Occurrence of reverse peristalsis in broiler and layer chickens

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the occurrence and possible effects of certain dietary ingredients on reverse peristalsis or reflux in broiler and layer chickens. The first experiment was a preliminary study into the occurrence of reflux while the second experiment investigated the passage of a bacterial marker and Cr-EDTA in birds fed diets of varying viscositles. The third experiment also employed the mineral and bacterial markers but was conducted on layer birds to investigate possible differences in occurrence of reflux between layer and broiler chickens. The results suggest that reflux occurs throughout the digestive tract of both fasted and fed broiler chickens and layers. Reflux appears to be part of normal gut motility and a possible adaptive response to an absence of food, indicating that it serves to extend the digestive process. In addition, microbial populations may be relocated by reverse peristalsis contractions. Although this study provided no conclusive evidence as such, it is our opinion that dietary ingredients, especially those that increase digesta viscosity, are likely to induce reflux.