Agri Leader

Functional Gut
Integrity in Poultry
David Dyble, MSc, North American Monogastric Nutritionist, Hi-Pro Feeds, Chilliwack, BC
Maintaining a highly functioning digestive tract is a
critical aspect of successful modern poultry farming.
Unfortunately, the digestive tract is hidden from the
eye of the farmer adding to the management challenge.
The function of the gastrointestinal tract is arguably
more important now due to:
(1) ever increasing feed ingredient costs,
(2) an increasing importance paid by regulators
on critical nutrient utilization efficiency,
and (3) a market desire for decreased use of
antimicrobials.
Modern broiler production is increasingly dependent
on the rapid development of effective digestive function
relating to the decreasing days to market weight and
therefore the increasing proportion the first 10 days of
life contribute to the total days on feed.
A properly functioning digestive tract also plays a key
role as a barrier against pathogens, with the integrity
and repair of the intestinal border cells being vitally important.
From an animal cost perspective, the maintenance
of the gut border cell’s ability to maximize nutrient
uptake and minimize antigenic insult is responsible
for the consumption of about 20% of dietary energy and
nearly 25% of daily protein synthesis. The protein turn
over rate for the gastro intestinal tract is an amazing 50
to 75% per day. The digestive tract must remain porous
and deliver nutrients to the cells of the body while the
border remains a barrier to numerous challenges.
A properly functioning digestive
tract also plays a key role as a
barrier against pathogens …
The gut typically deals with digestive insults through
changes to the rates of:
(1) intestinal peristalsis,
(2) intestinal cell turnover,
(3) mucin production,
(4) adaptation of the microflora,
(5) inflammation and immune response,
and (6) alterations to secretions.
78 AGRI LEADER » 2016
Dave Dyble
Here is a stylized diagram of the poultry gut:
The challenges for different types of poultry production
vary. For example, required feed restriction in
broiler breeder contributes to a decreased intestinal
wall strength with can be expected to decrease important
barrier functions.
Many new management techniques are emerging to
support the gut’s barrier function and aid in nutrient
absorption efficiency. Antimicrobials have been used
since the 1940’s to maintain bird health and there have
been years of experience indicating improved feed efficiency,
favorably altered intestinal bacterial flora, moderated
immunological response to challenge, as well
as a reduced incidence of disease. It is interesting to
note that antimicrobials don’t promote growth in germ
free chicks suggesting that the presence of certain
bacteria in the gut are responsible for hindering growth
and their control is associated with efficiency improvement
observed with antimicrobial use.
Experience with poultry production indicates that the
degree of response to antimicrobials is proportional to
the sanitation of the environment in which the birds are
grown. What is currently of interest to Hi-Pro nutritionists
is discovering new effective methods of improving
gut integrity either in conjunction with antimicrobial
feeding or in diets where antimicrobials are not used.