Microflora and histostructure of the intestine of laying hens under the influence of prebiotic “Butifour F”

The aim of the research is to study the effect of a prebiotic (Butifour F) on the microflora of chickens’ caecum and the histostructure of the jejunum and proximal portion of the caecum in laying hens of the Lohmann Brown cross. To solve this problem in the conditions of the vivarium of the International Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Poultry Genomics, Department of Animal Hygiene and Poultry A. K. Danilova, MVA by K. I. Skryabin, this experiment was carried out. The diet of laying hens of the experimental groups differed from the control one by introducing a prebiotic (Butifour F) at dosages of 500 g/t, 750 g/t and 1000 g/t of feed, respectively. It was found that birds of the 2nd and 3rd treatment group (TG), the proportion of phylum Actinobacteria significantly increased by 255,6 и 172,2 %, respectively, including bacteria of the order Bifidobacteriales – by 2.7 and 1.13 times. The feed additive contributed to an increase in the number of the Lactobacillaceae family by 2,4 и 1,9 times and reduced the total amount of pathogenic and undesirable microflora by 44 and 34%. In the jejunum, there is no effect of the drug on morphometric parameters, and in the proximal part of the caecum in chickens 1st and 2nd TG, an increase in the layer of villi by 35.8% and 28.7% (P≤0.001) was noted. Also, in the studied parts of the intestines of experimental birds, a high preservation of the epithelial lining and a better development of the lymphoid tissue are visible. Thus, the drug used contributes to the normalization of the intestinal microflora and has a protective effect on the intestinal mucosa.