Program 4: Early gut microbiota

Program Overview

Program aim

To run a set of broiler trials on a vegetarian diet controlling early gut colonisation to allow early access and competitive advantage to beneficial bacteria and confirm the treatment effectiveness using leaky gut/diarrhea challenge with a focus on gizzard, ileum and cecum colonisation and function improvement, and target Treg cells and inflammation regulation.

Program focus

The Early gut microbiota program will:

Reduce pathogen’s access to the bird’s GIT during the critical time of gut colonisation.
Control in-feed pathogens during the gut colonisation.
Focus on designing microbial community towards improved function rather than taxonomy that cannot be defined and thus precisely controlled.
Design the microbial community on vegetarian feed for high relevance to the Australian industry.
Ensure resistance to the leaky gut to warrant a reduction of ammonia, odour and wet litter.
Expand the focus on the designer microbiome to include the crop, gizzard and proventriculus.
Optimise the interventions for improved immune function.