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Probiotics in turkey production

Researchers are having success using tailor-made probiotics in turkey production.

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine associate professor Tim Johnson says the premise is to reduce antimicrobial resistance in food animals.

“We’re focusing on the bacteria that normally inhabit the turkey’s gut and trying to isolate some of those bacteria that we know were associated with good health outcomes, and then feed those bacteria directly back to young turkeys as a probiotic.”

He tells Brownfield the cocktail compares favorably to antibiotics.

“Stimulating a healthy gut with the healthy bacteria the turkey needs to grow well during its first weeks of life. But also really priming its immune system to be ready for disease.”

Johnson says as the study scales up and with a patent pending, he’s hopeful a product will be commercially available within the next two years.