Reduction of Salmonella Excretion into Drinking Water Following Treatment of Chicks with Nurmi Culture

Abstract

Day-old chicks (Gallus domesticus) were treated with cultured feces of adult chickens according to the Nurmi concept and were challenged 2 days later with Salmonella typhimurium. Treated chicks were less susceptible to infection than untreated chicks (16% vs. 79% infected). Those treated chicks that did become infected, contaminated their drinking water with fewer Salmonella than the untreated chicks (maximum of 10⁴/ml vs. ⩾ 10⁷/ml). Fecally contaminated water may be a major source for spreading Salmonella infection within a flock.