Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Bedding Materials Containing Parts of Medicinal Plants

Gontar, Łukasz; Sitarek-Andrzejczyk, Monika; Kochański, Maksymilian; Buła, Maria; Drutowska, Andżelika; Zych, Dariusz; Markiewicz, Justyna

doi:10.3390/ma15041290

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 74 publications

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“…In Central Eastern Europe, straw is the most commonly used because of its widespread availability. In the future, an alternative might be the use of straw pellets instead of straw chaff, which has proven to be an effective solution for improving litter quality (high water absorption capacity and the low microbial contamination) in broiler chickens (Gontar et al, 2022). Currently, such an impact has not been proven in the case of Pekin ducks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of welfare of Pekin ducks reared in intensive production system in Poland using transect method

Damaziak,

Marchewka,

Wójcik

et al. 2024

Annals of Animal Science

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the practical application of the Transect Walk (TW) method on a commercial farm, focusing on different ages of Orvia ST5 Pekin ducks. The study was conducted in four flocks of Orvia ST5 ducks, reared in two identical buildings. Flocks 1 and 3 were housed in Building 1, while flocks 2 and 4 occupied Building 2. A total of 8,000 ducklings were allocated to rearing, with 2,000 in each flock. The welfare of the ducks was assessed at 5, 6, and 7 weeks of age using the TW method, which involved assessing indicators such as immobility, lameness, dirtiness, small size, head wounds, back wounds, tail wounds, feather loss, illness, terminal illness, being flipped, or being deceased. Information regarding factors contributing to reduced carcass quality was gathered from the slaughterhouse. It was observed that all welfare indicators, except for head and tail wounds, were equally effective in assessing duck welfare and accounted for up to 82.13% of the variation in welfare. Lameness emerged as the most prevalent factor associated with reduced welfare, showing a strong correlation with immobility. Both indicators exhibited a significant interaction with age and flock (P = 0.001 and P = 0.029, respectively). Feather loss emerged as another crucial indicator of reduced welfare in the examined flocks. The percentage of featherless ducks varied from 0.29% to 3.50% and was significantly influenced by both duck age and flock (both P<0.001). Additionally, it showed a significant and positive correlation with immobility (P<0.05). The primary issues identified during duck culling were associated with skin problems and leg and joint issues. Statistically significant variations were noted among flocks concerning the frequency of indicators linked to reduced welfare. This variance was attributed to the specific building where the ducks were raised. The findings of this study suggest the incorporation of the TW method in future welfare assessments, utilizing the 10 welfare indicators employed while excluding head and tail wounds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of welfare of Pekin ducks reared in intensive production system in Poland using transect method

Damaziak,

Marchewka,

Wójcik

et al. 2024

Annals of Animal Science

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Succession, Replacement, and Modification of Chicken Litter Microbiota

Kubasová

Faldynová

Crhánová

et al. 2022

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Enhancing Broiler Welfare and Foot Pad Quality through the Use of Medicinal Plant-Based Pellets as Bedding Material

Damaziak,

Gontar,

Łukasiewicz-Mierzejewska

et al. 2024

Agriculture

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The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different bedding materials on both production performance and foot quality, assessed through the incidence, severity, and microbiological quality of foot pad dermatitis (FPD). A total of 2400 Ross 308 chickens were raised over 42 days, distributed across eight bedding material types (eight groups × four treatments × 75 chickens each). These pellets either lacked medicinal plant components or included 30% of plant parts, such as oregano (Origanum vulgare), summer savory (Satureja hortensis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), salvia (Salvia officinalis), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Production performance controls included body weight (BW) at 42 days of age, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality. The severity of FPD was evaluated at 28, 35, and 42 days using a scale ranging from S0 to S3. A microbiological analysis of the feet was based on the FPD score. Broilers raised on straw chaff (bedding: 24% oregano and 6% summer savory, 18% oregano and 12% summer savory, and 24% oregano and 6% thyme) exhibited the highest BW. Straw chaff-reared broilers demonstrated the lowest FCR. The highest mortality occurred on 18% oregano and 12% summer savory bedding, which may have been caused by the high share of summer savory, which could be toxic. At 35 and 42 days, broilers in the 24% oregano and 6% summer savory group exhibited the best foot quality, while those on straw chaff and 18% oregano and 12% summer savory had the worst one. The influence of medicinal plants in the pellets was particularly notable in reducing Listeria sp. This reduction was likely due to the presence of carvacrol from summer savory, quercetin from lemon balm, and thymol from thyme. Based on our research, the best bedding materials for foot quality are 24% oregano with 6% summer savory and 18% summer savory with 12% salvia, while 18% summer savory with 12% lemon balm and 18% summer savory with 12% thymus were the most effective in limiting Listeria sp.

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Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Bedding Materials Containing Parts of Medicinal Plants

Cited by 3 publications

References 74 publications

Assessment of welfare of Pekin ducks reared in intensive production system in Poland using transect method

Assessment of welfare of Pekin ducks reared in intensive production system in Poland using transect method

Succession, Replacement, and Modification of Chicken Litter Microbiota

Enhancing Broiler Welfare and Foot Pad Quality through the Use of Medicinal Plant-Based Pellets as Bedding Material

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