Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

Providing Proteins To Belizean Residents Through Poultry Products, Ellis Freel

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a food insecure, developing country. Although Belize has plenty of nutritious food in-country, the exportation of that food to generate income contributed to a distribution issue of that nutritious food. More impoverished areas of Belize do not have access to nutritious food because of the lack of affordability and high export rates. Diets with a lack of food, or lack of balanced, nutritious food can negatively impact growth and cognitive development, especially in children. Poultry is one of the only products in Belize not able to be exported. Implementing poultry into Belizean diets would affordably alleviate food insecurity …

Understanding Functional Benefits Of Isoleucine And Arginine On Poultry Performance And Health., Roshan Adhikari, Jason T. Lee, Keith Haydon

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Poultry industry is rapidly moving towards utilizing the best ingredients to precisely feed the birds for better performance, welfare, health, and profitability. One of the practices that evolved over time with research is better optimization of amino acid utilization in the diets thus changing the crude protein landscape. Historically, if we compare the modern diets to diets from 1980, significant changes are visible in the use of unbound or crystalline amino acids leading to reduced levels of CP and reduced unutilized nitrogen in the diets. Multiple feed-grade amino acids are available in a cost-effective manner in poultry diets. Multiple research …

Feed Formulation: Expanding Our Horizons Beyond The Simple Provision Of Least-Cost Diets, Rick Kleyn, Mariana Ciacciariello

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Commercial feed formulation is typically based on linear programming (LP) algorithms that derive a least-cost solution for a blend of ingredients that meet specific nutrient criteria. This methodology has been effectively used for decades, but how we achieve our primary goal, which is sustainable poultry production, needs to be reconsidered in broader terms. Some of the issues that this paper will deal with are: not all parameters that we consider are linear and additive; we are still unsure of how to build the matrix required for feed formulation; dealing with the variability encountered in every batch of ingredient remains a …

Reducing Feed’S Environmental Footprint: Where Are The Opportunities?, Lara Moody

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Working with animal food industry members and stakeholders up- and down-stream in the supply chain, the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) developed a ‘Sustainability Road Map’ to support the U.S. animal food industry as it pursues continuous improvement on impacts important to industry members and their customers. For IFEEDER and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), sustainability is defined and managed by each individual organization to deliver measurable, continuous improvements on the impacts related to people, planet and governance that are most important to them and their stakeholders.

No Antibiotic Ever (Nae) Versus Conventional Broiler Production: It’S Complicated, Marcos H. Rostagno

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Broiler production has evolved significantly over the years to meet a constant growing demand for animal protein. Rooted on major advances in genetics, facilities and environmental conditions, management, and specially, in nutrition and health, the U.S. broiler industry improved tremendously in productivity and efficiency, clearly demonstrated by a marked reduction of the average market age (i.e., days to market), while significantly increasing average market weight, breast meat yield and feed efficiency (National Chicken Council, 2023). For decades, conventional broiler production was dominant, with extensive use of antibiotics to promote growth and manage disease challenges (prevention and control). However, concerns over …

Organic Trace Minerals In Environmentally Sustainable Systems, Sergio L. Vieira, Julmar C. Feijó, André Favero

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Essential trace minerals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se and I) are traditionally included as supplements through mineral premixes in poultry feeds. In comparison to other essential nutrients, as well as energy, they are scarcely studied. The essentiality of a nutrient, by definition, refers to the nutrient role in normal body function, such as growth or egg production, and considers that they cannot be synthesized by the body and, therefore, must be supplied from the feed.

Application Of New Molecular Tools To Assess Virus Viability In Production Animals, Declan C. Schroeder

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Persistent viral infections routinely impose an inconvenient, always costly but thankfully not all too often catastrophic outcome on our modern food system. Managing viruses is key for all concerned if our objective is to meet the ever-growing demand to high-value animal protein. Whether it’s the impact influenza A virus (IAV) has on the avian or swine industries, Porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) on the swine or Deformed wing virus (DWV) on honey bees in both the honey and pollinator sectors - the negative impact and damaging cost to the individual producer, country and global economy cannot be overstated.

A View Of Poultry Production In The Americas, Michael Donohue

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The primary goal of the presentation is to share a long-term overview of how broiler production has changed over the last 35 years in areas of bird performance, production costs, particularly in the area of feed ingredient cost per lb. and illustrating how poultry nutritionists have adapted feed formulations to meet the changes in performance and cost.

Effect Of Authentic Kefir And Nigella Sativa On Broilers Challenged By Coccidia And Clostridium Perfringens, Julian E. Nixon

All Dissertations

Black seed oil concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, 1% and 5% were added to milk inoculated with kefir grains and incubated at 25°C for 22 h. The pH and microbial count indicated 1% black seed oil caused low inhibition (P > 0.05) of fermentation, but 5% black seed oil caused significant inhibition of the kefir microorganisms (P < 0.05).

Cobb 500 male chicks (n = 256) were distributed in a randomized block design and received one of four treatments: CTRL1 (Non-medicated, no kefir, no Clostridium perfringens), CTRL2 (Non-medicated, no kefir, C. perfringens inoculated), CTRL3 (BMD medicated, no kefir, C. perfringens inoculated), KTRT (Non-medicated, …

Assessment Of Novel Protein Ingredient Arthrospira Platensis (Microalgae) And Soybean Genotype Amino Acid And Oil Selection Improvements On Broiler Performance, Savannah Wells Crafton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to assess the efficiency of including novel protein ingredient Arthrospira platensis or improved soybean meal in a broiler diet. The first experiment aimed to determine the feeding value of soybean meal produced from varieties of soybeans bred for increased amino acid content (SBAA) improved oil content (SBO) compared to a conventional soybean variety in an ANOVA design fed to Cobb 500 female broilers for 28-42d of age. The SBAA and SBO soybeans contained overall higher amino acid content and lower oligosaccharide content compared to the conventional soybean variety in addition to improved oil quality. The second …

Enhancing Amino Acid Utilization For Broiler Chickens Under Different Scenarios Of Dietary Protein Reduction And Subclinical Coccidiosis, Derrell Trevor Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Five experiments were conducted to evaluate responses of broiler chickens fed diets with different dietary amino acid (AA) levels when fed normal and reduced dietary crude protein (RCP) diets and reared under different coccidiosis control programs. In the studies with the use of RCP diets, the relationship between dietary Gly + Ser and the Met:Cys ratio was investigated. Experiment 1 evaluated broilers in 2 coccidiosis control programs (live vaccine or in-feed zoalene) and fed increased dietary AA derived from soybean meal or unbound sources from 0-40 d. Vaccination impaired young (0-26 d) broiler body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion …

Broiler Vitamin Nutrition Guidelines, Nelson E. Ward

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

In a time of record feed prices, nutritionists and production managers continue to look for opportunities to lower growout costs. Even though their contribution seldom exceeds 1-2% of feed costs, vitamins are not immune to this cost-crunching scrutiny. Furthermore, in late 2017, an unparalleled drop in global vitamin supply resulted in sharply increased prices, and in some cases, outright shortages. Such events have placed pressure on vitamin fortification levels in broiler feeds. Nutritionists decide on the fortification rates based on a variety of criteria – bird age, production phase, field experience, research trials, and so forth. The rapid change in …

Recent Findings On Phosphorus Digestibility Of Feed Ingredients In Broilers, Jay Hampton, Wenting Li, Franco Mussini, Katie Hilton, Janet Remus, Samuel J. Rochell

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Accurately meeting the dietary P needs of broilers is critical to ensure optimal bird performance, health, and welfare without causing undue environmental burdens associated with excess dietary P excretion. Phosphorus is commonly supplied in broiler diets from inorganic phosphates derived from non-renewable sources, but it has been estimated that peak P production will occur between 2030-2040 and that the global supply of P could be depleted within this century (Cordell and Drangert, 2009; Nest and Cordell, 2012). To address these concerns, inorganic P use in agriculture, including use in broiler diet formulation, requires careful stewardship. To this end, the dietary …

Reduction Of Protein Levels In Broiler Feed For Commercial Application – A German Case, Andreas Lemme, Kilian Fenske, Heiner Westendarp, Mathias Guhe, Elmar Rother

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

A project was initiated to apply dietary CP reduction under commercial conditions. The main objective was to demonstrate and validate that dietary CP can be reduced without compromising broiler performance in a production system which is already rather efficient. In addition, we wanted to demonstrate the potential of dietary CP reduction on reducing N-excretions especially in the context of German revised regulations and monitoring attempts. Finally, as previous research suggested, few further aspects such as impact of dietary CP reduction on litter quality and quantity, footpad health, change of ingredient inclusion levels and related impact on sustainability impact factors were …

Application Of Simulation Modelling In Broiler Integration: Is It A Necessary Nutritional Tool?, Peter Chrystal

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Modelling techniques have been used in many industries globally to illustrate to others an understanding of the way processes work. Also, engineers and scientists employ models to predict the consequences of various courses of action. Simple pictorial models, such as the diagram of the chicken digestive system, are useful in education and may be more suitable than a photograph for the purposes of explaining how the animal converts ingested feed into components that can be assimilated, leaving residue that is excreted. Complex, predictive models seek to quantify a specified outcome based on defined inputs. Many attempts have been made over …

State Of The Art Pullet And Breeder Nutrition, Rick Van Emous

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

During the last six to seven decades, broilers have been successfully selected for maximum growth and feed efficiency (Zuidhof et al., 2014). Modern fast-growing broilers reach a body weight of 2.0 to 2.5 kg in 35 to 45 days with an average daily growth of 55 or more gram a day (Augère-Granier, 2019). In a study with different broiler strains representative of broilers in 1957 or 1978 were compared with a broiler strain from 2005 (Zuidhof et al., 2014). The 2005 strain showed, over a 56-day growth period, a 4.6 times higher growth rate and a 50% lower feed conversion …

Broiler Breeder Males: Feed And Nutrition Discussion, Benton Hudson

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The methods for feeding broiler breeder males have evolved over recent decades, and further revisions will likely be needed as males become more challenging to manage. Since the introduction of separate male feeding systems in the early 1980’s, breeder males’ nutrient needs have been better managed via daily feed restriction. If a breeder operation can effectively produce, haul, and store a separate male diet, then it provides more options to use different nutrient levels or feed additives that are designed to enhance fertility. This article will outline the history of male-separate feeding and revisit nutritional research on fertility of broiler …

Amino Acids Were Not All Created Equal, Peter H. Selle, Shemil P. Macelline, Peter V. Chrystal, Sonia Y. Liu

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The contention that amino acids were not all created equal is based on the simple premise that intestinal uptakes of non-bound (synthetic, crystalline, feed-grade) amino acids are more rapid than their protein-bound counterparts. The post-enteral ramifications of this difference in bioequivalence are amplified in broiler chickens given their express growth rates and just one complication is the post-prandial oxidation of amino acids. The lack of bioequivalence between non-bound and protein-bound amino acids is a real obstacle to the development and adoption of reduced-crude protein diets that have the potential to promote sustainable chicken-meat production Thus, the purpose of this paper …

Recent Advancements On Calcium And Phosphorus Recommendations In Broilers, Justina Caldas, Marcelo Silva

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Calcium and phosphorus have been recognized essential nutrients in chickens since 1950’s (Lesson & Summers, 2001) playing important roles in bone development, among other functions. Calcium is assumed an inexpensive nutrient in animal least cost formulation while phosphorus is considered expensive and scant. The actual economic impact comes from the influence of calcium on phosphorus requirements, changes in phosphorus digestibility, buffer capacity, gut health, trace mineral absorption, fat digestibility, welfare traits, etc. Both minerals have important interactions to be considered during formulation. Few changes have been made over the past 20 years to calcium and phosphorus recommendations because these values …

Decoding The Gut Microbiome; Providing Solutions For Poultry Production, Nichoals Evans, Peter Karnezos, Curtis Novak, Diana Ayala, Emily Kimminau, Kay Russo

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The term “microbiome” refers to all the micro-organisms within a particular environment. In poultry, the microbiome is influenced by the barn, diet, and age of the birds and is believed to modulate immunity and inflammation. In the past, culture methods were primarily used to evaluate the presence of the various micro-organisms present in the microbiome; however, recent technological advances in genomic sequencing have revolutionized sample analysis. This technology has opened new avenues of research in poultry production and our understanding of the associated health challenges. Turkey cellulitis has been a major economic and health concern for many years. Traditional bacterial …

Application Of Nutritional Immunology In The Mitigation Of Economic And Production Losses In The Poultry Industry Associated With Food-Borne Pathogens, Coccidiosis, And Necrotic Enteritis., Shahna Fathima, Ramesh K. Selvaraj

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics were used in poultry production since the 1950s for improved production, prophylaxis, and animal welfare. Extensive and indiscriminatory use of antibiotics led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in food-borne pathogens of public health significance (Jones & Ricke, 2003). As per the United States Centre for Disease Control, more than 2.8 million infections in 2019 were caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. Due to public health concerns, the use of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock production was prohibited by Sweden and Denmark in 1986 and 1998 respectively (Hammerum et al., 2007). The European Union banned the use …

A Dynamic Approach To Feed Formulation, Rob Gous

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that the opportunity cost of using fixed tables of nutrient requirements when formulating feeds for broilers can be considerable, and that nutritionists should consider a more dynamic approach to defining the lower bounds of amino acids in particular, in line with the objective of the business, which is to maximise profit. In order to do this, it is necessary to consider the potential growth rate of the broiler, the cost of feed and amount of feed consumed, and the income generated from the sale of product.

Transitioning To Net Energy: A Swine Story, John F. Patience

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Net energy (NE) is one member of the sequence of energy systems which also includes gross energy (GE), digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME). It is perhaps the most sophisticated because it attempts to consider more components of the ingredient or diet which normally cannot be used by the pig for maintenance and/or productive purposes. Gross energy makes no such adjustment and therefore has little direct value in diet formulation. Digestible energy corrects for energy which is lost in the feces, and metabolizable energy also adjusts for energy lost in the urine. The data in Table …

Where Can We Go With Net Energy In Poultry?, Katie Hilton

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Metabolizable energy (ME) is the main system used globally in poultry industry for feed formulation and for evaluating feed ingredients and mixed feeds (de Boer and Bickel, 1988). ME is considered a reliable index of what is available to the bird for maintenance and production but is not a predictor of how efficiently the bird uses the available energy (MacLeod, 2000). The ME system developed by Hill and Anderson (1958) was reported to provide less variation in energy values for feed and ingredients than the Fraps PE system, but MacLeod (1994, 1997, 1999) suggest that the low variation …

Limestone Solubility: What Can You Do About It?, Wenting Li, Katie Hilton, Franco Mussini, Janet Remus

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Calcium (Ca) is essential for bone development mineralisation, as well as for eggshell formation, muscle and neural functions. Depending on the type of diets (veggie vs. non-veggie), species (turkey, chicken, duck), and age of animal (young vs. adult), limestone can contribute up to 95% total Ca in the final diet, with more Ca from limestone for younger animals with veggie diet. Despite the significant contribution of limestone to total diet Ca levels, the bioavailability variation of limestone Ca is rarely considered. Phosphorus (P) is a limited resource and is the third most costly ingredient in poultry …

Using Poultry To Enhance Food Security In Stann Creek, Belize, Emily Spatz

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food insecurity is a growing issue in developing and developed countries alike, and in countries like Belize, the prevalence of hunger has soared in recent years. Not having access to diets with sufficient calories and nutrients leads to a host of developmental issues, including stunting and cognitive delays. The purpose of this work was to create an all-encompassing manual for small-scale broiler production, with the intention of another honors student overseeing the implementation of the ideas set forth in the manual, in order to provide nourishment for the students and staff of a school in Belize. After determining that the …

Evaluation Of Essential Oil Products On Performance, Intestinal Permeability, Bone Mineralization, And Oxidative Stress Parameters On Broiler Chickens Under Heat Stress Conditions, Jared Ruff

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to show how dietary supplementation of three different formulations of essential oils (EO) affected the performance of broiler chickens during heat stress (HS). Day-of-hatch Cobb 500 chicks (n = 500) were randomly divided into four groups: 1. HS control + control diets; 2. HS + control meals supplemented with 37 ppm EO of Lippia origanoides (LO); 3. HS + control diets supplemented with 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm EO of Rosmarinus officinalis (RO) + 300 ppm red beetroot; 4. HS + 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm RO + 300 ppm natural betaine. …

Divergent Selection For Water Conversion Ratio In Broiler Populations, Joseph Hiltz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity is a global reality and with the anticipated population growth, freshwater resources will be further strained to meet both human needs and agriculture applications. To ensure a water sustainable and food secure future, all aspects of agriculture must become more efficient. Two strategies were explored. The potential of improving water efficiency in broilers was examined. The first strategy was to develop a more efficient and accurate method for measuring water consumption/inputs in agriculture. To date, water measuring technology has lacked the necessary sophistication to assure accuracy and repeatability of low flow water usage.

After establishing a low flow …

Understanding Corn Variability, Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondón

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Corn is the most common feed ingredient used in poultry nutrition. Maize contributes with up to 65% of the metabolizable energy and 20% of crude protein in poultry diets (Gehring et al., 2013; Dei, 2017). Its average nutritional value is well-known, but it is accepted that the variability in its composition and energy value is a very common issue with great impact on poultry performance and health (Cowieson, 2005; Gehring et al., 2013; Latham et al., 2016; Montanhini-Neto et al., 2017). Corn variability affects growth, feed conversion, flock uniformity, digestibility, AMEn, digesta viscosity, gut microbiota composition, …

Assessing Dietary Branched-Chain Amino Acids To Achieve Linear Programming Goals Through Model Extrapolation And Empirical Research, Craig W. Maynard, Ed E. Gbur, Vinh-Loi Ly, Minh-Duc Le, Thi H. Ngan Le Jr, Justina Caldas, Michael T. Kidd

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Renewed interest, especially in the United States, has sparked in assessing branched-chain amino acid interactions in practical diets for broilers. Indeed, as L-valine enters formulation bird nitrogen excesses are reduced as diet protein falls to the new first limiting amino acid (e.g., isoleucine, arginine, or tryptophan). For a United States based example, the result is less oilseeds and more gains, which typically result in increased inclusions in corn or corn by-products, coupled with a concomitant increase in dietary leucine. The proceedings outline the foundations of the branched-chain amino acid early research, antagonism studies, and a meta-analysis conducted on publications with …