The race to find an alternative to

antibiotics in poultry feed

by University of New England
2 September 2021, at 12:30am
Antibiotics are widely used for the prevention, control and treatment of diseases and
bacterial infections in human and animals. It is also widely used to boost growth in
livestock, including chickens.

However, the rise in “superbugs” or antibiotic resistant bacteria, linked to

antibiotic use in animal feed in recent years, have resulted in push back,
including from consumers and the medical fraternity, and resulted in a ban on
the use of in-feed antibiotics in Europe and other parts of the world.

In Australia, the mandate to remove antibiotics from feed is voluntary but fast
food and supermarkets require their chicken meat to be free of antibiotics.

While good news for consumers, the reduced use of antibiotics in animal feed
has resulted in more frequent outbreaks of animal enteric diseases, including
necrotic enteritis, a highly-contagious and often fatal disease that can decimate
poultry farms.

“We’re in a race against time to find a suitable alternative to antibiotics for the
poultry industry,” says Professor Robert Swick, Industrial Coordinator for the
Poultry Hub at the University of New England.

“Not only to combat disease outbreaks in poultry, but also to effectively manage
the production costs of meat chickens.”

Prof. Swick explains that when antibiotics are removed from feed, the birds may
require up to an additional 10 to 20 per cent more grain and protein meals to
reach the same market weight as they did with the antibiotics.

To investigate the problem in a controlled environment the poultry research

group at UNE have developed a necrotic enteritis disease model that is able to
study whether and how antibiotic alternatives can alleviate the impact of the
disease on chicken health and poultry production.

“Our model infects meat chickens with pathogenic bacteria called Clostridium

perfringens to study how antibiotics work and to search for alternatives. The
bacteria, given at two weeks of age, are enough to reduce growth, but do not
otherwise make the birds very sick,” lead researcher Associate Professor
Shubiao Wu said.

Alternatives examined so far include short and mediate chain fatty acids,
essential oils such as tea tree oil, brewer's yeast extract, plant extracts and
reduced protein in the diet. Some potential alternatives have been assessed
that can improve gut health, control the immune system and intestinal
microbiota, and regulate the expression of enzymes and nutrient transporters.

“While we have found indications that fundamental improvements in animal

health and nutrient use may alleviate the impact of enteric disease such as
necrotic enteritis on chicken growth and production, the search for a definitive
answer continues,” A/Prof. Wu said.