Abstract
SUMMARY Gangrenous dermatitis (GD) is an acute disease of broiler chickens caused by Clostridium perfringens and other bacteria. It has been observed that litter clean-out delays recurrence of GD outbreaks in poultry houses by 2 to 3 grow-out cycles, but does not eliminate the problem. Considering that litter in some poultry growing regions in the United States is reused for up to 10 grow-out cycles, a better understanding of the microbial profile of poultry litter in broiler farms with a history of GD (GD-positive), farms with no history of GD (GD-negative), and an experimental poultry house would be beneficial. It was found that the C. perfringens counts in GD-positive farms were significantly higher than in GD-negative farms. It was also observed that C. perfringens counts decline over time during grow-out in an experimental poultry house.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call