TUCKER, Ga. — USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, in which researchers identified the contribution of broiler genetics on gut health and immune response when challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium. The research was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Ingram Farms and is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A summary of the completed project is as follows.
Project #714: Identifying the Contribution of Broiler Genetics on Gut Health and Immune Response When Challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium
Dr. Shawna Weimer, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Dr. Shawna Weimer and colleagues at the University of Maryland recently completed a research project that evaluated the differences in immune response, gut morphology and microbiome, and behavior of fast- and slow-growing broiler chickens challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium. Overall findings showed that breed had a much stronger effect than Salmonella challenge, indicating that meaningful genotypic and phenotypic differences exist between fast- and slow-growing broiler body weight, immune response, gut morphology and microbial communities, and behavior when challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium.
The research summary can be found on the USPOULTRY website. A complete report, along with information on other Association research, may be obtained through USPOULTRY’s website, www.uspoultry.org.
–U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
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