Explore all the information onMinerals in poultry nutrition
Minerals in poultry nutrition are typically classified as macro- or micro-minerals, depending on the levels needed in the diet. The macro-minerals include calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Requirements for the macro-minerals are typically expressed as a percentage of the diet, while the requirements for the micro-minerals are stated as parts per million. Although the quantities required for micro-minerals are lower than for macro-minerals, they play an essential role in the body's metabolism. The micro-minerals include copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
One of the greatest challenges to production facing poultry farmers in India is heat stress and the strain that it causes to the bird. Climatic conditions in India are such there is intense radiant energy for an extended period of time. Poultry create a large quantity of metabolic heat and accumulate additional heat from radiant energy. Heat production and accumulation, coupled with compromised cooling capability because of environmental conditions, causes heat load in the bird to increase...
The eggshell consists of 95% calcium carbonate, the necessary calcium is obtained from the feed or the bones of the layer. Calcium is absorbed in the intestine and its absorption and metabolism are regulated by vitamin D. To avoid related problems, regular supplementation with calcium and vitamin D3 is recommended. PlusVet Animal Health developed PhytoMax © which is a combination of vitamins, calcium in chelate form, microminerals and essential oils to add to the drinking water of layers and...
INTRODUCTION Genetic selection for higher growth rate, and providing balanced diet and superior health care measures led to a higher body weight in commercial broilers. The birds that are being reared in open-sided poultry houses may lead to stress due to constant dynamic variations in temperature and humidity in the environment, which causes adverse effects on performance (Niu et al., 2009), meat quality and immune responses (Thompson and Scott, 1970). Further, heat causes a...
This award is given to recognize distinctive work demonstrating sound research in poultry nutrition in the last 10 years. This is an annual award.
Michael E....
Copper (Cu) has been widely used at pharmacological levels (e.g., 125 ppm) as growth promoter in poultry. However, the mechanism by which high levels of Cu promote growth remains to be determined. It is commonly recognized that Cu exerts anti-microbial effect in the gut but there is not much direct and consistent data showing that Cu alters the population of bacterial species in birds. And copper can maintain proper body functions and obtain the optimal growth performance of poultry (Banks...
During heat stress, birds strive to regulate their body temperature by panting, increasing their respiration rate from a normal rate of 25 breaths per minute to a maximum of 250 breathes. As birds pant, they eliminate excessive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), which leads to low concentrations of carbonic acid and...
During transport, birds experience feed and water deprivation, restriction of movements and a challenging microclimate in the transport crate. All these factors stress the animals, causing oxidative...
AVIMATRIX® is an innovative feed solution which supports poultry producers to achieve maximum bird performance in an effective and sustainable way. AVIMATRIX contains a unique blend of nature identical flavouring compounds including benzoic acid proven to have stabilizing effects on gut microflora. It specifically acts on the lower gut environment through a targeted release of its well-selected active ingredients (A.I.).
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Zinc (Zn), as an essential trace element, is a common feed additive for food producing animals. Zn is supplemented in either an inorganic or organic form. Literature suggests inconsistency among both sources regarding trace mineral availability and influence on animal performance, but organic trace minerals are considered to be advantageous (Schlegel et al., 2013). Between organic trace minerals, the chemical bond is the main difference. While mono-glycinates are complexes with one amino...
Phytase supplementation of broiler diets can improve energy, amino acid, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) utilization. Both fungal- and bacterial-derived phytases are commonly added to broiler diets. Phytases from different sources and even from the same source can have different pH optima, heat stability, and catalytic properties (Dersjant-Li et al, 2015). Furthermore, when different microbial phytases are included in diets, their efficacy in vivo can vary in comparison to their assayed...
Understanding the dynamics of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) metabolism is an important consideration when evaluating the requirements for both nutrients. Much more is known about the control of Ca than P metabolism (Li et al., 2017). Calcium elimination from the body is primarily through faeces, both unabsorbed dietary Ca and endogenous Ca. Kidney Ca elimination is controlled by endocrine factors and to a lesser extent by dietary Ca. In practical terms, dietary Ca may be available but not...
INTRODUCTION Virginiamycin (Vm) is a cyclic polypeptide antibiotic complex from Streptomyces virginiae of the streptogramin class of antibiotics. It is commonly used to treat infections from gram-positive organisms or as a growth promotant in cattle, swine, and poultry diets. The Vm complex consists of 2 major components, Vm factor m1 and s1, which act synergistically to prevent protein synthesis within bacteria (Cocito, 1979). It also has been suggested that antibacterial...
In healthy humans and animals, protection against the harmful effects of free radicals is achieved through maintaining a delicate equilibrium between the production of free radicals, that are needed for certain physiological processes, and their destruction through the antioxidant defense system. This equilibrium is called “the redox balance”....
Broilers are grown in a highly controlled environment that has been developed over many years to promote optimal and efficient growth while ensuring animal well-being. One of the most prevalent issues in broiler production is the development of footpad dermatitis. This condition is characterized by the appearance of lesions on the footpads of broilers and can be seen early in the brooding phase and are exacerbated as the bird grows. While broiler house management conditions are...
It is well understood that the goal of broiler live production teams is to deliver a high-quality, target-weight broiler to the processing plant. Up to the initiation of processing, there are considerable resources; financial, management and time that are committed by the company to accomplish this goal. One of the most tragic situations to occur is the condemnation or downgrading of either whole carcasses or carcass parts in the processing plant. There are a wide variety of causes for this...
INTRODUCTION Cereal grains such as wheat, sorghum, barley, and corn are commonly used in poultry diets as major sources of energy. Knowledge of the ME content of cereal grains is critical for their efficient and sustainable use and precise poultry feed formulation. Despite several limitations (Mateos et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2020), the AME is the globally accepted system for describing the available energy for poultry (Hill and Anderson, 1958; Sibbald, 1982). The simplicity,...
Bird performs well within a certain range of environmental temperatures. As the temperature gets higher than the range, the bird falls on stress generally called heat stress. Heat stress is the most significant stressors influencing poultry productivity and causing considerable economic losses in the poultry industry. This induces several negative effects on physiological response of bird. Reducing feed consumption, body weight gain, feed efficiency, egg production and immune response are of...
INTRODUCTION The global production of chicken eggs is constantly increasing, e.g., 37.4 million tons of chicken-eggs were produced in 1990, and 80 million tons in 2018. The WHO has estimated that production will have to increase four-fold to meet the global demand for chicken eggs in the next two decades (1, 2). Hence, the poultry industry must be increasingly efficient despite being one of the most efficient and technologically advanced animal production activities...
INTRODUCTION Aiming at reducing production costs and the impacts of animal production waste on the environment, research has focused on improving the efficiency of feed utilization.One strategy to reduce the excretion of pollutant compounds is to increase the nutritional availability of feeds by the dietary supplementation of exogenous enzymes (Nahm, 2002). Phytase, for instance, allows reducing inorganic phosphorus supplementation and increasing phytic acid utilization by the...
1. Introduction Often a seemingly straightforward aspect of nutrition reveals itself to be, upon closer inspection, not so simple after all. An illustration of such a conundrum is the nutrition of the newly hatched broiler chick. Conceptualizing the different challenges faced by the hatchling and solving them should be remarkably simple, but the difficulty lies in the complexity in the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), digestive physiology, immune system, and...