Latest AllAboutFeed issue now online

Management stressors, overcrowding, heavy vaccination and drug regimens etc, often weaken the immune system of poultry. Dietary vitamin C is one approach to boost medication outcomes. Dr. David Akinde from Fusion Biosystems, Germany explains in his article what animal nutritionist should know more about this healthy vitamin and sums up some other great benefits for chickens.

María Ángeles Rodríguez, Marie Gallissot and Pi Nyvall Collén from Olmix explain why having more than one mycotoxin in a feed sample can have negative effects on health and production of animals. “Recent surveys have demonstrated the regular occurrence of low levels of multiple mycotoxins in cereals. However, the toxicity of combinations of mycotoxins cannot always be predicted based upon their individual toxicities. Interactions between concomitantly occurring mycotoxins can be antagonistic, additive or synergistic. Data on the combined toxic effects of mycotoxins are limited and, therefore, the actual health risk from exposure to mycotoxins is unknown”, according to Rodríguez.

Pauline Paap from Dutch company Orffa Additives delves into the positive effects of butyrate. Butyrate is seen as the most important energy source for intestinal epithelial cells and numerous studies indicate the importance of butyrate in sodium and water absorption, influence on epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, villi development and in improving gut defence systems. “In addition, butyrate strengths the barrier function, has antimicrobial potency and positively influences the immune system. In this article I highlight some of the documented effects of butyrate and the need for extra supplementation in animal (pet) diets”, says Paap.

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