Mixture to protect poultry from salmonella

A process for producing a mixture of substantially pathogen-free avian intestinal microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization by paratyphoid salmonella in poultry in which it is established, which comprises transferring starting avian microflora known to be capable of said blocking of subsequent colonization to newly-hatched pathogen-free poultry, recovering said microflora from the fecal droppings of said poultry in a manner precluding subsequent contamination by pathogens, and subsequently recovering said pathogen-free microflora from the fecal droppings of said poultry.

A method of inhibiting the infection of a flock of poultry by non host-adapted salmonella which comprises administering to poultry no more than about seventy-two hours old an effective amount of avian intestinal microflora,

• said microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization in the intestinal tract of poultry by paratyphoid salmonella;
• said microflora being substantially free of avian pathogens.

A mixture of substantially pathogen-free avian intestinal microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization by salmonella in the intestinal tracts of poultry in which the intestinal microflora are established, prepared by a process which comprises transferring starting avian microflora known to be capable of said blocking of subsequent colonization to less than about seventy-two hour-old pathogen-free poultry by a method precluding simultaneous transfer of pathogens to said poultry, recovering the fecal droppings of said poultry in a manner precluding subsequent contamination by pathogens, and subsequently recovering pathogen-free microflora from the fecal droppings of said poultry.

A process for producing substantially pathogen-free microflora having the property of inhibiting subsequent colonization by salmonella in the intestinal tracts of poultry in which the microflora are established which comprises:

• introduction of microflora, known to be capable of said inhibiting of subsequent colonization, in substantially pathogen-free poultry within a short time of hatching of said poultry;
• collecting the fecal droppings of said poultry, which fecal droppings contain said pathogen-free microflora;
• and treating said droppings to prevent inactivation of the microflora therein.

A mixture of avian intestinal microflora treated to prevent inactivation thereof,

• said microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization in the intestinal tract of poultry by paratyphoid salmonella,
• said mixture being substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry.

A process for producing a mixture poultry intestinal microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization by paratyphoid salmonella in poultry in which it is established, which comprises transferring starting poultry microflora known to be capable of said blocking of subsequent colonization to seeder poultry free of pathogens that infect poultry, said starting microflora being substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry, recovering said poultry intestinal microflora from the fecal droppings of said seeder poultry in a manner precluding subsequent contamination by pathogens that infect poultry.

A process for producing microflora substantially free of avian pathogens and having the property of inhibiting subsequent colonization by salmonella in the intestinal tracts of poultry in which the microflora are established which comprises:

• introduction of microflora, known to be capable of said inhibiting of subsequent colonization, in poultry substantially free of avian pathogens;
• collecting the fecal droppings of said poultry, which fecal droppings contain said microflora substantially free of avain pathogens;
• and treating said droppings to prevent inactivation of the microflora therein.

A mixture of poultry intestinal microflora substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry and having the property of blocking subsequent colonization by salmonella in the intestinal tracts of poultry in which the intestinal microflora are established, prepared by a process which comprises transferring starting poultry microflora known to be capable of said blocking of subsequent colonization to poultry, substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry, by a method precluding simultaneous transfer of pathogens thereto, recovering the fecal droppings of the poultry in a manner precluding subsequent contamination by pathogens that infect poultry, and subsequently recovering microflora substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry from the fecal droppings of the poultry.

A method of inhibiting the infection of poultry by non-host-adapted salmonella which comprises administering to the poultry an effective amount of poultry intestinal microflora, said microflora having the property of blocking subsequent colonization in the intestinal tract of poultry by salmonella, said microflora being substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry.

A method of affecting the infection of poultry, which poultry is brooded and reared separate from adult birds, by salmonella which comprises administering to the poultry an effective amount of poultry intestinal microflora, said microflora hiving the property of blocking subsequent colonization in the intestinal tract of poultry by salmonella, said microflora being substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry.

A mixture of avain intestinal microflora substantially free of poultry pathogens and having the property of blocking subsequent colonization by salmonella in the intestinal tracts of poultry in which the poultry intestinal microflora are established, prepared by a process which comprises transferring starting avian microflora known to be capable of said blocking of subsequent colonization to seeder birds, substantially free of poultry pathogens, by a method precluding simultaneous transfer of poultry pathogens thereto, recovering the fecal droppings of the seeder birds in a manner precluding subsequent contamination by poultry pathogens, and subsequently recovering microflora substantially free of pathogens that infect poultry from the fecal droppings of the seeder birds.

A mixture of poultry intestinal microflora collected from the fecal droppings of specific pathogen-free poultry, chicks and poults, progeny of specific salmonella and other pathogen-free chicken and turkey breeding stock maintained under rigid isolation and periodically tested to assure freedom from salmonella and all other specific bacterial and viral pathogens, in which pathogen-free cultures have been established within about twenty-four to seventy-two hours of hatching of the poultry, said droppings having had coarse particulate matter separated therefrom and the remainder cultured anaerobically to increase to population of the active microflora therein and having been treated to prevent inactivation thereof by lyophilizing the microflora or by maintaining the microflora at dry ice temperature or at liquid nitrogen temperature, said microflora having the property of blocking subsequent coloinzation in the intestinal tract of poultry by paratyphoid salmonella, said mixture being substantially free of pathogens.