ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2022 61 duction operations. Feed additives such as organic acids, prebiotics, and probiotics have emerged as promising tools and parts of antibiotic growth promotor replacing approaches. Indeed, it is generally accepted that probiotics have the potential to improve weight gain, final body weight, feed digestion and conversion, gut microbiota composition, epithelial growth, intestinal inflammation, and immune defense. One recent study published in the Journal of Livestock and Technologies (Parhizkar et al., 2022) demonstrates the benefits of a probiotic—Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016—on the performance of broiler breeders. Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 is a lactic acid-producing and spore-forming bacterium. This combination makes Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 a unique probiotic in animal nutrition and its beneficial effects can be attributed to several modes of action. Bacterial spores are generally known to be resistant to heat, pressure, and acidity and, therefore, can survive both the pelleting processes and stomach environment. In the intestine, lactic acid both improves the gut environment and makes an unfavorable environment for harmful, pH-sensitive bacterial growth. Studies have shown that Bacillus coagulans can improve protein digestion, modulate and balance the intestinal microbiota, and stimulate the immune system. This can support performance through improved feed conversion, a strengthened immune defense and intestinal barrier function, and a stable, balanced microbial mix. In animal production, these health-supportive effects (associated with a performance improvement and reduced mortality) have been observed in poultry. Bacillus-based probiotics have been shown to improve overall health and performance but also laying performance, egg quality, fertility, embryonic mortality, and hatchability. Moreover, Bacillus coagulans supports overall absorption of calcium and phosphorus in laying hens contributing to improved eggshell thickness. In fact, a recent study by Parhizkar et al. 2022 credits the ability for Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 supplementation to enhance productive and reproductive efficiency of broiler breeders on its ability to improve overall intestinal health. IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY To assess the effect of Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 (TechnoSpore®) on productivity and reproductive efficiency of broiler breeders, a 20-week feeding trial was conducted in 240 hens aged 22 weeks. Birds were randomly assigned into two groups of 12 replicates with 10 hens per replicate and fed either a basal diet (Control) or the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 109 CFU/kg final feed Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 (Treatment). Body
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