Benzoic Acid, <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, and Essential Oil Complexes Improve Ovarian and Intestinal Health via Modulating Gut Microbiota in Laying Hens Challenged with <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> and Coccidia.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal disease is becoming increasingly prevalent in poultry production; however, the effect of BEC in laying hens challenged with C. perfringens and coccidia is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with BEC on intestinal and ovarian health in laying hens challenged with C. perfringens and coccidia. A total of 80 Lohmann gray hens (35 weeks) were randomly assigned to two dietary groups supplemented with BEC (0 or 1000 mg/kg). Each group contained 40 replicates, with one bird each (one hen per cage). During the sixth week of the trial, half of the laying hens in each group (n = 20) were administered 40 mL C. perfringens (2.5 × 10¹⁰ CFU/mL) and 0.15 mL coccidia (55,000 sporangia/mL), while the other half (<

SUBMITTER: Zhang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11816253 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature