The Role of Farm Environment and Management in Shaping the Gut Microbiota of Poultry

Abstract

Gut microbiota of poultry assembles from environmental sources mainly determined by farm management decisions such as feed composition, litter handling and sanitation practices, or the use of different feed additives. In turn, there are key welfare features of conventional and alternative poultry systems for broiler and laying hens such as the stocking density and access to range which have a strong influence in the gut microbiota of birds. This chapter provides an analysis of how these farm environmental factors alter the development, structure and diversity of microbial communities in the gastrointestinal tract of birds. The use of early intervention strategies and feed additives is also discussed as tools to promote gut health by manipulation of intestinal microbiota development of birds toward a configuration with lower vulnerability to colonization by gut pathogens.