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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Research examines different dietary treatments for woody breast
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, in which researchers examined different...
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...
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...
Vitamin D in laying hens: how high is high enough?
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine in the United States reviewed current literature and changed the estimated average requirement of 400 IU/day to a...
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...
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...
IFIF: Better nutrition for improved animal health
The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) underlined its commitment to supporting efforts by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to strengthen animal health...
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...
Nutritional modulation of broiler intestine in the starter period and intestinal integrity
Gut health which is characterized by intestinal integrity, intestinal microflora, mucin and enterocyte functionality, may be of greatest concern among poultry producers because it...
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....
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%...
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...
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...
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...
The effects of a multi-enzyme and Bacillus probiotic combinations on calcium and phosphorus digestibility...
450 day-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment and 25 birds per pen....
Corn co-products in broilers
The expansion of the ethanol industry has increased the availability of a variety of corn co-products as feedstuffs for livestock and poultry. Of the...
The role of early experience on the behavior of hens housed in cage-free aviaries
Understanding the consequences of rearing experiences on the behavior and bone integrity of laying hens can help inform solutions to animal welfare and management...
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....
A cost-effective poultry feed additives solution to partially replace vitamin E
Livestock producers typically use feed additives such as vitamin E to increase the antioxidant capacity of animals and minimise economic losses.
Recently, the price of...
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...
Scientifically validated results to raise poultry production profitability
The Poultry Science Association 2017 Annual Meeting took place in Orlando, Florida on July 17-20. Being the most prestigious scientific event for poultry in...
Effect of graded levels of supplementary phytase in diets with and without rapeseed meal...
Application of dietary enzymes, including phytase, protease, and carbohydrases, alone or in combination, to facilitate phosphorus, protein, and energy utilization is a common approach...
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....
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...
Barley in pelleted broiler starter diets: effects of carbohydrase supplementation and steam-conditioning temperature
The effect of pelleting barley-based diets on bird performance and nutrient utilisation depends, in part, on the conditioning temperature (CT) used. The influence of...
Methionine supplementation reduces plasma amino acid circulation and enhanced apparent digestibility in broiler chickens
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of methionine supplementation on amino acid concentration in systemic plasma, apparent amino acid digestibilities...
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...
Reducing undigested protein available at the intestinal wall on broilers
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing an inherently thermo stable protease in broilers fed diets based on single raw materials,...
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...
Inclusion of black soldier fly larvae in a meat chicken diet has minor effect...
The caecal microbiota composition of commercial broilers is essential to the poultry industry as it can affect the broiler’s health and performance.
Bioactive components of...
Sustainable chicken meat production is enhanced by tangibly reduced crude protein diets
The environmental impact of soyabean meal is estimated to be approximately three times that of grain and successful implementation of reduced crude protein diets...
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...
NSP enzymes, gut microbiota and fermentation products
Arabinoxylans account for 50-70% of the NSP feed enzymes present in cereal grains and make up the majority of cell wall NSP in corn,...
On free amino acids – Their role in starch and protein digestive dynamics
The quantity of glucose and amino acids absorbed from the small intestine is a function of dietary concentrations, feed intakes and digestibility coefficients. Moreover,...
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...
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),...
Nutritional implications of antibiotic free rearing of broilers
The gradual reduction in the use of AGP coincided with an increase in the therapeutic use of antibiotics on farm level. Especially in broiler...
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...
Rise of Yeast Bioactives expands the toolbox for livestock operators
Canadian Bio-Systems receives Veterinary Health Products approval for Maxi-Nutrio® Liquid, a yeast bioactive technology.
An innovative new category of science-powered yeast technology, with dynamic potential to...
EU compound feed production market forecast 2025
FEFAC market experts forecast continued stability in the EU compound feed production market for 2025. The total industrial compound feed production in the EU27...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Thoughts on diet energy. Definitions, requirements and alternatives
Energy is by far our most expensive nutrient, yet surprisingly we never receive guarantees when we trade ingredients or manufacture diets. Energy level dictates...
Precision feeding of broiler breeders
Precision livestock feeding relies on real-time sensor feedback from individual birds to decide whether or not to allocate feed, according to the needs of...
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...
Bacillus Subtilis improves performance of broilers fed medicated or non-medicated feed
Animal digestive health is key to obtain optimal performance. Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have long been shown to be very effective to develop and...
The value of digestibility coefficients and protein
At all times and for all human cultures animal protein took an important part of nutrient supply and has been always of a high...
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...
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...
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),...
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 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...
NIRS study on nutritional profiles of 100 soybean meal samples from USA and Brazil
This paper compares the nutrient profile of soybean meal (SBM) samples from the USA and Brazil. Proximate analysis, total amino acids, standardized ileal digestibility...
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...
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...
Supplementation of a protected complex of biofactors and antioxidants on the gene expression and...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the dietary supplementation of a protected complex of biofactors and antioxidants P(BF+AOx) on the expression of...
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...
A Box-Behnken assessment of fishmeal and sorghum inclusions in broiler diets
The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of starch and protein digestive dynamics on broiler growth performance using Box-Behnken response surface...
Dietary approaches to control Necrotic Enteritis in broilers
Necrotic Enteritis (NE) occurs in broilers due to an overabundance of C. perfringens and is usually associated with predisposing factors which include coccidial challenge,...
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...
Evaluating phosphorous equivalency of phytases
The use of exogenous enzymes in non-ruminant nutrition is a valuable tool to increase digestibility and therefore spare the inclusion of expensive nutrients whilst...
The relationship between feed particle size, gizzard development and broiler performance
Anatomy of the stomach
The stomach of the chicken consists of two chambers, the proventriculus or glandular stomach and the gizzard or muscular stomach.
The proventriculus...
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...
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...