Chronic inflammation of digestive tract in broilers - establishing the causes to alleviate the problem
HealthyGut
Although seasonal, growth rate impairments in commercial broiler flocks have been reported as a phenomenon in Finland since 2017. Among multiple factors, impaired growth is linked to poor digestibility of feed and chronic inflammatory changes observed throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In practice, the condition reduces appetite and affects, especially, the consumption of whole grain. The condition is a serious health and welfare problem, and a complex phenomenon, which requires multidisciplinary research and cooperation of several players to be alleviated.
We aim to:
1) Detect the infectious microbe(s) or dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota using metagenomics.
2) Detect the possible contaminants in feeds or in whole grains.
3) Detect the aspects in feeds that could contribute to the syndrome.
The aim of this research is to map the extent and seriousness of the chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in Finnish broiler commercial flocks, to identify the mechanisms and factors underlying the development of the condition and to propose solutions to mitigate or eliminate it.
