Pioneering Solutions to Improve Poultry Livability

In an industry where hatchability directly impacts the bottom line, poultry producers are increasingly looking for innovative solutions to help them meet new and existing challenges. One such advancement is the Enterococcus control program from Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition. This targeted, Bacillus-based probiotic solution is proving to be valuable not just in addressing gut health challenges but also in reducing embryonic and chronic mortality to enhance overall flock livability.

The Escalating Challenge in Modern Poultry Production

The poultry industry faces an unprecedented challenge. Over the past 12 years, U.S. hatchability has plummeted by a staggering six percentage points – from 85% in 2012 to just 79% in 2025, according to data from the USDA Broiler Hatchery Report.¹ 

The consistent downward trend stems from embryo mortality during various development stages – early, mid and late – as well as early chick mortality. While multiple factors contribute to this decline, including breeder health, bacterial infections, nutrient imbalance and poor egg storage and incubation, the industry has struggled to identify precise underlying causes, leaving producers with few real solutions to address this growing crisis.

"For large-scale operations processing millions of eggs annually, even a single percentage point reduction in hatchability represents substantial financial losses," says Dr. Mueez Ahmad, DVM, Technical Services Manager at Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition. 

The Enterococcus faecalis Connection: Uncovering a Hidden Threat

While the exact causes of embryo mortality have not been fully identified, research identified E. faecalis as a potential pathogen of interest. This gram-positive bacterium naturally exists in the intestinal microbiota of chickens and is ubiquitous in poultry environments. 

As an opportunistic pathogen, it poses an especially significant threat to young or immunocompromised birds and is particularly concerning due to its association with various health issues, including septicemia and osteomyelitis. Recent studies identified E. faecalis as one of the most prevalent bacteria isolated from chicken embryo mortalities.² In fact, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition's own survey of nonviable broiler eggs found E. faecalis in 52% of dead embryonated eggs.³

Despite this evidence, a critical question remained: Why do some E. faecalis strains cause significant embryo mortality while others appear relatively harmless?

New Research: Identifying the Genetic Markers of Pathogenicity

Through advanced genomic analysis, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition has identified genetic differences between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of E. faecalis.⁴

First, through chicken embryo lethality assays using multiple field isolates, researchers categorized E. faecalis strains into low (<40%), intermediate (40-60%) and high (>60%) mortality groups.

In addition to the cytolysin operon that produces toxins harmful to host cells, the genomic analysis yielded a landmark discovery of an additional element present in the most pathogenic strains – a previously undiscovered pathogenicity island (PAI) containing genes that enhance bacterial virulence. All high-mortality E. faecalis strains contained both elements, while low-mortality strains contained neither. 

“We further validated our data by analyzing public databases⁵ of E. faecalis genomes, which revealed that the PAI is significantly more prevalent in poultry sources than non-poultry sources. Additionally, the prevalence of both genetic elements in E. faecalis genomes increased from 2011 to 2025, correlating with the decline in broiler hatchability in the U.S. during the same period,” says Jessica Foote, Molecular Biologist, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition.

Revolutionary Detection Technology: The Multiplex PCR Assay

In response to this discovery, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition developed a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay that enables high-throughput screening of E. faecalis isolates for the PAI and cytolysin genes.

This technology allows:

• Rapid, cost-effective identification of pathogenic E. faecalis strains
• Earlier intervention before significant losses occur
• Targeted application of probiotics that specifically inhibit these harmful strains

Field testing of 734 E. faecalis isolates from two poultry hatcheries revealed that egg samples had between 1%-29% prevalence of cytolysin and 3%-47% prevalence of the PAI, depending on the year and facility tested, verifying the need for a targeted solution.

An Innovative Solution to the Hatchability Crisis

“Conventional approaches to bacterial control, such as antibiotics, have significant limitations when addressing E. faecalis, including resistance and the bacterium's environmental persistence. Arm & Hammer took a fundamentally different approach,” says Dr. Ahmad. “We leveraged our library of over 30,000 Bacillus isolates to identify specific strains that inhibit E. faecalis growth and integrated them into our targeted solution.”

The effectiveness of this program has been validated through commercial studies on four broiler breeder farms with below-standard hatchability rates. Results demonstrated that the Arm & Hammer Enterococcus control program consistently delivered up to a 3% increase in hatchability compared to control flocks.³

The economic implications are substantial since this improvement can yield 7.11 million more chicks weekly.⁶ This translates to significantly increased revenue, more efficient resource use and enhanced profitability across operations.

For an industry where small improvements compound into significant financial gains, this science-driven approach into identifying and mitigating key pathogenic strains offers a practical pathway to enhanced productivity without dramatic operational changes.

Leading the Way Forward: A Science-Based Approach

As the poultry industry continues to face hatchability challenges, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition remains committed to developing science-based solutions that improve production efficiency and profitability. By partnering with Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, producers gain access to unparalleled expertise and innovative technologies that help address the root causes of declining hatchability, ensuring a more productive and profitable future for the entire industry.

References

¹USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System, Weekly NASS Broiler Hatchery Data.

²Karunarathna R, et al. Increased incidence of Enterococcal infection in nonviable broiler chicken embryos in western Canadian hatcheries. Avian Dis. 2017;61(4): 472-480.

³ARM & HAMMER proprietary data.

⁴Foote J, et al. Development of an assay to detect cytolysin and a presumptive E. faecalis pathogenicity island associated with chicken embryo mortality. Oral presentation at the International Poultry Scientific Forum, January 2025.

⁵Olson RD, et al. Introducing the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC). Nucleic Acids Res. 2023;51(D1):D678-D689.

⁶Calculated from USDA Broiler Hatchery report, November 2023 and proprietary data.