Adding postbiotics and essential oils to poultry diets can improve feed conversion, efficiency and performance.
“If you want to grow broilers, the major cost for poultry production is coming from nutrition,” explained Vivek Kuttappan, technology lead, postbiotics in poultry, Cargill Animal Nutrition. “Feed is really important now and you need to use feed really effectively.”
Vital role of poultry gut microbiome
The poultry gut microbiome is a relatively new concept. The makeup of microbes and microorganisms in a microbiome fluctuates constantly and is dependent upon a variety of factors, including the age of the animal, what it eats, if it is given antibiotics, where it lives, stress levels and more.
Producers have only just begun to understand the role the poultry gut microbiome plays in nutrient digestion and absorption. Learning more about the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria in the microbiome could help optimize feed efficiency and production, Kuttappan said.
Differences between postbiotics, essential oils
While both postbiotics and essential oils help maintain a healthy poultry gut microbiome, there are differences between the two.
Postbiotics, derived from controlled fermentation, can support beneficial gut bacteria and offer anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and even anti-carcinogenic benefits. Essential oils come from plants and can enhance digestive enzymes and control pathogens.
The two additives also target different parts of the poultry gut microbiome. Essential oils have the greatest efficacy in the upper part of the poultry gastrointestinal tract, while postbiotics work on the hind gut. When given together, they offer complimentary benefits to the animal.
“We have seen in our research that when you combine the two technologies, you get both benefits for the microbiome, both in promoting beneficial bacteria and in controlling opportunistic pathogens,” Kuttappan said.
Both postbiotics and essential oils can be administered to poultry either in feed or via drinking water. Water administration may be more practical in many poultry operations, Kuttappan noted.
