Corn milling efficiency and particle size effects on pullet growth performance
Corn is usually ground locally at the feed mill, while soybean meal is pre-processed and feed mills have little control over its particle size...
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....
Short chain fatty acids and poultry gut health
Due to customer demands, producers have been asked to change the way they grow production animals, specifically through the removal of antibiotics. With this...
Why do we need low protein meat chicken diets?
The current level of protein used in meat chicken diets is linked to various issues observed in the industry including feed cost and feed...
Phytase efficacy in young turkeys versus young broilers
Based on tibia-ash content, equivalency between phytase enzymes with young turkeys appeared to be similar with young broilers. An extensive review about “microbial phytase...
Layer nutrition associated with different production systems
The egg industry continues to grow; in the past this was in cage production, but today’s growth is focused on alternative production systems such...
Broilers diets with high and low net energy but similar metabolisable energy
A semi-commercial scale feeding study was conducted to compare formulations of broiler diets based on predicted net energy (NE) and metabolisable energy (ME). It...
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...
Probiotic Bacillus licheniformis significantly improves layer performance
Adding probiotic Bacillus licheniformis DSM 28710 to layer diets was shown to improve layer performance, both in commercial as well as in research conditions....
The effects of in-ovo feeding
In-ovo feeding is a key issue in poultry. The embryonic and immediate post hatch developmental period represents a significant phase in attaining quality broiler...
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...
Animal feed probiotics market expands as antibiotic-free nutrition gains momentum
The global animal feed probiotics market is undergoing a significant transformation as livestock producers increasingly seek sustainable, science-driven alternatives to conventional growth promoters. Valued...
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...
Feeding broilers of the future
The only way to maintain production is to improve the understanding of precision nutrition so that producers can feed broilers with low or no...
In vivo digestion of GM proteins in laying hens
Despite all of the positive effects of modern technologies to improve corn and soybean yields, the consumer often has a different perception of the...
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...
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...
Dietary energy, digestible lysine and available phosphorus levels influence growth performance and carcass traits...
Energy (E) and amino acids (AA) are two of the most expensive components in broiler diets. There is no general consensus regarding the interaction...
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...
A dose response of a heat stable phytase on broiler performance and nutrient digestibility
Phytases have been heavily researched for decades and been used commercially since the early 1990s. Phytase from microbial origin is therefore added to monogastric...
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...
The bioavailability of zinc in poultry: what does literature say?
Zinc bioavailability: zinc is an essential trace element for all the animals, including broilers. In case of deficiency, alteration of growth performance and distortion...
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...
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,...
The selection element in whole grain feeding regimes
Seven dietary treatments consisting of a ground grain control and six treatments with pre- and post-pellet whole grain inclusions of 7.5, 15.0 and 30.0%...
The role of mechanistic theory in delaying the development of NSPases
This brief paper attempts to review the history of development of the mechanistic theories for NSPases and how this has possibly delayed advances.
NSPase feed...
Apparent metabolisable energy of common cereal grains for broiler chickens is influenced by bird...
The current study was conducted to investigate the influence of broiler age on the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn) of four...
Algae products in organic poultry diets
Algae, “the not so new kid on the block” has been used in both human and animal diets dating back centuries. There is a...
Chelated copper compared to antibiotics effect on gut health in broilers
In this study the specific interventions of chelated copper methionine hydroxy analogue (cuMHAC) and a combination of cuMHAC and an effective foregut acidifier were...
Probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics for treating lameness in broilers
The pathogenesis leading to a form of lameness known as bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) appears to be initiated by mechanical microfracturing of susceptible...
Research examines alternative feeding programs and photostimulation periods for broiler breeders
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
Estimated total cereal production in the EU-27 for the 2022 harvest
Experts from the Copa and Cogeca working groups on cereal and oilseed gathered in Brussels, with an estimated total cereal production of 277 million...
Natural antioxidants in poultry production
From vitamins to vitagenes - First part
In general, there are four major types of stress in poultry production: technological, environmental, nutritional and internal stresses....
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...
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...
Influence of age on the standardised ileal amino acid digestibility of maize and barley...
Grains are the major energy sources in broilers. However, they also supply about 40% of the total dietary protein and contribute significantly to the...
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...
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...
Broiler management and feed formulation approaches in hot environments
High temperatures can be an obstacle in livestock production particularly in tropical regions. Broilers are more susceptible to high ambient temperatures because they lack...
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...
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....
Laying hen nutrition for optimizing egg production and quality
Hen nutrition is important; during the initial period of pullet rearing (<45 days of age), small particle size obtained by grinding of main cereals...
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...
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...
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...
Effect of two different fibre sources on growth and immune function in grower layer-pullets
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two different fibre sources on pullet growth, gut immune tissue, and lymphocyte proliferation of strain...
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...
Antioxidants in poultry nutrition and reproduction. An update
For the last three decades poultry production worldwide has made tremendous progress in terms of quantity and quality of meat and egg production, including...
The ability of meat chickens to extract energy from wheat
The apparent metabolisable energy (MJ/kg dry matter) values for wheats were determined in two conventional energy balance experiments on meat chickens. A blend of...
Lowering dietary calcium and available phosphorus in broilers
The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of lowering dietary calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (av.P) during Starter (0 to 10d),...
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...
Growth begins in the gut
In the race to replace antibiotics on Canadian poultry farms, some producers have successfully adopted yeast-based prebiotic supplements. But there’s more potential to enhance...
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...
Immediate post-hatch nutritional restriction in broilers
The effect on broiler muscle development and occurence of intramuscular fat.
Neonatal nutrition and immediate post hatch nutritional restriction represent an important facet of broiler...
A novel microbiome metabolic modulator improved growth performance and intestinal morphology during a coccidiosis...
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of a precision glycan Microbiome Metabolic Modulator (MMM) on growth performance and gut health parameters...
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...
Phosphorus: how low can we go in broiler diets?
Phosphorus (P) is essential for all forms of life. Dietary P content either in excess of, or below requirements may adversely affect broiler performance....
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...
Comparison of wheat and maize-based diets on growth performance and meat quality of broiler...
Maize and wheat are a major source of energy in broiler diets. Generally, wheat-based diets are offered to broiler chickens in Europe, Australia and...
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...
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...
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...
Comparison of the effects of dietary available phosphorus and feed restriction on performance, egg...
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of available phosphorus and restricted feeding level on laying hens productivity, egg quality and yolk fatty...
In Vitro evaluation of xylo-oligosaccharide production from different batches of wheat with and without...
Supplementing poultry diets with xylanase partially depolymerizes the xylans present in the dietary cereals, reducing the number of sugars in the molecular chains. The...
EU Compound feed production in 2021 – Market Outlook 2022
Industrial compound feed production in the EU remained stable in 2021. Looking forward, the spread of animal diseases and the continuing global grain market...
Effects of probiotic bacillus Amyloliquefaciens H57 on performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens
Direct fed microbials are a potential probiotic alternative to antibiotic
growth promoters for improving animal production and preventing enteric pathogen
infections. We are studying the effects...
Site and extent of digestion on poultry production
In poultry formulation and production of feed has evolved extensively in the last century with the identification of required nutrients, and subsequent and continuing...
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 in broilers
Some recent research at the Arkansas Agriculture Experiment Station Poultry Research Farm has been focused on low protein diets in broilers. Many nutritionists rely...
Water quality guidelines for turkeys
Turkeys typically consume twice as much water as feed, so it is important to provide a clean, healthy water supply. Water not only serves...
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...
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...
Intestinal barrier function – A case to be studied in reduced protein diets
Maintaining intestinal health and growth remains a concern as demands increase to limit the use of antibiotics in poultry production. There is also an...
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...
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...
Path to the 100 week age layers in cage free systems
Egg producers are always looking for ways to improve layer hen’s efficiency as, nowadays, the genetic potential of layers is targeting an extended age...
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...
Measurement of true ileal calcium digestibility of meat and bone meal for broiler chickens
Currently, there is a move towards the use of digestible phosphorus (P) in diet formulations for poultry due to P excretion into the environment...
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,...
Nutritional additive strengthens bones in layer hens
Bone quality in egg-laying hens benefits from a common feed supplement as well as from traits that help their skeletons store calcium, research shows....
