Comparison of Fresh Feces with Lyophilized and Frozen Cultures of Feces as Inocula to Prevent Salmonella Infection in Chicks

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Abstract
Mixed treatment cultures obtained by inoculating anaerobic medium with chicken feces were administered to 0 to 1 d-old chicks in their drinking water. Three types of treatment cultures (all fourth passage) were compared: FFC (fresh fecal cultures started with inocula of fresh feces followed by four daily, uninterrupted serial subcultures), LFC (cultures started with inocula obtained by lyophilizing third-passage cultures), and FrFC (cultures started with inocula obtained by freezing third-passage cultures). Protection of treated chicks against infection by Salmonella typhimurium was assessed by challenging the chicks via their drinking water 2 d after treatment and culturing their ceca 8 to 9 d later, or at weekly intervals for 7 weeks. FFC protected chicks against infection more consistently than LFC or FrFC. However, some LFC and FrFC were as protective as FFC (α= .05). Treatment with cultures did not increase mortality or decrease weight gain.