Effects of different diets on viability, and gut morphology and bacteriology in captive willow ptarmigan chicks (Lagopus L. lagopus)

Young willow ptarmigan chicks were fed an artificial chick diet (ACD), and different supplements. One group got ascorbic acid supplements, another neomycin and Oxytetracyclin in the water, and a third was given ascorbic acid and sprouts of Vaccinium myrtillus. Chicks that were fed ACD only, showed low weight gain and high mortality rate. The numbers of bacteria in the gut were high and the incidence of villous epithelium erosion and bacteria colonizing the gut epithelium were high.Admixture of ascorbic acid to the diet improved the viability of the chicks and reduced the number of coliforms in the gut.Antibiotics in the water reduced the number of C. perfringens, enterococci and coliforms in the gut, and improved the gut epithelium conditions.Combined supplements of ascorbic acid and Vaccinium myrtillus resulted in strongly viable chicks with healthy gut epithelium. C. perfringens was not demonstrated in the gut, and the numbers of enterococci and coliforms were low.