Intestinal integrity is essential to reduce feeding conversion and to increase profitability

Since Covid-19 pandemic has started, production cost of broiler chickens has increased about 30% creating a “new normal” regarding high production costs. In October of this year, for example, production cost reached the mark of R$ 5.49/kg, 30 cents less than the historical record, of March of this year.

This new reality is a challenge for broiler chickens segment, which needs to consider actions of how to be less impacted by values that are projected to 2023. In this context, there are no doubts: looking at poultry nutrition is crucial.

First, because corn and soybean cost, raw-materials that are the basis of poultry feed, continues to raise in the market – there is a projection of an increment for 2023. Second, because, according to Embrapa, poultry feeding represents 72.31% of the total invested in the activity.

It means, if more than 70% of the production cost of broiler chickens is linked to nutrition, the agroindustries need to think of alternatives that contribute to a reduction of feed conversion – and, consequently, to avoid economic loss. But, how to put this into practice? The starting point is in overall health of the poultry flocks.

Intestinal Integrity and Feed Conversion of poultries: directly related

The overall health of the flocks is one of the most influent factors on feed conversion in broiler chickens. When poultries’ microbiota is not balanced, for example, which is called dysbiosis, the nutrients in this feed are NOT correctly absorbed in digestion and end up being wasted in the feces.

In order to avoid this and to avoid profitability loss, it is important for the technical team to be attentive to intestinal integrity of broiler chickens, whose maintenance is possible with the use of probiotics during the entire production cycle of the poultries. To talk more about this subject, we invite the Business Manager of Biocamp, the Veterinary Bauer Alvarenga. He explains:

• what is intestinal integrity;
• what are the colonization phases of microbiota;
• the factors that put intestinal integrity at risk;
• what to do to reach intestinal integrity;
• how to reduce feed conversion – recommendation of probiotics.

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What is intestinal integrity

Intestinal integrity is a very wide concept. It is more than just morphological aspects and connects various organs and systems: digestive, immune, visceral and central nervous systems. Thus, the importance to keep morphological integrity of villi and intestinal crypts – as well as their functionalities – so it should be started in incubation process.

“Because high temperatures in final third of incubation affect embryos development and limit nutrient absorption present in yolk sac”, says Bauer.

When this happens, chicks of lower quality are born, and which will probably have a performance inferior to the others, contributing to an increased initial mortality.

In addition to intestinal integrity, the intestine needs a balanced microbiota to have a good functionality. In other words, it needs a healthy microbiota, with a high diversity of non-pathogenic microorganisms and which is crucial for the metabolism and absorption of nutrients. Intestinal microbiota has a direct relation with intestinal integrity and its formation is composed of 3 phases.

The 3 phases of intestinal microbiota formation

1St) Colonization phase

It happens during perinatal period, between the end of embrionary phase and the first three days of life of the poultry. It is marked by a significant increase of intestinal microbiota regarding quantity of microorganisms, and diversity.

As chicks are born with a rudimentary microbiota, after accommodation, there will be a significant increase of intestinal colonization due to ingestion of feed, water and litter.

2Nd) Maturation phase

It happens between 4th and 14th day of life of the poultry and is when intestinal microbiota undergoes important changes. In this phase, there is the microbiota differentiation in the intestine along with maturation of intestinal functions that establish different pH, regulate enzymes production, create environments with greater or lower oxygen, etc.

There are the factors that favor feed digestion and nutrient absorption. At the end of maturation phase, each intestinal segment will be colonized by different bacterial genera.

3Rs) Maintenance phase

From the third week of life, it starts maintenance phase of intestinal microbiota. It is when there is a constant search for the domain of commensal microorganisms on the pathogens (eubiosis).

Small intestine is mainly colonized by lactic bacteria, while in cecum there is a predominance of anaerobic bacteria – restricted or facultative -, resulting in a greater microbial richness and diversity.

Factors that put intestinal integrity of the poultries at risk

Bauer explains that intestinal inflammation can be caused by both infectious agents and non-infectious factors, that promote the increase of cellular turnover and/or cause immunosuppression. “This negatively impacts on intestinal integrity and functionality of digestive system”, he says.

Thus, microbiota modulation is the best way to reach intestinal integrity. It should start as early as possible, still in hatchery, with probiotics of multiple strains or competitive exclusion. The application can be done in egg or via spray. They will form the pioneer microbiota in order to:

• favor zootechnical gains;
• stimulate the immune system;
• difficult colonization of pathogenic bacteria, which can be present in feed, water and environment of poultry houses.

Probiotics help in feed conversion

Probiotic bacteria are responsible for playing an essential role in colonization, maturation and maintaining intestinal integrity. They compete with growth of pathogenic bacteria, reduce the occurrence of diseases and – which is very important! — allow a better absorption of feed nutrients by the poultry organism.

But Bauer highlights there are great differences among probiotics available in the market.

“When choosing a probiotic, it is important to be attentive to issues related to the number of strains that compose the product, their presentation, routes of application, as well as type of fermentation adopted (aerobiosis or microaerophilic conditions). Because oxygen levels significantly vary among intestinal segments.”

Here, we talk about the different types of probiotics. For those who search for a program about a precise understanding on challenges of poultry flocks and that allows a better intestinal integrity, Bauer recommends the Colostrum® Bio21 Mix.

Colostrum® Bio21 Mix has the differential to count on 21 strains

Colostrum® Bio21 Mix is a probiotic composed of multiple bacterial strains and indicated for feeds of all types of commercial poultries. Its triple-coating grants thermal resistance to high feed processing temperatures.

“During its development, 20 strains of lactic bacteria were selected with high capacity of adhesion to the intestinal mucosa and efficiency to control paratyphoid salmonella. To them was added a specific strain of Bacillus subtilis, strain LOFU-160, that has as target Clostridium perfringens”, explains Bauer.

According to Biocamp Business Manager, this association of 21 strains in a single probiotic grants a greater versatility to Colostrum® Bio21 Mix.

“Customers of broiler chickens in Brazil, and Latin America reported zootechnical and sanitary gains when using this product. The most common are reduction of feed conversion and increase of daily weight gain (DWG), providing economic feasibility to the designed program. In addition, there are reports of reduced use of antimicrobials due to improvement of intestinal integrity”, he concludes.

Know the benefits of Colostrum® Bio21 Mix for its production of broiler chickens.

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