RESISTANCE AGAINST SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS CECAL COLONIZATION IN LEGHORN CHICKS BY VENT LIP APPLICATION OF CECAL BACTERIA CULTURE

Leghorn chicks were treated with cultures of cecal bacteria from adult chickens by crop gavage, upper body spray, or vent lip application on the day of hatch. The chicks were challenged orally with 10(4) Salmon ella enteritidis (SE) at 3 d of age and evaluated for SE cecal coloniz ation at 10 d of age. The concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the cecal contents was determined on the day after culture treatmen t and at 10 d of age. Compared with controls, SE colonization was sign ificantly decreased in each of the treatment groups. Vent lip applicat ion of a single .05-mL drop of cecal bacteria culture resulted in resi stance against SE challenge comparable to crop gavage or spray treatme nt with .5 mL of culture. Resistance to SE challenge was directly asso ciated with the concentrations of total VFA and propionic acid in the cecal contents of the treated chicks on the day after culture treatmen t. The results indicated that cecal bacteria from adult chickens that increase SE colonization resistance may rapidly become established in the ceca of newly hatched chicks following contact with the vent lips.