Poultry How can feed influence gut performance in birds?

How can feed influence gut performance in birds?

Author Jane Byrne, publish date Tuesday. June 19th, 2018

How can feed influence gut performance in birds?

Photo: © GettyImages

Experts from AB Agri, the University of Ghent in Belgium, and Wageningen in the Netherlands, along with an industry consultant form the panel in our live webinar on poultry gut health at the end of this month.

They will talk about how feed formulation, management practices and feed additives can impact bird intestinal health. 

Since the ban on the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in animal feed in the EU, dysbiosis has emerged as a major problem in intensive animal production, says the University of Ghent’s Professor Richard Ducatelle.

Dysbiosis or dysbacteriosis is defined as a shift in the intestinal microbiota composition resulting in an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

Preventing dysbiosis may help to improve poultry performance, health, and welfare, and reduce foodborne pathogens and the environmental impact of poultry production.

During our webinar on 31 May, Prof Ducatelle will outline how certain feed additives can protect intestinal health in birds.

Ade Adebiyi, a poultry nutritionist at ABN, the compound feed business of AB Agri in the UK, will tell us about the importance of using quality feed raw materials in formulations to avoid a negative impact on broiler gut health.

Ade’s clients include some of the largest poultry producers in the UK. He is also actively involved in the ABN poultry research program.  

René Kwakkel, associate professor, poultry nutrition at Wageningen University, will talk about his research in the area of diet structure and particle size, and how that can influence gut health development, among other topics.

Norwegian consultant, Tone Martinsen, will tell us how feed additive based strategies have supported a successful phasing out of Narasin and other coccidiostats with antibacterial properties in Norwegian chicken production.


10 tips for feeding poultry raised without antibiotics 10 tips for feeding poultry raised without antibiotics Feed management for layers in enriched colonies Feed management for layers in enriched colonies