Decreased Salmonella Colonization in Turkey Poults Inoculated with Anaerobic Cecal Microflora and Provided Dietary Lactose

The effect of intracloacal inoculation with anerobic cultures of cecal microflora and addition of lactose to the feed on Salmonella senftenberg cecal colonization was evaluated in turkey poults. One-day-old poults were divided into four groups and provided 1) no anaerobic cultures, no lactose (control), 2) anaerobic cultures, 3) 5% lactose in the feed, or 4) anaerobic cultures and lactose. All groups were challenged orally with 10(6) S. senftenberg at 3 days of age. Salmonella senftenberg growth in the cecal contents was significantly decreased (P less than .05) at 10 and 30 days of age in both trials and at 20 days of age in Trial 1 in each of the three treatment groups as compared with the controls. On Day 30, the number of poults that were positive for Salmonella cecal culture was significantly decreased (P less than .01) in each of the treatment groups compared with the controls. Protection against Salmonella colonization was similar in the treatment groups inoculated with anaerobic cultures or provided dietary lactose. Combined treatment with anaerobic cultures of cecal microflora and provision of dietary lactose resulted in a level of protection against colonization equal to or higher than did either of the two treatments administered separately.