Effect of Oral Escherichia coli Inoculation on Performance of Young Turkeys

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Abstract
A strain of Escherichia coli isolated from the yolk sac of stunted turkey poults was administered orally to day-old large white poults. Poults were inoculated with either 0.1 ml of sterile broth or 0.1 ml of a 10-2 dilution of a 24-hr E. coli culture containing 3.4 .times. 108 viable bacteria per ml. Two levels of dietary protein (28 or 22%) were fed from 1 day to 3 weeks of age. Following E. coli inoculation of 3.4 .times. 105 viable bacteria at day one, body weight gain and feed consumption from 0 to 3 weeks of age were numerically increased 4.5 and 2.1%, respectively, and feed efficiency was significantly increased 2.4% E. coli had a greater effect on performance of poults fed the 28% protein diet than on poults fed the 22% protein diet. Metabolism studies, conducted from 7 to 10 and from 17 to 20 days postinoculation, showed no significant changes in the measurements of nutrient utilization due to E. coli other than a 17% increase in nitrogen retention from 17 to 20 days by those poults fed the 28% protein diet.