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Volume 24 Number 2 (2016) Practical information for progressive poultry professionals International Poultry Production GUT HEALTH Safeguarding intestinal health in poultry HEAT STRESS Solutions to the negative impact on performance NECROTIC ENTERITIS The benefits of using plant extracts ESSENTIAL OILS & FLAVOURS We look at options from around the world COCCIDIOSIS Vaccination for sustainable control in broilers MANAGEMENT Measuring pin bone spacing and interpreting results
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Volume 24 Number 2 (2016) Practical information for progressive poultry professionals
International
PoultryProductionGUT HEALTHSafeguarding intestinal health in poultry
HEAT STRESSSolutions to the negativeimpact on performance
NECROTICENTERITISThe benefits of using plant extracts
ESSENTIAL OILS & FLAVOURSWe look at optionsfrom around the world
COCCIDIOSISVaccination for sustainablecontrol in broilers
MANAGEMENTMeasuring pin bone spacingand interpreting results
Afew years ago it was interesting to see all thepoultry diseases that had
been confined to the history booksin many countries reappear with theadvent of free range production.Then we saw the emergence ofnecrotic enteritis with the banningof antimicrobial growth enhancers.What is this telling us?
Firstly, it is a wake up call to thefact that disease is an adversaryworthy of our respect as it is capa-ble of taking full advantage of achange of circumstances.
Secondly, if we change anything inthe bird’s environment or micro-environment we should keep aclose watch on our birds to makesure nothing goes wrong and,thirdly, do not be surprised byMother Nature!
Another example of how a subtlechange in the environment can trigger off disease involves turkeys.
When they are heavily stocked aslight under ventilation can be allthat is needed to cause a bout ofcolisepticaemia. Conversely, onturkey farms that are prone to colisepticaemia, a slight over ventilation at the critical stage canbe really beneficial to the birds.
editor’sperchIf, as many predict, there will soon
be no antibiotics for use in poultrywe will no longer be able to rely onantibiotics as ‘wonder cures’ or substitutes for poor management.
Instead we will need to manageour flocks and their environmentsmore astutely. We will probablyhave to relearn those stockmanshipskills that we have not needed tocall upon during the last fewdecades.
We will need to look at new products, such as acid products,fatty acids, probiotics, prebioticsand spices.
This, in turn, will provide newchallenges, such as consistency. Forexample, in human nutrition spiceshave been frequently contaminatedby salmonella. In addition, we willneed a better understanding of howsuch products impact on theintestinal environment andmicroflora.
We will also need to be fullyaware of how consumers feel aboutnew developments. After all, theignorance they have of our industryhas, historically, played a key parton the impositions placed upon us.
Welcome to a new era in poultryproduction! n
3International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Cover Picture: Keeping flocks healthy!(photo courtesy of Symaga)
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International Poultry Production (ISSN 1364 565X) is publishedeight times a year (January, March, April, June, August,
September, October and December) by Positive ActionPublications Ltd and distributed in the USA by Mail RightInt., 1637 Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodical
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worldfocusAn executive summary of key international issues
Return of the glory days?It has not been easy times for IPPE in Atlanta since the turn of the century, but last yearthings started to look up and this year’s event confirmed last year’s feeling with the showbecoming bigger than ever and breaking records for the number of attendees and visitors.The Americas need a major poultry expo and it now looks as if that status truly belongs toIPPE! Let us hope that this success continues and Atlanta in January (weather permitting)becomes a regular date in every poultryman’s diary. However, as this expo gets bigger andbigger, they do face one challenge – we will have to walk further and further and somethingmight have to give!
IPPE
Success in the Middle EastBy the end of the first day of this new expo, it was apparent that VIV MEA in Abu Dhabi,UAE, was going to be a success! Exhibitors were happy, attendees were happy and theorganisers were happy. In fact, everyone thought that it had been an excellent first day for anew expo! Exhibitors came from all the sectors that serve live bird production andattendees came from a wide range of countries that included South Africa and Zimbabwe inthe west to China and Vietnam in the east. The success of this show must now surely startto raise some interesting questions over the future of some of the national shows that takeplace in the Middle East.
VIV MEA
On the rise in Asia?The World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) is steadily growing in Asia. Later this yearthey will hold the 3rd WVPA Asia Meeting in Manila and their global congress will be inThailand in 2019. On top of this, the number of local national branches in Asia is increasing.All this bodes well as poultry veterinarians get more and more involved in topical issues likeantimicrobial resistance, food safety and bird welfare as producers are scrutinised more andmore by their customers and the world at large. The WVPA is over 50 years old and hasmembers from all sectors of the poultry veterinary world including academia, research,practice, production, enforcement and supply sectors. Why not google WVPA?
WVPA
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 5
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7International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Ensuring gut health is one of thecornerstones for optimum pro-duction performance of birds.
Factors like continuous selection forimproved growth rate and feed efficiency and the ban of antibioticgrowth promoters increased theincidence of intestinal health problems of fast growing birds. This is a major concern for the
farmer and the nutritionist.Antibiotic free feeding programsneed more attention and security –security that comes from an inter-play between anti-oxidative effects,digestive responses and effects onthe gut microbiota.
by Leopold Jungbauer, Customer Technical ServiceManager Poultry, Delacon
Biotechnik GmbH.delacon.com
Biostrong Forte is Delacon’sanswer to support and secureintestinal health. It has been developed to combine the benefi-cial effects of phytogenic actives inBiostrong 510 with the beneficialeffects on gut microflora of esterified short and medium chainfatty acids.
Improve nutrient digestibilityand reduce oxidative stress
The main target of the phytogenicactives in Biostrong Forte is toenhance nutrient digestibility and toprovide anti-oxidative effects. Studies with these phytogenic
actives have shown an increase of
different digestive enzymes (Table 1)leading to an increased breakdownof starch and protein.In addition, it is assumed that an
increased villus height is paralleledby an increased digestive andabsorptive function of the intestinedue to an increased absorptive surface area, expression of brushborder enzymes and nutrient transport systems.Recent research has shown the
functional benefits of the phyto-genic actives on gut morphology inbroilers. Increasing the activity ofdigestive enzymes and enhancingthe absorption active surface finallyleads to an improved nutrientdigestibility in poultry.A meta-analysis of 11 digestibility
trials in broilers have shown a significant increase in digestibility ofcrude protein, crude fat, calciumand phosphorus (Fig. 1). Phytogenic substances have been
shown to improve intestinalintegrity via their anti-oxidativeproperties. As described in severalpublications, depending on theirmolecular structure, essential oilsact via two ways. On one handessential oils carrying phenolic ringsare able to directly scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS),whereas on the other non-phenolicessential oils can stimulate the pro-duction of anti-oxidant enzymes. Superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and
glutathionperoxidase (GSH-PX) aretwo important anti-oxidantenzymes that inactivate harmfulROS.A study in broilers has shown that
the addition of the phytogenicactives in Biostrong Forte stimulatesthe synthesis of these enzymes,thereby supporting the endogenousantioxidant system (Fig. 2).
Esterified short and mediumchain fatty acids
Dietary short and medium chainfatty acids can be present as freefatty acids or as mono-, di- or tria-cylglycerol (esterified). Short and medium chain fatty
acids in Biostrong Forte are presentin esterified form. Depending on thelength of the fatty acids used, theyprimarily support the developmentof enterocytes (butyric acid) or haveclear antibacterial effects (caprylic,capric and lauric acid). Capric and lauric acid have
antibacterial effects againstClostridium perfringens, a toxin producing bacterium that causesnecrotic enteritis.
Supporting birds under challenge conditions
Providing the combination ofantioxidative and anti-inflammatoryas well as antibacterial effects iscrucial to support birds under certain challenge conditions. Combinations of essential oils
Safeguarding intestinalhealth in poultry foroptimum performance
Continued on page 9
Control Biostrong 510
Protein content (mg/g tissue) 8.97 ± 1.98b 8.45 ± 0.91b
Sucrase (U/g protein) 152 ± 0.32b 175 ± 021a
Maltase (U/g protein) 670 ± 151b 743 ± 135b
Different superscripts in the same line show significant differences at P<0.05.
Table 1. Effect of Biostrong 510 on protein content in jejunal tissue andjejunal maltase and sucrase activities in 42 day old broilers.
Fig. 1. Effects of phytogenic actives used in Biostrong Forte on nutrientdigestibility in 21 day old broilers.
Fig. 2. Phytogenic actives in Biostrong Forte significantly increase production of anti-oxidant enzymes (Superoxidase dismutase (SOD) andGlutathionperoxidase (GSH-PX)) in broilers.
100
80
60
40
20
0CP Fat Ca P
n Control n Phytogenic
Digestibility (%)
p<0.001
p<0.001p<0.001
p=0.003
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0SOD GSH-PX
n Control n Phytogenic
Anti-oxidant enzymes (%)
p<0.047p=0.039
with esterified short and mediumchain fatty acids have been shownto improve the efficacy of the latter. To evaluate the efficiency of such
combinations in Biostrong Forte, anecrotic enteritis challenge trial wasconducted.Results show that with increased
duration of application of BiostrongForte (followed by Biostrong 510)feed conversion ratio (FCR) andbody weight (BW) on day 49 wereimproved (Fig. 3).
Compared to the positive controlincluding 20ppm virginiamycin, nodifferences in performance wereobserved when Biostrong Forte wasapplied for at least 28 days. These results indicate that this
combination is an effective feedadditive in drug-free broiler produc-tion.At three weeks of age, five birds
per replicate were selected andexamined for the severity ofnecrotic enteritis (NE) lesions in thesmall intestine (on a scale 0 to 3: 0for normal intestines (no NE
lesions), 1 for slight mucus coveringand loss of tonus, 2 for severenecrotising enteritis, and 3 forextreme necrotising enteritis withpresence of blood in the lumen.Results show that the addition of
Biostrong Forte tended to reducethe incidence of NE lesions by 40%,being similar to the positive control.These results show the positive
effects of Biostrong Forte on guthealth under challenge conditions.To support intestinal health in
poultry the right nutritional strate-gies are crucial.
Combination to reduce intestinal disorders
Combining these strategies withDelacon products like BiostrongForte improves resilience againstintestinal infections, enhances performance and reduces mortalityunder intestinal health challengeconditions and improves profitabil-ity of poultry production. n
References are availablefrom the author on request
Continued from page 7
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 9
Fig. 3. Effects of the duration of supply of Biostrong 510 in combinationwith a mixture of medium chain fatty acids (known as Biostrong Forte,dosed 750mg/kg) as a feed additive to broiler chickens.
Fig. 4. Effects of Biostrong Forte on the severity of necrotic enteritislesions scored 0 (no lesions) to 3 (severe lesions) in the small intestineafter a Clostridium perfringens challenge.
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0Negative control Positive control Biostrong Forte
NE lesions
p=0.107
3.002.802.602.402.202.001.801.601.401.201.00
NC 0-21 days 0-28 days 0-35 days PC
n Body weight p=0.13 n FCR p<0.001
b
a
ab
b
ab
bc
ab
bc
a
c
11International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Heat stress (HS) is one of themost important concerns inpoultry production world-
wide. Heat stress negatively impactspoultry performance, reducinggrowth, egg production and productsafety. International PoultryProduction recently discussed theissue with Muhammad Umar Sohail.Muhammad carried out researchat USDA, USA, and earned his PhDDegree from the University ofVeterinary and Animal Sciences,Lahore, Pakistan. He is now workingas Assistant Professor of Physiologyat Government College University,Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Q: Heat stress is a huge concern forso many countries. Heat stresscauses an estimated annual eco-nomic loss of $125-165 million inthe US poultry industry alone.What can you say about heat stressin Asia?
A: Asia is the biggest producer ofpoultry meat (more than 30% of thetotal world production) and eggs. Inrecent years, the percentage rise inpoultry meat and eggs has beenhigher in developing countries com-pared to the developed countries. According to the OECD, thisincrease will be even greater overthe coming years: for instance inIndia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, poul-try meat production will rise bymore than 50% between 2015 and
2023. As you know, Asia has a tropi-cal or sub-tropical hot humid cli-mate and modern poultry isgenerally not well adapted to thisclimate because the parent lines aremainly developed in Europe andAmerica. We do not have exact sta-tistics regarding economic lossesdue to heat stress, but it is generallybelieved that the consequences ofHS are more severe in Asian coun-tries.
Q: Heat stress is a common concernfor most poultry producers, buthow does heat stress impact poul-try production?
A: Poultry lack sweat glands andhave feathers on their skin. Boththese factors negatively affect poul-try performance in hot humid cli-mates. In our two published studieswith broilers, we reported a 33%drop in broiler weight under chronicheat stress (Table 1) with a dramatic4.5 points increase in the mortalityrate, and a 22% decrease in weightgain in broilers subjected to cyclicheat stress. Similar findings havebeen reported in laying hens andmale breeders.
Q: How is the reduction in meta-bolic rate during a period of heatstress explained?
A: A drop in metabolic rate is partof physiological adaptation in
response to a temperature rise inthe environment. Several neuroen-docrine mechanisms are activated inchickens in response to heat stress.The basal metabolic rate is deter-mined by plasma T3 (triiodothyro-nine) in birds. A drop in T3 level, asreported in Sohail et al. (2010),would reduce metabolic heat pro-duction to alleviate heat stress.Likewise, changes in reproductivehormone secretions represent thefinal sequence in the neuroen-docrine pathway leading to thediminished reproductive perfor-mance associated with stress.Rozenboim et al. (2007) reported areduction in egg production, ovarianweight, plasma progesterone,testosterone and 17 ß-estradiol inlaying hens.
Q: Is there any difference in adap-tation between chicks submitted toheat stress from the beginning oftheir lives and poultry submitted toa sudden heat stress wave?
A: It is known that poultry used tohigh temperatures from day 0 willhave better resistance to cope with
sudden heat stress compared toothers that are not used to hightemperatures. This phenomenon isknown as acclimatisation.Moraes et al. (2003), reported thatthermal conditioning during embry-onic development may possiblyinduce epigenetic heat adaptation. Similarly, Lin et al. (2005) reportedthat the birds' thermotolerance canbe enhanced by short run early heatconditioning or feed restriction.In temperate areas such as Europeand North America, where heatstress waves appear suddenly, con-sequences are more severe andhave more negative impacts onflock performance than in hot areas.
Q: Is there any evidence of anincrease in bacterial loads in thegut during a heat stress period?
A: Quite a few studies havereported changes in intestinalmicrobial ecology under heat stress.It is generally observed that heatstress decreases overall bacterialdiversity present in the chicken’sgut.
Solutions to the negativeimpact of heat stress onpoultry performance
Continued on page 13
Fig. 1. The endocrine system: an overview (Hiller-Sturmhöfel and Bartke.Alcohol Health Res World: 1998, 22(3);153-64).
2012 Days Control Heat stress
Body weight21 825.8a ± 8.77 698.4b ± 6.33
42 2411.3a ± 30.66 1626.3b ± 143.89
Feed conversionratio
21 1.31 ± 0.04 1.30 ± 0.02
42 1.33a ± 0.05 1.67b ± 0.10
Mortality rate (%)21 4.44 1.11
42 5.6 10.0
2013 Days Control Heat stress
Body weight21 577.7 564.8
42 1924.7a 1510.7b
Feed conversionratio
21 1.71 1.78
42 1.82a 2.24b
a-c Means ± SE within a row lacking a common superscript differ (P<0.05)
Table 1. Effect of heat stress on broilers (Sohail et al).
Songe et al. (2014) reported thatintestinal Lactobacillus andBifidobacterium counts reduced,whereas viable counts of coliformsand clostridium increased underheat stress.Likewise, Sirsat et al. (2011)reported that the adhesion abilityof Salmonella typhimurium withepithelial cells, as observed by path-ogenic gene expression levels,increases under heat stress.
Q: What kind of nutritional solu-tions do we have to cope with heatstress in poultry?
A: Previously, much emphasis wasput on vitamin and mineral supple-mentation during heat stress condi-tions to improve the bird’selectrolyte balance.Nowadays, research is morefocused on balancing a bird’s gutmicroflora under stressful condi-tions. Our understanding of thehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis has shown that a key roleis played by microbes. They help tocontrol several body functions vianeuroendocrine pathways. As aresult, more emphasis is placed onprebiotics and probiotics, eitheralone or in combination, to modifythe gut microbial ecology.
Q: During your PhD, you ran studieson heat stress. What were theirobjectives?
A: I did two studies with broilersand two pilot studies with broilerbreeders and laying hens. The objec-tive of all the studies was very con-sistent: first we investigated theeffect of heat stress on physiologi-cal and growth performance of thechickens, and secondly the effect ofprebiotic and probiotic supplemen-tations to cope with heat stress.
Q: You said you tested the effectof a yeast parietal fraction on birdssubjected to heat stress, why didyou make this choice? Among allthe different yeast fractions, whydid you select Safmannan?
A: Yeast parietal fractions containmannans and ß-glucan. The litera-ture reports that mannans have dualeffects as a prebiotic. They prevent binding ofpathogens with the gut wall byoffering their own lectins and expelpathogens out of the gut in thestool. Secondly, mannans, when fer-mented by microbes, produce shortchain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA havea trophic effect on microflora andimmunity.On the other hand, ß-glucans areknown to modulate the immunesystem of birds, enhancing prolifera-tion of macrophages and amplifyinghumoral and cell-mediated immuneresponses. At that time, Safmannan was arecently launched prebiotic prod-uct. Its promised consistency, withat least 20% mannans and 20%beta-glucan, was interesting to test.
Q: What were the zootechnical/physiological results of theseexperiments?
A: We observed that compared withthe heat stress control group, thesupplementation of Safmannanimproved body weight gain (+17%),feed conversion ratio (-28pts), andreduced mortality (-9pts). It alsolowered corticosterone concentra-tion in the heat stress group (Fig. 1).
Q: Could you explain the relation-ship between the increase in corti-costerone levels and heat stress?What could be the mode of actionof Safmannan on these parameters?
A: Corticosterone released during astate of stress is part of the body’sdefence or homeostasis systemagainst stress. The release of corti-costerone from the adrenal cortexis mediated by the hypothalamusand the pituitary gland. Understressing conditions, the hypothala-mus produces corticotrophin-releasing-hormone that willstimulate the pituitary gland that, inturn will produce adreno-corti-cotropic hormone (ACTH).ACTH activates the adrenal glands
to produce cortisol, a majorendogenous glucocorticoïd display-ing numerous metabolic effects.Moreover, there is now a hugeamount of scientific evidence todemonstrate that cortisol is animportant inhibitor of severalimmune functions.Researchers are not yet able todescribe the exact mechanismsinvolved in a prebiotic/Safmannan-induced corticosterone-loweringeffect. It is assumed that the cross-talk between the microbes and thehost gut brain axis modulatesadrenal gland activity.
Q: You went deeper into youranalysis as you studied the gut andtracheal microflora of birds sub-jected to heat stress. Why?
A: Heat stress changes the physiol-ogy of the respiratory tract byinducing panting and acidosis. Thesemechanisms may influence respira-tory tract microbial ecology.Secondly, probiotics have beenreported to positively affect respi-ratory tract infections and immu-nity. So these beliefs prompted meto investigate the effect of stressand supplementations on the tra-cheal ecology.
Q: What were your results?
A: We observed significant differ-ences between microbial diversity,
species richness between the twomucosal sites (trachea vs caecum)(Fig. 2.).
Q: Based on your experience, whatare the most promising solutions tocope with heat stress?
A: The modern broiler industry iscontinuously expanding to hot cli-mate developing countries whereclimatic control of broiler houses islagging behind because of highinstallation and operational costsand unreliable electricity supplies. Researchers are urged to explorealternative approaches to manageheat stress. To my understanding, dietarymanagement and genetics are thekey factors for the control of heatstress. Therefore breeding for adap-tation to heat should become astrategic goal.It is generally believed that heatstress can be alleviated by using thenaked-neck (Na) and the featherlessgene (sc). Good feeding practices can helpto cope with heat stress. As anexample, feeding in the early morn-ing and late evening is recom-mended during the summer seasonto lower heat production by thebirds during the day. n
References are availablefrom the author on request
Continued from page 11
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 13
100
80
60
40
20
0Control HS Safmannan
n Tenericutes
n Proteobacteria
n Firmicutes
n Cyanobacteria
n Bacteriodetes
n Actinobacteria
n Other
Percentage
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.021 days 42 days
n Control n Heat stress n Safmannan with heat stress
Body weight (kg)
1500
1000
500
0
Corticosterone
concentrations (pg.mL-1)
21 days 42 days
15
10
5
0
Mortality rate (%)
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0FCR
Fig. 1. A: body weight of broilers at 42 days, B: feed conversion rate of broilers at 42 days, C: corticosterone concentrations, D: mortality rate.
Fig. 2. Percentage of tracheal microflora.
A B C D
2411.3a
1626.3c
1906.7b 1.33b
1.67a
1.39b
90.7b
877.4a
233.3b
51.8b
278a
81.5b
4.45.6
10.0
1.1 1.1 1.1
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 214
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 15
by Chasity Pender, Technical Manager,and Raj Murugesan, Technical &Marketing Director, Biomin America.
In 50 years, broiler growth rates haveincreased dramatically due to intensegenetic selection and enhanced nutritionalprograms. Fast growth places greatdemands on birds’ musculoskeletal systems,
A practical guide to differential diagnosis 9 – Lameness conditions (bacterial pathogens)
which can result in impaired locomotion andlameness. Lameness reduces animal well-being andhas severe economic consequences frompoor growth, increased culling and mortality, and increased carcase condem-nation and downgrading at slaughter. Lameness is often a multifactorial condi-tion. Understanding the various causes can
Condition Corrective action
Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO)
• Etiology: Enterococcus cecorum, Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp, E. coli• Symptoms: Bird will be sitting on its breast/keel, with the legs directed forward,use of wings for walking support and hip flexion
• Lesions: Necrotic degeneration and microbial infection, primarily within the proximal heads of the femur and tibia
• Prevention: Improve gut integrity by feeding multi-strain poultry-specific live probiotic
• Treatment: Antibiotics depending on severity, butmostly birds are euthanised
Vertebral Osteomyelitis/Spondylitis/Spondylopathy/Spondylolisthesis/Kinkyback
• Etiology: Enterococcus cecorum, Staphylococcus spp., E. coli• Symptoms: Typically starts from day 22, bird will be sitting on its breast/keel,with the legs directed forward, posterior paralysis due to spinal cord compression
• Lesions: Abscess and/or necrosis in T4-T7 vertebrae, dorsal buckling of spinal cord (kyphosis), interstitial oedema, atrophy, degeneration of muscle fibres
• Prevention: Improve gut integrity by feeding multi-strain poultry-specific live probiotic
• Treatment: Antibiotics depending on severity, butmostly birds are euthanised
Bumble Foot
• Etiology: Staphylococcus spp.• Symptoms: Swelling above the hock and around the hocks and feet.• Lesions: Abscess on hock joint, infected joints may have clear exudate with fibrin clots
• Prevention: Improve gut integrity by feeding multi-strain poultry-specific live probiotic
• Treatment: Antibiotics
Fowl Cholera
• Etiology: Pasteurella multocida• Symptoms: Swollen hock joints, swollen wattles and comb, greenish diarrhoea• Lesions: Necrotic foci on liver, petechiae in the epicardial fatty tissues
• Prevention: Vaccines only if endemic• Treatment: Antibiotics
Osteomyelitis Complex
• Etiology: Bacterial, but no specific pathogen has been identified• Symptoms: None• Lesions: Green discolouration of liver, inflammatory lesions in bones and joints
• Prevention: Improve gut integrity by feeding multi-strain poultry-specific live probiotic
• Only identified at slaughter
Bacterial arthritis/Airsacculitis (MS)
• Etiology: Enterococcus faecalis, Mycoplasma synoviae• Symptoms: Ruffled feathers, swollen hock joints and feet, bilaterally asymmetrical legs
• Lesions: Joints and tendon sheaths have viscous grey to yellow exudate, caseous exudate from the lesions
• Prevention: Improve gut integrity by feeding multi-strain poultry-specific live probiotic
• Treatment: Antibiotics and eradication of infectedbreeding stock
help producers identify areas for improve-ment and develop effective strategies toreduce the incidence of lameness in theirflocks. Conditions responsible for lamenesscan be of infectious or non-infectious origin.This table focuses on lameness conditionscaused by bacterial pathogens and suggestssolutions that can help prevent or alleviatelameness caused by these conditions. n
References are available from the authors on request
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 216
17International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Necrotic enteritis (NE) wasfirst reported in literatureduring the early half of the
20th Century but was not seen asclinically significant until severaldecades later. With the discovery ofeffective antibiotics in the 1960sand their subsequent use as antibi-otic growth promoters (APGs)throughout the 1990s, the poultryindustry has managed to keep casesof NE to a minimum.
by Dr Anja Pastor, Phytobiotics, Germany.
phytobiotics.com
In 2006 however, AGPs werebanned throughout the EU and theera of relative calmness quicklycame to an end. The situation is fur-ther complicated as the public’sdemand for antibiotic free poultryincreases and legislation governingthe use of antibiotics becomesstricter. The poultry industry is nowfaced with finding alternativestrategies of coping with coccidiosisand the detrimental effects of NE.
The consequences of NE
Although flocks affected by clinicalNE can experience mortality inexcess of 30%, even more economi-cally costly is that resulting fromsubclinical NE. In research performed by Skinner
et al. (2010) when compared to con-trol birds, those with subclinical NEexperienced a reduction in bodyweight (12%) and an increase in FCR(10.9%), respectively. These changes were thought to be
due, in part, to the chronic and con-tinuous damage done to the intesti-nal mucosa. Based on a review ofthe current literature, Skinner et al.(2010) estimated an overall inci-dence in 20% resulting in loss ofapproximately €0.05 per bird. NE is mainly seen in birds between
2-5 weeks of age. This is likely dueto the lack of maternal antibodiestoward the end of the second weekand the birds undeveloped immunesystem
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium perfringens is a patho-genic, gram-positive, rod-shaped,anaerobic, spore-forming bacteriumthat is ubiquitous in nature andcommonly found within in thehindgut of many poultry species.Disease results when predisposing
factors occur promoting the over-growth of C. perfringens in the smallintestine. Due to the spore-forming nature
of the organism, it is very difficultto fight and control the diseasewith multiple routes of infectionpossible (Fig. 1). a-toxin and NetB (necrotic enteri-
tis toxin B-like) are believed to bothbe involved in the pathogenicity of
C. perfringens in cases of NE. Inaddition to the toxin, several pre-disposing factors may influence theoccurrence of NE (Fig. 2).
How can NE be prevented?
In addition to a good coccidiosismanagement (vaccination, and/or aionophore and chemical program),good husbandry practice and guthealth management are the mainfactors in NE prevention. By promoting gut health, more
nutrients can be absorbed in thesmall intestine – the prime site ofdigestion. Consequently, less nutri-ents will reach the large intestinewhere C. perfringens physiologicallylive without causing harm. As less nutrients reach the large
intestine, less nutrients are available
for C. perfringens, minimising therisk of an overgrowth.
Gut integrity
The gut is a functional barrier pro-tecting animals from harmfulpathogens. While on the one handthe gut must allow absorption ofnutrients, on the other hand it mustprevent pathogens entering thebody. An estimated 70% of thebird’s immune system is located inthe gastrointestinal tract, underlin-ing the importance of this organ. Damage to this area can result in
increase risk of disease by suchpathogenic organisms as C. perfringens. Bacteria, viruses, feed, and toxins
have long been known to causeintestinal inflammation. In poultrysuch inflammation has been demon-strated to increase protein turnoverand result in increased in energydemands by as much as 10-30%.
New concepts
In 2014, Khadem et al. demonstratedthat plant extracts containing isoquinoline alkaloids (IQ), werecapable of eliciting strong anti-inflammatory properties in broilerchickens. To further investigate, atrial examining the effects of theIQ-containing herbal product(Sangrovit) on growth performanceof broiler chickens challenged withNE was conducted at the Southern
Coping with necroticenteritis – the benefits ofisoquinoline alkaloids
Continued on page 19
Fig. 1. Possible ways of infection with Clostridium perfringens.
Fig. 2. Predisposing factors for necrotic enteritis (Williams 2005).
Whole wheat
High starch
Fishmeal
High stocking
Poor ventilation
Litter eating
Diet change
High crude protein
High water intake
Leaky drinkers
NECROTIC ENTERITIS
CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS
Coccidiosis
Gut damage
Wet litter
Feeding
Boots of farm staff
Soil & puddles outsidethe broiler house
Water pipes
Walls
Wild birds
Live insects & rodents
Litter
Fans
Floors
Poultry feed
Poultry Research Group in Athens,Georgia, USA. Some 2,250 malebroiler chicks (Ross 708) receivednon-medicated commercial typediets, according to Brazilian standards. The following five treatments
were chosen:l 1. No additive, no Cp. challenge.l 2. No additive, Cp. challenge.l 3. IQ, low (30g/t).l 4. IQ, high (60g/t).l 5. Bacitracin MethyleneDisalicylate (BMD 50) (454 g/t).On day 0, vaccination of all birds
took place with a coccidiosis vac-cine at twice the normal recom-mended dosage. On day 18, 19, 20,Clostridium perfringens was addedto the feed at a dose of 1x108
cfu/ml/ bird (all birds, excepttreatment 1). Lesion scoring on day20 confirmed a subclinical form ofNE in all challenged groups. The detrimental effects of a C.
perfringens infection become obvi-ous by comparing the non-med-icated, unchallenged group and thenon-medicated, challenged group.As expected, body weight gain andFCR were negatively affected (-4%
and +0.09 points, respectively). Byadding the high IQ dosage to thefeed, weight gain was significantlyimproved and well comparable tothe performance of birds whichreceived BMD.Furthermore, a dose-dependent
effect of IQ was observed (Fig. 3). In addition to economical losses
due to lower weight gain andincreased FCR, losses of birds furtheradd to the expanses of the disease. Adding IQ or BMD to the diet
improved NE mortality markedly.Again, IQ worked in a dose-depen-dent way.
Conclusion
Many factors influence the occur-rence of NE in broilers. Maintaininggut integrity is – in addition to goodhusbandry and feed management –an indispensable tool to supportanimals in times of infection.Isoquinoline alkaloids offer
promising properties to achieve thisobjective and to contribute tohealthy and profitable broiler pro-duction. n
References are available from the author on request
Continued from page 17
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 19
Fig. 3. Body weight gain and FCR were improved when IQ or BMD were applied. NE mortality was efficiently reduced with the use of IQ.
n Non-medicated, No Cp n Non-medicated, Cp n IQ low, Cp n IQ high, Cp n BMD 50, Cp
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0Day 42
NE mortality (%)
0.60b0.00b
1.00b
2.90a
0.00b
2.06
2.02
1.98
1.94
1.90
1.86
1.82Day 42
-4%+ 0.09units
a,b: p<0.05
Weight gain (kg)
2.00ab
1.92b
2.00ab
2.04a
2.01a
1.86
1.82
1.78
1.74
1.70Day 42
Adjusted FCR (g/g)
1.76b
1.85a
1.81ab
1.79b1.80ab
20 International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Coccidiosis remains one of thebiggest causes of loss in poultry andinfections can spread incredibly fastin a few days.
novation2002.com
The effective use of anticoccidialdrugs provided rapid growth of thepoultry industry but Eimeria hasdeveloped resistance to all the coccidial drugs. There is a need tosearch for new methods of control.As part of this effort, Butirex C4-EOis a combination of essential oilsand organic acids to provide protection against coccidiosis.
In the Veterinary University ofZaragoza, Spain, 196 Cobb 500 birdswere inoculated with sporulatedoocysts of Eimeria (1.6 x 105 cfu/g)on day 15 and distributed in twotreatments: Control (with
coccidiostats) and Butirex C4-EO(no coccidiostats).
Performance, oocyst excretionand intestinal lesion scoring weremeasured on days 25, 35 and 48.
Performance parameters wereimproved during the first days afterEimeria infection in birds fed withcoccidiostats, and Butirex C4-EOimproved performance from 15 daysafter infection until the end of thetrial.
The week post infection, Controlbirds showed a lower lesion scorethroughout the intestine than theButirex C4-EO birds; however, nointestinal lesions were found 20days post infection. The number ofoocysts reduced with the inclusionof Butirex C4-EO from 10 days afterinfection until the end. An excellentintestinal recovery effect of ButirexC4-EO was demonstrated.
Natural alternatives to coccidiostatsin chickens
PerformanceFrom 30-48 days From 1-48 days
Weightgain (g)
Feedconversion
Weightgain (g)
Feedconversion
Control (coccidiostats) 1541 3.00 3100 1.97
Butirex C4-EO 1753 2.75 3185 1.96
Necrotic enteritis is one of themost common and financially devastating bacterial diseases inbroiler flocks.
drbata.com
In subacute cases the productionparameters may decrease by 2-12%,not to mention the economic lossarising from incidental mortality. Itis caused primarily by the anaerobicbacteria Clostridium perfringens andresults in high mortality andreduced feed intake, weight gainand flock profitability.
Herbanoplex CP is a phytogenicfeed enhancer that contains syner-gistic combinations of herb extractsand selectively inhibits the growthof the pathogenic micro-organisms,therefore improving the growthperformance of poultry.
Through its synergistic combina-tions of herb extracts, HerbanoplexCP selectively inhibits the growth of
the most common causative agentof necrotic enteritis, Clostridiumperfringens. The product is also efficient against Enterococcus sp.and Staphylococcus aureus.
Efficacy of diet supplementationwith 1 kg/t Herbanoplex CP wasinvestigated parallel with a controlgroup, where no feed additive wasapplied in a trial using 34,200 broilerchickens for 37 days.
At the end of the trial the averagebody weight was significantly (One-way ANOVA, p<0.05) higher inthe Herbanoplex CP trial group,compared to the infected and nottreated group.
Herbanoplex CP prevented thenegative effect of necrotic enteritison digestion and nutrient absorp-tion, which resulted in an increasedbody weight in the trial group, compared to the positive controlgroup. Due to the positive effect ofHerbanoplex CP the FCR also significantly improved by 5.6%.
A natural, phytobiotic combinationto prevent bacterial enteritis
With feed accounting for around70% of total production costs, maximising feed efficiency hasalways been a top priority forbroiler producers.
dsm.com
By optimising feed digestibility inthe small intestine and reducing thelevels of potentially pathogenicbacteria in the large intestine, it ispossible to increase feed utilisation and reduce feedcosts.
DSM’s Crina Poultry Plus is aninnovative formulation of benzoicacid and a blend of essential oilcompounds including thymol,eugenol and piperine that stimulates digestive enzyme production and modulates the gutmicroflora balance.
Safely decreasing the feed conver-sion ratio, it promotes eubiosis inthe gastrointestinal tract of broilers,with no side effects and it supportsthe reduction in pathogenic bacte-
ria. Results from floor pen broiler trials and extensive field experiencecarried out in several countries onCrina Poultry Plus have shown consistent positive results ongreater daily liveweight andimproved feed conversion.
The same results also indicate thecapability of Crina Poultry Plus toboost profitability and performance, with an average returnon investment of 5:1.
Improving gut health to optimiseperformance
The search for the perfect alterna-tive goes on as the industry contin-ues to develop new ideas.
Probiotics, prebiotics, organicacids, short and medium chain fattyacids, etheric essential oils or simul-taneous use of these, are offered upas the most suitable and effectivesolutions.
xvetgermany.com
Etheric essential oils represent aconcentrated form of phytogenics,containing mainly the active phenolic compounds of the plants.
The main components are terpenoids and their aromatic characteristics have been used forcenturies as traditional remedies.The most widely used etheric oils inanimal husbandry are oregano,thyme, eucalyptus, mint, and anise.
They are known to have pathogenreducing, insect repellent, appetis-ing, and aromatic effects. In particu-lar, carvacrol, which is dominant inoregano and thyme, has a certain suppressing effect over foodborne
pathogens, such as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella, etc.
The synergic combination of theseoils have greater effects than whenused individually.
Orego Plus is a synergic combina-tion of four etheric essential oilsfrom oregano, thyme, tea tree andanise. Orego Plus possesses a greatanti-oxidative capacity, selectiveanti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties along the digestivetract, has a positive influence overthe digestive enzymes, and helps toincrease growth.
The synergy results in high activityalong the digestive tract beginningwith intake until absorption, andlater systemically over the entireorganism.
The search for the perfectalternative continues
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 21
Including plant extracts and essen-tial oils, the ProActiv’ range of prod-ucts is based on CCPA Group’sphyto-expertise, having been developed for more than 15 years bythe group’s R&D department and itschemical and biology laboratory.
groupe-ccpa.com
For poultry, CCPA Group providesvarious solutions such as ProActiv’Layer, ProActiv’ Broiler and ProActiv’Turkey – three innovative nutritional solutions balancing theintestinal flora of layers, broilersand turkeys respectively to improveglobal performance.
Included at a rate of 2kg/ton ofcompound feed, ProActiv’ has abeneficial effect on digestion.
It optimises feed efficiency,growth and leads to good intestinal
transit. The product therefore contributes to improve zoo-technical parameters on the farm(see Figs. above): l With ProActiv’ Broiler:Management of feed conversionratio with a better feed efficiency:3% improvement for broilers. l With ProActiv’ Layer:Egg production improvement: +2%of eggs laid.l With ProActiv’ Turkey:Body weight improvement: +2.4%for turkeys.
In addition, these nutritional solu-tions contribute to improved litterquality and animal welfare.
In a market more and more receptive to money savings anddemedication, the new approach ofCCPA Group is definitely an inter-esting alternative to the use ofantibiotic feed enhancers.
Innovative nutritional solutions toimprove performance
Orego-Stim is a natural feed additive and flavour enhancer basedon a unique strain of oregano plant,especially cultivated to give highyields of the phenols carvacrol andthymol.
anpario.com
These phenols are what giveoregano its range of well-known properties. However,the ratio of these phenols is what makesOrego-Stim unique.
Orego-Stim is used allover the world, helpingbirds to achieve theirpotential.
Orego-Stim has along history andcontinues to be thenatural essential oilproduct of choice inpoultry production.
A proprietary steamdistillation process,novel blend of
mineral carriers and rigorous prod-uct testing for carvacrol and thymollevels ensure every batch of Orego-Stim meets strict release require-ments.
This attention to detail and prod-uct consistency means that the cus-tomer gets the same qualityproduct, each time, every time;absolutely essential in poultry
production.Orego-Stim is
produced as both aliquid and powder,
offering flexibility toboth feed mill andfarmer. Since the
product is completely natural, no with-
drawal period isrequired. This meansthe product can beused throughout theproduction cycle orjust at those timeswhen the propertiesof Orego-Stim arereally needed.
The same quality product eachtime, every time1.90
1.75
1.60
1.45
1.30
1.15
1.00Control With
ProActivBroiler
FCR
0-38
day
s
-3% 5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0Control With
ProActivBroiler
Mor
talit
y 0-
38 d
ays
(%)
-1.3 points
Growth promoters are chemical andbiological substances which areadded to poultry feed. They aim toimprove growth as well as improvethe utilisation of feed and, in thisway, realise better production andfinancial results.
ayurvet.com
Their mechanism of action varies.A positive effect can be expressedthrough better appetite, improvedfeed conversion, stimulation of theimmune system and increased vitality and regulation of theintestinal microflora etc.
Because of the fact thatgrowth promoters have different mechanisms ofaction, it is necessary to present every group individually and present theeffect which can be expectedwith their utilisation.
AGP is a phyto-additivethat is a bacteriostatic herbalgrowth promoter with essen-tial oils. It is added to feed of
poultry and swine and possesses anumber of beneficial effects, includ-ing:l Rapid development of a healthygut microflora.l Inhibit harmful bacteria.l Stabilisation of digestion.l Improved nutrient absorption(villi modification).l Increased growth performance.l Modification of intestinalenzyme activity.l Stimulation and rapid maturationof the immune system.
Herbal growth promoter withessential oils
essential oils & flavours
The phytogenic product line fromBiomin offers solutions based on amodular concept that is preciselyformulated and combined to meetpoultry requirements.
biomin.net
Biomin’s phytogenic feed additives contain essential oils,extracts, herbs and spices. Their biological active compounds support digestion as well as guthealth and, as a result, increase feedefficiency.
The search for alternatives to theuse of antibiotic growth promotershas increased the interest of the
market in effective plant-derivedfeed additives. Phytogenic feedadditives (PFAs) have shown realbenefits in commercial applicationin poultry production.
The proven modular concept ofthe phytogenic product line ofBiomin results in improved growthrates and laying rates. A scientifi-cally proven mode of action showseffects such as increased nutrientdigestibility, favourable influence ongut microbiota, positive effect ongut morphology and reduction ofinflammatory processes.
Overall, the phytogenic solutionfrom Biomin supports healthy andprofitable animal production.
Enhancing growth and profitabilityin your flock
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 222
Ferrer HealthTech, part of Ferrer, isthe world’s foremost manufacturerof flavonoids derived from bitter,sweet orange and grapefruit as hesperidin, naringin, and neohesperidin, among others.
ferrerhealthtech.com
The cutting-edge research performed by Ferrer’s R&Ddepartment has provided athorough understanding ofthe properties of citrusflavonoid compounds.
The range of nutraceuti-cals BioflavEx is based ondifferent standardisedcomplexes of citrusflavonoids, sometimescombined with organicacids, which show signifi-cant antifungal andantibacterial activity.
Experimental trials withbroilers have also provedits efficiency improvingproductive parameters andreducing mortality.
A trial performed in May 2015 with1,056 one day old male Ross 308broilers showed that when broilersare fed with BioflavEx at 200g/tinclusion, growth of chicks at 21days significantly improved by 4.8%.
Birds receiving BioflavEx alsoshowed less mortality in compari-son to the control group. Therefore,
it can be concluded thatBioflavEx improves
performance of broilersat early ages.
Ferrer HealthTech, witha highly qualified techni-cal and sales team andworking closely with itsclients, provides creativeand complete solutionsfor the continual chal-lenges of the market.
The requirements ofquality standards ISO9001 and FAMI-QS guarantee and certifyall raw materials, inter-
mediates and finishedproducts manufactured at FerrerHealthTech’s production plants.
Improving the performance ofbroilers at an early age
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 23
essential oils & flavours
Coccidiosis is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract of poultry,which causes serious problems indigestion and absorption of nutrients, diarrhoea and, as a consequence, delays in growth andeconomical losses on the farm. It iscaused by a parasite of the genusEimeria, which reproduces byattacking the cells of the gut.
eurofeed.it
To prevent coccidiosis, chemicalsubstances caused coccidiostats areoften used, but these substancescan be problematic if used in somesystems; for instance, organic
farming prides itself on not usingany chemicals to grow their poultryand, as such, coccidiostats cannotbe used.
To solve this problem, EurofeedTechnologies has developedEuroshield, which is a blend of natural essential oils extracted fromplant sources.
In trials it has been proved to havean efficacy against Eimeriapathogens which is equal to someof the most used coccidiostats.
By using this product farmers andfeed producers can counteract coccidiosis, while still having anall-natural diet, which is essential inorganic production.
Blend of natural essential oilsextracted from plant sources
ProPhorce PH uses the synergybetween organic acids and essentialoils to help to keep your feed anddrinking water pathogen free.
perstorp.com
There are thousands of knownphytochemicals and their power hasbeen used for centuries.
The antibacterial capabilities ofessential oils have been thoroughlystudied but essential oils are quiteexpensive and, as such, are oftenused in very low concentrations toreduce costs.
Fortunately, there is a way toimprove the efficacy of the antibacterial effect of essential oils.
Essential oils have proven more
effective in an acidic environment.At the same time we know thatorganic acids commonly used inpoultry feed (for example formicacid) are more effective in high pHenvironments if essential oils areused simultaneously.
Combining organic acids withessential oils therefore makes perfect sense. Perstorp has been thedriving force behind this successfulcombination for 14 years.
Years of testing for the optimalcombinations of organic acids andspecifically selected essential oilshas resulted in the ProPhorce PHproduct line.
ProPhorce PH is the go-to solutionto fight pathogens in feed as well asin drinking water.
Making a difference in pathogencontrol
Optimal feed intake is crucial foranimals to consume the necessaryamounts of essential nutrients.
innovad-global.com
Throughout their life cycle birdsare subject to different causes ofstress, such as feed formulationchanges due to fluctuating rawmaterial use and quality.
Continuous improvement inbreeding has also led to birds withhigh genetic potential. Under theseconditions, they tend to reducefeed consumption, which in turnreduces their performance.
Attractants should be used for thefollowing reasons:l To create in the bird a positiveassociation between odour andfeed stimulating consumption.l To trigger an increase of thedigestive secretions via conditionedreflexes, preparing the gut for better digestion.l To mask unpleasant odours fromminerals, antibiotics or by-products.
l To avoid alarm reactions associ-ated with formulation changes.l To ease the early weaningprocess of young animals.l To improve the quality perception of the feed by farmers.
Innovad has developed a line ofintense palatants that improve feedpalatability, attracting birds to feedand encouraging higher feed intake,thereby optimising performance.
Cibus and Mellis are intense, longlasting and well-balanced aromaticproducts combining substanceswith olfactory and gustatory properties.
Attractants and taste enhancers foroptimal feed intake
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 224
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 25
Essenpro is a prebiotic based on theessential oil of clove (Syzigium aromaticum) that enhances productivity yield in broilers, layersand breeder hens.
invesa.eu
Clove has a demonstrated anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory
activity, stimulates enzymatic secretion (which improves digestionand absorption of nutrients) andshows strong antioxidant activitythat protects carcase meat andabdominal fat from oxidation.
Among its many advantages,Essenpro has a protective coatingthat provides thermostability andhomogeneity in feed.
It has no withdrawal time,no adverse effects and canbe used together withorganic acids.
The use of Essenpro resultsin the improvement of feedconversion ratio and bodyweight in broilers, as well asthe carcase weight andbreast percentage in theabattoir.
Regarding breeder hens, itincreases the percentage oflaying, hatching eggs and feedefficiency. It also lowers themortality rate of hens and thepercentage of dirty eggs.
Early prevention of challenges canresult in significant savings
Oregano and thyme oil have beenpopular medicinal plants for centuries. Both plants are known fortheir antibacterial and antioxidantproperties, mainly due to theiractive components carvacrol andthymol.
avevebiochem.com
A couple of years ago, AveveBiochem developed, tested and validated AveMix Essence, to support animals in minimising thephysiological effects caused by different kinds of stress.
AveMix Essence is a selected phytogenic mixture, standardisedon carvacrol and thymol as majorcomponents.
The fat matrix, in which the aro-matic compounds are comprised,assures slow release and stability ofthe bioactive compounds of the
product throughout the intestinaltract. Several tests and literaturehave shown that broad spectrummicrobial regulation can beachieved with this formulation.
Thymol and carvacrol are activeagainst Escherichia coli, Salmonellaspp., and Campylobacter jejuniamongst others, but spares the non-pathogenic flora, they are less spe-cific towards Lactobacillus spp. andBifidobacterium spp.
The plant extract compounds positively influence nutrient digestion and absorption and havean anti-oxidative function, limitingthe amount of energy the animalloses for maintenance of gutepithelium. This product formula-tion supports the bird in its fightagainst external stress and helps itto grow optimally, as shown belowin one of the many trials withAveMix Essence with broilers.
Selected phytogenic blend foroptimal animal support
AveMix Essence (%) Negative control (%)
Growth rate 102 100
FCR 98 100
essential oils & flavours
Antibiotic resistance is a worldwideissue that is being tackled by theWorld Health Organisation underthe ‘One Health’ initiative, whichconsiders man, animals and theenvironment as closely inter-dependent.
idena.fr
Similar to antibiotics, coccidiostatresistance has appeared in poultryproduction. To face this issue, onesolution is demedication.
It has been a major concern ofIdena for 20 years, through the synergistic use of specific moleculescoming from botanical extracts andessential oils.
Forcix Poultry targets the intestineand caecum of broilers and is incorporated in the feed of broilersduring their life (there is no with-drawal period contrary to several coccidiostats from synthesis or fermentation).
It can be used in a switch program(full program or one part of thefeeding program), or in the contextof demedication to meet consumerexpectation for less medication infeed.
Idena have been developing thisproduct since trials began in 2003and they have achieved goodresults with final body weight, average daily gain and feed conver-sion ratio.
Finding the right alternative toantibiotics
In the European Union, additivescomposed of plant extracts areclassified as flavouring compounds,and therefore belong to the sensoryadditives category.
pancosma.com
Plant extracts, especially essentialoils, which may be used to replaceantimicrobial growth promoters,exert beneficial effects by improving digestion and absorption,optimising microbiota composition,enhancing immune responses andthe overall health status of the animal.
Pancosma has developed a carefully selected blend of phyto-nutrients, Xtract Evolution-B (con-sisting of carvacrol, cinnamaldehydeand capsicum) which has been
shown to enhance energy utilisationfor improved growth in broilers.
The effects of Xtract Evolution-B(5% carvacrol, 3% cinnamaldehydeand 2% capsicum) on energy utilisation and growth were studiedin 210 male Ross chicks.
The trial showed that supple-menting feed with this product significantly improved daily weightgain, feed efficiency, fat digest-ibility, and protein retention in the carcase. Furthermore, energy retention was higher and the heatloss was lower in the chicks fed adiet supplemented with the phyto-nutrient blend.
This trial shows that XtractEvolution-B positively affectsgrowth and feed efficiency. It wasrecently approved by the EU as azootechnical additive for broilers.
Phytonutrients improve energyutilisation in broilers
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 226
160 – Causes of disease VII© Positive Action Publications Ltd
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LUBING
Entry of viruses into the body
Viruses can enter the body by any one of several routes depending on the type of diseaseinvolved.
For respiratory diseases, viruses are inhaled, often in microscopic droplets, that are sneezed orcoughed out of another animal. These droplets do not last long in hot, dry air and sunshine butcan last much longer in damp, cool, overcast conditions.
For viruses associated with enteric diseases, infection is by ingestion. This basically means ingestion of faeces either from the animal, for example by mutual preening or grooming, fromthe environment, or indirectly via contaminated feed or water. Anything that is contaminated with the faeces from an infected animal that is subsequently licked by anotheranimal can transmit disease. Such things are known as fomites.
Mating or artificial insemination is a very effective way of transmitting virus from the male tothe female and in ovo or in utero infection can transmit viruses from mother to offspring.Other ways include from blood to blood, for example via mosquitos, or via needles which canact as ‘mechanical mosquitos’.
Some skin diseases can be spread by touch.
Action of viruses in disease
On reaching its target organ the virus attaches to its surface and enters a cell by penetrating itsmembrane. It releases its genetic material which then interacts with the cell’s genetic materialto produce many more viruses. Eventually the cell bursts and releases these new viruses. Thecell dies and if enough cells die the functioning of that particular organ is impaired and this canresult in clinical sign(s).
These viruses then repeat this cycle in other cells in the same animal or are shed from it andcan then infect other animals.
Shedding of the virus from the body
Viruses can be shed from the mouth in the saliva, in micro-droplets or nasal discharges fromthe respiratory tract, in vaginal mucus, semen or milk. Viruses can also be transferred from themother to her offspring or via the blood. In poultry they can also be transferred by feather andskin dust (dander).
The effectiveness of disease spread is dependent upon the virus type, the number of virusesshed, the number of viruses needed to infect a recipient animal, the number of recipient animals and the distance the virus has to travel.
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 228
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 29
Dietary protein and broilerperformance This Indian study (Res. J. of An. Husb.and Dairy Sci. 6 48-51) looked at theeffect of for dietary treatments onbroiler growth performance. The findings are summarised in the
table below.
Probiotics and layers This Chinese study (Chin. J. of An.Sci. 51 60-40) looked at the effectsof various probiotics on the growthperformance of layers, their intesti-nal microflora and antibody levels.Layers were given probiotics at 0,
100 and 150g per ton of feed.
This Chinese study (Chin. J. of An. Sci. 51 48-53) looked at the effects of iron(0, 30 and 60mg per kg feed), retinol (4,000 and 8,000 IU per kg) and theirinteraction on the tibia quality (length, diameter, weight, strength and calcium and phosphorus concentrations) of laying hens in the age periods27-30 and 31-34 weeks of age.When there was no iron supplementation, the hens had the highest values
for tibial length, diameter and strength. The tibial length, diameter, weight,strength and calcium content increased with increasing retinol levels. The interaction between iron and retinol indicated the treatment with
60mg iron per kg and 4,000 IU of retinol per kg gave the best performancebut the ideal tibial quality could be achieved by supplementing with a lowdose of iron and a high one of retinol as there was an interaction betweenthe two.
Tibia quality of laying hens Probiotics (g per ton)
0 100 150
Egg production rates (%) 92.2 95.8 93.4
Mean egg weight (g) 61.06 61.64 61.31
The trial started at 28 weeks andlasted for two months. The performance data is shown in
the table above.Supplementation with Lacto-
bacillus significantly decreased thenumbers of E. coli and Clostridiumperfringens and significantlyincreased the numbers of Bifido-bacteria and lactic acid bacteria inthe caeca. Supplementation with 50g per ton
of the Lactobacillus preparation sig-nificantly increased avian influenzaH5 and H9 and Newcastle diseaseantibody levels.
Reovirus in broilers This Romanian review (Lucr. Stiin. –Med. Vet., Univ. de Stiin. Agric. siMed. Vet. 58 464-468) concerns aflock of 10,000 Cobb 500 that wereraised on the ground. The flock wasepidemiologically, clinically andpathologically monitored twiceweekly. To confirm reovirus infection, bloods were taken at 21and 42 days of age. These revealedreovirus antibody via ELISA.The cumulative mortality was
7.91% and clinical examinationrevealed the presence of the characteristic lesions of malabsorp-tion and arthritis/tenosynovitis.The serological examination
revealed the evolution of thereovirus infection with a maximumtitre at 14.5 days of age. At 21 days29 sera (60.4%) and at 42 days 39sera (77.8%) were positive. This showed that in the second 21
days of the flock’s life the numberof seropositives rose by 29% sug-gesting a horizontal extension ofthe infection
Phytase and threonine This Brazilian trial (Revist. Port. deCiênc. Vet. 108 151-153) studied theeffects of threonine levels (6.5, 7.0,7.7 and 8.0g per kg of diet) and phytase (0 and 800 FTU per kg) onbroiler performance in the firstthree weeks of life.It was found that 6.5g of
threonine per kg of feed was sufficient to promote good broilerperformance in the first three weeksand phytase did not seem to have asignificant effect.
T1 control T2 T3 T4
Crude protein (%) 22.0 25.0 20.0 18.0
Diet as % of T1 100 85 83 66.5
Modifications -7.5gn* 8.5m
33.5w7.5fm 8.5w
Ave. body weight at 6 weeks (g) 2,062 2,174 1,875 1,780
FCR 1.94 1.83 1.89 1.75
Key: *gn = groundnut cake, fm = fish meal, m = maize, w = wheat
“When you are suspicious, it is veryimportant to have fast laboratoryresults followed by a quick depopu-lation of live birds if the results arepositive. As the disease progressesthrough a farm, the environmentalcontamination grows and promotesthe spreading.” These were the words of Dr Jill
Nezworski in her presentation‘Lessons Learned in the LayerIndustry’ at the recent IPPE inAtlanta, USA. She provided compar-isons and contrasts between earlydetection of highly pathogenicavian influenza (HPAI) on farms andlate detection due to mortality.She observed that diagnosis of
HPAI should be communicated toemployees in an organised chain ofcommand, and every hourlyemployee must also be educatedand empowered. “False alarms maycome up, but it is more importantto create a culture in which it is fineto be wrong or overcautious.” DrNezworski also discussed keylessons, such as the disposal ofbirds being held in a secure spotand the need for extra people. Sheemphasised that it is essential tohave a quick and realistic depopula-tion plan, as well as a primary planand a backup plan for carcase dis-posal. After depopulation is over, she
stressed the need for the entire siteto be decontaminated with thethought that even outside premisesare still likely to accumulate viralcontamination. Big risks should beaddressed, and management shouldmake it hard for the system to fail.During his presentation on
‘Lessons Learned in the TurkeyIndustry’, Dr Ben Wileman reflectedthat a clear sign of HPAI on a turkeyfarm is when a person enters thehouse and the turkeys are quiet.When sick, animals develop neuro-
30 International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
2 – Correct usage of antibiotics
This series of columns has been designed to give you a solidbackground knowledge on antibiotics so that you will be in abetter position to appreciate the science behind issues of themoment such as antibiotic resistance.
One of the things that canpredispose to the emergence ofantibiotic/antimicrobialresistance is incorrect usage ofthe antibiotic that results in thesurvival of one or more of thetarget bacteria.
These bacteria then have thepotential to develop resistanceand, if they do so, their survivalwill be favoured the next timethe same antibiotic is used andthe resistant bacteria may thenbecome the dominant form ofthat particular bacterium in thatanimal.
There are three key ways thatthis scenario can arise, asdetailed below:
Incorrect antibiotic choice
There is a whole host of factorsthat the veterinarian has to takeinto account when choosingwhich antibiotic to use in aparticular disease situation. Thecorrect choice maximises thelikelihood of a successfultreatment outcome. Thus, it isimportant to seek, and thenfollow, your veterinarian’s adviceon antibiotic choice and usage.
Incorrect antibiotic dosage
Use of an antibiotic at a lowerdosage than that intended canfavour the emergence ofresistance. If we weigh outantibiotic for feed or wateradministration we must be surethat this is done accurately. Inaddition, for water medication itis important to know whatvolume of water the weighedamount of antibiotic goes into.
If, for example, we have assumedthat our 50 gallon tank was a 40
gallon one then we have asignificant unintended dilution ofthe antibiotic in the water. Whenwe calculate how much antibioticto use we must double check thecalculation (which many do) andthe basic measurements onwhich the calculation is based(which many overlook). Are yousure that you know the volume ofyour water tanks?
As an alternative, many now usedispensing dosage pumps – theiraccuracy needs to be regularlychecked. In a similar way, if weunderestimate the weight of ananimal that is going to beinjected, we can unintentionallyunderdose it with antibiotic
Incorrect length of treatment
Getting the correct amount ofantibiotic into an animal requiresadministering it at the correctdosage for the correct number ofdays. If we shorten the period oftreatment then some of thedisease causing bacteria cansurvive with an increasedpossibility of antibiotic resistanceemerging.
A common mistake, be it withanimals or humans, is to assumethat because there has been animprovement in clinical signs wecan stop the treatment. If we dothis we increase the possibility ofbacteria surviving the treatmentand increase the likelihood ofantibiotic resistance emerging. Inaddition, for many diseases thisscenario also favours theoccurrence of relapses.
In order to minimise theemergence of antibioticresistance we must choose thecorrect antibiotic and use it atthe correct dose and for the fullprescribed period.
logic signs, twist their necks andhave tremors. “When in doubt, testfor it,” he recommended. Onceavian influenza is detected, timelydepopulation is critical. He com-mented that biosecurity has to beboth physical (walls, fences, boots,etc) and operational showers,clothing changes, etc) in procedure. In order to really work,biosecurity has to be effective andpractical.Dr Lindsey Garber from USDA
APHIS, provided an overview of the epidemiology of the recent AI out-break that addressed the results oftwo studies, one with HPAIinfected layer farms and the otherwith turkeys. The two studies con-centrated on potential risk factorsfor the spread of HPAI, includingrendering and garbage trucks,shared equipment use, visitors, wild birdpresence, etc. The result from bothstudies centered on the need foreffective and efficient biosecuritymeasures at all levels.Dr David Swayne from USDA ARS
focused his presentation on theuse of vaccination to control HPAI.He showed that vaccination doesnot completely protect birds frominfection by HPAI, nor does it com-pletely prevent infected birds fromshedding the virus. For these reasons, vaccination
cannot be used alone to eradicateHPAI during an outbreak. Hepointed out that it can be used as atool, along with depopulation anddisposal, to potentially help slowdown the spread of the virus.Swayne discussed countries that
have tried to control HPAI by onlyusing vaccination and noted thatthose countries have created anenvironment in which the virus canbecome endemic.
This Belgian review (Biotech. Agron., Soc. Env. 19 301-312) looks at the currentknowledge on changes that occur in corn grains during high temperaturedrying processes which can impact on the feeding value of the grain.Studies show that during high temperature drying processes structural
changes occur in the major components of corn grains, including starch andproteins, which may affect their bioavailability. These changes can have asignificant effect on metabolisable energy and zootechnical performance.Drying can also affect the physical traits of corn grains.
Drying and heating of corn
HPAI in USA – lessons fail?
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 31
Nutritional status This South African study (S. Afr. J. of An. Sci. 45143-152) assessed the nutritional status of villagechickens by looking at the composition of theircrop contents in six villages (288 birds).The chickens consumed grains, household
waste, seeds, plant material, worms and insectsas well as material that could not be identified.The findings are summarised in the table below.
Concentrations of copper, manganese, zinc andcobalt were above the levels needed by poultry.Iron levels were above those required and couldbe approaching detrimental levels.
Substitution of soya with lupin This Romanian study (Anal. Univ. din OradeaFasc.: Ecotox., Zoo si Tech. de Ind. Alim. 12 337-344) looked at the effect on meat quality andblood parameters of feeding broilers alkaloidfree lupin seeds. The results showed that when feeds were
properly balanced in terms of energy, protein andamino acids substituting soy protein with up to30% (starter) and 60% (grower and finisher) lupinseed meal had no adverse effect on weight,weight gain or meat quality. Biochemical tests suggested no adverse effect
on protein metabolism but there was a positiveeffect on lipid metabolism in that HDL increasedand LDL decreased.Substitution of soy protein meals at a rate of
40% in starter and 80% thereafter had negativeeffects on tissue structure.
Effects of garlic on broiler productionperformance This review (W. P. S. J. 71 533-538) details the mostimportant bioactive components in garlic, themodes of action of garlic powder and its effectsin broiler production performance.Allicin is thought to be the principal bioactive
ingredient in raw garlic homogenate or aqueousgarlic extract. When garlic is chopped or crushed,the allinase enzyme present in garlic is activatedand acts on allinin to produce allicin.Other important sulphur containing com-
pounds in garlic are allyl methyl thiosulphonate,1-propenyl allyl thiosulphonate, and γ-L-glu-tamyl-S-alkyl-L-cysteine. These active compounds are thought to influ-
ence feed consumption, feed utilisation, bodyweight, blood lipid profiles and cholesterol levelsin chickens. Biological responses to the substances have
been attributed to a reduction in risk factors forcardiovascular diseases and cancer, stimulation of immunity, enhanced detoxificationof foreign compounds, hepatoprotection, anti-microbial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory andantioxidant effects.
Methionine for organic poultry Synthetic methionine use is currently limited to1.0 and 1.5kg per ton of feed for organic layers,broilers and turkeys in the USA. All other syn-thetic amino acids have been banned for use inpoultry. It is therefore challenging to provide suf-ficient methionine to maintain bird growth andproductive performance at industry standards.Without synthetic amino acids, methionine
requirements could be met by dramaticallyincreasing dietary crude protein in the diet, forexample by the addition of expeller-expressedsoybean meal to the diet. This leads to increasesin feed costs and environmental issues associatedwith increased nitrogen excretion with concur-rent rises in ammonia emissions. This review (W.P. S. J. 71 493-504) examines feed ingredients thatmight be able to contribute to a solution.
Season
Autumn Winter Spring
Household waste (%) 78.6 91.1 75.8
Insects and worms (%) 7.4 10.4 16.0
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 232
POULTRY SUMMITEUROPE 2016TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S CHALLENGES
16-18th May • Utrecht, the Netherlands
POULTRY FOCUS
POULTRY VISION
16th & 17th May
17th & 18th May
This conference will have eminent speakers who willeach address one of the following topics:
Breeding• What does genetics offer our business?• Managing the breeder of tomorrow• Optimising hatchery output
Nutrition• How should we define good nutrition?• Will we be using the same ingredients?• Are we depending on additives or relying on ingredient quality?
Heath• Where will tomorrow’s diseases come from?• The new diagnostic dimension?• How can we be more efficient at managing diseases?
Environment• What is the best environment for chicks in their first week?• Illuminating the science behind lighting• What information can the poultry house give us?
Processing• Where next in zoonotic pathogen control?• Does hygienic production need smaller batch sizes?• What will be tomorrow’s KPIs?
FOR POULTRY [email protected]
for further information please contact:
Immediately following Poultry Focus our sister conference Poultry Vision will have a multi-focus perspective on:
Genetic engineering & breeding, biosecurity, stress reduction on the farm, diet optimization, animal welfare & sustainability
and consumer acceptance.
FOR SUMMIT & [email protected]
www.viv.net
Poultry Focus+
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Conference fees:
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02The procedure Routine measurement of the spacing between the pin (pelvic) bones allows:l Correct determination of female sexual maturity and when lay is about to begin.l Correct timing/age of light stimulation to the flock. Birds must be handled in a calm and correct way by people who have been
appropriately trained. Bird welfare must be a priority at all times. No equipment is required. This is a physical measurement using your
fingers. Ideally the same person should measure pin bone spacing from weekto week. The term ‘finger’ is relative to the operator’s hand size and so willvary from person to person. Pin bone spacing should be measured regularly from 15-16 weeks (105-
112 days) of age, up to point of lay. Pin bone spacing should ideally bemeasured every time the house is ‘walked’, but at a minimum, pin bonespacing should be measured once a week.
Interpreting results
Measuring pin bone spacing
Step 1Slowly and carefully walk through the females and randomly select a bird.
Step 2Hold the bird by the top of the legs, the rightway up.
Step 3Gently press your finger(s) between the pinbones of the bird.
Step 4Record how many fingers comfortably fit inthe space between the pin bones.
Step 5Release the bird back onto the floor of thepoultry house.
Step 6Repeat this operation as you slowly walk through the house, recordingeach time the number of fingers that comfortably fit between the pinbones.
Step 7A minimum of 20-30 birds per house should be measured each time.
Step 8Calculate the percentage of birds in each pin bone spacing category:0, 1, 2 or 3 fingers.
No. of fingers between pin bones No. of birds %
0 1 3
1 2 7
2 24 80
3 3 10
Age Pin bonespacing
Approximate distancebetween pin bones
84-91 days Closed -
119 days 1 finger1.9-2.5cm
21 days before first egg 1½ fingers
10 days before first egg 2-2½ fingers 3.8-4.2cm
Point of lay 3 fingers 5-6cm
Pin bone spacing. A, 1 finger, birds at 119-147 days of age, B, 2 fingers,birds that are 10 days before first egg and C, 3 fingers, birds are at thepoint of lay.
Number of birds sampled = 30Number of birds with pin bone spacing of 2 fingers = 24Percentage = 24 ÷ 30 x 100 = 80%
Observation Solution
Variation in pin bonespacing between birdsof the same age (lessthan 70% of the flockhave the same level ofpin bone spacing).
Delay light stimulation until at least 80-85% of thebirds have the same pin bone spacing or until 154days at the latest. This allows the flock more timeto reach the same level of pin bone spacing naturally. Revisit grading techniques during therearing period to improve uniformity of the flock. A flock CV% of <10 will display a less variable pinbone spacing.
Pin bones are closertogether than thatexpected for age.(Birds are less sexuallymature than expectedfor age).
Check body weight for age; adjust feed amounts ifbody weight is less than recommendations, gradually bring birds back to standard by point oflay and before light stimulation. Delay light stimulation until birds are at correct pin bone spacing for age.
Pin bone spacing iswider than expectedfor age. (Birds aremore sexually maturethan expected forage).
Stimulate birds as recommended; persistency maybe affected in this case. Check body weight for age,control body weight closer to standard for thenext flock. Check house is adequately light proofed (no light leakage) during the rearing period.
A B C
www.aviagen.com
Table. 1. Example of calculation and results 10 days before first egg.
Table. 2. Changes in pin bone spacing with age.
Table. 3. Observations and solutions related to pin bone spacing.
At any given age, at least 80-85% of the flock should exhibit the same level of pin bone spacing. At 10 days prior to first egg, 80-85% of the flockshould have a pin bone spacing of between 2 and 2½ fingers. If, at thespecified age, less than 80-85% of the flock have the same pin bonespacing, or if pin bone spacing is not as expected, then further investigationis needed.
The use of a ruler in the photographs above is to illustrate the width of normalpin bone spacing with age. The main measurement and interpretation shouldbe based on finger fit rather than actual measured width.Step 3
Landmark year forRoss 400 Club
Aviagen Kft is celebrating a success-ful 2015 for the Ross 400 Club inCentral and Eastern Europe. Lastyear saw a record number of entriesto the Club which recognises andrewards farmers who have achieveda European Production EfficiencyFactor (EPEF) of 400 or more withtheir Ross flocks.
The statistics for 2015 speak forthemselves: A total of 18 entrieswere recorded, with the highestEPEF score for the region an impres-sive 438.26. Of the 18 entries, 13were received from Hungary, threefrom Serbia and two from Latvia.
aviagen.com
Orffa and Excentialsintegrate into one
Orffa and Excentials from TheNetherlands are well known fortheir activities in sales and market-ing of basic ingredients and special-ties in the international feedindustry. Until now all activitieswere split over two companies:Orffa for feed additives and pharma,operating mostly in Europe andExcentials for branded specialties,operating mostly outside Europe.
Due to the continuous growth ofboth companies, the product mar-ket combinations were increasinglyoverlapping. Moreover, Orffa andExcentials developed from sales andmarketing organisations into R&Ddriven companies with successfulin-house developed concepts.
These developments led to the
decision to integrate all Orffa andExcentials activities into one com-pany called Orffa.
Since January the new Orffa isserving the international feed indus-try with three branded lines for alltheir products and concepts:• Orffa Top Select. • Orffa Excentials. • Orffa Elovitals.
orffa.com
iD Projects mergewith Ceva
iD Projects have entered exclusivenegotiations with Ceva SantéAnimale, through its subsidiary Ecat,to merge their two businesses.
The aim of the merger is to createa new global leader in the field ofhatchery automation and in-ovovaccination by bringing togethertheir joint knowledge and experi-ence. The fusion of Ecat and iDProjects will:l Offer customers access to widerrange of products and services.l Strengthen R&D to accelerate thedevelopment of innovative products.l Increase production capacity tomeet rapidly expanding globaldemand.l Ensure top quality installationand aftersales service.
“Ceva’s expertise in poultry vacci-nation, especially within the hatch-ery, makes this planned mergerexcellent news for our global cus-tomer bases,” Vincent Fevrier, iDProjects’ Sales and MarketingDirector, told International PoultryProduction.
idprojects.com
34 International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Having won a Golden Comb Award in 2015, the KuipersGroup was honoured again recently when it achieved thetop performing flock in the Cobb Europe, Middle East and
Africa region. Flock E015 at the Eagles Pride Koster facility in SouthAfrica achieved an outstanding 148.79 chicks at 60 weeks.
cobb-vantress.com
For decades, coccidiosis control was accomplished through the use ofeffective in-feed anticoccidial drugs. But no single anticoccidial is sustainable when used without rotation. Used over decades, rotation/shuttle programs have begun to lose their efficacy, especially in smallerbroilers with higher stocking density and more flock cycles per year in asingle facility. Reduced efficacy has forced producers to rotate more frequently, and many producers have seen an increase in subclinical coccidiosis lesions between 24 and 42 days of age.
Vaccination with live coccidiosis vaccine that contains sporulated oocystsfrom each of the important Eimeria species provides an alternative to traditional anticoccidials. Vaccines are highly antigenic, but full development of immunity still requires each bird in the flock to be sub-jected to 3 to 4 life cycles of the parasite. The birds will shed oocysts fromhatchery vaccination beginning at 4 to 6 days of age into the poultryhouse. If the environment is conducive to Eimeria sporulation, the oocystsbecome infective and complete the remaining life cycles in the house, providing a field boost, free-of-charge and without administration labour.The time from vaccination until complete immunity is 21 to 28 days,depending upon the vaccine and house conditions.
Uniform administration is critical because birds that are missed by thehatchery vaccination will enter the poultry house in a naïve condition.They are subject to wild Eimeria oocysts that remain in all poultry housesdespite thorough cleaning and disinfection. They are also subject to theoocysts shed by their properly vaccinated hatch-mates.
Uniformity of oocyst recycling in the poultry house is also critical for thenext 3 to 4 weeks. The young broilers must have access to sporulated oocysts to complete each successive life cycle. ‘Sporulation’ isa process that must happen to make the oocysts infective. Heat, moisture(25% litter moisture or 60% RH) and oxygen are needed for the sporulation process to occur. Field recycling may be disrupted by dry litterconditions and low flock density.
Reduced sensitivity of poultry Eimeria to anticoccidials, results in theappearance of subclinical lesions between 24 and 42 days of age, togetherwith shedding of wild-type oocysts into the litter immediately beforeslaughter. The late build-up of oocysts in the litter can cause carry-over ofoocysts to the next flock, despite cleanout and disinfection. Initial vaccinated flocks must contend with early exposure to the wild strain,before complete immunity is developed. But these flocks will not, them-selves, have a late build-up of oocysts. Thus, the carryover challengebecomes less and less through sequential flocks.
Vaccine is not subject to resistance. Proper vaccination is a sustainableprogram that avoids late subclinical coccidiosis and provides protectionflock after flock. Therefore, it is important to monitor house conditions toensure proper sporulation and recycling is continuing to occur. This is particularly true for antibiotic-free flocks that are placed with lower stocking density and lower litter moisture.
Monitor flocks using sequential faecal oocystcounts or lesion scoring sessions to ensure theself-boosting program continues as seasons andhouse conditions change. Coccidiosis vaccinationis an effective and sustainable coccidiosis controlmethod that can result in performance thatexceeds an anticoccidial program.
Coccidiosis 2Coccidiosis vaccination: sustainable control of broiler coccidiosisby: Linnea Newman, DVM
www.msd-animal-health.com
©2016 Intervet International BV also known as MSD Animal Health. All rights reserved.
(Dr Steve Fitz-Coy)
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 35
lions of data points supporting the I2
Index.The I2 Index includes 23 enteric
conditions such as gizzard erosion,necrotic enteritis and excessiveintestinal fluid.
Each condition is assigned a spe-cific weight and collectively, theseweights create a custom, compositenumber that is entered into theHealth Tracking System (HTSi) data-base.
Developed by Elanco, HTSi is acomprehensive database integratingmore than 15 years of data and morethan 600,000 individual bird post-mortem analyses from around theglobe.
In addition to incorporatingenteric diseases, HTSi data include arange of productivity metrics suchas average daily gain (ADG), feedconversion rate (FCR) and EuropeanProduction Efficiency Factor (EPEF).
By analysing data specific to indi-vidual flocks, the I2 Index allowsproducers to monitor their birds’health and provides a tool forbenchmarking performance acrossoperations over time. As producersapply insights derived from data,they can make adjustments toimprove the health and perfor-mance of specific flocks based onthe I2 Index.
elanco.com
Independent researchconducted byNovometrix Inc has
verified that the Intestinal Integrity(I2) Index used to measure gut healthand function in broilers, correlatesclosely with live performance out-comes such as daily weight gain andfeed efficiency in broiler flocksaround the globe.
The research findings were pre-sented during the IPPE Tech Xchangein Atlanta, GA, USA.
Dr Jeff Wilson, president ofNovometrix Research Inc, reviewedthe methodology, research findingsand data-driven insights the I2 Indexoffers to help poultry producersmanage the health and performanceof their flocks.
Novometrix specialises in epi-demiology, including data integra-tion and analytics, with a specialfocus on solutions for sustainableagriculture and agri-food produc-tion in the poultry industry.
The company’s validation of the I2
Index included an analysis of datacollection processes and the ana-lytic platform used to create theIndex.
Research methodology alsoincluded a comprehensive literaturereview and interviews with industryexperts including veterinarians, aswell as a statistical analysis of mil-
Intestinal integrity index
InVivo acquiresDaavision
InVivo NSA has strengthened itspresence in the specialty additivesbusiness through the acquisition ofDaavision, an international Dutchcompany that specialise in the production and marketing of specialty additives for animal nutrition, mainly based on organicfatty acids.
invivo-nsa.com
If there’s AI in feed,birds will find it
Independent poultry veterinarian DrHaroldo Toro warned a packed IPPEbreakfast meeting that AI virus maysurvive in chicken feed, especiallywhen protected by organic materialsuch as faeces, and wipe out entireflocks.
Dr Toro, Professor with Auburn
University’s Department ofPathobiology, Alabama, USA, toldrepresentatives of the industry’sleading layer, broiler and turkey sec-tors that finding AI in feed is likelooking for a needle in a haystack,but “if it’s there, then birds will findit.”
Toro joined a panel of experts toconsider the viability of feed as avector for high path AI. He revealedresults from the first phase of aresearch project exploring effects offeed treatment including pathogencontrol agent Termin-8 on AI.
“We tested the viability of onestrain of AI in feed after treatmentwith Termin-8. Under experimentalconditions the product offered anextremely high level of AI virus inac-tivation (99.9%) within one hour,” heexplained.
“While there is still much to learn,initial results suggest that if AI is infeed, Termin-8 will effectively eradicate it.”
anitox.com
poultry news from around the world 22Countering disease threats
LAYERS
by Dr Paul Grignon Dumoulin, Global Technical Service coordinator([email protected])
Highly pathogenic avian influenzaof the last two years clearlyshows the size of the risk of disease for the modern poultryindustry. Controlling sanitary riskis a constant preoccupation ofthe poultry sector and management is key to protectcompanies from economic losses.
l BiosecurityBiosecurity is the first line ofdefence to control a disease challenge. Production farmsshould apply strong sanitary rulesto control disease risk. Farmaccess should be restricted to theminimum people and entrance infarms should be done followingsanitary procedures that must beadapted to the risk. A full changeof clothes before entering a farmor hatchery is the minimum, ifpossible after taking a shower.Showers should be comfortableenough to make sure people willuse them. Training of people isalso key to get them fully involvedin this process. We must alsoconsider the risk of introducingdisease agents from domestic orwild birds: • Houses must be bird-proof.• Special attention should be paidto wild birds in order to avoid riskof introduction of disease: any-thing that could attract them inthe farm should be removed(feed or water access outside thehouses, wet areas where wildbirds could roost).• Hatchery employees should notbe allowed to have birds at home.For large companies, splitting theproduction risk over several locations or in a low densityregion is also key. Single age farmsare preferred to multi-age farms.
l Vehicle managementVehicles entering a farm or hatchery area should be con-trolled: if possible get a parkingplace outside the farm area.Trucks that have to go close toestablishments should be disinfected in order to avoid contamination from anotherfarm. Special care should be takenfor the vehicles carrying deadbirds. In some places, this is apublic service and such trucks aregoing from farm to farm. Ideally
they should not be allowed toenter the farm site and dead birdsshould be brought outside fromthe area.
l Feed and water managementFeed and water can also be asource of contamination due to:• A heavy bacterial mycotoxinload in the feed.• Re-used feed bags.• No or inappropriate watertreatment, dirty water lines.
l VaccinationAn appropriate vaccination program is the second line ofdefence to control disease riskand should consider the field conditions. The type of disease inthe field may influence the choiceof vaccine strains and age at vaccination. Vaccine storage andpreparation must be doneaccording to strict procedures.Registration of informationrelated to vaccination is highlyrecommended. In case of vaccinefailure, multiple vaccinationshould be the last solution. Firstcheck if vaccine procedures aregood enough and if vaccines areadapted to field pathogenicagents. Special attention shouldbe given to diseases with animmunosuppressive effect(Gumboro disease, chickenanaemia...) that may also impairthe efficiency of the immune system facing a vaccinal reactionor a disease challenge.
l Management of flocksThe way flocks are managed canalso influence the impact of a disease challenge. Promote goodgrowth in the first weeks forgood immune system develop-ment. Getting a fast reaction incase of disease is key to reducingthe economic losses. Productionparameters should be followedclosely: feed and water consumption (including water/feed ratio), growth, egg produc-tion, mortality... The faster youreact, the lower the losses! n
Contact us on:+44 755 4878080
3 Unique Oreganum SensoryFeed Flavouring Additive.
3 Supports the Health Status ofAll Poultry.
3 Supports Feed & Water IntakeDuring Stress Periods.
Nuscience’s newappointment
Nuscience has appointed Jan-JeroenDe Beucker as Group MarketingManager for the Group’s two business units, Nutrition4U andHealth4U.
He joined Nuscience Group at itsheadquarters in Belgium in February2014 as Business DevelopmentManager Asia for the Health4Urange. He was appointed GroupMarketing Manager in January thisyear.
Jan-Jeroen has more than 20 yearsof experience in business develop-ment and strategic marketing ininternational markets.
nusciencegroup.com
International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2 37
products, we will focus on providingour Chinese customers with a highlevel of technical support so theycan achieve the full potential of theCobb breed. Our goal is to becomethe breed of choice across Asiaincluding China by 2017.”
David Juenger, Cobb director ofglobal support services, said that inplanning and building the China pro-ject a lot of emphasis had beenplaced on biosecurity. “We havewell designed facilities so we canachieve the Cobb worldwide stan-dard in China,” he said. “We’re con-fident that we will be able to keepthe grandparents free of major dis-eases such as mycoplasma and sal-monella all the way through theproduction cycle. I believe ourChina customers will see a differ-ence in our products.
“As part of the biosecurity proto-col, before returning to work fromvacation the workers are required tobe quarantined at the living area ofthe farm for 72 hours. This downtime is a further step we’re taking toreduce the risk of people carryingdisease to the birds.”
cobb-vantress.com
The first delivery ofCobb500 parentchicks from the new
Cobb-Vantress production complexat Suizhou, in Hubei province westof Shanghai, is scheduled to bemade in the spring following the ini-tial placement of grandparent stockin December.
“We’ve been waiting for thismoment since we started this CobbChina project more than two yearsago,” Denny Chan, director of Chinaoperations, told InternationalPoultry Production.
“Before placing the chicks, theNorth Star Farm was tested freefrom disease and we’ve held trainingsessions for our farm workers whowill take care of the chicks coveringbiosecurity, stock management andwork safety. We care equally aboutthe health and welfare of our chick-ens as well as our people.”
Pelayo Casanovas, Cobb generalmanager for the Asia-Pacific region,said the project would supply fivemillion parent stock a year from theHubei complex to the Chinese mar-ket.
“Besides the prime quality of our
China parent stock project
Aviagen welcomed Japan Chunky Association (JCA) to theUnited States as part of the JCA’s annual Mission trip. Thegroup of 27 included members from Nippon Chunky, the
long-standing Ross distributor in Japan. The annual JCA Mission tripallows its members to meet with their international colleagues to shareknowledge and developments within the poultry industry. Aviagen facil-itated the visit with an industry and R&D update and attendance at theInternational Production and Processing Exhibition (IPPE) in Atlanta. TheJCA members had an opportunity to visit Aviagen’s global headquartersin Huntsville, Alabama where they attended seminars and presentationsby Aviagen senior management. Topics ranged from a broiler breedingcorporate overview to a summary of the US chicken industry.
aviagen.com
Alltech analyses10,000th sample
The Alltech Mycotoxin Managementprogram ended 2015 on a high noteas its extensive mycotoxin analysiscompleted testing on its 10,000thsample.
Since the Analytical ServicesLaboratory of Alltech opened inSeptember 2012, more than 10,000domestic and international sampleshave been analysed for mycotoxincontamination at the ISO/IEC17025:2005 accredited laboratory.
An international standard thatrecognises the competence of test-ing laboratories, ISO/IEC 17025:2005is the basis of laboratory accredita-tion in more than 35 countries.
The Analytical Services Laboratoryof Alltech has received over 50 dif-ferent feed sample types from morethan 80 countries since the labora-tory first opened. The laboratory’sproprietary 37+ LC/MS/MS analyti-cal method, developed by Alltech, isstate-of-the-art in its detection andquantisation of more than 37 myco-toxins at parts per billion (ppb) andparts per trillion (ppt) levels.
alltech.com
Distribution agreement signed
Novogen SAS and Hubbard LLC haveentered into a strategic agreementwith Wincorp International for thedistribution of the NOVOgen Brownand NOVOgen White layers in mul-tiple states in the US.
This agreement goes into effectimmediately and includes the supply to the major commercial eggproducing states in the UnitedStates and also permits the exportof Novogen layers to certain countries on a non-exclusive basis.
novogen-layers.com
Nigerian animalfeed agreement
Global agri-business OlamInternational Ltd and leading Frenchfeedstock company InVivo AnimalNutrition and Health have signed aconsulting agreement to jointlydevelop expertise in animal feed inNigeria.
The two-year consulting servicespartnership agreement will involve
technical assistance and sharing ofexpertise to jointly develop solu-tions and products in the animalfeed space.
The knowledge transfer betweenthe two companies will helpdevelop solutions, formulate animalfeed, characterise raw materials andimplement R&D trials and protocolsto enter the animal feed industry inNigeria.
invivo-nsa.com
CTB acquiresSerupa and Mafrel
CTB Inc have purchased HoldingHamon Développement, a designerand manufacturer of buildings forpoultry keeping, processing plantsand industry, and parent companyof Serupa SAS and Mafrel SAS.
The company has its headquartersin Merdrignac, France, west ofRennes. Terms of the transactionwere not disclosed.
The two companies focus on anintegrated offering of poultry build-ings and equipment to ensure aseamless experience for the cus-tomer.
Serupa is a turnkey designer andmanufacturer of poultry buildings aswell as buildings used for meat pro-cessing plants and other industries.
Mafrel is a supplier of building kitsand poultry equipment such as that
supplied by CTB’s Roxell, Fancomand Chore-Time business units.
ctbinc.com
Analysis for soyabean meal
AusScan Online, the revolutionaryonline platform giving access tounique near infrared reflectancespectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations, hasexpanded its offering by addingeight new parameters to its Totaland Standard ileal digestible (SID)amino acid product for soyabeanmeal analysis.
Thanks to extensive and ongoingresearch by the CooperativeResearch Centre for High IntegrityAustralian Pork (Pork CRC) inAustralia and Aunir in the UK, standard ileal digestible values formethionine, cysteine, threonine,isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine,tryptophan and histidine are nowavailable through the website at noadditional cost to the customer.
aunir.com
poultry news from around the world
Please mentionInternational
PoultryProductionwhen sourcing further information
Diary
2016Turkey Science andProduction Conference9-11th MarchChester, UKwww.turkeytimes.co.uk
Poultry Focus Asia 201621-23rd MarchBangkok, Thailandwww.positiveaction.co.uk
Ildex Vietnam23-25th MarchHo Chi Minh City, Vietnamwww.ildex.com
Victam Asia29-31st MarchBangkok, Thailandwww.victam.com
Pig & Poultry Fair10-11th MayStoneleigh, UKwww.pigandpoultry.org.uk
Poultry Summit Europe16-18th MayUtrecht, The Netherlandswww.viv.net
PIX/AMC29-31st MayQueensland, Australiawww.pixamc.com.au
Avi Africa21-23rd JuneJohannesburg, South Africawww.sapoultry.co.za
11th InternationalSymposium on Marek’sDisease and AvianHerpesviruses 6-9th JulyTours, Francehttps://colloque.inra.fr/marek-symposium-tours2016
mal and veterinary scientists, overthe next two years.
The unit provides research forgovernment and private sectors aswell as providing a focus for SRUC'savian-related nutrition, welfare anddisease research. Just like the cur-rent facility the new unit will bestaffed and managed by SRUCemployees; it will provide state ofthe art growing and productionfacilities, enabling poultry researchacross the production chain to beundertaken in commercially relevantfacilities to the highest standards ofwelfare.
The new facility will enhanceSRUC’s ability to meet the needs ofindustry and a growing market, andwill be co-funded by CIEL, one ofthe UK Government’s proposedAgri-tech Innovation Centres. Thisfunding has been key to enablingthe relocation to happen. A movehas been in discussion for sometime due to the age and conditionof the current facility.
sruc.ac.uk
De Heus expandspremix activities
De Heus Animal Nutrition hasexpanded its activities in high qual-ity animal nutritional products andservices by extending its portfolio inpremixes further.
With the realisation of the buildof two new plants in the Nether-
Ayurvet’s RespzzLiquid is a herbalformulation that
has a protective, restorative andsoothing effect on the respira-tory system of birds. The formu-lation contains select herbs andoils known for their antimicro-bial activity and is useful toinhibit unchecked bacterial pro-liferation. Immunostimulatoryproperties of the product bol-ster the protective mechanismsof the cells against pathogensand guards against recurrence ofthe problem. The use of RespzzLiquid ensures a reduction inmortality rate; faster recoveryfrom the symptoms of respira-tory distress (the birds appearbrighter and are back to feedfaster); prevention of productionlosses and improved FCR com-pared to antibiotic treatmentalone; and lower chances ofrecurrence of the problem in theflock.
ayurvet.com
H&N InternationalGmbH has appointedMerrill’s Poultry Farm
Inc as a distributor for H&N NickChick and Brown Nick layers in thewestern USA.
H&N with its headquarters inGermany is a subsidiary of EWGroup GmbH. The company distrib-utes H&N layer breeding stock in 35countries around the world.
H&N layers are strongly competi-tive in all economically significantflock performance and egg qualityparameters. In addition, H&N backsits distributors and their customerswith timely and meaningful supportfrom a world class team of expertshaving expertise in all facets ofpoultry management.
H&N has achieved consistentgrowth in market share within thelast 10 years and has earned an
excellent reputation in the globalegg industry. H&N layers will now bereadily available from coast to coastin the United States.
Merrill’s Poultry Farm Inc is a fam-ily owned hatchery business basedin Paul, Idaho.
The company was founded in 1924and has been a prominent supplierof layer chicks in the western USAfor over 90 years. Merrill’s has thecapacity to produce 7.0 million layerchicks per year.
Since its founding over 70 yearsago, H&N has invested consistentlyin the most advanced geneticresearch technology which hasresulted in constant improvementof its egg laying stocks.
H&N layers are performing athighly profitable levels throughoutthe world.
hn-int.com
38 International Poultry Production • Volume 24 Number 2
Coast to coast layers in US
lands and Poland, De Heus antici-pates a growing global demand forpremixes.
With this expansion De Heus is ina unique position to produce a totalrange of nutritional solutions,whether it concerns complete feed,concentrates or premixes.
deheus.com
The recent 2016IPPE attracted anestimated 30,000
poultry, meat and feed industryleader attendees from all overthe world. In addition, the showhad 1,301 exhibitors, a newrecord, with more than 464,750ft2
of exhibit space. The exhibition issponsored by the US Poultry &Egg Association, American FeedIndustry Association and NorthAmerican Meat Institute and isthe world's largest annual poul-try, meat and feed industry eventof its kind.
ippexpo.com
Nuscience’s newoffice in Singapore
In December 2015, the NuscienceGroup incorporated a subsidiaryoffice as ‘Nuscience Singapore PteLtd’. The new office in Singapore is apivotal footprint for the NuscienceGroup in Asia. Initially, it will focusprimarily on sales and customersupport for the products of theNutrition4U business unit.
nusciencegroup.com
World classresearch facility
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) willbe relocating its poultry researchunit from Ayrshire to Midlothian.The new facility will be built on theEaster Bush Estate, which is alreadyhome to most of the College’s ani-
