmonella cecal and organ colonization in the chicks. Provision of used litter or used litter and lactose in the feed failed to provide protection against Salmonella colonization in the hens. The results indicated that resistance to S. enteritidis colonization may be effectively increased in leghorn chicks by exposure to adult intestinal flora present in used litter. Furthermore, the results suggest that microbiological strategies employing adult intestinal microflora that increase Salmonella colonization resistance in young chicks may be ineffective in older hens.