Oral lavage of 7-wk-old broiler chickens with polyethylene glycol (PEG) was conducted to induce rapid evacuation of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) before processing. Three groups of birds were fed ad libitum (FF), subjected to feed withdrawal 12 h before processing (FW), or received 115 mL of PEG by oral lavage 3 h before processing (PEG L ). The crop, a section of small intestine, and the right cecum were aseptically collected for determination of contents and Gram-negative bacilli (GNB)

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... nts. The PEG L effectively cleansed the upper GIT and (Key words: polyethylene glycol, gastro-intestinal tract emptying, feed withdrawal, bacterial count) 2002 Poultry Science 81:585-589 Abbreviation Key: a w = water activity; FF = fed ad libitum; FSIS = Food Safety and Inspection Service; FW = feed withdrawn 12 h; GIT = gastro-intestinal tract; GNB = Gram-negative bacilli; PEG = polyethylene glycol; PEG L = PEG lavage.