A wire-flooring model for inducing lameness in broilers: Evaluation of probiotics as a prophylactic treatment

Abstract

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) is the most common cause of lameness in commercial broilers. Bacteria entering the blood via translocation from the respiratory system or gastrointestinal tract spread hematogenously to the proximal epiphyseal-physeal cartilage of rapidly growing femora and tibiae, causing BCO. We tested the hypothesis that rearing broilers on wire flooring should increase the incidence of BCO by persistently imposing additional torque and shear stress on susceptible leg joints. We also tested the hypothesis that probiotics might attenuate bacterial translocation and thereby reduce the incidence of BCO. In 5 independent experiments using 4 commercial lines, broilers grown on wire flooring developed lameness attributable predominately to BCO. The fastest-growing birds were not necessarily the most susceptible to lameness on wire flooring, nor did the genders differ in susceptibility in the 2 experiments that included both male and female broilers. The pathogenesis of BCO is not instantaneous, and accordingly, many broilers that did not exhibit lameness, nevertheless, did possess early pathognomonic lesions. These subclinical lesions were equally likely to develop in the right or left leg. The lesion status of the proximal femoral head did not determine the lesion status of the ipsilateral or contralateral proximal tibial head and vice versa. Broilers reared on wire flooring consistently had higher incidences of lameness than hatch-mates reared on wood-shavings litter. Adding probiotics to the diet beginning at 1 d of age consistently reduced the incidence of lameness for broilers reared on wire flooring. These experiments indicate that probiotics administered prophylactically may constitute an alternative to antibiotics for reducing lameness attributable to BCO. Rearing broilers on wire flooring provides an important new research model for investigating the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment strategies for BCO.

Intestinal permeability induced by lipopolysaccharide and measured by lactulose, rhamnose and mannitol sugars in chickens

“…Human studies of increased IP have been associated with enteric infections, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type-1 diabetes, liver diseases, irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease (Skouroliakou et al, 2016). Limited in vivo research has shown that increased IP can lead to increased bacterial translocation , coccidiosis (Chapman, 2014) and lameness (Wideman et al, 2012) in chickens. These diseases can impact health and welfare leading to reduced efficiency and economic loss (Zuidhof et al, 2014).…”

“…Dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) ingestion, fasting (Kuttappan et al, 2015;Vicuna et al, 2015b), dexamethasone (Vicuna et al, 2015a) and wire floor stress (Wideman et al, 2012) have recently been employed as models of increased IP in chickens. These studies have been conducted in one strain of chickens (Cobb).…”

Molecular Survey of Bacterial Communities Associated with Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO) in Broilers

“…Bacterial proliferation and the ensuing immunological response generate the necrotic abscesses and voids that are pathognomonic for BCO [1–5]. BCO has been diagnosed in broilers in Australia, Canada, Europe and the US, and is considered the most common cause of lameness in broilers [2,4,6–10]. Multiple opportunistic organisms in mixed cultures have been isolated from BCO lesions, including predominately Staphylococcus spp ., Escherichia coli , and Enterococcus spp .…”

A review on prebiotics and probiotics for the control of dysbiosis: present status and future perspectives

“…Conversely, there are indications that some probiotic strains may have a protective effect on the translocation of opportunistic pathogens. Indeed, in a recent study using a wire flooring model for inducing lameness in broilers, Wideman et al (2012) showed that a commercial blend of probiotic microorganisms significantly reduced the numbers of lame birds.…”