Colonization of the intestinal tract by Clostridium perfringens and fecal shedding in diet-stressed and unstressed broiler chickens

Commercial broiler chicks were given a three-strain composite of bacitracin-resistant Clostridium perfringens by oral gavage and were sampled periodically to determine the dynamics of C. perfringens colonization of the intestinal tract of broiler chickens and fecal shedding. After gavage, the chicks were divided into two groups and placed in isolators, one group received a traditional corn-based diet, and the other group received the same diet supplemented with 50% rye to place the birds under dietary stress. The numbers of bacitracin-resistant C. per fringens in various parts of the intestinal tract, liver, and feces were determined using a selective plating medium containing bacitracin. In chickens on the corn-based or 50% rye diet, C. per fringens was isolated infrequently from the various parts of the intestinal tract, liver, or fecal droppings during the first 36 h following the last gavage. For the 24 chickens on each of the two diets that were sampled from 2 to 21 d after gavage, C. perfringens was recovered more frequently from the crop, proventriculus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, ceca, and feces, but not the gizzard, of birds on the 50% rye diet as compared to those on the corn-based diet. From 2 to 21 d, the intestinal numbers of C. perfringens in contaminated birds on the corn-based diet were less than or equal to log(10) 6.2 and did not increase in any portion of the intestinal tract. Numbers of C. perfringens during this time period increased 3.3 to 4.9 log factors in the ileum, ceca, and feces of birds on the 50% rye diet to as high as log(10) 7.1 to 7.9 at 21 d. This study confirms that addition of rye to the diet of chickens can increase the numbers of C. perfringens in the ceca of broiler chickens and extends these findings to demonstrate increases in the numbers and frequency of recovery of C. perfringens in other parts of the intestinal tract.