In the intricate world of animal nutrition, the significance of supplementing trace elements like Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Iodine (I), and Selenium (Se) cannot be overstated. These elements play a pivotal role in ensuring the health and performance of livestock. However, the basal amounts of these trace elements found in standard commercial feeds simply fall short of meeting the animals’ requirements.

The key to unlocking the full potential of these vital trace elements lies in its bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the retention of a trace element within the gut intestinal tract and is profoundly influenced by antagonistic interactions, particularly in poultry where phytate emerges as the arch-nemesis of essential trace minerals. Phytate forms stubborn complexes with these minerals, rendering them insoluble and thus unavailable for absorption. To combat this antagonism, numerous trace mineral sources have been developed based on solubility and chemical bonding.

But that’s not all; the timing and level of trace mineral delivery also come into play. This realization has led to a groundbreaking concept in trace mineral solutions – the fusion of organic and hydroxy minerals. This innovative approach has the potential to not only maintain but also elevate animal performance under various farm conditions. It’s imperative to emphasize that the proper timing and dosage of trace elements are paramount for ensuring optimal animal performance.

In today’s world, livestock producers face immense challenges due to stringent governmental regulations aimed at addressing environmental concerns. The novel ideas discussed above offer a glimmer of hope, promising improved absorption and reduced trace element supplementation, all while preserving production performance.

In Bonds We Trust: How Bonding Revolutionizes Trace Mineral Bioavailability
Commonly used trace mineral sources in animal nutrition include sulfate-based and oxide-based minerals, primarily chosen for their affordability. Sulfate trace minerals form ionic bonds with sulfate ligands, readily dissolving in water at a neutral pH, but their instability leads to complexation with phytate, reducing bioavailability. Conversely, oxide minerals form covalent bonds, rendering them insoluble in neutral pH and partially soluble in low pH, further hindering absorption.
To overcome these challenges, organic trace minerals and hydroxy trace minerals have emerged. Organic trace minerals shield metal centers with amino acids or proteinate ligands, limiting the formation of phytate complexes. Hydroxy trace minerals, with their unique covalent crystal structure, prevent phytate complexation and gradually dissolve at low pH, enhancing absorption. Additionally, hydroxy minerals boast cost-effective hydroxy and chloride ligands.

Comparative studies reveal that both organic and hydroxy trace minerals significantly outperform sulfate sources, with hydroxy and organic trace minerals yielding similar results. For instance, in broilers, hydroxy Zn and organic Zn show 144% and 142% improved bioavailability compared to Zinc sulfate (Figure 1).

Figure 1. The tibia recovery of Zinc, of birds fed different sources of Zinc (Linear P<0.001).

Precision Matters: The Power of Optimal Particle Size and Density
Particle size and density often go overlooked when selecting trace mineral sources. Ideal particle size and density minimize feed segregation and ensure proper mixability during production. These considerations are crucial, particularly for animals with low feed intake, as it guarantees that their limited consumption contains all vital nutrients, including minerals. This improved mixability can be done through a patented process (Optisize technology) of creating optimal particles that ensures particle size consistency and highly uniform. Confirmed through laser diffraction analysis, the process results in the ideal particle size (150-300 µm) with the ideal density (0.8-1.0 g/mL), whether it is zinc, iron or manganese, for improved blending/mixing, flowability, and reduce the carry-over risk.

Studies conducted with different trace element sources, such as MnSO4 and Hydroxy Mn, indicate improved mixing in complete feeds, enhancing feed quality and nutrient distribution. This is measured through an improve coefficient of variation or CV (lower % cv indicates better mixing, Figure 2). The mixability of trace elements in a diet is of particular importance to young animals, as they have a lower feed intake and therefore more important to get all the required nutrients, especially minerals, despite the low feed intake. Moreover, spherical particles in hydroxy minerals reduce dust potential, reducing mineral source losses during handling.

Figure 2. Coefficient of variation of Manganese within complete feeds (Hydroxy Mn and MnSO4 shown in the blue and black color bar, respectively). 10 feed samples were analyzed per batch and difference to expected levels is determined.

Figure 3. Dust potential of different Manganese source.

Furthermore, hydroxy minerals with spherical particles reduced “dustiness” of the product, leading to a lower dust potential (a lower number of dust potential indicates a lower loss of mineral source, see Figure 3) and this also lessens the chance inhalation of the product by workers in the feed mill or premix facility. Although a larger mineral particle size is preferred in feed or premix production, within the animal, it is the other way around. With a smaller particle size, this will lead to a larger surface area, allowing for an improved availability of the mineral.

The Strength of Synergy: The Power of Combining Organic and Hydroxy Trace Minerals
While the practice of combining different trace element sources is not new, recent developments have brought forth a game-changing concept: the 70:10 ratio of hydroxy to organic minerals. This innovation stems from the collaborative efforts of leading industry experts and academic professionals dedicated to optimizing animal productivity and well-being.

Research demonstrates that the combination of hydroxy and organic minerals far surpasses sulfate, hydroxy, or organic-only sources, as well as combinations of sulfate and organic minerals in terms of animal performance (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Effect of different zinc sources on end weight of broilers at 42 day.

In another study, the results clearly showed that a combination of 70 ppm Zn from hydroxy mineral plus 10 ppm Zn from organic mineral was superior in terms of end body weight as well as improving feed conversion (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Effect of different zinc sources (80 ppm Zn from ZnSO4, Hydroxy, Organic, or combination of 70 ppm Zn Hydroxy plus 10 ppm Zn Organic) on end weight (P = 0.003) and FCR (P < 0.001) of broilers. Different labels (a,b,c) indicate significant differences. p < 0.05 indicate significant differences.

This synergy results from the complementary release profiles of the two technologies, allowing animals to absorb trace minerals efficiently throughout their intestinal tract. Thus, once hydroxy minerals reach the area of low pH they slowly begin to release the small molecules of soluble metals one layer at a time while organic minerals maintain their structural integrity. Given the different molecular structures of the soluble metals from hydroxy and organic minerals, their absorption is extended further down the gut intestinal tract (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Illustration of the complementary release profile of the combination of hydroxy and organic trace minerals throughout the intestinal tract.

In conclusion, the choice of a trace mineral source is pivotal for supporting productivity, animal health, and environmental sustainability. When choosing the right minerals, remember that the bonding type determines bioavailability, the particle size, density and synergy between two sources enhances efficacy. The combination of organic and hydroxy trace minerals presents a revolutionary solution, offering precise trace element delivery and enhanced absorption, ultimately leading to optimal animal performance. In a world with ever-increasing challenges, these innovations provide a beacon of hope for the future of animal nutrition.

For further information, kindly write to us at customercareindia@trouwnutrition.com or
visit our website: www.trouwnutrition.in

The poultry market has indeed experienced strong growth recently, with significant increases projected for the near future. Specifically, the market size is expected to grow from $360.5 billion in 2023 to $385.37 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%. The poultry market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $494.55 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rise in consumption of protein, increasing government support, rapid urbanization and increasing population. Major trends in the forecast period include technology advancements, organic poultry, camerabased weighing systems, use of artificial intelligence, increasing investments and strategic partnerships and acquisitions. Absolutely, poultry farming is a crucial sector within agriculture. It plays a significant role in ensuring food security by supplying a steady source of protein through meat and eggs. Innovations and advanced technologies in this field are continually being developed to improve efficiency, animal welfare, and sustainability. In India, poultry consumption has been on the rise, driven by factors such as rapid population growth, changing consumer dietary preferences, urbanization, and inflating disposable incomes. Chicken meat is the most popular choice among the masses due to its affordability, versatility in various cuisines, and widespread availability. Poultry refers to domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, which are kept by humans for their eggs, meat, or feathers. This report covers the entire poultry market, including both chicks and eggs. Poultry products come in various forms, including fresh or chilled, frozen, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-eat, with options like organic and conventional classifications. These products are distributed through several channels, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution methods. The poultry research report is part of a new series that provides comprehensive statistics on the poultry industry. It includes data on the global market size, regional shares, competitors and their market shares, detailed poultry segments, market trends, and opportunities. This report offers an in-depth analysis of both the current and future state of the industry, giving you a complete perspective to help you succeed in the poultry sector.

Key Global Poultry Brands
JBS,Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms are the top three companies collectively hold a market share of approximately 6%. Regional Market Distribution Asia-Pacific: The largest market, holding about 41% of the global market share. North America and Europe

Major companies operating in the poultry market report are JBS S.A, Tyson Foods, Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, BRF S.A, Sanderson Farms, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Hormel Foods Corp, New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Koch Foods, Perdue Farms, Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Suguna Foods Private Limited, Sneha Group, Jumonji Chicken Company Ltd., Zennoh Feed Mills of the Tohoku District Co, Ltd., Koyu Shokucho KK, Grow-A-Duck Pty Ltd., Arranmore Operations Pty Ltd., Koreaduckherd Co. Ltd., MS Food, Wens Foodstuffs Group Co Ltd., Wellhope Foods Co., Ltd., Fujian Sunner Food Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Lihua Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Yike Food Group Co., Ltd., LDC, Fileni Group, PHW Group, Veronesi Holding S.p.A, 2 Sisters Food Group, Noble Foods, Sprehe Gruppe, Lambert Dodard Chancereul Group, HYZA a.s, Res-Drob, Cherkizovo group, AO Prioskolie, SC Avicola Slobozia SA, Vitall SRL, Vodňanská drůbež, a.s, Sinyavskaya Poultry Farm, Ovostar Union, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Foster Farms, Sysco Corporation, Smithfield Foods Inc., Agro super S.A, Perdigao S.A, Pif Paf Alimentos, Globoaves, Group Arcor, Cresta Roja, Noelma S.A, Arab Company For Livestock Development (ACOLID), Al-Watania, Al-Fakeih Poultry Farms, Keskinoglu, Emirates Modern Poultry Company (Al Rawdah), RCL Foods Ltd., Astral Foods, Cairo Poultry Company, Country Bird Holdings, Sovereign Food Investments, Arab Poultry Breeders Co, Maruben

Major Trends Driving the Market
1. Technology Advancements: Including blockchain, AI, and optoelectronic sensors for better traceability, efficiency, and health monitoring.
2. Organic Poultry: Growing consumer preference for organic and sustainably raised poultry.
3. Camera-Based Weighing Systems: Enhancing accuracy and efficiency in monitoring poultry growth and health.
4. Artificial Intelligence: Applications in predictive analytics, health monitoring, and feed optimization.
5. Increased Investments: From both private and public sectors to enhance infrastructure and integrate advanced technologies.
6. Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions: Companies expanding market reach and capabilities through partnerships and mergers.
Market Segments Product Segments: Chicks: The largest product segment, accounting for about 56% of the market share.

Eggs Application Segments: Fattened Poultry: The largest application segment, representing about 72% of the market.These factors and trends are propelling the poultry market forward, leading to innovations and efficiencies that benefit both producers and consumers.

The impact of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war on the poultry sector
The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, leading to challenges in production and distribution. It also caused shifts in consumer demand, with reduced patronage in foodservice sectors. Concurrently, the Russia-Ukraine War has exacerbated issues by affecting the supply of essential feed ingredients and increasing feed costs. This combination of factors has led to higher production costs and market volatility in the poultry industry.

Global Poultry Market – Regional Analysis
Geographically, this report is divided into several key regions, providing insights into sales, revenue, market share, and growth rates of the poultry market in these areas:
– North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico
– Europe: Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and others
– Asia-Pacific: China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam
– South America: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and others
– Middle East and Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa

Asia-Pacific is expected to maintain its dominance with an estimated market share of around 40%, followed by North America and Europe with shares of about 30% and 20%, respectively. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are anticipated to significantly contribute to market growth, each holding an estimated share of 5%

Optimizing Poultry Processing With 3D Imaging Technology for Enhanced Yield and Efficiency
Poultry processing companies are increasingly incorporating 3D imaging systems to enhance yields. These systems use sensors and actuators to create a model of each poultry bird, determining where cuts should be made.

The bird passes through a vision system that captures images and measurements to determine its shape. Near-infrared sensors assess the meat and bone composition. The vision analysis enables precise cuts tailored to each bird’s unique size and shape. This data-driven approach boosts yield and reduces per-unit processing costs. Leading the way in this technology are companies like Gainco, known for their meat and poultry equipment, and Midwest Machine LLC.

Strategic partnerships are significantly reshaping the poultry market
Strategic partnerships have become a significant trend in the poultry industry. Such alliances also facilitate the sharing of resources and expertise, enabling participants to address market challenges more effectively. Overall, these strategic partnerships are crucial in shaping the future of the poultry industry by enhancing productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness. Major players in the sector are growing their market presence, increasing production capabilities, and innovating to address consumer needs. For example, in July 2022, Tyson Foods Inc., a US food processing company, partnered with Tanmiah, a food company based in Saudi Arabia. This collaboration seeks to jointly invest in expanding the processing capacities of Supreme Foods, aiming to improve the availability of high-quality poultry protein products both in the MENA region and worldwide ollaborations between companies, research institutions, and technology providers are driving innovation and enhancing production efficiency. These partnerships often focus on integrating advanced technologies, such as automation, data analytics, and sustainable practices, which help streamline operations and improve product quality.

Market Drivers and Challenges: Analyze the factors driving the growth of the poultry market, including government regulations, environmental concerns, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences. It also highlights the challenges the industry faces, such as infrastructure limitations, range anxiety, and high upfront costs.

Competitive Landscape within the poultry market. It includes profiles of key players, their market shares, strategies, and product offerings. Additionally, the emerging players and their potential impact on the market. Latest technological developments in the poultry industry, including advancements in poultry technology, new market entrants, new investments, and other innovations shaping the future of the industry.

Downstream Procurement Preference: It sheds light on customer procurement behavior and adoption trends in the poultry market, including factors influencing purchasing decisions and preferences for poultry products.

Government Policies and Incentives: The impact of government policies and incentives on the poultry market, assessing regulatory frameworks, subsidies, tax incentives, and other measures aimed at promoting the market. Evaluates the effectiveness of these policies in driving market growth. Assessment of the environmental impact and sustainability aspects of the poultry market.

Market Forecasts and Future Outlook: Based on the analysis conducted, provides market forecasts and outlooks for the poultry industry, including projections of market size, growth rates, regional trends, and predictions on technological advancements and policy developments.

Recommendations and Opportunities: for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and investors. It highlights potential opportunities for market players to capitalize on emerging trends, overcome challenges, and contribute to the growth and development of the poultry market.Analysis of historical data and future prospects to provide a global perspective on market trends, volume, and value, ultimately addressing the overall poultry market size.

Feeding enzymes to poultry is one of the major nutritional advances in the last fifty years. It is the culmination of something that nutritionists realized for a long time but until 1980’s it remained beyond their reach. Indeed, the theory of feed enzymes is simple. Plants contain some compounds that either the animal cannot digest, or which hinder its digestive system, often because the animal cannot produce the necessary enzyme to degrade them. Nutritionists can help the animal by identifying these indigestible compounds and feeding a suitable enzyme. These enzymes come from microorganisms that are carefully selected for the task and grown under controlled conditions (Wallis, 1996).

The biggest single expense in any system of poultry production is feed accounting for up to 70% of total production cost per bird. Poultry naturally produces enzymes to aid the digestion of feed nutrients. However, they do not have enzyme to break down fiber completely and need exogenous enzymes in feed to aid digestion. Plants contain some compounds that either the animal cannot digest, or which hinder its digestive system, often because the animal cannot produce the necessary enzyme to degrade them. Nutritionists can help the animal by identifying these indigestible compounds and feeding suitable enzyme. These enzymes come from microorganisms that are carefully selected for the task and grown under controlled conditions. (Creswell, 1994)

Anti-nutritional factors are problematic for normal feed digestion, results in low meat and egg production causes low feed efficiency and digestive upsets. Feed enzymes work to make the nutrient (starch, protein, amino acids and minerals, etc.) available from the feed ingredients. Feed enzymes also help to reduce the negative impact of animal production over environment by reducing the animal waste production. These Enzymes are proteins that are ultimately digested or excreted by the animal, leaving no residues in meat or eggs (Greiner and Konietzny, 2006).

The poultry industry readily accepts enzymes as a standard dietary component, especially in wheat and barley-based rations. But still many questions are partially answered. For example, how do enzymes work? Do growth rates reflect differences in the potency of different enzyme preparations? What is the link between gut viscosity, enzyme action and growth rates? and are enzymes necessary in all poultry rations? (Annison & Choct,1991).

2. Enzyme Supplementation in Poultry Ration

2.1. Enzyme
Enzymes are biological catalyst composed of amino acids with vitamins and minerals. They bring about biochemical reactions without themselves undergoing any change. They are involved in all anabolic and catabolic pathways of digestion and metabolism. Enzymes tend to be very specific catalysts that act on one or, at most, a limited group of compounds known as substrates. Enzymes are not living organisms and are not concerned about viability or cross infection. They are stable at 80-85 degree centigrade for short time. The benefits of using enzymes in poultry diets include not only enhanced bird performance and feed conversion but also less environmental problems due to reduced output of excreta. In addition, enzymes are a very useful tool in the study of physiological and metabolic mechanisms (Panda et al 2011).

2.2. Enzymes in Poultry Nutrition: The use of enzymes in animal feed is of great importance. Consistent increase in the price of feed ingredients has been a major constraint in most of the developing countries. As a consequence, cheaper and non-conventional feed ingredients have to be used which contain higher percentage of Non-Starch Polysaccharides (soluble and insoluble/crude fibre) along with starch. Non Starch Polysaccharides (NSPs) are polymeric carbohydrates which differ in composition and structure from starch (Morgan et al., 1995) and possess chemical cross linking among them therefore, are not well digested by poultry. A part of these NSPs is water-soluble which is notorious for forming a gel like viscous consistency in the intestinal tract (Ward et.al,1995) thus by reducing gut performance.

Poultry do not produce enzymes for the hydrolysis of Non-Starch Polysaccharide present in the cell wall of the grains and they remain un-hydrolysed. This results in low feed efficiency. Research work has suggested that the negative effects of NSPs can be overcome by dietary modifications including supplementation of diets with suitable exogenous enzyme preparations (Creswell, 1994). Enzymes break down the NSPs, decreases intestinal viscosity and eventually improve the digestibility of nutrients by improving gut performance.

Stallen South Asia Pvt Ltd has developed XZYME, a multi-enzyme formulation designed to optimize poultry feed utilization comprehensively. This innovative product combines various enzymes strategically selected to address specific nutritional challenges in poultry diets.

a) Cellulase
Cellulase is an enzyme complex that breaks down cellulose, a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose is composed of long chains of glucose molecules linked together by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds, making it a tough and fibrous substance that many animals, including poultry, cannot digest on their own. Cellulase enzymes help in hydrolyzing these bonds, converting cellulose into simpler, more digestible sugars.
b) Xylanase
Xylanase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes xylan into xylose, a simpler sugar. Xylan is a type of hemicellulose, which, like cellulose, is a polysaccharide present in plant cell walls. Xylanase breaks the β-1,4-glycosidic bonds in xylan, making it easier for poultry to digest plant-based feed ingredients.
c) β-Glucanase
β-Glucanase is an enzyme that plays a significant role in poultry nutrition by breaking down β-glucans, which are complex polysaccharides found in the cell walls of cereals such as barley, oats, and wheat. β-glucans are glucose polymers linked primarily by β-1,3 and β-1,4 glycosidic bonds. These β-glucans can be problematic in poultry diets because they increase the viscosity of the intestinal contents, hindering nutrient absorption and overall digestion. Here’s an overview of β-glucanase and its benefits in poultry nutrition.
d) Phytase
Phytase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate), a form of phosphorus that is commonly found in plant seeds and grains. Phytic acid binds phosphorus in a form that is not readily available to poultry because they lack sufficient endogenous phytase activity to break down this compound.
Phytase hydrolyzes phytic acid through a stepwise removal of phosphate groups, resulting in the release of inorganic phosphorus and lower inositol phosphates. This process occurs primarily in the stomach and upper small intestine of poultry, where the pH conditions are favorable for phytase activity.
e) Alpha-Amylase
Amylase acts on the α-1,4-glycosidic bonds within the starch molecule. Alpha-amylase randomly cleaves these bonds along the starch chain, resulting in the production of smaller carbohydrate molecules like maltose, dextrins, and glucose. These simpler sugars are then readily absorbed in the small intestine and utilized for energy.
f) Pectinase
Pectinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of pectin, a structural polysaccharide in the cell walls of plants, particularly in fruits and vegetables. Pectin consists of a complex set of polysaccharides rich in galacturonic acid. Pectinases include a group of enzymes such as polygalacturonase, pectin lyase, and pectinesterase that break down pectin into simpler molecules like galacturonic acid, arabinose, and methanol which can be more readily absorbed by the poultry’s digestive system.
g) Protease
Protease is a type of enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptide bonds within proteins, converting them into smaller peptides and free amino acids. These simpler molecules are more easily absorbed and utilized by the poultry for various physiological functions.
h) Lipase
Lipase enzymes work by hydrolyzing the ester bonds within triglycerides, breaking them down into free fatty acids and glycerol. This process primarily occurs in the small intestine, where lipase from the pancreas mixes with dietary fats, facilitating their breakdown and subsequent absorption by the intestinal cells.

3. Benefits of XZYME:

Benefits of using feed enzymes to poultry diets include; reduction in digesta viscosity, enhanced digestion and absorption of nutrients especially fat and protein, improved Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) value of the diet, increased feed intake, weight gain, and feed–gain ratio, reduced beak impaction and vent plugging, decreased size of gastrointestinal tract, altered population of microorganisms in gastrointestinal tract, reduced water intake, reduced water content of excreta, reduced production of ammonia from excreta, reduced output of excreta, including reduced N and P (Campbell et al. 1989).
a) Reduction in Digesta Viscosity: (Morgan et al,1995) found that that enzyme supplementation of wheat-based diets significantly reduced foregut digesta viscosity of birds. The reduction in foregut digesta viscosity was achieved primarily by reducing the molecular weight through hydrolysis of xylan backbone by endo-xylanase into smaller compounds and thus reduction in viscous effects of the feed because foregut digesta viscosity is directly proportional to the molecular weight of wheat arabinoxylans (Bedford and Classen, 1993).
b) Increase in Available Energy: One of the main reasons for supplementing wheat- and barley-based poultry diets with enzymes is to increase the available energy content of the diet. Increased availability of carbohydrates for energy utilization is associated with increased energy digestibility (Partridge and Wyatt ,1995). The AME of wheat has been extensively studied and found to have a considerable range i.e 9500–16640 kJ/kg (Mollah et al. 1983). Enzyme supplementation improves this range by enhancing carbohydrate digestibility, reducing gut viscosity, and improving fat utilization (Almirall et al. 1995).
c) Improvement in Nutrient Digestibility: Enzymes have been shown to improve performance and nutrient digestibility when added to poultry diets containing cereals, such as barley and wheat (Fengler et al. 1988).
d) Health improvement: Morgan and Bedford (1995) reported that coccidiosis problems could be prevented by using enzymes. Birds fed a wheat-based diet with and without glycanase supplementation showed vastly different responses to coccidiosis challenge. Growth was depressed by 52.5% in the control group but by only 30.5% in the enzyme group, which also had a much better lesion score. An increase in digesta passage rate and a reduction in excreta moisture are often noted when glycanases are added to poultry diets, which may be detrimental to the life cycle of the organism.
e) Impact on Environment: Enzymes have been approved for use in poultry feed because they are natural products of fermentation and therefore pose no threat to the animal or the consumer. Enzymes not only will enable livestock and poultry producers to economically use new feedstuffs, but will also prove to be environmentally friendly, as they reduce the pollution associated with animal production. As well as contributing to improved poultry production, feed enzymes can have a positive impact on the environment. In areas with intensive poultry production, the phosphorus output is often very high, resulting in environmental problems such as eutrophication.
This happens because most of the phosphorus contained in typical feedstuffs exists as the plant storage form phytate, which is indigestible for poultry. The phytase enzyme frees the phosphorus in feedstuffs and also achieves the release of other minerals (e.g. Ca, Mg), as well as proteins and amino acids bound to phytate. Thus, by releasing bound phosphorus in feed ingredients, phytase reduces the quantity of inorganic phosphorus needed in diets, makes more phosphorus available for the bird, and decreases the amount excreted into the environment.

Conclusion:
XZYME represents a significant advancement in poultry nutrition, offering a tailored solution to maximize feed efficiency and optimize poultry health. With its comprehensive enzyme blend and proven effectiveness, XZYME supports sustainable and profitable poultry production practices.

References:
Almirall, M., M. Francesch, A. M. Perez-Venderell, J. Brufau, and E. Esteve-Garcia. (1995). The differences in intestinal viscosity produced by barley and ß-glucanase alter digesta enzyme activities and ileal nutrient digestibilities more in broiler chicks than in cocks. Journal of Nutrition 125: 947–955.

Annison, G. and M. Choct. (1991). Anti-nutritive activities of cereal non-starch polysaccharides in broiler diets and strategies for minimizing their effects. World’s Poultry Science Journal 47: 232–242.

Bedford, M.R. and H. L. Classen. (1993). An in-vitro assay for prediction of broiler intestinal viscosity and growth when fed rye-based diets in the presence of exogenous enzymes. Poultry Science 72: 137-143.

Campbell, G.L., B. G. Rossnagel., H. L. Classen and P. A. Thacker. (1989). Genotypic and environmental differences in extract viscosity of barley and their relationship to its nutritive value for broiler chickens. Animal Feed Science and Technology 226: 221–230.

Creswell, D.C. (1994). Upgrading the nutritional value of grains with the use of enzymes. Technical bulletin, American Soybean Association, 341 Orchard Road No.11-03 Liat Towers, Singapore.
Fengler, A.I. and R. R. Marquardt. (1988). Water-soluble pentosans from rye. II. Effects on the rate of dialysis and on the retention of nutrients by the chick. Cereal Chemistry 65: 298–302.

Greiner, R., Konietzny, U., 2006. Phytase for food applications. Food Technol. Biotechnol., 44(2): 125-140.

Mollah, Y., Bryden, W.L., Wallis, I.R., D. Balnave and E. F. Annison. (1983). Studies on low metabolisable energy wheats for poultry using conventional and rapid assay procedures and the effects of processing. British Poultry Science 24: 81–89.

Morgan, A.J. and M. R. Bedford. (1995). Advances in the development and application of feed enzymes. Australian Poultry Science Symposium 7: 109–115.

Panda A.K., S. V. Rama Rao, M. V. L. N. Raju, M. R. Reddy and N. K. Praharaj. 2011. The Role of Feed Enzymes in Poultry Nutrition.

Partridge, G. and C. Wyatt (1995). More flexibility with new generation of enzymes. World Poultry 11(4), 17–21.

Wallis, I. (1996). Enzymes in poultry Nutrition. Technical Note, SAC.West Mains road, Edinburgh.

Ward, N.E. (1995). With dietary modifications, wheat can be used for poultry. Feedstuffs 7 Aug, 14-16.

Most grains used in feed are susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, causing severe economic losses all along feed value chains. As skyrocketing raw material prices force producers to include a higher proportion of economical cereal byproducts in the feed, the risks of mycotoxin contamination likely increase. In this article, we review why mycotoxins cause the damage they do – and how effective toxin-mitigating solutions prevent this damage.

Mycotoxin contamination of cereal byproducts requires solutions
Cereal byproducts may become more important feed ingredients as grain prices increase. But also from a sustainability point of view and considering population growth, using cereal byproducts in animal feed makes a lot of sense. Dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) are a good example of how byproducts from food processing industries can become high-quality animal feed.

Figure 1: Byproducts are a crucial protein source (data from FEFAC Feed & Food 2021 report)
Still, research on what happens to mycotoxins during food processing shows that mycotoxins are concentrated into fractions that are commonly used as animal feed
(cf. Pinotti et al., 2016.) To safeguard animal health and performance when feeding lower-quality cereals, it is essential to monitor mycotoxin risks through regular testing and to use toxin-mitigating solutions.

Problematic effects of mycotoxins on the intestinal epithelium
Most mycotoxins are absorbed in the proximal part of the gastrointestinal tract. This absorption can be high, as in the case of aflatoxins (ca. 90%), but also very limited, as in the case of fumonisins (< 1%); moreover, it depends on the species. Importantly, a significant portion of unabsorbed toxins remains within the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract.

Importantly, studies based on realistic mycotoxin challenges (e.g., Burel et al., 2013) show that the mycotoxin levels necessary to trigger damaging processes are lower than the levels reported as safe by EFSA, the Food Safety Agency of the European Union. The ultimate consequences range from diminished nutrient absorption to inflammatory responses and pathogenic disorders in the animal (Figure 2).

1. Alteration of the intestinal barrier ‘s morphology and functionality
Several studies indicate that mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B1, DON, fumonisin B1, ochratoxin A, and T2, can increase the permeability of the intestinal epithelium of poultry and swine (e.g. Pinton & Oswald, 2014). This is mostly a consequence of the inhibition of protein synthesis.

As a result, there is an increase in the passage of antigens into the bloodstream (e.g., bacteria, viruses, and toxins). This increases the animal’s susceptibility to infectious enteric diseases. Moreover, the damage that mycotoxins cause to the intestinal barrier entails that they are also being absorbed at a higher rate.

2. Impaired immune function in the intestine
The intestine is a very active immune site, where several immuno-regulatory mechanisms simultaneously defend the body from harmful agents. Immune cells are affected by mycotoxins through the initiation of apoptosis, the inhibition or stimulation of cytokines, and the induction of oxidative stress.

For poultry production, one of the most severe enteric problems of bacterial origin is necrotic enteritis, which is caused by Clostridium perfringens toxins. Any agent capable of disrupting the gastrointestinal epithelium – e.g. mycotoxins such as DON, T2, and ochratoxin – promotes the development of necrotic enteritis.

3. Alteration of the intestinal microflora
Recent studies on the effect of various mycotoxins on the intestinal microbiota show that DON and other trichothecenes favor the colonization of coliform bacteria in pigs. DON and ochratoxin A also induce a greater invasion of Salmonella and their translocation to the bloodstream and vital organs in birds and pigs – even at non-cytotoxic concentrations.

It is known that fumonisin B1 may induce changes in the balance of sphingolipids at the cellular level, including for gastrointestinal cells. This facilitates the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria, increases in their populations, and prolongs infections, as has been shown for the case of E. coli. The colonization of the intestine of food-producing animals by pathogenic strains of E. coli and Salmonella also poses a risk for human health.

4. Interaction with bacterial toxins
When mycotoxins induce changes in the intestinal microbiota, this can lead to an increase in the endotoxin concentration in the intestinal lumen. Endotoxins promote the release of several cytokines that induce an enhanced immune response, causing inflammation, thus reducing feed consumption and animal performance, damage to vital organs, sepsis, and death of the animals in some cases.

The synergy between mycotoxins and endotoxins can result in an overstimulation of the immune system. The interaction between endotoxins and estrogenic agents such as zearalenone, for example, generates chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders because immune cells have estrogen receptors, which are stimulated by the mycotoxin.

Increased mycotoxin risks through byproducts? Invest in mitigation solutions.
To prevent the detrimental consequences of mycotoxins on animal health and performance, proactive solutions are needed that support the intestinal epithelium’s digestive and immune functionality and help maintain a balanced microbiome in the GIT. As the current market conditions will likely engender a long-term shift towards the inclusion of more cereal byproducts in animal diets, this becomes even more important.

Trial data shows that EW Nutrition’s toxin-mitigating solution SOLIS MAX provides effective protection against feedborne mycotoxins. The synergistic combination of ingredients in SOLIS MAX mycotoxins from damaging the animals’ gastrointestinal tract and entering the blood stream:

In-vitro study shows SOLIS MAX’ strong mitigation effects against wide range of mycotoxins
Animal feed is often contaminated with two or more mycotoxins, making it important for an anti-mycotoxin agent to be effective against a wide range of different mycotoxins. A dose response evaluation of SOLIS MAX was conducted a at an independent laboratory in Spain, for inclusion levels of 0.10%, 0.15%, and 0.20% (equivalent to 1 kg, 1.5 kb, and 2 kg per ton of feed). A phosphate buffer solution at pH 7 was prepared to simulate intestinal conditions in which a portion of the mycotoxins may be released from the binder (desorption).

Each mycotoxin was tested separately by adding a challenge to buffer solutions, incubating for one hour at 41°C, to establish the base line (see table). At the same time a solution with the toxin challenge and SOLIS MAX was prepared, incubated, and analyzed for the residual mycotoxin. All analyses were carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with standard detectors.

The results demonstrate that SOLIS MAX is a very effective solution against the most common mycotoxins found in raw materials and animal feed, showing clear dose-response effects.

Mycotoxin risk management for better animal feed
A healthy gastrointestinal tract is crucial to animals’ overall health: it ensures that nutrients are optimally absorbed, it provides effective protection against pathogens through its immune function, and it is key to maintaining a well-balanced microflora. Even at levels considered safe by the European Union, mycotoxins can compromise different intestinal functions, resulting in lower productivity and susceptibility to disease.

The globalized feed trade, which spreads mycotoxins beyond their geographical origin, climate change and raw material market pressures only escalates the problem. On top of rigorous testing, producers should mitigate unavoidable mycotoxin exposures through the use of solutions such as SOLIS MAX – for stronger animal health, welfare, and productivity.

References are available on request.

Author:
DEEP CHAND VASHISHTHA -M.Sc , MBA
NSM- Bioncia International Pvt Ltd

Stress comes in many forms and seems to affect the performance of birds. The term “stress” is used to describe the detrimental effect of variety of factors on the health and performance of poultry (Rosales, 1994) Or “Stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand”, whereas stressor can be defined as “an agent that produces stress at any time”. Therefore, stress represents the reaction of the animal organism (i.e., a biological response) to stimuli that disturb its normal physiological equilibrium or homeostasis (Selye, 1976). The commercial high yielding breeds are more susceptible to stress and diseases. Stress represents the reaction of the animal organism (i.e., a biological response) to stimuli that disturb its normal physiological equilibrium or homeostasis. The importance of animal responses to environmental challenges applies to all species. However, poultry seems to be particularly sensitive to temperature-associated environmental challenges, especially heat stress. Understanding and controlling environmental conditions is crucial to successful poultry production and welfare. Heat Stress not only causes suffering and death in the birds, but also results in reduced or lost production that adversely affects the profit from the enterprise.

Heat stress or any type of Stress have side effect on Vital organs heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and lungs.
Heat Stress adverse effects on liver
The liver is pivotal organ of metabolic activity, which performs essential cellular functions containing the balance of energy metabolism, biosynthesis of vitamins and minerals, and ammonia detoxification (Schliess et al., 2014). Elevated blood flow transfers from the hepato-splanchnic region to respiratory muscles and superficial body tissues to accelerate heat dissipation and decrease body temperature under heat stress, therefore, liver is more sensitive to heat stress (Hai et al., 2006; Crandall et al., 2008). It has been reported that heat stress caused liver fat accumulation and inflammation, and impaired liver function in broiler.

Heat stress adverse effects on respiratory system
Heat stress can cause damage to the lung tissue of broiler chickens by disrupting the integrity of the blood-air barrier and increasing permeability diseases can cause different degrees of lung damage Mammals mainly rely on sweat glands to dissipate heat and maintain body temperature balance (Yahav, 2015), but poultry lack sweat glands, so they primarily dissipate heat through respiration when the temperature is too high (Bell et al., 2001). High-frequency breathing leads to increased susceptibility of lung tissue damage in a heat stress environment. Damage to the blood-air barrier can lead to increased lung permeability, impaired oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange function, and induce respiratory difficulties (Wang et al., 2020), further leading to various lung diseases such as tuberculosis and pulmonary inflammation (Research has shown that heat stress causes lung injury and results in the upregulation of various proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor.

Conclusion
High ambient temperature has emerged as a major constraint for the future development of the poultry industry, especially in the tropics and subtropics. The scarcity of resources coupled with harsh environmental conditions is the most crucial predicaments in the way to rationalize optimum production of broiler. Heat stress disturbs the physiological biochemistry of the broiler which ultimately reduces feed intake and feed efficiency which ultimately results in reduced performance and productivity. Under hot environmental conditions, feed utilization is disturbed by the deposition of fat and oxidative stress. In addition, changes in blood cells, acid-base balance, immune response, liver health, and antioxidant status are some of the major dynamics altered by heat stress.

Alleviating the Adverse Effects of Heat Stress is mandatory to achieve Production & performance poultry Business.

Introduction
Poultry nutritionists must search for ways to lower the overall cost of feed as the price of dietary energy sources continues to rise steadily. As a result, they have at times opted to incorporate lower-quality energy feed ingredients as a solution to this problem. These methods may cause the birds to perform poorly in terms of feed conversion ratio, body weight gain, and overall low productivity. Feathered creatures are by nature omnivores that are designed from an early age to consume both plant and animal materials. But for several reasons, the diet of chickens is increasingly changing to a vegetarian diet. This change caused the loss of some important entities, such as creatine, a key substance in meat that is not found in plants. Creatine is a crucial compound for cellular energy production. Creatine phosphate is the primary substance responsible for supplying ATP, the cell’s energy source. When creatine is not obtained through diet, the body’s creatine levels decrease and must be replenished through endogenous amino acid synthesis. Poultry farming has experienced significant growth in recent years, with poultry production increasing by nearly four times since 1957. This growth has been primarily driven by the rise in carcass (+12%) and breast meat production (+50%). What if we could enhance embryo development by providing a readily available energy source to improve hatchling survival and the first days of life? This can be achieved by supplementing broiler breeders with creatine. Creatine enables muscle cells to generate additional energy by converting low-energy ADP back into ATP. While creatine is naturally present in muscle tissue and animal-derived foods, the concentrations in animal proteins can vary widely due to the quality of raw materials and the instability of creatine under harsh processing conditions. Moreover, animal protein is seldom included in animal feed, as most bird feed is composed of plant proteins and grains.

Benefits of Creatine Forerunner
Even though birds have the ability to produce their own creatine, the amount generated is insufficient to meet the demanding growth and performance needs of modern broilers. The early stages after hatching are crucial for the development of efficient broilers, as they require a significant amount of energy. This is why creatine plays a vital role in this process. While creatine can be transferred from the hen’s diet and synthesis to the egg, the levels passed on are typically low. By supplementing broilers with creatine, we can ensure that the embryo receives an additional energy reserve that can be utilized post-hatching. However, creatine is sensitive to heat and can be lost during the preparation of bird feed supplements.

A strategic solution is to include the creatine precursor guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) in the mix, which supports optimal nutritional conditions. GAA is converted to creatine in the liver and stored in muscle tissue, making it a valuable addition to animal feed for broilers.

Effects of Maternal Nutrition on Hatchability
New research from Israel has revealed significant findings that support the transfer of creatine from chicken to chicken when GAA (creatine precursor) is added.
Some research indicates that supplementing broilers with GAA may impact the accumulation of creatine in laying hens. The addition of GAA to chicken feed has been proven to boost the creatine levels in both egg yolk and albumin, with the most noticeable impact seen in the yolk, which is crucial for embryo development. By including dietary GAA (0.15%), the creatine content of the entire egg can be increased by over 40%.

GAA: What does it ENTAIL?
Natural amino acid derivative guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is widely known for its pivotal function in the manufacture of creatine, a vital substance involved in the metabolism of cellular energy. GAA, sometimes referred to as betacyamine or glycocyamine, has been studied as a dietary supplement for increasing energy. In vertebrate animals, GAA is the sole direct precursor that produces creatine. Glycine and arginine are the building blocks for the synthesis of GAA, a metabolic intermediate product that is mostly produced in the kidney and pancreas. GAA is converted to creatine by methylation once it reaches the liver. In the creatine biosynthesis pathway, the primary regulated and rate-limiting step is the synthesis of GAA from arginine and glycine. Interestingly, this synthesis is accomplished in different organs, the first step (synthesis of guanidinoacetic acid from arginine and glycine) taking place in the kidney, the second one (synthesis of creatine from guanidinoacetic acid) in the liver. Thus, guanidinoacetate is synthesized in the kidney, and then transported to the liver where it is converted to creatine, which is then transported to its destination organs.

GAA Biosynthesis
The synthesis of guanidinoacetate requires two amino acids, arginine and glycine. Arginine transfers its amidino group to the amino group of glycine to produce ornithine and GAA, catalyzed by L-arginine: glycine amidino transferase (AGAT). Guanidinoacetate is then methylated by the methyl group of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which is synthesized from methionine. This reaction produces creatine and S-adenosylhomocysteine ​​(SAH) and is catalyzed by guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase (GAMT). Creatine synthesis is an inter-organ metabolic process, with GAA synthesis occurring primarily in the kidney and GAA methylation occurring primarily in the liver. The addition of GAA for creatine synthesis imposes a methylation demand on the body because creatine synthesis is considered to be the major user of methyl groups from SAM (S-adenosyl methionine). Thus, methyl group of betaines can be used in transmethylation reactions for synthesis of creatine and may reduce the requirement for other methyl group donors such as methionine and choline. Betaine is an osmolyte that helps maintain cellular water homeostasis and serves as a methyl group donor, which are its two main metabolic functions. It has been shown that the antioxidant mechanism of betaine strengthens non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses.


Appropriate GAA Dose
The growth performance of broiler chickens may be successfully enhanced by dietary supplementation of 600-1200 mg/kg GAA. The lowest dose required to boost performance is 600 mg/kg GAA. GAA concentrations up to 1500 mg/kg feed did not affect broiler performance or mortality; However, at 3000 mg/kg feed, food intake and body weight decreased somewhat, although not significantly. Feed intake was significantly affected by the highest level of inclusion (6000 mg GAA/kg feed), resulting in a significant reduction in weight gain. GAA treatment had no apparent effect on mortality or feed efficiency.

Why is GAA Used?
· As a creatine precursor GAA plays an important role in energy metabolism.
– However, due to the instability of creatine in the production process and cost, GAA has been studied as an effective alternative to creatine supplements.
– GAA has been tested as a potential feed additive to improve energy utilization and growth performance in poultry.
– GAA has been combined with methionine to improve growth performance and may also act as an arginine sparing agent in birds.
– GAA supplementation increases growth, reproductive performance and meat quality in poultry.
– Among its many proven benefits, GAA effectively improves feed conversion ratio and animal performance.
– GAA has many roles outside of creatine, including stimulation of insulin secretion, neuromodulation and vasodilation.
– Supplemental GAA improves growth performance in heat-stressed chickens.
– Cold stress is another physical environmental stress that hugely impacts the poultry industry. During commercial broiler production, cool temperatures are the primary cause of ascites and related deterioration of growth performance. Dietary inclusion of 1.2 g/kg GAA and betaine improved FCR in broilers under cold stress, suggesting GAA can be used as an efficient supplement to improve the harmful effects of cold stress in broilers.
– Furthermore, GAA can be utilized as a feed supplement in intensive rearing systems to improve feed efficiency and minimize myopathies in the pectoral muscle.
– Supplemental GAA can be used to enhance the fertility rate and sperm penetration in aged broiler breeder hens, possibly by increasing ATP availability in sperm mitochondria, thereby increasing sperm motility and fertility rate.
– Another way that has the potential to increase the productivity of native chickens is to use betaine. Betaine has an effect as a methyl donor for methionine and its diverse physiological properties can improve the intestinal environment and increase the ability of feed absorption. Accumulation of betaine in cells may protect against osmotic stress.
– GAA is known to have an antibacterial effect.
– GAA is safe and potentially efficacious in poultry nutrition, supporting growth in chickens for fattening.

Conclusion
There is a growing body of research dedicated to determining the most effective methods for feeding day-old chicks in order to ensure they develop into healthy, rapidly growing birds. Solutions range from providing small, easily digestible feed pellets to utilizing specially designed feeders that allow young chicks to access their food with ease. Enhancing the nutritional content of eggs with creatine to better align with the physiological needs of modern broilers is a crucial step towards enhancing broiler production in terms of health, growth, and efficiency. Recent studies on using GAA as a creatine source have shown that incorporating GAA into the diet of broiler breeder hens is a practical and efficient approach to achieving this goal.

Dr. Anvesha Bhan1, Dr. Sundus Gazal2 and Dr. Sabahat Gazal3
Division of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu

The poultry sector is among the fastest-growing industries, playing a crucial role in providing employment, income, and animal protein to both urban and rural populations, while also serving as manure for crops. Despite the global increase in meat supply, challenges such as bird handling, housing, rearing, and disease control still hinder the industry’s progress. During the monsoon season, continuous rainfall can lead to higher relative humidity and lower temperatures, affecting both the quality and quantity of feed. Additionally, wind speed can influence disease outbreaks. These weather changes impact poultry production, particularly for laying birds, as egg production declines in extremely cold or hot weather. Such conditions stress the birds, compromising their immune systems and reducing their disease resistance. Some of the common poultry diseases during the rainy season are:

Fowl Pox: Fowl pox is a highly contagious disease affecting poultry birds of all ages, caused by a poxvirus transmitted mainly by mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects. The prevalence of fowl pox increases during the wet season due to the abundance of stagnant water, which provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Additionally, wet litter from poorly shielded poultry houses can lead to fly problems. Fowl pox exhibits round lesions with scabby centers on the birds’ skin, primarily on the wattle, face, comb, and occasionally on the legs. It can also affect the mouth and windpipe, causing lesions that may block the throat and lead to suffocation. Lesions on the face can spread to the eyes, potentially causing temporary or permanent blindness.

Fowl Cholera: Fowl cholera is a bacterial disease caused by Pasteurella multocida, affecting birds aged 6 weeks and above. It is highly contagious with high mortality in acute cases. The bacterium spreads readily during the rainy season as wet litter harbors numerous microorganisms.In acute cases, birds may die suddenly without prior signs, while chronic cases show symptoms similar to fowl typhoid, including yellow, green, or grey diarrhea; loss of appetite; labored breathing; drooped wings and tail feathers; ruffled feathers; swelling of leg joints, sinuses, wattles, and footpads.

Salmonellosis, Colibacillosis, Pullorum Disease (Bacillary White Diarrhea): These bacterial diseases affect birds of all ages and thrive in farms with poor sanitation, especially when wet litter is left unchecked. They impact the digestive system, presenting symptoms such as severe diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression and emaciation, chicks suffering from omphalitis, white pasty diarrhea in pullorum disease, huddling together and labored breathing.

Aspergillosis: Aspergillosis, caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, is prevalent during the rainy season due to high humidity, which dampens feed and litter, creating a conducive environment for fungal growth. Inhalation of Aspergillus spores lead to respiratory issues and lesions in the lungs. It is exhibited as Acute form which is common in young chicks and is characterized by rapid onset and high mortality with symptoms like lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and cyanosis; or as Chronic form which develops subtly over weeks or months and affects older birds with symptoms like weight loss, reduced appetite, respiratory issues, and changes in vocalization.

Coccidiosis: Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Eimeria spp. is an intestinal infection which causes extensive intestinal damage. It is widespread in poultry and game birds during the rainy season where wet litter and high pen temperatures favour the sporulation of oocysts of the parasite. Clinical signs include bloody faeces, ruffled feathers, anaemia, somnolence, severe diarrhoea, and high mortality. Decreased growth, feed and water consumption, weight loss, and decreased egg production are common. Infected survivors may suffer long-term performance loss.

Managemental Practices in Monsoons: Achieving Maximum Efficiency
The monsoon season brings challenges such as high relative humidity and temperature fluctuations. These extreme weather conditions create a favourable environment for the propagation of various pathogenic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and vectors like flies and mosquitoes. This necessitates careful consideration and appropriate measures to optimize bird health and ensure efficient production.

Housing Management for Poultry During Monsoon:
A well-maintained shed is crucial for minimizing climatic stress and health challenges in poultry. Before the monsoon season, it is important to inspect the roof and walls for any holes or leaks and repair them promptly. Ensure the drainage ditch around the shed is clear to prevent waterlogging. The roof should have side overhangs of at least 3 to 4 feet to prevent rainwater from entering the shed. Cover the side walls of the empty shed with polythene curtains that are in good condition and can be adjusted based on ammonia concentration or rain intensity. Improper curtain management can lead to poor ventilation, resulting in ammonia buildup, which can cause issues such as improper digestion, abnormal respiration, and a high incidence of ascites. During the day, allow 1-2 feet opening at the top of the side curtains to ventilate ammonia and other undesirable gases. Atleast a 10-feet perimeter outside the shed should be kept clean and free of bushes and grasses. Waterlogging in the surrounding area can lead to propagation of insects like mosquitoes and flies inside the shed and since these act as vectors for many infectious diseases, proper cleanliness and pest control becomes crucial. To control the insect population regular spray of insecticides like bleaching powder and formalin (3-5%) should be done.

Litter Management in Poultry Housing During Monsoon:
A good litter material absorbs moisture when the surface is moist and the air is humid, and releases moisture when the air is dry. Ideally, the litter moisture content should be between 25% and 30%. If moisture falls to around 20%, the litter becomes too dusty, and if it rises to around 40%, the litter becomes wet and caked, which is undesirable. There are various issues that are faced with poor litter management viz., wet and caked litter promotes rapid microbial growth, which may cause infections leading to irritation, cracking, and infection of the foot. High moisture content in litter leads to ammonia buildup in the poultry house. Ammonia and other noxious gases can damage the respiratory tract lining, exposing birds to infections. Although the maximum permissible level of ammonia in the litter is 25 ppm, but adverse reactions including irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract start appearing at concentrations as low as 6 ppm, while reduced animal performance may be observed at 11 ppm. Thus, the level of ammonia in the shed must be kept at the minimum.

1. Moisture Control:
– Regularly check litter moisture. Compress the litter sample in hand; if it shows crevices and gently falls apart, moisture is optimal. If it forms a cohesive ball, it is too wet. If it crumbles easily, it is too dry.
– If litter moisture exceeds 40%, it indicates wet and caked litter which requires immediate disposal and replacement with fresh litter.
– Practice litter racking twice a day to prevent caking.
– To reduce litter moisture, add 1 kg of slaked lime and 150 gm of bleaching powder per 100 ft² of floor area.
– Operate ceiling fans at a ratio of one fan per 300 birds in deep litter broiler farms.

2. Overall Maintenance:
– To prevent mold growth, treat new litter with a 2% aqueous solution of copper sulphate spray.
– Regularly inspect and maintain the poultry house roof and walls to prevent leaks and ensure good drainage around the shed.
– Use polythene curtains to cover side walls and adjust them based on ammonia concentration and rain intensity, allowing for proper ventilation.
– Maintain cleanliness around the shed, keeping at least a 10-foot perimeter free from bushes and grasses to prevent waterlogging and insect breeding.
– Use insecticides, bleaching powder, and formalin spray (3-5%) outside the shed to control insect populations.

Feed and Water management to navigate through the Monsoon Season

Feed Management:
1. Adjust diet formulations to include all vital nutrients, considering the reduced feed intake of the birds due to high temperature and humidity.
2. Avoid long-term storage of feed as shelf life is shorter due to high humidity.
3. Prevent feed from heating up or forming lumps, which indicate decomposition and mold growth.
4. Ensure that vehicles for feed transport are leak-proof and maintain a 4-5 day extra feed stock to avoid frequent transportation during rainy days.
5. Use a Dunnage system to store feed bags. Stack bags on wooden or bamboo pallets at least 1 foot off the floor and away from side walls to avoid moisture contact and allow air circulation.
6. Implement a FIFO (First In, First Out) system for feed distribution.
7. Avoid wooden feed troughs to prevent mold growth and toxin production. Use plastic troughs for easier cleaning and disinfection.
8. Clean the feeders daily with a dry cloth.

Water Management:
1. Ensure clean, safe water supply as it significantly impacts flock performance.
2. Regularly sanitize water to prevent contamination, especially during the rainy season when E. coli and other coliform counts are higher.
3. Use water sanitizers with sufficient contact time and proper dosing.
4. Acidify drinking water to lower the pH, which reduces bacterial growth. Drinking water pH should preferably be around 5.0 to 5.5 to inhibit most pathogens. Poultry prefer water with a pH of 6 to 6.8.
5. Clean drinkers daily with detergents and bleaching powder to reduce water-borne diseases.
6. Clean pipelines at least once a week to reduce biofilm formation.
7. Monitor Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) to evaluate the effectiveness of water sanitizers. An ORP value > 650 mV indicates good quality water, which can be effectively sanitized with 2-4 ppm free chlorine.

Emerging Technologies in Poultry Litter Management: Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency in Poultry Production

Efficient poultry litter management for broiler chicken farms is essential for maintaining bird health, ensuring farm profitability, and protecting the environment. One key tool in this effort is the Poultry Litter Decision Support System (PLDSS), which outlines a five-step plan for effective litter management. Additionally, a temperature prediction model can aid in litter pasteurization, further enhancing its efficacy. Innovative technologies such as electronic noses and AI-powered robots are being employed to address challenges related to odor control and litter management tasks. Moreover, the use of artificial turf flooring is showing promise in improving air quality within laying hen houses.

Keywords: Poultry litter management, PLDSS, litter pasteurization, e-nose, AI robots, artificial turf flooring

The poultry industry’s phenomenal growth creates a critical challenge: managing the vast amount of poultry litter, a mix of manure and bedding materials. The intricate interplay among the poultry industry’s worldwide impact, technical advancements, and the urgent demand for innovative approaches to litter reduction are significant factors compelling us to consider litter management.

With the United States leading the way in broiler production, the global output reached a staggering 101.2 million metric tons in 2021.This exponential growth necessitates sustainable practices to handle poultry litter efficiently. As the poultry industry continues to expand, effective waste management becomes paramount.
The amount of chicken manure produced globally is astounding. The amount of broiler meat produced in 2021 was estimated to be 101.2 million metric tons; by 2023, that amount is expected to increase to 103.4 million. About 1.1 to 2.4 MT of dry manure, 7.3 to 12.7 MT for turkeys, and 3.9 MT for ducks are produced by 1000 birds raised to market age on commercial farms. 9486 MT of hatchery waste, 1.74 million MT of slaughterhouse waste, and 38.33 million MT of chicken manure were produced in India in 2018–2019. To properly manage the waste from poultry, this exponential growth calls for sustainable practices.

Not only is efficient litter management important for the environment, but it’s also essential for farm productivity and animal welfare. Litter management that is done right enhances bird health, productivity, and profitability. However, poor handling can result in disease outbreaks and significant financial losses.

Poultry Litter Decision Support System (PLDSS)
Applying chicken manure to row crops and pastures is an inexpensive substitute for synthetic fertilizers. Because of the high P to N ratio in chicken litter, applying it in accordance with the agronomic N requirements of the fodder has over time led to a buildup of P in the soil. P runoff can hasten eutrophication, which can seriously degrade water bodies that support aquatic, recreational, and drinking water uses, despite P being a necessary nutrient for plant growth. There are numerous definitions for a DSS. But it can be thought of as an interactive, adaptive, and flexible computer-based information system designed specifically to help identify and resolve a complex, poorly organized, or unstructured.

The Poultry Litter Decision Support System (PLDSS) is a comprehensive five-step management plan that begins by estimating farm-produced poultry litter and compost, assessing their nutrient content for proper application. It then identifies suitable land for spreading, aligns application with crop nutrient needs, and manages excess litter by exploring responsible disposal options. Over time, the PLDSS can create a database to aid research on non-point source pollution and inform businesses about surplus litter for value-added products, offering a holistic view of poultry litter management challenges.

Litter Temperature Prediction Model & Pasteurisation Decision Support Tool
The model was created using a data set that included 542 temperature profiles taken at different depths during a litter pasteurization cycle that lasted six to ten days in about 100 litter heaps that were treated on eight farms. There are more than 90,000 distinct temperature records in the data collection. Using 75% of the data for development and 25% for validation, an empirical model of the dataset was created.

As part of the chicken CRC project Methods to quantify and inactivate viruses in chicken litter, a litter temperature prediction model and a pasteurization decision assistance tool were created. The tool’s parameters are listed in the following. Purpose of this tool is to forecast temperatures and offer user-defined summary temperature data for poultry broiler litter that has been heaped for pasteurization.

A sectional heat map of the heap/windrow at a given time with a table showing the percentage of the heap in different temperature classes, average, minimum, and maximum heap temperatures, the proportion of the heap/windrow reaching specified temperatures and durations, and temperature profiles at specified depths.

Animal Waste Management Software
Software for animal waste management (AWM) is a tool for planning and designing projects that supports the calculations needed for manure management systems. Lagoon, storage pond, storage tank, and stacking facility design is supported by the expected daily production of manure, bedding, and process water. Average monthly precipitation and evaporation statistics are utilized in the AWM methods and computations, which are based on data from the AWMFH. Additionally, the program encourages the design of multiple-cell anaerobic and aerobic lagoons that can be used alone or in conjunction with other manure storage facilities. Users of the program can produce preconfigured reports for design, operation, and maintenance. Design variables that are integrated into the report templates can be used to create customized reports. Manure Master, a streamlined tool for calculating the amount of cropland required to create the nutrients generated by an animal feeding operation, is also included in AWM. The nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium content of the manure and the amount of these nutrients utilized by crops are combined to create a gross nutritional balance that is calculated by Manure Master. This balance can be calculated based on known recommended fertilizer application rates, or it can be estimated based on the nutrient content of the plant. The nitrogen balance is calculated with the expected losses from leaching, denitrification, and volatilization.

Artificial Turf Floor
Artificial turf flooring has the potential to significantly improve the air quality in laying hen houses, according to studies. Artificial turf drastically lowered ammonia, carbon dioxide, and particle sizes when compared to regular wood shavings. The reasons for this progress are several. First off, artificial turf reduces ammonia generation directly by preserving more nitrogen and lowering the pH of manure.

Secondly, by reducing sources on the floor where hens interact, the turf itself lowers airborne particulate pollution. Lastly, it appears that artificial turf affects airflow patterns, which results in a more uniform gas distribution and a decrease in concentration gradients inside the housing. It’s vital to remember that proper comparisons of air quality between various flooring types depend on maintaining stable and regular ventilation rates.

Electronic Nose
Effective poultry litter management involves addressing odor issues associated with poultry waste. Traditional olfactometry, while valuable, can be costly due to sample collection and analysis expenses. To overcome these limitations, electronic noses (e-noses) offer an affordable and real-time alternative. E-noses detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to odors, providing accurate measurements. Integrating e-noses alongside traditional methods allows poultry farmers to make informed decisions, minimize odors, and maintain a healthier environment for both birds and humans.

AI-Powered Robots for Litter Management
Numerous businesses have created robots to assist in managing the litter in broiler homes for chickens. For instance, Octopus Robots, a French business, has introduced two fully autonomous robots, one of which is intended to turn and aerate chicken bedding. A different business, Metabolic Robots, has developed a robot that can oversee, measure, monitor, and regulate operations on chicken farms. These robots can grind, mix, aerate, tilt, decake, scare, and pulverize poultry litter. The effectiveness of litter management in chicken broiler houses can be increased with the employment of these robots.
The AI-driven autonomous robots are meant to clean the litter in chicken broiler houses. It has a scarifier installed to aerate the litter once a day, preventing crusting and enabling reduced ammonia levels. In the chicken shed, the robot is also capable of gathering data on temperature, humidity, and ammonia levels. AI-powered robots can not only scarify the litter but also carry out other duties like drying the litter, preventing scab development, lowering ammonia generation, distributing sanitizing solutions, and cleaning the litter by misting sanitizing solutions. The robot has the ability to administer local adaptive therapy and disperse itself as near to the target as it can.
Robots using artificial intelligence (AI) are useful and effective technologies for controlling litter in chicken broiler facilities. Their capacity for multitasking on their own can enhance litter control effectiveness and promote a healthier environment for the chickens. Emerging technologies offer a beacon of hope. Precision livestock farming and waste-to-energy processes are just a few examples of innovative solutions that can minimize environmental impact, enhance resource utilization, and safeguard animal and human health.

References :
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Ren, G., Lin, T., Ying, Y., Chowdhary, G., & Ting, K. C. (2020). Agricultural robotics research applicable to poultry production: A review. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 169, 105216.
Kelleher, B. P., Leahy, J. J., Henihan, A. M., O'dwyer, T. F., Sutton, D., & Leahy, M. J. (2002). Advances in poultry litter disposal technology–a review. Bioresource technology, 83(1), 27-36.
Kang, M. S., Srivastava, P., Tyson, T., Fulton, J. P., Owsley, W. F., & Yoo, K. H. (2008). A comprehensive GIS-based poultry litter management system for nutrient management planning and litter transportation. Computers and electronics in agriculture, 64(2), 212-224.

Rising consumer demand for economical protein sources is driving the poultry industry’s growth as it is poised for the next phase of growth-Ricky Thaper (www.rickythaper.com)

India has a vast livestock and poultry resources that play a vital role in improving the socio-economic conditions of rural communities. As per the 20th livestock census, 2019, there are about 303.76 million bovines – cattle, buffalo, mithun and yak), 74.26 million sheep, 148.88 million goats, 9.06 million pigs and about 851.81 million poultry. The Indian poultry sector has played a crucial role in meeting protein and nutritional needs of a vast section of the population. Currently while the production of agricultural crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 7-8 percent per annum.

Poultry production in India valued at $ 30 billion has taken a huge leap in the last four decades, emerging from conventional farming practices to commercial production systems with state-of-the-art technological interventions. Currently the sector is estimated to employ more than 6 million people either directly or indirectly. The small and medium size farm (5000 birds onwards) are mostly engaged in contract farming systems under larger integration companies.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, the poultry sector grew 8% annually during 2006-07 to 2021-22. The poultry meat output of 4.5 million tonne (MT), contributed to 51.4% of the total meat production of 9.3 MT in 2021-22. However there has been regional concentration of production of poultry meat and eggs in the country.

A report titled “Vision 2047″: Indian Poultry sector by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has stated that the growth in the poultry sector in the country has been attributed to the commercial poultry industry which accounts for 85% of production while the rest of 15% of the output comes from the traditional backyard poultry.
India has transformed their poultry farming industry through major investments in breeding, hatching, rearing, and processing of chicken. India, as the third-largest producer of eggs (129.60 billion) and the fifth-largest producer of poultry meat (4.5 million tonnes) globally. As per the FAOSTAT, the USA has 17% share in global poultry meat production followed by China (12%), Brazil (11.7%), Russia (3.8%) and India (3.5%).

Govt’s support to the sector
The government has been supporting the growth of the poultry sector through several initiatives like dedicated funds for setting up units, disease surveillance and providing support for ensuring supply of animal feed for the sector. Under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund was launched with a corpus of Rs 15,000 crore in 2020, was recently extended for three years till 2025-26 under Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) with an outlay of Rs 29,610 crore. The centre government provides a 3 per cent interest sub-vention to the borrower and credit guarantees up to 25 percent of total borrowing. The interest subvention is for 8 years including two years of moratorium for loan up to 90% from the scheduled bank and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), NABARD.

There are more than 5000 odd project proposals have been received under the fund which aims at incentivizing investments for Dairy processing and product diversification, Meat processing and product diversification, animal feed plant, breed multiplication farm, animal waste to wealth management (agri-waste management) and veterinary vaccine and drug production facilities. Investment proposals for the modern poultry farms and feed plants have availed funds under the scheme. The stakeholders including Indian Dairy Association (IDA), All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA), Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers’ Associations (CLFMA), All India Livestock and Meat Exporters’ Association (AILMEA), Poultry Federation of India (PFI) and other associations have been asked by the Animal Husbandry Department, Government of India, to create awareness about the scheme.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has approved India’s self-declaration of freedom from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or referred to as bird flus in specific poultry compartments. Compartmentalization is a crucial tool that enhances animal health, reduces the risk of disease outbreaks within and outside the compartment, and facilitates the trade of poultry and poultry-related products, according to an official statement. The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying has submitted a self-declaration of freedom from High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza in 26 poultry compartments in four states – Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh to the WOAH.

During the 2022-23, India exported poultry and poultry products worth $ 134 million to 64 countries. The approval of this self-declaration is expected to boost Indian poultry in the global market.

Under the National Livestock Mission’s submission on Breed Development of Livestock & Poultry aims at bringing sharp focus on entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in poultry, sheep, goat and piggery by providing the incentivization to the eligible entities like Individuals, Farmers Producers Organizations, Farmers Cooperative Organizations, Joint Liability Groups, Self Help Groups, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and also to the State Government.

Feed supply with rising demand remain a challenge for the sector:
There has been increasing diversion of maize towards industrial use and ethanol production. Due to limitation of diversion of sugarcane towards ethanol production and to meet rising demand from animal feed and biofuel manufacturing, the government is aiming to increase production of maize by 10% to 42 million tonne (MT) by 2025-26 from 38 MT in 2022-23 crop year through initiating measures such as crop diversification, cluster development for ethanol plants and involving private sector in seed development. About 60-65% of the output of maize is used as poultry and animal feed while 20% is used for industrial use.

However, the current growth level of maize and soybean production in the country will be insufficient to meet the demand of the poultry industry. The industry associations have urged the government to allow imports of GM maize and soybean because of ‘unprecedented increase’ in prices. In August 2021, the government had relaxed import rules to allow the first shipment of 1.2 MT (million tonne) of Genetically Modified soymeal to support the domestic poultry industry after a record spike in feed prices. Several south Asian countries including Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka have allowed imports of GM soymeal. The composition of animal feed is 65-70% is energy source mostly from maize, bajra and broken rice while rest is protein source mostly from soybean meal.

Poultry protein promotion: a collaborative effort
Chicken meat and eggs are perceived as healthier alternatives to red meat, driving up demand. Poultry products are often more affordable than other protein sources, making them accessible to a broader segment of population. In the post Covid19 pandemic phase the demand for the protein rich food like poultry meat and eggs have increased sharply. The growing awareness regarding health and wellness is further driving the demand for a protein-rich diet.
Chicken meat is a high-quality protein containing all nine essential amino acids in right proportions. It’s a Lean Protein with high nutrient density. Means it provides essential vitamins and minerals also including B complex vitamins, selenium, phosphorus and niacin. Chicken protein also helps in muscle management and growth; hence it is very popular and essential for athletes and individuals looking for building the muscle mass.

To promote poultry meat as key driver of increasing protein intake, Poultry Federation of India (PFI) organize a meeting on Poultry Protein jointly with the United Soybean Board (USB), USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), and the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA). The objective of this meeting is to pitch for promotion of chicken and eggs as the premier source of protein for consumers.

Additionally, various other associations including CLFMA of India, NECC, All India Poultry Breeders Association, IPEMA, Vets in Poultry, INFAH, Karnataka Poultry Farmers & Breeders Association, Andhra Pradesh Poultry Federation, Telangana Poultry Federation, Poultry Breeders Association-Telangana, Poultry Farmers’ and Breeders’ Association-Maharashtra, Broiler Breeders Association-North, North India Broiler Producers Association, Central Haryana Layer Poultry Farmers Association, West Bengal Poultry Federation, along with other regional and state-level associations, are collaborating towards promote chicken and eggs within their respective regions.

Figure 1. Pictorial description on meat eating population in India.
The data indicate the potential growth for chicken eating population in India.

A major chunk of the country’s population eats non-vegetarian food. The poultry meat and eggs remain one of the healthy and economical sources of protein. Post Covid-19, several consumers have added poultry meat and eggs to their diets. There are several international companies willing to invest in the Indian poultry sector which is witnessing a steady growth rate over the decades. The government must take proactive measures to improve feed supplies so the growth and value-addition of agriculture and allied sectors such as poultry, dairy and shrimp farming is sustained. As 100% Foreign Direct Investment is permitted through automatic route in the food processing sector including poultry sector, there is a huge opportunity for upgrading infrastructure, breeding, medication, feed production, vertical integration and processing and there are several multi-national companies that have envisaged plans to invest in the Indian poultry sector.

By Dr. Shiva Kumar, Director – Technical, TN South Asia

Poultry derived food products are the most important animal protein sources globally. India is the third-largest egg producer and the fourth-largest chicken producer in the world. Poultry meat and eggs are the most important animal protein sources available, and a significant increase is forecasted in demand.

But there is also a significant number of challenges facing the Indian poultry and allied industries with respect to sustainable production of poultry meat and eggs where market demands, and consumer needs will put more constraints on the production systems and methods. These challenges are dynamic and diverse, and solutions and opportunities will require development of appropriate technology, using and advancing our knowledge base.

Sustainable poultry farming is based on three pillars: environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable. For all these pillars, innovation will be key and hence, advances in animal nutrition will play an important role, where we have concrete challenges in economical optimization of the value chain and meeting product quality demands, whilst safeguarding animal wellbeing and human health.

Trouw Nutrition is an organisation that deeply cares about building a more sustainable future – both for our industry and for consumers. We are committed to transform science into actionable, practical nutrition and farm management solutions to help customers produce quality poultry meat and eggs. We support food producers with the technology that puts advice and data at their fingertips.

Feeding the Future is the essence of Trouw Nutrition (a Nutreco company), expressing the challenge to double food production while halving the carbon footprint. Our ambition is to contribute meeting the rising global demand with growing number of world population in a sustainable manner. The Trouw Nutrition way focuses on innovation, quality, sustainability, and integrated solutions.

Our solutions are built on four solid pillars. Each one contributes to help our customers adding more value to their business in a sustainable and a safe way.

Trouw Nutrition is built on a strong commitment to transform science into actionable, practical nutrition and farm management solutions. We focus on our four innovation pillars that deliver sustainability benefits to animals, farms, and the environment:

Early Life Nutrition:
Birds are confronted with various stressful events during their life, especially in critical transition periods such as hatch and transport. Provision of nutrition and water during the immediate post-hatch period and during transit from hatchery to farm has shown promising effects on broiler performance and health in the first days and weeks of life (Bergoug et al., 2013; Published results, Trouw Nutrition 2016). Early life interventions do not per se result in higher market weights or improved feed efficiency in each flock, but it will contribute to more stable and consistent performance and a reduced risk of birds developing health problems.

Health Life:
Animal Nutrition is an important part of the solution to help to contain Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Adequate animal nutrition (well-balanced and well-formulated feed) combined with good hygiene practices on farms and proper housing are key in promoting animal health and welfare. A balanced diet of compound feed supported by specialty feed ingredients/additives meets the animal’s physiological requirements and maintains the balance of the gut flora. Poultry Gut health is in fact a key factor in keeping birds healthy and resilient to stressors, such as heat or pathogens.

Trouw Nutrition Poultry Gut Health Solution, integrates Farm, Feed and Health approach.

Feed​ – Premixes, Young Animal Feed (ChickCare, NutriOpt, feed formulation advice including Intellibond C,
Feed safety: Fysal/Fylax/Toxo
Farm​ – Advice on farm management​ and biosecurity​, Selko pH (drinking water) with dosing systems
Health​ – Selko pH (water) + Selacid (feed), Gut health evaluation​

Water and feed acidification will contribute to maintaining a stable microbiota in poultry. The efficacy of organic and inorganic acids can be further enhanced by inclusion of medium chain fatty acids or other natural antimicrobial compounds that exert a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity at relative neutral pH ranges.

Precision Nutrition:
From an economical point of view, we need in general to meet nutrient requirements of the birds in the most efficient and economical way and assure that animals are in good health to exploit their potential.

Efficient use of resources e.g. feed ingredients will benefit environmentally sound production. In this respect, use and conversion of co-products from the food and biofuel industry to highly animal nutrition products is contributing to sustainable production as well. One of the challenges in our industry is to be flexible with our raw material usage to manage higher use of low-quality ingredients and anticipate on fluctuations in raw material prices, whilst at the same time we need to have grip on variation in raw material quality and assure that the feed delivers the same high performance.

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid technique to evaluate the nutrient profile of feed ingredients. A more advanced precision nutrition system such as NutriOpt from Trouw Nutrition has incorporated NIRS, with its extensive nutrient databases.

NutriOpt is an integrated nutritional precision-feeding tool from Trouw Nutrition, which enables the poultry farmer or grower or feed miller to optimize both feed costs and production results to maximize financial benefits in the value chain. It consists of several key elements that complement and support one another in optimizing animal nutrition, performance and associated costs through precise real-time analysis, modelling and calculation.

To offer real-time feed analysis, Trouw Nutrition has introduced the NutriOpt On-site Adviser (NOA). This innovative solution reveals the real nutritional value of your feed ingredients and helps to improve performance and profitability. Powered by our comprehensive NutriOpt database, the NutriOpt On-site Adviser provides with accurate analytical results to make better-informed choices.

The portable NIR scanner and the mobile app enable you to get analytical results of nutrients in raw materials and finished feed onsite. The mobile app connects the handheld scanner to the NutriOpt nutritional database and advice on the nutritional value of the scanned materials. The NutriOpt On-site can be even connected to your decision-making tools for a smooth optimisation process.

NOA can perform convenient analysis without samples leaving your farm, and the poultry farm owner can enjoy a greater control over their animal performance.
In relation to feed safety, mycotoxins are probably one of the most important risk factors that need to be controlled among the Indian poultry Industry. It is also encouraging to note, that rapid diagnostics are now more widespread globally adopted for quality control to take appropriate measures once mycotoxin contamination in raw materials is detected. It is an essential part of feed quality assurance and with the right measures the risks can be mitigated, which will prevent unexpected performance losses and health problems.

Measuring mycotoxin levels in feed can be time-consuming and requires specialised and costly methodology. Trouw Nutrition offers “Mycomaster”, a tool to analyse mycotoxins.

Mycomaster provides rapid, cost-effective, and quantitative mycotoxin analyses of over 40 validated feed raw materials and final feed. And it works on-site, bringing flexibility to testing frequency, in support to Feed quality control, formulation decisions and remediation strategies.

Tackling the challenges:
The importance of using a holistic approach to enable successful conversion of feed into high quality poultry protein in a sustainable way is evident for the Indian poultry producers. These high producing birds must be able to consume, digest, absorb and convert sufficient nutrients to meet their genetic potential, and do this consistently from flock to flock. To do this successfully and achieve high consistent production with acceptable risk will require increased use of existing technology and expanding our knowledge and information network. At Trouw Nutrition, we have the tools to support the challenges faced by the poultry producers to make better choices to support the production chain. For a complete overview of our tools and services, please contact your nearest Trouw Nutrition expert/representative.

For further information, kindly write to us at customercareindia@trouwnutrition.com
or visit our website: www.trouwnutrition.in