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Between 2018 and 2020, over 100 wild turkey fecal samples were collected from the Eastern and Central thirds of the United States, where commercial turkey production is uncommon. We hypothesized that anticoccidial-sensitive Eimeria spp. would be present in wild turkey fecal samples. Samples containing Eimeria spp. oocysts were amplified in vivo. If propagation was successful, the samples were PCR-speciated and subjected to anticoccidial sensitivity testing (AST) for key members of both ionophore and chemical categories of anticoccidial drugs. The purpose of this study was to isolate Eimeria spp. relevant to commercial turkey production that possessed sensitivity to monensin, zoalene, and amprolium. Future research would evaluate the efficacy of wild turkey Eimeria spp. as vaccine candidates for reducing coccidiosis in commercial turkey flocks utilizing single oocyst-derived stocks obtained in the present study., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Coccidiosis caused by the Eimeria spp., an Apicomplexan protozoon, is a major intestinal disease that affects the poultry industry. Although most cases of coccidiosis are subclinical, Eimeria infections impair bird health and decrease overall performance, which can result in compromised welfare and major economic losses. Viable sporulated Eimeria oocysts are required for challenge studies and live coccidiosis vaccines. Potassium dichromate (PDC) is typically used as a preservative for these stocks during storage. Although effective and inexpensive, PDC is also toxic and carcinogenic. Chlorhexidine (CHX) salts may be a possible alternative, as this is a widely used disinfectant with less toxicity and no known carcinogenic associations., Methods: In vitro testing of CHX gluconate and CHX digluconate exhibited comparable oocyst integrity and viability maintenance with equivalent bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity to PDC. Subsequent use of CHX gluconate or digluconate-preserved Eimeria oocysts, cold-stored at 4°C for 5 months, as the inoculum also resulted in similar oocyst shedding and recovery rates when compared to PDC-preserved oocysts., Results and Discussion: These data show that using 0.20% CHX gluconate could be a suitable replacement for PDC. Additionally, autofluorescence was used as a method to evaluate oocyst viability. Administration of artificially aged oocysts exhibiting >99% autofluorescence from each preserved treatment resulted in no oocyst output for CHX salt groups., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Laverty, Beer, Martin, Hernandez-Velasco, Juarez-Estrada, Arango-Cardona, Forga, Coles, Vuong, Latorre, Señas-Cuesta, Loeza, Gray, Barta, Hargis, Tellez-Isaias and Graham.)

Essential oils (EO) affect performance, intestinal integrity, bone mineralization, and meat quality in broiler chickens subjected to cyclic heat stress (HS). Day-of-hatch Cobb 500 male broiler chicks ( n = 475) were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1: No heat stress (Thermoneutral) + control diets with no antibiotics; Group 2: heat stress control + control diets; Group 3: heat stress + control diets supplemented with thymol chemotype (45 ppm) and herbal betaine (150 ppm) formulation EO1; Group 4: heat stress + control diets supplemented with phellandrene (45 ppm) and herbal betaine (150 ppm) formulation EO2. From day 10-42, the heat stress groups were exposed to cyclic HS at 35°C for 12 h (8:00-20:00). BW, BWG, FI, and FCRc were measured at d 0, 10, 28, and 42. Chickens were orally gavaged with FITC-d on days 10 (before heat stress) and 42. Morphometric analysis of duodenum and ileum samples and bone mineralization of tibias were done. Meat quality was assessed on day 43 with ten chickens per pen per treatment. Heat stress reduced BW by day 28 ( p < 0.05) compared to thermoneutral chickens. At the end of the trial, chickens that received both formulations of EO1 and EO2 had significantly higher BW than HS control chickens. A similar trend was observed for BWG. FCRc was impaired by EO2 supplementation. There was a significant increase in total mortality in EO2 compared with EO1 EO1 chickens had lower FITC-d concentrations at day 42 than the HS control. In addition, EO1 treatment is not statistically different if compared to EO2 and thermoneutral. Control HS broilers had significantly lower tibia breaking strength and total ash at day 42 than heat-stressed chickens supplemented with EO1 and EO2. Heat stress affected intestinal morphology more than thermoneutral chickens. EO1 and EO2 improved intestinal morphology in heat-stressed chickens. Woody breast and white striping were more common in thermoneutral chickens than heat stress chickens. In conclusion, the EO-containing diet could improve broiler chicken growth during cyclic heat stress, becoming increasingly relevant in antibiotic-free production in harsh climates., Competing Interests: Authors AU, BM, and JA-I, were employed by the company Promitec. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Señas-Cuesta, Stein, Latorre, Maynard, Hernandez-Velasco, Petrone-Garcia, Greene, Coles, Gray, Laverty, Martin, Loeza, Uribe, Martínez, Angel-Isaza, Graham, Owens, Hargis and Tellez-Isaias.)

The goal of this research was to assess cyclic heat stress on gut permeability, bone mineralization, and meat quality in chickens. Two separate trials were directed. 320 day-of-hatch Cobb 500 male chicks were randomly assigned to four thermoneutral (TN) and four cyclic heat stress (HS) chambers with two pens each, providing eight replicates per treatment in each trial (n = 20 chicks/replicate). Environmental conditions in the TN group were established to simulate commercial production settings. Heat stress chickens were exposed to cyclic HS at 35 °C for 12 h/day from days 7−42. Performance parameters, intestinal permeability, bone parameters, meat quality, and leukocyte proportions were estimated. There was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in body weight (BW), BW gain, and feed intake, but the feed conversion ratio increased in chickens under cyclic HS. Moreover, HS chickens had a significantly higher gut permeability, monocyte and basophil levels, but less bone mineralization than TN chickens. Nevertheless, the TN group had significant increases in breast yield, woody breast, and white striping in breast fillets compared to HS. These results present an alternative model to our previously published continuous HS model to better reflect commercial conditions to evaluate commercially available nutraceuticals or products with claims of reducing the severity of heat stress.

The objective of the present research was to evaluate dietary supplementation of essential oils from Lippia origanoides (LEO) on necrotic enteritis (NE). Chickens were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1: negative control; Group 2: positive control challenged with Salmonella typhimurium (day 1), Eimeria maxima (day 18), and C. perfringens (CP, days 22-23); Group 3: dietary supplementation LEO and challenged. On d 25 of age, serum samples were collected to evaluate fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d), superoxide dismutase (SOD), gamma interferon (IFN-γ), Immunoglobulin A (IgA). Group 3 showed a significant reduction of the harmful effects of induced infection/dysbiosis and a significant reduction in NE lesion scores, morbidity and mortality compared with the positive challenge control group ( p < 0.05) compared with Group 2. Digested feed supernatant, supplemented with LEO and inoculated with CP, reduced CP burden ( p < 0.05). Group 3 also exhibited a significant reduction in FITC-d, IFN-γ and IgA compared with Group 2. However, a significant increase SOD was observed in Group 3 compared with both control groups. Further investigation to compare the effect of LEO and the standard treatment of clostridial NE is required.

The objective of the present research was to assess the dietary supplementation of three formulations of essential oils (EO) in chickens under heat stress (HS). Day-of-hatch Cobb 500 chicks ( n = 500) were randomly distributed into four groups: 1. HS control + control diets; 2. HS + control diets supplemented with 37 ppm EO of Lippia origanoides (LO); 3. HS + control diets supplemented with 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm EO of Rosmarinus officinalis (RO) + 300 ppm red beetroot; 4. HS + 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm RO + 300 ppm natural betaine. Chickens that received the EO showed significant ( p < 0.05) improvement on BW, BWG, FI, and FCR compared to control HS chickens. Average body core temperature in group 3 and group 4 was significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced compared with the HS control group and group 2. Experimental groups showed a significant reduction in FITC-d at 42 days, a significant increase in SOD at both days but a significant reduction of IFN-γ and IgA compared with HS control ( p < 0.05). Bone mineralization was significantly improved by EO treatments ( p < 0.05). Together these data suggest that supplemental dietary EO may reduce the harmful effects of HS.

This study's objective was to evaluate the effect of the fermented soybean meal (FSBM) on Salmonella typhimurium (ST) to turkey poults using two models of infection. In the prophylactic model, one-day-old turkeys were randomly allocated to one of four different groups ( n = 30 turkeys/group): (1) Control group, (2) FSBM group, (3) Control group challenged with ST (Control + ST), and (4) FSBM group challenged with ST (FSBM + ST). On day 9 of age, all poults were orally challenged with 10 6 colony forming units (CFU) ST and 24 h post-inoculation, intestinal samples were collected to determine ST recovery and morphometric analysis. Blood samples were collected to evaluate serum fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d). In the therapeutic model, a similar experimental design was used, but turkeys were orally gavaged 10 4 CFU ST on day 1, and samples were collected at day 7. FSBM improved performance and reduced leaky gut in both experimental infective models. In the prophylactic model, FSBB induced morphology changes in the mucosa. Although the strains ( Lactobacillus salivarius and Bacillus licheniformis ) used for the fermentation process showed in vitro activity against ST, no significant effect was observed in vivo. The fermentation with different beneficial bacteria and different inclusion rates of FSBM requires further investigation.