Influence of bird strain on competitive exclusion of Campylobacter jejuni in young chicks

Abstract

1. Newly hatched chicks of either layer or broiler strain were treated orally at regular intervals with either homologous or heterologous gut-flora preparations from young donor birds, in an attempt to prevent subsequent colonisation with Campylobacter jejuni by ‘competitive exclusion’ (CE).

2. Donors of 3 to 10 d of age were chosen to correspond with the period in which intensively reared poultry are least likely to become colonised with Campylobacter.

3. In two separate trials, material from donor layer hens (ISA Brown) protected male chicks of the same strain against a low (195 to 360 cfu/bird) Campylobacter challenge, but the same kind of material was ineffective when administered to chicks of a broiler strain (JA957).

4. Two further trials involved treatment preparations from young broilers, which failed to prevent Campylobacter colonisation of broiler chicks, even when colonisation occurred relatively slowly from a challenge of 90 to 94 cfu/bird.

5. It was concluded that any CE effect observed was strongly dependent on bird strain.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Service d’Expérimentation Avicole et Cunicole and the Service d’Elevage et d’Expérimentation en Pathologie Aviaire of AFSSA in Ploufragan for taking care of the chicks. They also want to acknowledge Professor Geoffrey Mead for kindly giving critical advice for this paper.