Table 1- Experimental groups. House
House 1 House 2
Product Clostat
4,700 turkeys
Clostat + Aleta 10,300 turkeys
Period Day 23 – Day 110
the algal β-(1,3)-glucan at 100 g/ton of feed until 23 days of age. The birds were then allocated in two buildings and reared with or without the supplementation of the algal β-(1,3)- glucan. In a first 700 m2
house, 4700 turkeys from the initial
molecules. Preserving the equilibrium of the gut microbial ecosystem is an important pillar for alternative strategies that aim at preventing pathogen overgrowth, as it not only supports optimal digestion and growth but also prevents enteric disease. However, the reduction of the use of antibiotics cannot be achieved with a single approach. For instance, it has been suggested that when used at subclinical doses, part of the growth promoting effect of AGPs lies in their ability to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gastro-intestinal tract. Therefore, feed additives that have the characteristic of being Pattern Recognizing Receptor (PRRs) agonists are good candidates in AGP replacement strategies, as they can be recognised by cells of the Gut Associate Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and stimulate innate immune defences. Clostat is a patented probiotic that consists of spores of Bacillus sp. PB6 (ATCC PTA-6737) originally coming from the gut microflora of healthy chickens. It stimulates a well developed and diverse intestinal microbiome and prevents enteritis. Aleta is a unique algal β-(1,3)-glucan used for immune support and derived from E. gracilis. Once ingested by the immune cells, these algal β-(1,3)-glucan are subsequently able to modulate the production of signalling molecules, acting as an immune modulator and leading to a sustained and adequate immune response. Together with Bacillus sp. PB6, they can be a tool to support antibiotic reduction programmes. A field trial was conducted in a turkey farm to evaluate the effect of Bacillus sp. PB6 and the algal β-(1,3)-glucan used as a solution package to support antibiotic free production (Table 1). 15,000 hybrid turkeys were raised and supplemented with
group were raised with Bacillus sp. PB6 at 2 kg/ton (4 x 108 CFU/kg) of feed and in the drinking water (dosage depending on the litter quality), but without the algal β-(1,3)-glucan. In a second 1200 m2 house, 10300 turkeys were raised following the same Bacillus sp. PB6 programme, but with the addition of the algal β-(1,3)-glucan at 100 g/ton of feed. Body weight per square meter and mortality were monitored until slaughter (110 days of age). Additionally, the vaccination response to a live haemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) vaccine was measured. In this antibiotic free trial, the synergism of Bacillus sp. PB6 and the algal β-(1,3)-glucan resulted in an improved body weight per square meter (+14%), a reduced mortality (-32%), and an improved antibody titer against HEV (+32%) (Figure 1 and 2). The improved health status of the birds in the combined approach translated into a better live performance and a reduced mortality.
Conclusion Reduction of antibiotic use in poultry production is still a major challenge in spite of the progress made over the past years. By improving the gut microbial ecosystem and the immune response, the joint supplementation of Clostat and Aleta is a tool that improves poultry health in a complementary manner to help achieve this objective.
References are available on request.
Figure 2 - Antibody titer against haemorrhagic enteritis virus of turkeys supplemented with Clostat alone or in combination with Aleta.
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
0 Day 53 ▶ ANTIBIOTIC REDUCTION | DECEMBER 2021 Day 100 53 Clostat Clostat + Aleta
7092 5362
+32%
1358 +36% 999
PHOTO: SERGEY KOLESNIKOV Antibody titer against HEV
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