Insights from scandinavia on performance and roi of blended feed additives

Poultry producers are under increasing pressure from both regulatory bodies and consumers to raise birds without antibiotics and antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). This pressure reflects concerns about antimicrobial resistance and its harmful effects on human health. Legislation restricting antibiotics and AGPs in poultry production is requiring producers to identify new tools for supporting bird performance.

Yvonne van der Horst
Global Product Manager Gut Health
Selko® Feed Additives

As broilers encounter multiple challenges that threaten growth, feed conversion, and production economics, there is increased interest in alternatives, in combination to the need to reduce antibiotics to support birds’ health. Blended feed additives combine ingredients that address challenges while targeting specific benefits in the bird without antibiotics or coccidiostats. For example, organic acids are known to reduce the pH in the gastrointestinal tract and make it harder for some pathogens to thrive, while plant extracts aim to deliver immunomodulatory effects and support morphological and physiological effects in the bird.

But while extensive research has investigated the mode of action and efficacy of individual ingredients, fewer studies have evaluated the synergism that occurs between the different classes of feed additives. Such a siloed approach to studying ingredients overlooks synergies that can influence performance results. And although the ultimate value of any nutritional intervention should always be compared to the cost of implementing it, very little research has focused on the additional value of blended solutions.

At Scandinavian Poultry Research in Våler, Hedmark, Norway, a large study assessed the performance of six blended feed additives that aim to support gut health in broilers. Below, Selko® Global Product Manager Gut Health, Yvonne van der Horst shares key takeaways from the study.

What questions did the study seek to address?
This academic study sought to compare six commercial feed additive solutions and a control diet to understand the effects of different blends on body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Additional value per broiler was calculated based on the above-mentioned data. Given the claims of different types of additive solutions – organic acids, plant extracts, prebiotics, and probiotics – it can be challenging to assess the actual performance of feed additives, particularly as ingredients in the blends interact with each other and result in synergistic effects. Researchers sought to better understand how these products work in broilers under challenged conditions and without antibiotics or coccidiostats.

How large was the study and how were conditions set up?
The study was carried out in Norway in 2020 and included 7,040 one-day-old Ross broiler chickens. The birds were housed in floor pens with a stocking density of 14.3 birds per m2 and a 50/50 ratio of female to male birds per pen. To introduce a challenge situation, a 10-fold dose of Paracox-5 (live attenuated) coccidiosis vaccine was administered to birds. No other vaccines were administered and no antibiotics or coccidiostats were provided.

What phase of development did the research look at?
Two rearing phases were studied. Researchers looked at an unchallenged phase from 0 to 14 days, followed by a challenged phase between days 14 and 28. These times are important, given developmental milestones in the bird. Most of microbiome development occurs in the first two weeks, so additives that can support a healthy microbiota balance are important for young birds to build a strong and resilient microbiome.

What different feed additive blend treatments were in the trial?
The team designing the study evaluated different class combinations of feed additives, the active components in each blend, and dosages for both the starter diet and grower diet. The diets included a negative control group as well as a feed additive blend developed by Selko (Presan®-FY) and five commercial blends offered by other organizations.

Blend 1 (Presan®-FY) is a blend of short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SMCFA), slow release C12, target release butyrates, and phenolic compound (capsicum extract). The organic acids aim to deliver antibacterial and gut integrity effects, whilst the plant feed additives are known to deliver antioxidative, immunomodulatory effects and support morphological benefits.

Blend 2 was a combination of probiotics and prebiotics containing a jejunum isolate, ileum isolate, caeca isolate, and plant-derived fructo-oligosaccharides from inulin.

Blend 3 included a combination of organic acids and plant extracts with benzoic acid and a blend of essential oils.

Blend 4 was a blend of organic acids and plant extracts, including short- and medium-chain fatty acids and essential oils.

Blend 5 included organic acids and plant extracts/phytogenics with glycerol-esterified SMCFAs and phytogenics, including essential oils, saponins, and bitter and pungent substances.

Blend 6 combined a prebiotic and plant extracts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall extracts, oleoresins from turmeric, and chili peppers.

Blend 7 combined organic acids and prebiotics and included dehydrated Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture with whole cells metabolites and medium nutrients and diformate.

Figure 1. Body weight gain (BWG) and Feed conversion ratio (FCR) results of broilers Presan-FY compared to mixed feed additive products, from 0-28 days

What were the key performance findings from the research?
Looking at the growing cycle, the birds receiving the Presan-FY blend showed significantly higher body weight gain compared to the control group (+7.8%) and all the other blends (+6.6% average) (Figure 1). The birds receiving Presan-FY also had a lower FCR compared to the control group (-2.2%), with Presan-FY improving the FCR by 2% on average compared to all the other treatments.

How does the nature of the additive support these improvements?
The ingredients in Presan-FY were selected based on their proven influence on intestinal health. Organic acids with high pKa, MCFAs, and alkyl ester of C12 have been shown to reduce total bacterial counts and improve microbial diversity of the microbiome. Additionally, the target release butyrates and capsicum extract have been shown to support tight junction build up and increase villi length, supporting gut integrity.

Figure 2. Additional value per broiler of broilers fed mixed feed additive products compared to broilers from the negative control group from 0-28 days.

How were economics influenced?
Researchers sought to compare the cost of the feed additive treatment to the benefit in terms of value per bird. Zootechnical results from this study were analyzed. The additional value was highest for birds receiving the Presan-FY product, with an additional value of €0.055 per bird (Figure 2). Considering other options, only one other product delivered a positive value per broiler, meaning that the improvement in performance compensated for the cost of adding the feed additive solution. So, as we consider the findings of this large study, we see that the Presan-FY product was interesting from an economic as well as zootechnical performance perspective.

Why are so many different classes of feed additives available to address gut health?
Poultry producers are under increasing pressure from both regulatory bodies and consumers to raise birds without antibiotics and antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). This pressure reflects concerns about antimicrobial resistance and its harmful effects on human health. Legislation restricting antibiotics and AGPs in poultry production is requiring producers to identify new tools for supporting bird performance. Research – such as the study above – is essential to validating the performance of not only different ingredients but ingredient blends.

In studies conducted in the lab and on validation farms, we see growing evidence of a strong association between production performance and intestinal microbiota and structural integrity. Indicators of improved gut health, such as morphological changes of the intestines, immunomodulatory effects, and enhanced gut barrier function contribute to animal performance. Thus, there are many targets and mechanisms for feed additives to potentially steer gut-supporting actions.

What’s the most significant takeaway from the study?
We know that broilers in commercial production environments are exposed to various stressors that can threaten their growth and performance. Feed additive blends can deliver synergistic benefits that support bird performance, but the cost of implementing any nutritional intervention should be considered in context with the benefit delivered. These findings show that the right combination of ingredients can support bird performance, especially in challenging environments, while also providing an economic benefit to the producer.