Use of probiotics as an alternative to formaldehyde fumigation in commercial broiler chicken hatch cabinets

Two experiments were conducted in a commercial broiler hatchery to evaluate the use of a spray probiotic formulation as an alternative method to control the bacterial bloom within a broiler hatch cabinet vs. formaldehyde fumigation. In Exp 1, 2 independent trials were conducted to compare hatchery sanitation between the current formaldehyde drip method vs. spray application of the probiotic. Hatchery sanitation was evaluated using the open-plate method at approximately 20% pip; 30% hatch; and 85% hatch for enumeration of total recovered non-selective aerobic bacteria (TAB); presumptive lactic acid bacteria (LAB); and total recovered Gram-negative bacteria (TGB). In Exp 2, 3 independent trials were conducted to evaluate the gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota of neonatal chicks from hatch cabinets treated as in Exp 1. In Exp 1, in both trials, the application of the probiotic increased the number TAB and LAB present in the hatching environment (P < 0.05). Additionally, at 20% pip and 30% hatch, in both trials, there was no significant difference in TGB levels between the probiotic treatment and the formaldehyde treatment. In Exp. 2, chicks from probiotic treated hatch cabinets also showed a reduction of TGB in the GIT compared to the formaldehyde group (P < 0.05). In trial 3, the reduction in TGB persisted 24 h after hatch. The results of the present study suggest that spray application of a probiotic in commercial hatcheries can yield similar TGB levels when compared to formaldehyde early on in the hatch period. More importantly, it decreased the numbers of these bacteria within the GIT at hatch and 24 h after hatch.