fbpx
Sign up now!
Don't show this again
Sweepstakes Rules

We’re glad you’re enjoying Poultry Health Today.
Access is free but you’ll need to register to view more content.
Already registered? Sign In
Tap to download the app
X
Share
X
REPORTSCollect articles and features into your own report to read later, print or share with others

Create a New Report

Favorites

Read Later

Create a new report

Report title (required) Brief description (optional)
CREATE
X
NEXT
POULTRY
follow us


You must be logged in to edit your profile.

Sponsored by Zoetis

Sponsored By Zoetis

.
Universal Media Watch Image

In ovo feeding predicted to drive genetic potential of birds in future

Feeding chicks in ovo and imprinting behavior through diet in the first days of life will help producers get the most from broilers’ genetic potential in future, says a leading poultry nutritionist.

Peter Ferket, professor of nutrition and biotechnology at North Carolina State University, said early-life nutrition is key to helping birds grow better and handle health challenges, reports Poultry World. Furthermore, adopting techniques that program bird digestion from the outset could help birds fulfil their genetic potential.

Speaking at the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Ferket said nutrition and management have failed to keep pace with genetics in terms of driving performance and profits, and it was time to close the gap.

At current rates of genetic improvement, a 4kg bird at the age of 42 days was possible with a feed conversion rate approaching 1:1, he said.

A broiler’s early life was the time when performance could be best influenced, both in providing targeted nutrition and programming digestion for later life.

In ovo feeding, in which nutritional pre-mixes are genetically matched to a chick’s needs, has been found to deliver better villi growth and give more energy in the first hours of life, Ferket added.

Subsequently average body weights are improved, while skeletal development gets a head start.
“It changes behavior; right after hatch in ovo fed birds are more active, inquisitive and eat more feed,” he said. As a result, breast meat yield, growth rates and feed conversion can all be improved.

Ferket said his team is also working on “programming” bird digestion by conditioning diets shortly before and after hatching.

Studies have shown that chicks’ ability to utilize energy or tolerate immunological, environmental or oxidative stress are all influenced by early diet.

However, feeding such diets is a challenge in current hatchery set-ups, he added.

Full article




Posted on July 26, 2017

tags: ,
RELATED NEWS



You must be logged in to edit your profile.

Google Translate is provided on this website as a reference tool. However, Poultry Health Today and its sponsor and affiliates do not guarantee in any way the accuracy of the translated content and are not responsible for any event resulting from the use of the translation provided by Google. By choosing a language other than English from the Google Translate menu, the user agrees to withhold all liability and/or damage that may occur to the user by depending on or using the translation by Google.