There is anecdotal evidence at farm level suggesting that this enrichment has potential to improve chicken gut health and performance or reduce pathogen colonisation. However, some diets are formulated to enhance human health, such as diets containing Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s). Chicken diets are typically formulated to enhance production efficiency. Certain parameters such as Placement Birds/m 2 (stocking density), Protein_perc_ration (protein percentage within ration) and Energy_of_ration (energy content) in relation to the feed are key determinants that if varied, may directly influence chicken microbial community structure, thus impacting performance and potentially reduction of pathogenic bacteria. Production systems vary immensely between countries, businesses and at farm level. The fundamental component needed to ensure an efficient poultry production is highly dependent in having an optimised nutrition and production setup. Selective breeding programmes has resulted in chickens that efficiently convert food into body mass, as defined by feed conversion ratios (FCR). Sustainable poultry practices are needed to help maintain an adequate supply of poultry products for the increasing human population without compromising the chicken or human health.

Overall, our results show that microbial communities in different industrial production systems are deterministic in elucidating the underlying biological confounders, and these recommendations are transferable to farm practices and diet manipulation leading to improved performance and better intervention strategies against Campylobacter within the food chain.Ĭhickens are a key source of protein for humans where poultry production is predicted to produce approximately 130 million tons of chicken meat in 2020. However, Omega-3 was linked with a positive impact on weight gain. Addition of Omega-3 though did alter prevalence of specific genera, in our analysis did not differentiate itself from HW production system. Campylobacter was identified within specific production system and presence was linked with the increased diversity and increased environmental pressure on microbial community structure. Thus, an association exists between consistent and differentiating parameters of the production systems that affect feed utilisation, leading to competitive exclusion of genera based on competition for nutrients and other factors. These genera have roles directly relating to energy metabolism, amino acid, nucleotide and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) utilisation. Prevalence of genera, such as Eisenbergiella within HW and O, and likewise Alistipes within N were representative. An increase in Placement Birds/m 2 density led to a decrease in environmental pressure influencing the microbial community structure. Our data identified production system N as significantly dissimilar from production systems HW and O when comparing the prevalence of genera. In this study, three different production systems ‘Normal’ (N), ‘Higher Welfare’ (HW) and ‘Omega-3 Higher Welfare’ (O) were investigated in an industrial farm environment at day 7 and day 30 with a range of extrinsic parameters correlating performance with microbial dynamics and Campylobacter presence. Such parameters, in addition to on-farm biosecurity may influence performance and also pathogenic bacterial numbers such as Campylobacter. The chicken gut microbiome may be influenced by extrinsic production system parameters such as Placement Birds/m 2 (stocking density), feed type and additives. Chickens are a key source of protein with gut health heavily dependent on the complex microbiome which has key roles in nutrient assimilation and vitamin and amino acid biosynthesis. The factors affecting host-pathogen ecology in terms of the microbiome remain poorly studied.

Industrial production