Posted: January 9, 2025
Probiotic feed additive boosts growth, health in poultry.
The lab crew from left: Samantha Seibel, Jennine Lection, Ana Fonseca, Stephanie Bierly, Sophia Kenney. Not shown, but part of the team, were Emily Van Syoc and Josh Wolff. Photo: Penn State
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to public health, and the use of antimicrobials in livestock feed has been a major contributing factor in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance to many drugs, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The poultry industry is evolving toward antibiotic-free production to meet market demands and slow the spread, and Penn State scientists are helping to identify and better understand alternative approaches.
The growing need for antibiotic-free products has challenged producers to reduce or eliminate use of antimicrobials as feed supplements in the diet of broiler chickens to improve feed efficiency, growth rate and intestinal health. Led by Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes, a Penn State research team evaluated natural feed additives that are promising substitutes for antimicrobial growth promoters.
In a study published in Poultry Science, the researchers characterized the effects of a probiotic and a blend of essential oils on broilers' growth and gut health. The team found that supplementing the diet of young chicks with a probiotic over 21 days significantly boosted the abundance of beneficial intestinal microorganisms. According to Ganda, research like her team's work is urgently needed to help producers make decisions on the farm.
—Jeff Mulhollem
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