Feed efficiency
Feed efficiency, i.e. the efficiency with which livestock utilize their...
BaseClear offers complete poultry microbiome analysis and reporting services for better insights into microbial populations and their functions. BaseClear is involved in many projects that are focused on this emerging research area to identify and characterise the microbiomes of poultry.
The microbiome is currently a relatively unexplored area of research into feed conversion efficiency in poultry. The gut microbiome of poultry potentially contributes to feed efficiency through several mechanisms. These include improvements in the health of the bird, and allowing the inclusion of feed ingredients that are lower cost but can be metabolised by the gut microbiome to improve nutrient availability. The chicken microbiome could potentially be modified to increase the production of short chain fatty acids by gut bacteria, thereby increasing the harvestable energy of the feed. In a feeding study using a combination of a probiotic and prebiotic (Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis, Lactobacillus salivarius ssp. salivarius, and Enterococcus faecium, together with fructooligosaccharides), birds treated from hatching with the synbiotic showed lower mortality and improved feed conversion.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global health concerns and threatens our ability to easily treat simple infections in both humans and animals. While antibiotics help protect animal health and food safety, strategies are needed to help reduce the risk of on-farm drug resistance. Combating antimicrobial resistance requires a multi-pronged and coordinated approach across industries, and support from cutting-edge research.
One key strategy involves monitoring the persistence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) among microorganisms, while unravelling the impact of ARG on the environment and animal and human health. This surveillance is also essential for assessing the impact of interventions which may positively modulate the ARG repertoire in the poultry microbiome, such as changes in diet, alternative antibiotic regimens, and products which increase bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics.
BaseClear offers several end-to-end solutions for chicken microbiome analysis, including: