Key nutritional components for optimising poultry gut health
Good poultry nutrition sits at the heart of bird performance, health, and profitability. A well-balanced diet supports optimum growth rates, strong immunity, and efficient feed conversion – all vital for maintaining flock productivity.
When formulating poultry diets, energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals are often considered the non-negotiables. However, supporting poultry gut health is equally important and should not be overlooked.
Poultry feed additives and probiotics play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy intestinal balance, improving nutrient absorption, and reducing the impact of undesirable bacteria.
This article explores the key components of effective poultry nutrition, specifically looking at how promoting gut health in poultry through targeted feed strategies can help enhance bird health and overall performance.
What are the building blocks of a balanced poultry diet?
1. Macronutrients (energy and protein)
Energy primarily comes from grains, while protein is sourced from ingredients such as soybean meal.
Balancing energy levels correctly is really important, because too little energy limits growth, while too much can lead to excess fat.
Amino acids, such as lysine and methionine, play a key role in muscle growth, tissue repair, and maintaining immune function in poultry.
2. Micronutrients
Vitamins and minerals are essential for bird metabolism, bone health, and for layers and breeders, eggshell quality. Trace elements, like zinc and selenium, play a role in boosting the bird’s immune response and providing antioxidant defence to keep birds healthy and productive.
3. Fibre
Fibre, such as soybean hulls or oats, supports gizzard development and improves digestion. It also helps maintain gut function and microbial balance, which are important for overall digestive health.
4. Water
Water is arguably one of the most important nutrients for poultry. Poor-quality water, with high bacterial load or mineral content, can reduce feed intake and negatively impact poultry gut health.
But, even with all of these factors considered, birds will not perform to their full potential without a robust gut microbiome. This is where probiotics and targeted feed additives come in.
How do poultry probiotics and feed additives support gut health?
Probiotics are live microorganisms, which can be in the form of yeast or bacteria, that help support poultry gut health and improve bird performance. They are crucial for maintaining Intestinal Integrity (I2), immune function, and feed efficiency. By ensuring a robust gut microbiome, probiotics help enhance overall bird health.
Not all poultry probiotics are the same, and the benefits depend on the specific strains used. Different strains, even within the same species, can have varied effects on gut health.
For example, GALLIPRO® FIT is a targeted poultry probiotic that contains three beneficial bacterial strains, all with differing benefits:
• Bacillus subtilis (DSM32324) - This strain competes with both gram- negative and gram-positive microbes, helping to maintain a balanced gut microbiota1. It also enhances protein digestibility, promoting better nutrient absorption and bird performance2.
• Bacillus subtilis (DSM32325) - Like DSM32324, this strain competes with both gram-negative and gram-positive microbes, supporting a healthy microbial environment in the gut1.
• Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (DSM25840) - This strain improves the availability of energy from non-starch polysaccharides, helping to optimise energy use in poultry. Additionally, it aids in protein digestibility, ensuring better nutrient absorption and supporting overall bird health2.
These strains have been carefully selected and are proven to support gut health by improving digestion, enhancing nutrient absorption, and increasing feed efficiency, even in the face of stressors like heat or feed changes.
GALLIPRO FIT can support poultry gut health in several ways:
• Colonisation and beneficial biofilm formation - Poultry probiotics form protective biofilms in the gut3, improving gut barrier function and reducing leaky gut
• Competitive exclusion of pathogens – They also outcompete harmful bacteria1 like Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium and various pathogenic E.cecorum, and thus prevent infections
• Enzyme production - Certain strains produce enzymes that improve feed digestion, enhancing feed efficiency
• Balancing the microbiome - Probiotics can support gut balance, strengthen the immune system, and promote intestinal health.
Good gut health is crucial for poultry performance, as it directly impacts digestion, nutrient absorption, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and the bird’s ability to withstand disease challenges.
Stress factors such as feed changes, heat stress, high stocking density, and the use of antibiotics can all disrupt the gut, leading to inefficiencies in digestion and increased vulnerability to illness.
The GALLIPRO FIT probiotic can be used to help restore gut stability, supporting a robust gut microbiome, enhancing nutrient uptake, and improving overall bird resilience.
*Referenceable claims in digital and social copy can be found on this page. Full reference list below:
1 Chr. Hansen Laboratories, multiple trials; ‘Individual strain undesirable bacteria inhibition’.
2 Chr. Hansen Laboratories, Trial No. 80375.
3 Cartman S.T., La Ragione R.M. & Woodward M.J. Bacillus subtilis germinate in the chicken
Gastronitestinal Tract. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2008;74(16):5254-8
