Detailed studies of the chickenmicrobiome have emerged in recent years, largely due to the impact of next-generation sequencing (NGS). We increasingly understand how the microbiome is important in health, in development of the gut and the immune system, and in maintenance of homeostasis. Manipulation of the microbiota directly through probiotics or antimicrobials or indirectly through feed and ...

Poultry litter is a mixture of bedding materials and enteric bacteria excreted by chickens, and it is typically reused for multiple growth cycles in commercial broiler production. Thus, bacteria can be transmitted from one growth cycle to the next via litter. However, it remains poorly understood how litter reuse affects development and composition of chicken gut microbiota. In this study, the ...

The high incidence of disease is one of the major constraints to smallholder poultry production systems in Africa. In order to control various poultry diseases, ethnoveterinary medicine is widely practised by poor village farmers. Natural products, especially those which are locally available, are generally used. The use of ethnoveterinary medicine cari be considered sustainable as it is econom...

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute, highly contagious and immunosuppressive poultry disease. IBD virus (IBDV) is the causative agent, which may lead to high morbidity and mortality rates in susceptible birds. IBDV-pathogenesis studies have focused mainly on primary lymphoid organs. It is not known if IBDV infection may modify the development of the gut associated lymphoid tissues (GALT...

The effects of dietary supplementation with an organic extract of Curcuma longa on systemic and local immune responses to experimental Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella infections were evaluated in commercial broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation with C. longa enhanced coccidiosis resistance as demonstrated by increased BW gains, reduced fecal oocyst shedding, and decreased gut lesions com...

The recent European Union ban on the prophylactic use of in-feed antibiotics has escalated the search for alternatives for use within the poultry industry. When evaluating the efficacy of potential antibiotic alternatives on bird health and productivity, it is important to analyze the competence of the immune cells in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), because it is routinely involved i...

Abstract Good water quality for livestock is critical preserving animal health, ensuring the of products, supplying safe food, and increasing food production economics. Higher levels toxic compounds than permitted can impair meat, fat, eggs, milk production, lower fertility, represent public health hazards. Water picks up pollutants from its surroundings those caused by human activities. Many p...

introduction corn has been recently used for producing ethanol fuel in the major corn-producing countries such as the us and brazil. recent diversion of corn for biofuel production along with the increased world's demand for this feedstuff has resulted in unprecedented rise in feed cost for poultry worldwide. alternative grains such as wheat and barley can be successfully replaced for corn in p...