THE EFFECT OF DIETARY ENTEROCOCCI AND CHLORTETRACYCLINE HYDROCHLORIDE ON THE INTESTINAL FLORA AND GROWTH OF CHICKS

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Abstract
The addition to the diet daily of 10% (v/w) of a high level (28 × 109 cells) of a viable culture consisting of two strains of beta hemolytic enterococci sensitive to 10 and 30 μgm./ml. of chlortetracycline HCl respectively caused a highly significant reduction in growth of chicks. The reduction in growth was accompanied by an increase in numbers of enterococci in the ceca and a decrease in coliforms in the ileum and ceca as well as a decrease in lactobacilli in all segments of the intestine examined. The addition of 40 gm. of crystalline chlortetracycline HCl to the diet overcame the reduction in growth caused by the high level of dietary enterococci and resulted in a decrease in numbers of enterococci in the ileum and ceca.