Development and evaluation of probiotics
As restrictions to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have become more prevalent, producers have turned to several technologies as probiotics - Direct Fed Microbials to...
Early introduction of whole-grain diets to broiler chickens
The main problem with introducing whole-grain diets (WGD) to newly hatched chicks is the kernel size and this has led to such diets being...
Effect of arginine and lysine on broiler chickens
Arginine is an essential amino acid for poultry and plays crucial roles in different biological pathways. Recent findings highlighted that the recommended levels of...
What is the influence of nutrition and management on egg weight?
Managing egg weight is important for farmers and can greatly vary depending on market demand. Obtaining an egg size in line with market demand...
New applications such as superdosing of phytase to maximize phytate destruction to improve performance...
It is well documented that phytase supplementation in broiler diets improves P and Ca utilization through the destruction of phytate (IP6) and thereby allows...
Calcium nutrition, bone metabolism, and eggshell quality in longer-persisting layers
As regard layers management, rather than being depopulated at 60 to 70 weeks of age, or being moulted to allow for additional production cycles,...
A new perspective on feeding broiler breeders
Due to sophisticated genetic selection programs carried out by poultry breeding companies such as Aviagen, today’s broilers can grow with very efficient feed conversion...
Improving broiler-breeder performance with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 of fermentative origin
25-hydroxyvitamin D3 from a fermentative source was supplemented to broiler-breeders in two separate trials, compared to standard basal diets without a 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 source....
Origin of feed ingredients in Dutch compound feeds
Wageningen University and Research (WUR) studied the origin of protein-rich feed ingredients, which in 2018 were applied in Dutch compound feeds. 65% of proteins...
Broiler breeders, a research on alternative feeding programs and photostimulation periods
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
How much dietary protein is too much
Dietary protein accounts largely for most of broiler feeding costs which in return shrink revenue if protein is not used efficiently. Tuning dietary protein...
Measurement of energy utilization in chickens
Although corn prices have dropped from historic highs in the past years, energy continues to be one of the driving costs in poultry feeding....
Ideal amino acids and chicken gut disturbance
There is considerable interest in the development of low protein diets
with supplemental amino acids for broiler chickens due to economic, environmental and bird
welfare advantages....
Feed physical quality
The effect of feed form is well established, however, feed physical quality is often seen as an issue in the field (see Figure 1)....
Priming young birds for gut health and resilience
This brief review focuses on the types of fibre that the nutritionist should be considering and how a phase feeding strategy should not only...
Effects of dietary insoluble and soluble non-starch polysaccharides on performance and ileal and excreta...
This study examined the effect of dietary insoluble and soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in common broiler diets on performance and ileal and excreta moisture...
Training the animal microbiome to degrade fibre with NSPase
A new perspective on the mode of action of fibre-degrading enzymes NSPase.
Increased understanding of NSPase mode of action is presenting a new perspective on...
Copper influences broilers’ performance and growth
Copper (Cu) is an essential component involved in a wide variety of biochemical processes. It must be supplemented in the trace mineral premix as...
The importance of feeding time observation
Achieving proper bodyweight, flock uniformity, and sexual maturity at light stimulation are some of the biggest management challenges for broiler breeder farms.
Today’s breeder pullets...
Effectiveness of a double choice test to assess dietary taste preferences in broilers
Investigations into the taste system of broilers can help to improve poultry feeding strategies. However, a comprehensive study on dietary taste preferences for broilers...
Response of broilers fed phytase enzymes of different optimal pH ranges alone or in...
Dr. Kelley Wamsley and colleagues at the Mississippi State University Poultry Science Department recently completed a research project that investigated how broilers respond when...
Performance, intestinal morphology and antioxidant status of broilers fed o-regano essential oil or an...
In this study, the effect of an oregano essential oil, or a blend of formic and propionic acids and essential oil on mineral carriers,...
Protein digestive dynamics influence growth performance of broiler chickens
Three apical diets were formulated to stimulate different protein digestion rates dependent on the major constituents: standard (soybean meal), rapid (whey protein) and very...
Organic acids as feed additives: pros and cons
Organic acid salts are often included as feed additives in livestock nutrition as feed preservatives but also as growth promoters, intestinal microbiota enhancers, and...
Phytic acid reduction in canola and camelina meals
Canola and camelina meals have been identified as alternative plant protein sources in place of soybean meal for animal feeding. The use of these...
A rationale for elevated free threonine plasma concentrations in chickens offered reduced-crude protein diets
Pronounced elevations in free threonine plasma concentrations have been consistently observed pursuant to crude protein reductions in broiler diets. However, the magnitude of these...
Managing the risk makes the difference in mycotoxin control
A webinar on the results of the 2017 harvest analyses in terms of mycotoxin contamination has been recently held. Two experts on the matter...
Spirulina platensis Algae, a novel poultry feed additive
Identifying alternative replacements for soybean meal in a high quality and reasonable price is of importance in poultry production and physiological parameters. Spirulina platensis...
Feeding management of broiler breeders
Modern strains of fast-growing broilers have been selected for fast growth, feed efficiency and high feed intake, and broilers are processed once they achieve...
Effect of multi-xylanase system on growth performance and gut health in broilers
Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), particularly arabinoxylans (AX), with complex biochemical structures are one of the main causative factors for impaired growth performance and poor gut...
Development of coccidial vaccinal immunity is not impaired by feeding oregano essential oil
Coccidial vaccination is an alternative to medication programmes, although vaccination can lead to impaired performance.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect...
Using more bioavailable sources of trace minerals pays off
A study of broiler breeder performance was conducted using three separate minerals programmes. The objective was to determine if productivity could be maintained at...
How to improve hen fertility
Following specific procedures to increase hen fertility will not eliminate drops in fertility, but it may also reduce the need to trouble-shoot breeder flocks.
Artificial...
Antioxidants in broiler breeder diets can affect offspring performance
In a series of experiments, it was shown that antioxidants in broiler breeder diets can affect broiler performance trans-generationally. To study this, a polyphenol...
Effectiveness of a double choice test to assess dietary taste preferences in broiler chickens
Investigations into the taste system of chickens can help to improve poultry feeding strategies. However, a comprehensive study on dietary taste preferences for broilers...
Dietary non-phytate phosphorus levels for laying hens in the last phase of lay
The phosphorus (P) requirement of laying hens is an area of on-going debate and it is a factor that contributes to hen performance and...
Modification of the chicken intestinal epithelial physical barrier in poultry by dietary factors
The intestinal epithelial physical barrier is the most critical element of maintaining an intact intestinal barrier and made up of a layer of columnar...
The future of probiotics
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., in...
Impact of grain type on performance in broilers under Necrotic Enteritis challenge
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of grain type on performance and gut microbiota composition in broiler chickens under a...
Metabolisable energy of ingredients in peak layers
Layer nutritionists typically rely on apparent metabolisable energy data generated in broilers as layer AME data are less available.
The bioassays are typically conducted...
Pellet quality and its effects on poultry performance
Pellet quality provided to meat birds throughout the industry is highly variable. Feeding birds pellets of poor quality can in part be attributed to...
Science unveils new pathway to broiler chicken growth performance
A new tool has emerged for broiler chicken operations seeking new ways to optimize results while keeping aligned with a full range of the...
Expanding feed milling capacity and quality at New Rosendale’s
At a time when the North American feed industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation driven by new rules, heightened market expectations and ground-breaking technology...
Requirement of digestible calcium at different dietary concentrations of digestible phosphorus for broiler growers
An experiment was conducted to determine the digestible calcium (Ca) and digestible phosphorus (P) requirements of 11-24 days old broiler chickens.
L.S. David1, M.R. Abdollahi1,...
Effects of yeast and its derivatives on meat yield
The present experiment was designed to determine the effects of yeast and its derivatives on meat yield and hematological indices of broiler chickens challenged...
Influence of feed form and particle size on the performance and nutrient utilisation of...
The present experiment was designed to examine the influence of feed form and particle size in maize-based diets on the performance and nutrient utilisation...
Dietary calcium, phytate and non-phytate phosphorus, on IP6 degradation in broilers
The effectiveness of phytase is usually determined under phosphorus or both calcium and phosphorus deficient specifications. Phytase efficacy in terms of increasing available or...
Use of commercial premixes with low levels of organic trace minerals on egg production...
Common industry practice is to supply trace minerals well above published recommendations. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of two commercial premixes...
Performance, immunity and blood biochemical parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing Kappaphycus alvarezii
Kappaphycus alvarezii (KPA) can be incorporated at 1.50% in diets for improved performance, immuno-responsiveness and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chickens.
Introduction
Kappaphycus alvarezii (KPA) is...
Impact of dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide levels on the gastrointestinal environment of young broilers
The dietary fibre content of broilers diets is frequently neglected during feed formulation, despite the prevalence of fibrous material in feed ingredients and notable...
Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT4529): 35 years of Italian research (1985-2020)
The history of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) follows that of many strains produced by Centro Sperimentale del Latte and acts...
Advancing poultry sustainability to meet 2050 protein needs
Introduction: the 2050 protein challenge
Global demand for animal protein is projected to rise by more than 70% by 2050, driven by population growth and...
Taking phytase superdosing from scientific concept to commercial application: a UK example
Scientific research is based on carefully designed experiments, performed in carefully controlled conditions with the outcome measured as accurately as possible, using a range...
The potential of perinatal nutrition
Based on Darwin’s theory of adaptive evolution and Mendel’s fundamental laws of heritability, breeding and genetic selection for increased growth rate and meat yield...
Effects of low protein and balanced amino acid levels on birds under subclinic NE
One benefit of low protein (LP) diets is improving gut health in a future of antibiotic-growth promoter free diets.
Drew et al., (2004) found an...
Nutritional economics for commercial turkey operations
Feed is the single biggest cost to a turkey operation, 60% to 70% of the cost of production is related to feed, with energy...
Best practice in feed management
How innovative thinking and a proactive approach can ensure best practice with feed on broiler farms
In partnership with Cobb, this article examines best practice...
Flexible Feed Formulation with GALLIPRO
Facing challenging goals
The goal of the poultry industry is to provide consumers with safe food, while promoting poultry health and welfare, in addition to carefully...
Effect of the type of diet and the addition of humic substances as growth...
In recent years, humic substances have been tested as growth promoters in animal production and are one of the promising options to face the...
Low protein diets supplemented with glycine, glutamine or arginine for broilers
A previous study highlighted differences between a low protein (LP) diet and a higher concentration of amino acids (AA) for intestinal permeability and performance...
Keel bone integrity in layers – Observations, nutritional remedies, and myth-busting
The issue of keel bone deformities and abnormalities is different depending on various housing systems for the birds. Keel fractures have received a lot...
Axel Aguayo joins Hubbard as Technical Sales Manager Spain & Portugal
EMEA – Hubbard is pleased to announce the appointment of Axel Aguayo as Technical Sales Manager for Spain and Portugal. Axel is based in...
A cost-effective solution to partially replace vitamin E
Oxidative imbalance can reduce animal productivity. If severe, it can lead to inflammation, reduced immune function and increased susceptibility to disease. Livestock producers typically...
Can xylanase inhibitors affect the efficacy of xylanases in poultry diets?
Xylanase inhibitors are reported to be widely present in cereals, and can influence the assay of supplemental xylanases in feeds.
In the present study, a...
Field experience on the use of probiotics in chickens and turkeys
Probiotics have been used for several years in an attempt to improve intestinal health. Recently, microbial products have been extensively studied as supportive treatments...
Supplementing Bacillus strains in chicken diets
The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of several Bacillus strains on growth performance, intestinal inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, antioxidants and tight...
Replacing soy in broiler diets. Effect on performance, carcass yield and cost of production
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) in broiler diets on performance, carcass quality and...
Hybrid Feed – New approach in layer hen feed at start of production
The actual genetic improvements in layer hens are providing the market with a layer hen producing saleable size eggs quicker than before and extending...
Broiler nutrition, future efficiency
Talking about broiler nutrition, we all want the best possible return while investing as little as possible: efficiency is the keyword to success and...
The challenge of feeding modern broiler breeders
Broiler breeders are expected to produce about 150 chicks in 40 weeks of production and even though it is commonly believed that selection for...
Ileal amino acids digestibility in response to increasing phytase dose or MCP levels in...
Commercial broiler feed is formulated mainly with plant based ingredients including cereals and oil seeds. These ingredients provide low available P because 70-80% of...
H7N9 flu mutation identified that allows immune system escape
The research, published in the Journal of Virology, demonstrated that small genetic differences in the virus surface proteins can prevent antibodies that protect against...
Low protein diets down regulate hepatic enzymes
Low protein (LP) diets have clear benefits for the poultry industry with regards to health, welfare and production. Dean et al., (2006) found that...
Feed Conversion Ratio optimized for farmer profit
The farmers’ cost for animal feed is one of the main expenditures consisting of 60-70% of the overall producer costs. These producer costs are...
Potential to produce poultry feed from food wastes
The annual food waste in Australia is estimated at 7.5 million tonnes
with the majority disposed of in landfills. This not only
causes significant economic loss...
FAO published a report on animal nutrition strategies
FAO’s publication helps producers use nutrition strategies to reduce the use of antibiotics in their farms. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to...
Feeding strategies for improved performance
When it comes to improving performance through nutrition, meeting poultry requirements in the way they want/need is paramount to fully achieve their genetic potential....
Meta-analysis of genetic parameters of feed conversion and related traits in chickens
The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of some factors on heritability estimates of
body weight (BW), feed conversion ratio (FCR),
feed
intake (FI),...
Drought impacts on plant ground cover on a free range egg farm
In this study drought conditions were experienced and was high-lighted the difficulty for farms in maintaining green ground cover during adverse dry conditions.
Introduction
Maintaining vegetation...
Comparative sustainability of differing dietary amino acids and energy regimes for individual laying hens...
Poultry production has been identified as an efficient source of terrestrial, farmed animal protein. However, in tandem with all food production, sustainability into the...