POULTRY PUNCH - FEBRUARY 2019

ARTICLE
Dr. Rahul Mittal, Associate Product Manager, Kemin
Dr. Prakash Saini, Marketing Manager, Kemin
Chromium! A mineral molecule that has developed a kind of an ambivalent relationship with the poultry industry owing
to the myths and certain incidences in South Asian markets. Today, we reanalyze the Chromium safety and its feasibility in
poultry industry and understand 4 why(s) to use Chromium in poultry diets and 4 ways to use it.
4 Why(s) to use Chromium in poultry diets
1. Efficient utilization of feed nutrients
To maintain thermoregulation during summer season, birds tend to reduce feed intake which decreases metabolic heat
production, this offset the effect of environmental heat up to a certain extent. The reduced feed intake has direct effect on the
production performance of the bird. In some instances, chronic heat stress may affect egg production by 37% in commercial
layers while also negatively impacting on feed conversion and egg weight (Star et al 2008)
Heat stress induced hyperglycemia leads to less utilization of glucose by the cells which causes a further energy
deficiency in addition to reduced feed intake.
To understand how Chromium can help in efficient utilization of nutrients, we need to understand its mechanism of
action (MOA).
112 February, 2019