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Prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in the Cecal Droppings of Turkeys During Production

USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Russell Research Center Box 5677, Athens, GA 30604-5677; Phone: (706) 546-3484; Fax: (706) 546-3771

Correspondence: N. A. Cox, E-mail:ncox{at}ars.usda.gov

Cecal droppings from four commercial turkey flocks (two flocks of hens and two flocks of toms) were analyzed for the presence of naturally occurring salmonellae at ages 6, 10, and 15 weeks and for the presence of Campylobacter spp. at ages 3, 6, 10, and 15 weeks. The salmonellae contamination rates in these turkey flocks appeared to be somewhat different from that observed in broiler production. With broilers, salmonellae contamination in cecal droppings typically peaks at about 3 weeks of age and then steadily declines to almost zero prior to processing. In this study, the presence of salmonellae remained through grow-out (40% in toms and 13% in hens at 15 weeks of age). Campylobacter was maintained in a high percentage of turkey cecal droppings though production (77% in toms and 80% in hens at 15 weeks of age), which is similar to the trend observed for broilers. For Campylobacter and salmonellae, the percentage of positive droppings was slightly higher for toms than for hens. Overall, a higher percentage of commercial turkeys, regardless of sex, had Campylobacter in their ceca and intestinal tract as opposed to salmonellae. For toms, 80% were Campylobacter positive, and only 31.1% were salmonellae positive. For hens, 70% were Campylobacter positive, and only 17.7% were salmonellae positive.

Key Words: Campylobacter • feces • Salmonella • turkey

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