Agri Leader

…the response to antimicrobials
is proportional to the sanitation
of the environment …
There are a number of products reported to potentially
improve gut health. A limited number of probiotics
and/or competitive exclusion products are available
for feeding to poultry in Canada compared to the
available products in the US and the rest of the world.
Regulatory clearance and associated biosafety concerns
are currently hindering the introduction of new
products in the Canadian market place. Tracking a probiotic
strain’s resilience in the bird’s intestinal tract and
demonstrating persistence also continues to challenge
product development.
very viscous and adversely affect feed conversion. This
viscosity is associated with a reduction in absorption of
nutrients. Enzymes specifically designed to breakdown
the arabinoxylans are added to wheat based poultry diets
to reduce viscosity and improve intestinal health
with a demonstrated improvement in feed efficiency.
The largest proportion of the carbohydrate contained
in poultry feed is starch which typically accounts for
about 70% of the wheat kernel and consists of a complex
polymer of glucose. Starch structure depends on
cereal type, harvest conditions, and post harvest processing.
Hi-Pro research trials on wheat structure
have confirmed that improved feed efficiency is possible
with the correct combination of ground wheat particles
in the diet. Whole wheat feeding, for example,
has become a common practice to take advantage of
improved gizzard function. The gizzard is referred to as
the pace maker of the gut as it moderates
rates of passage. Allowing the gizzard
to develop and control digesta passage
has shown to be positive for both
feed efficiency and gut health.
The gizzard is referred
to as the pace maker
of the gut.
The world feed supplement market is no longer dominated by vitamins, conventional minerals and amino acids.
A number of phytogenic plant derived compounds are
cleared for use in poultry feed and are being used in
some Hi-Pro diets. Feed additives containing for example
Oregano essential oils contain chemicals known to
be antioxidants while other identified components have
been shown to exhibit bactericidal properties.
Hi-Pro has completed a number of recent feeding trials
at the Chilliwack Hi-Pro research barn that cover
the general area of growth and/or intestinal function as
it relates to enzyme application in broiler feeds. Most
of the trials have been associated with the indigestible
carbohydrate components referred to as NSP’s (nonstarch
polysaccharides). The structure of the wheat
cell walls are composed of NSP’s which typically account
for 10% of the whole grain. A portion of the NSP’s
in wheat known as arabinoxylans are of particular concern
to poultry nutritionists as they make the digesta
Wheat varieties also vary in starch
composition. Starch digestion varies
with physical and molecular structure
and ranges from rapidly digestible to
slowly digestible to resistant to digestion,
with the resultant released glucose
contributing to an insulin response.
Modest insulin levels can stimulate
muscle growth, while high insulin levels result in excess
fat deposition. Typically, slowly digestible starch
yield’s the best performance for monogastric diets,
while it actually yields the least net energy. It has been
hypothesized that the slower digestion leads to a more
moderate and sustained insulin response allowing increased
protein deposition.
Some of the latest trials at the Hi-Pro research facility
have focused on gut function as it relates to a dietary
ingredient called Betaine. Betaine is typically derived
from plants grown in dry climates, as it is a natural
plant protectant for water stress. Betaine is isolated
for feed use from sugar beets where it accumulates in
the condensed solubles during processing. Supplemental
betaine is absorbed from the diet into the cells
lining the wall of the digestive tract.
AGRI LEADER » 2016
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