SPECIAL STORY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2022 51 the impact of heat stress? Controlling the house temperature and humidity is obviously the most effective way to protect animals from the adverse effects of heat. But management strategies like providing adequate and cool drinking water and feeding smaller and more frequent meals during the cooler parts of the day will stimulate broilers’ appetite and enhance feed intake. One other method to alleviate the effect of high ambient temperature on the performance of broilers is dietary interventions. A common strategy to reduce heat stress in poultry is trying to maintain normal nutrient intake by increasing nutrient density proportional to the expected decrease in feed intake, e.g. by increasing the fat content of the diet. Dietary fat produces less heat during digestion and metabolism compared to other ingredients. Another measure to combat heat stress is the reduction of dietary protein while balancing the limiting amino acids, especially methionine and lysine. Adding minerals like potassium bicarbonate, ammonium or potassium chloride will support the electrolyte balance, which is more critical during summer heat. And in warmer regions of the world, it is common practice to provide extra antioxidant vitamins like vitamin E and C help to support birds to cope with the consequences of oxidative stress. BUT HERE IS MORE… While most broiler nutritionists and farmers look with suspicion to depressed feed intakes, much more is happening inside the animal. American researchers recently confirmed not only the negative effect of heat stress on daily gain, feed conversion ratio and meat yield. They also discovered that these effects are not only due to the low feed intake, but also are a direct effect of a damaged gut. This is how it works. Heat stress increases the production of pro-inflammatory immune cells (cytokines), which lead to damage of tight junctions in the small intestine. In addition, heat stress induces oxidative stress at the gut epithelium, leading to impaired permeability. As a result, the intestinal barrier function is negatively affected and pathogens and endotoxins can enter the animal body leading to an increased susceptibility to infection and inflammation. Moreover, according to research, heat stress alters the composition and abundance of the microbiome. This disturbance of the microbiota can be the result of an impaired immune function, but a low feed intake and high water intake during heat stress can be a reason as well. Disturbance of the microbial balance induces proliferation of harmful bacteria and a reduction in beneficial bacteria. It makes the birds prone to intestinal diseases. That got FRA's researchers thinking. THE BENEFITS OF BUTYRIC ACID From both research and practice, it is well known that butyric acid is highly beneficial to improve intestinal integrity and development. However, because pure butyric acid is very hard to handle due to its incredible bad smell, FRAmelco developed the innovative FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry, an effective and easy to handle blend of tributyrin
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