Influence of Pre-feeding a Semi-solid Hydrated Supplement, OASIS, on Development and Performance of Turkey Poults

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of prefeeding a hydrated nutrient compound (OASIS™, Novus, St. Louis, MO) on (1) resistance to naturally occurring Salmonella infection and monitor three week performance of control and PEMS-infected poults, (2) pancreatic and mucosal digestive enzymes in control and PEMS-infected poults, and (3) post-hatch organ weight. The results of the first investigation indicated that provision of OASIS™ as a hydrated pre-feeding supplement before placement induced gut development in poults, and reduced 24h post-hatch loss before placement. Although the provision of OASIS™ as a pre-feeding supplement induced gastrointestinal development and reduced post-hatch body weight loss, the results of this investigation did not show consistently improved body weight gain at 7d of age. Neither body weight gain nor feed conversion improved as the result of OASIS™ pre-feeding, but 7d livability of pre-fed turkey poults was improved significantly. Histology from this investigation suggested that OASIS™ pre-fed PEMS-infected gut sections frequently looked as if nothing had changed their morphology, especially at 21d of age. The second objective of this investigation was to determine if the pre-feeding of OASIS™, before the poults were PEMS-challenged, affected performance of the poults through the first 3 weeks post-hatch. We found that impaired digestion in PEMS-infected poults was due to decreased digestive enzyme activity and that pre-feeding OASIS™ immediately after hatch had some ameliorating properties that might aid in the recovery from PEMS. OASIS™ in this investigation was found to stimulate intestinal development in poults in both control and PEMS infected poults. The third objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of pre-feeding OASIS™ on visceral organ growth and development of the small intestine of poults. This investigation produced data that suggest concurrent OAS and normal feed and water had little influence on growth of the turkey poult through 16d post-hatch. When one compares fasting versus feeding and then examines body weight data over the first 24h, it is clear that fed poults gain substantial weight while fasted poults lose hatching weight. Even when poults are fasted, there is a redistribution of body mass in the poult with some organs and the small intestine changing relative size. Part of the change in relative size of visceral organs and small intestine are due to loss of moisture, but part of the change in visceral organ and small intestine relative size can be attributed to the utilization of yolk sac nutrients for the purpose of growth and metabolism which has been long established. The strong advantage achieved when OASIS™ is provided before provision of a normal feed and water regimen can not be gained with concurrent feeding of OASIS™ and normal feed and water. Whatever advantage is gained with concurrent feeding is transitory being lost within 7d of initiation of concurrent feeding. In this study, the concurrent feeding of OASIS™ with normal feed and water influenced development of neither the small intestine, heart, lungs, pancreas, nor the bursa of Fabricius. These observations do not suggest any negative influence of OASIS™ concurrent with normal feeding, only that there is no need to provide OASIS™ when feed and water are already present. The results provided in this thesis suggested that it is very beneficial to pre-feed OASIS™ when there is a delay in placement and when the poults will be denied access to normal feed and water consumption. It is beneficial to pre-fed OASIS™ in order for poults to utilize the nutrients in complex poultry diets.