Natural alternatives to antibiotics are a game changer for poultry health
By Vishal Manjunatha, PhD
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
By Vishal Manjunatha, PhD
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
One of the many challenges affecting layers is APEC, an opportunistic challenge that impacts at least 30% of commercial flocks in the US, resulting in decreased egg production, increased bird mortality and significant economic losses. Cargill Animal Nutrition has introduced Biostrong™ C-Protect
Every year, turkey producers lose more than $2 million to Histomoniasis (blackhead disease) alone due to high mortality rates and decreased flock performance. With limited industry investment to address turkey health challenges, turkey producers need solutions.
Kansas State University research has offered a glimpse into the potential of niacin supplementation in broiler diets — but questions remain about the exact benefits producers might expect from such a move.
Having been linked to everything from yield gains, feed-conversion ratio and immunity to disease tolerance, mortality and animal welfare, intestinal health is foundational to the success of poultry operations today. Three poultry-health experts took part in an intestinal health webinar in which they discussed viral, bacterial and coccidial challenges in poultry, their impact on gut health and potential management strategies.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major concern for human and food-animal health. The key to better understanding AMR selection and spread is the resistome, the collection of all antimicrobial resistance genes and their precursors in the gut microbiome.
Saponins are well-known for their role in supporting bird performance, gut health and immune health. But in the latest research, scientists have uncovered greater insight into how different types of saponins, specifically quillaja, yucca and blends of the two, contribute to these outcomes.
In a recent Poultry Science publication, researchers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia reported that prebiotic and probiotic supplementation in flocks vaccinated for coccidiosis did not alter vaccine effectiveness or improve short-term, vaccine-induced declines in growth performance.
A novel probiotic has been developed as a direct-fed microbial in both poultry and swine feed to improve gut health and weight-gain efficiency, according to the University of Arkansas.
Reducing the use of phosphate in feed can increase the security of raw material supply, cut costs and reduce farming’s environmental impact. But can this be done effectively without compromising bird health and welfare?
In the last 2 decades, strides in poultry nutrition helped build profitability for poultry producers in the US and around the world. Average US feed-conversion rates (FCR) have improved by 23 points (0.23) since 2000, according to Michael Kidd, PhD, professor in the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas.
Poultry genetics has evolved rapidly in the last 2 decades and continues to advance steadily, but research from Cargill Animal Nutrition suggests that birds’ diets need to be updated alongside genetic progress to maximize performance.
