Competitive Exclusion:
Leaving no space for unwanted bacteria

The modern poultry production has become a mayor economical and nutritional industry. With a fast-growing population, the need of an efficient and large-scale source of protein has become key to avoid malnutrition. Nowadays due to intensive farming, birds are constantly under various stress conditions and pathogen pressure, both being factors that can result on high economic losses. 

Any measures that can be implemented to prevent and control diseases, will help to avoid reduction of the animal’s performance and with it evade economical losses. The use of antibiotics as growth promoters is a practice that the livestock industry is trying to sidestep due to new laws and regulations. They are doing this by investing in alternatives to stimulate growth without side-effect such as increasing antibiotic resistance. One important factor to be considered to have high performance is gut integrity and proper balanced microbiome. Under natural conditions, chicks acquire their microbiome from the environment and from the mother; but under intensive production conditions, the eggs hatch in a controlled environment, making a proper desired colonization complicated. Multiple approaches and techniques have been developed being the usage of probiotics as competitive exclusion one that has had a good effect and farmers have adopted.

The concept of competitive exclusion (CE) is described as a strategy that involves the supplementation of a non-pathogenic bacterial (probiotic) to the digestive tract of animals in order to reduce potential colonization of unwanted bacteria (Fuller, 1989; Nurmi et al., 1992). This probiotic can be only one bacterial strain or a mixture of them.

This concept was developed for the control of Salmonella on poultry farms, but since then, it has expanded to a broader spectrum of enterobacteria that are pathogens for chicken as well as potential zoonosis. Studies have shown that pathogens like E. coli, Clostridium and Campylobacter, can be reduced or avoided by the proper implementation of a CE program at farm or hatchery level. Some of the mechanisms in which CE against pathogen bacteria works are:

• Competition for receptor sites
• Competition of nutrients
• Synthesis of inhibitory compounds
• Activation of the immune system

Field studies as well as laboratory trials, have shown that a proper CE program will have nutritional effects on the animal; becoming this an alternative concept than the use of antibiotics. The benefits of CE are not only limited to the control of pathogen bacteria, but also has positive effect on growth performance, better FCR and improvement of production parameters. Competitive exclusion is a safe and efficient alternative to antibiotics as growth promoters, because probiotics do not leave any residues and are from a biological source (not chemical).

The recommended time of usage of a CE program is “as soon as possible”, some producers add the probiotic to one day old chicks at farm level, while other do it directly in the hatchery. No only newly hatched chicks can get the benefits of such formulations, also older birds can benefit from CE after therapeutic doses of antibiotics, as a way to re-establish and balance the intestinal microbiome. It can be applied in multiple ways: via drinking water or feed.

Here in XVET, we count with multiple formulations containing probiotics that can support your production, and improve your animals’ performance:

• Lactolyte Energy: a perfect blend of probiotics (CE principle), electrolytes and quick energy source that support a smooth arrival to the farm and a good start.
• Probiodrink: a combination of probiotics (CE principle), replenishing electrolytes and energy for a proper early care.
• Bacflora: formula that combines a probiotic (CE principle), prebiotics and acidifiers which will provide all the requirements for a healthy gut hygiene for chicken.

And for ruminants XVET offers:

• Calf Probiolyte: the right amount of probiotics (CE principle), combined with electrolytes found in this formula are perfect to use with milk supplementation for calves and during transition period.
• Globimax: a mixture of Probiotics with immunoglobulins to secure the calves proper gut flora and boost the immune system.

For further information, please contact technical@xvetgermany.com