June 9, 2008
 

US study finds chickens born with intestinal bacteria
 
 

A University of Georgia study has discovered that chickens are born with intestinal bacteria instead of acquiring it later in life.
 

Study authors Adriana Pedroso and John Maurer said the finding could lead to better methods for poultry growth promotion and for reducing risks of food-borne illnesses.

Maurer said the poultry industry has grown increasingly dependent on probiotics to newly hatched chicks as it moves away from the use of growth promoting antibiotics. The administering of probiotics was meant to establish a community of healthy bacteria in poultry so as to resist pathogenic bacteria, but studies have showed mixed results of effectiveness. Maurer added that the new study suggests that the timing of probiotic administration is important and better results could be achieved by administering probiotics in the egg.

"Understanding the microbial ecology of the developing chicken is the first step toward producing healthy birds without antibiotics," said Pedroso, a post-doctoral researcher in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine.

Pedroso and her team conducted the study with over 300 eggs and DNA analysis revealed a diverse community of bacteria within the intestines of the developing embryos. The team then concluded that the bacteria infiltrated from the shell surface into the egg white, which is then ingested by the developing embryo.