Rapid growth predisposes broilers to necrotic enteritis.

In this study, 300 broilers were challenged with Clostridium perfringens using a well-established, previously described challenge model. It was found that birds with a higher body weight (BW) and BWG before challenge were predisposed to develop more severe necrotic enteritis lesions. After challenge, the average BWG of the birds developing mild to severe lesions dropped significantly, negatively affecting animal welfare and performance. These results show a significant interplay between BWG and the development of necrotic enteritis lesions. This raises the question whether there is a limit to broiler performance with respect to maintaining intestinal health, and whether decreasing BWG (at certain stages of the growth cycle) can be part of a plan to prevent intestinal pathology. Research highlights Higher body weight is a predisposing factor to necrotic enteritis in broilers. PMID: 31043060 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Avian Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Avian Pathol Source Type: research