Small intestinal damage, major production losses

How important is intestinal integrity in a broiler chick during its first days of life?

Introduction:
The consumption of litter material, such as rice hulls, sawdust, ground corn cobs, or chopped wheat, maize, or oat straw, which can become contaminated with the chick’s own feces during the first days of life, causes significant damage to both the superficial and internal structures of the intestinal epithelium.

These damages result from the combination of physical irritation caused by non-digestible materials (litter) and the biological and chemical contamination of feces.

Effects on intestinal epithelial structures:
Atrophy of intestinal villi: The villi, finger-like projections responsible for nutrient absorption, become shorter and thinner. This drastically reduces the absorption surface area, meaning feed is not properly utilized.

Crypt hyperplasia: The crypts, located at the base of the villi where new epithelial cells are generated, increase in size and activity in an attempt to compensate for the loss of villus cells, which is a sign of ongoing damage and regeneration.

Inflammation or enteritis: Ingested material and fecal pathogens trigger a severe inflammatory response. Immune cells, mainly lymphocytes and macrophages, infiltrate the lamina propria, the layer beneath the intestinal epithelium, damaging the tight junctions between epithelial cells.

Increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome): Damage to tight junctions allows bacterial toxins, bacteria, mycotoxins, and other undesirable compounds to pass from the intestine into the bloodstream, causing systemic health problems and affecting the liver, kidneys, and other vital organs.

Physical lesions and abrasions: Fibrous and sharp materials, such as rice hulls, can cause microlesions or direct abrasions on the delicate epithelial lining, breaking the physical barrier.

Histopathological changes: At a microscopic level, degenerative changes are observed, including necrosis or death of enterocytes and epithelial cells, as well as a reduced villus height-to-crypt depth ratio.

Dysbiosis and microbiota disruption: Introduced pathogens displace beneficial bacteria, altering the microbial balance required for gut health and proper digestion.

In summary:
The ingestion of feces-contaminated litter severely compromises intestinal integrity and epithelial function, leading to poor nutrient absorption, impaired growth, and increased susceptibility to disease.

If a broiler chick ingests non-digestible litter material such as rice hulls, wood sawdust, ground corn cobs, or chopped straw from corn, wheat, or oats mixed with feces, more severe damage occurs in the intestinal epithelial structures. These damages compromise the bird’s health and productive performance.

Key points to consider:
Intestinal epithelial damage:
Physical irritation and abrasions: Fibrous and sometimes sharp materials can cause abrasions or microlesions in the delicate intestinal mucosa and epithelium. This can result in a rougher intestinal surface, damaging the villi responsible for nutrient absorption.

Villus shortening: Damage and subsequent inflammation can lead to atrophy or shortening of intestinal villi. Reduced villus size drastically decreases the absorption surface area, leading to poor nutrient uptake and impaired growth.

Inflammation (enteritis): The presence of fecal pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium, and possibly coccidia, along with physical irritation, triggers a severe inflammatory response. The chick’s body diverts energy from growth to fight inflammation and repair damaged tissue, reducing production efficiency.

Increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome): Damage to the intestinal epithelium compromises the natural intestinal barrier. This allows bacteria, toxins, and other harmful compounds present in feces to enter the bloodstream, causing systemic infections and increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality.

Microbiota alteration: Ingestion of contaminated material introduces unwanted bacteria, which can cause microbial imbalance (dysbiosis). An altered gut microbiota further reduces intestinal integrity and the chick’s ability to defend against pathogens.

Crypt hyperplasia: In response to villus damage, intestinal crypts, where new epithelial cells are generated, may become hyperplastic, increasing their rate of cell production in an attempt to replace damaged cells more quickly. However, this process also consumes energy and is not always sufficient to compensate for the damage.

Final conclusion:
With the use of TURBOGROW or TURBOMATE, the ingestion of contaminated litter material is avoided. This has a devastating negative impact on the morphology and function of the intestinal epithelium, resulting in a chick with a compromised digestive system, prone to disease, and with a productive performance far below its genetic potential.

A healthy gut is the first step toward more profitable production.
Implement solutions that contribute to welfare, gut health, and the maximum productive potential of your birds.

Request more information today! At Sephnos, we are ready to advise you.