Two-step mucosal competitive exclusion flora treatment to diminish salmonellae in commercial broiler chickens

There is a need to control the intestinal colonization of broiler chickens by salmonellae in order to reduce the contamination of poultry products. A two-step treatment of broiler chicks with a mucosal competitive exclusion culture (MCE) was tested, in which the MCE was first sprayed on chicks in the hatchery followed by administration in the first drinking water. Three commercial flocks were treated and compared with parallel, untreated control flocks. Customary husbandry practices were employed. Environmental, hatchery, skin with feathers, and cecal samples were analyzed at 3 and 7 wk for the presence of salmonellae. Carcass rinse samples of fully processed birds were analyzed similarly. The results indicated that initial feed, water, and litter contamination was at a low frequency (< 10%). Eggshell fragments and chick paper pads were frequently contaminated (> 50%). After 3 wk growth, contamination of litter, skin with feathers, and ceca were significantly (P < .05) reduced in treated flocks as compared with control flocks. Salmonellae prevalence in ceca and in processed carcass rinses was also significantly (P < .05) reduced from 41% in control flocks to 10% in treated flocks. The study showed that treatment of chickens in a commercial setting with MCE cultures can serve as a useful means to reduce salmonellae contamination.