Effects of Feed Additives on Poultry

Feed additives are small amounts of nutritive or non-nutritive substances added to the feed to meet the special needs of animals. The development of modern intensive aquaculture has made feed additives play an increasingly important role in poultry feed processing. Rational use of feed additives can increase feed utilization, prevent diseases, promote healthy growth of poultry, improve product quality, enhance product competitiveness, and create better economic efficiency.

With the development of modern animal husbandry, feed additives are widely used in poultry breeding. Feed additives can improve the nutritional value and total value of feed, improve feed utilization, and promote poultry growth; in addition, it can prevent diseases and improve poultry health; improve the physical properties of feed, improve the processing and storage characteristics of feed; improve the quality of livestock products and so on. However, there are some misunderstandings about the use of feed additives. Some farmers think that the more kinds of feed additives are added, the better. In fact, feed additives should be reasonably added according to the needs of poultry species and physiological period, and the dosage and method of addition are very important. Abuse of feed additives not only fails to achieve the expected effect, but also reduces production, residues and poisoning. With the improvement of living and economic standards, modern people's awareness of food safety has become stronger and stronger, and the quality requirements of animal products have become higher and higher. Therefore, green, safe and pollution-free feed additives, scientific and green farming products are very popular.

This article will explain the impact of feed additives on poultry from the following aspects:

1. Classification and main functions of feed additives

2. Effects on poultry performance and physiology

3. Effects of feed additives on fat metabolism in poultry

4. Pay attention to feed additives

1. Classification and main functions of feed additives

Feed additives are divided into two types: nutritional feed additives and general feed additives (including pharmaceutical additives).

Nutritional additives include feed-grade amino acids, vitamins, mineral trace elements, non-protein nitrogen, etc. Its main function is to provide the nutrients necessary for the healthy growth of poultry, improve the amino acid balance of the diet, improve the protein utilization rate, and promote the growth of poultry; improve the quality of meat; promote calcium absorption; resist stress; improve disease resistance; improve and improve Animal digestive function to prevent the occurrence of systemic digestive diseases.

General feed additives include feed drug additives (antibiotics and synthetic antibacterials), prebiotics, enzyme preparations, acidulants, Chinese herbal medicines and plant extracts, mildew inhibitors, feed preparations, flavorings, etc. General feed additives are used to improve feed utilization, ensure feed quality and quality, attract food and flavor, and benefit animal metabolism and health. Antibiotics in modern farming have been gradually replaced by pollution-free feed additives. Natural medicinal plant products Chinese herbal feed additives, micro-ecological preparations, enzyme preparations, oligosaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, acid preparations, etc. are all pollution-free feed additives, with comprehensive functions, rich nutrition. There is no residue and no drug-resistant strains and toxic side effects. Poultry products raised with these additives are highly sought after.

2. Effects on poultry performance and physiology

Feed additives play an important role in the production performance and physiological function of poultry. The most commonly used additives in poultry farming are vitamins, microecological preparations, enzyme preparations, oligosaccharides, bioactive peptides and Chinese herbal feed additives.

Microecological preparations can improve the bacteria in chickens, Salmonella, reduce the incidence of coccidiosis, and have a good effect on improving the disease resistance and immunity of chickens. Feeding chicks with probiotics can increase the enzyme activity in serum and intestine, which is beneficial to the digestion and absorption of nutrients and reduces the ratio of feed to meat. Adding vitamin preparations to the drinking water of laying hens in summer can increase heat dissipation and relieve the heat stress response of chickens. Chinese herbal medicine feed additives are widely used in the breeding of livestock products and have antibacterial effect, which can improve the balance of intestinal flora of poultry and promote the absorption and utilization of feed. It can also improve production performance, reduce production costs, enhance immunity, promote growth, improve the quality of poultry ketone bodies, and enhance product competitiveness. Especially in the breeding of broilers, the compound preparation of Chinese herbal medicine can reduce the abdominal fat rate in the body and increase the rate of leg muscle and breast muscle of broiler chickens. Oligosaccharides can improve gut microbiota and promote growth in broilers. Commonly used enzyme preparations such as protease, amylase, lipase, etc. can make up for the digestive problems caused by insufficient digestive enzymes and improve feed conversion rate and economic benefits.

3. Effects of feed additives on fat metabolism in poultry

Additives in the feed have a very important impact on fat metabolism. Excessive body fat in poultry not only causes waste of feed but also affects the quality of the carcass. Some additives in the feed have the following effects on the fat metabolism of poultry: daidzein can promote the fat metabolism of animals and improve the immunity of the body; L-carnitine can inhibit the synthesis of fat and promote the decomposition of fat, thereby improving the quality of meat taste. Betaine, niacin, and chitosan have the effect of reducing body fat synthesis, increasing fat breakdown or redistributing body fat.

4. Pay attention to feed additives

The rational use of feed additives has a positive impact on the poultry industry. While providing the necessary nutrients for the body, it can resist stress, protect the immune organs of the body, and improve immunity; enhance material metabolism and feed conversion rate, and increase economic benefits for farmers. . Several problems are prone to occur when feed additives are used:

(1) Insufficient or too high dosage, excessive use will also affect the health of livestock and poultry, such as trace elements: iron, copper and zinc can promote growth when used normally, but Excessive addition affects the normal metabolism of birds.

(2) The abuse of antibiotics results in the formation of drug residues and the destruction of the ecological balance of microbial cells in the body.

(3) The use of hormones can promote growth, and a large amount of use will remain in animal food. People use such food for a long time to affect the hormone level of the human body, and there will be risks of precocious puberty, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and mutagenesis.

Now many countries have banned the addition of antibiotics to feed, we call on the majority of farmers to use green, safe and pollution-free feed additives in the breeding process. Polifar has been committed to providing healthy and safe feed additives. If you want to know more about feed additive products, welcome to consult Polifar!