In particularly hens are highly efficient due to their excellent feed conversion which can be seen from the very low use of resources. However, such intensive production also poses special challenges on poultry husbandry.

N- and P-balance

The environmentally relevant emissions ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate are important key figures for poultry farms. For this reason the crude protein and phosphorous in the feed must be highly digestible while the content thereof should be lower. From the protein side this is achieved through supplementation with highly-available essential amino acids which allows crude protein to be reduced and the right ratio of amino acids to be set. Through supplementation with phytase the digestibiltiy of organically-bound phosphorous increases significantly which results in lower phosphate excretions.

Anti-nutritional factors

Soluble glucans, e.g. in barley, or arabinoxylans in wheat, rye, or triticale are typical anti-nutritional factors. First of all their water-binding capacity leads to increased digesta viscosity, particularly in young poultry as the microbial activity in the intestine is still low. The decreasing passage speed leads to a cascade of changes which affect for example the composition of intestinal microflora, the morphology of the intestinal wall or the release of digestive enzymes. Digestive disorders in connection with poorer nutrient digestibility can be the result. NSP-degrading enzymes contribute towards reducing or even totally preventing the effects of anti-nutritional contents.

A classic challenge in floor systems is the dryness of the litter. Wet litter promotes foot pad dermatitis in poultry. Soluble glucans and xylans can be involved in causing the problem as they bind water in the chime and thus cause increased entry into the litter via the excretion in the feces. NSP-enzymes lower the water-binding capactiy and thus help to keep the litter dry. Other classic active substances can also be used to support poultry. Highly-available zinc, in combination with methionine and biotin, such as in our CuxTrace, Lovit Skin Pro (liquid) or Lovit Skin Plus (granulate) have proven to be effective means against foot pad inflammation.

Stress management

There are many situations in poultry husbandry that cause stress for the animals, whether this be through a change in housing, vaccination, change of feed, or heat. While it is usually not possible to intervene via the feed in the silo, supplementing active ingredients via the drinking water provides an excellent opportunity to react to adverse situations rapidly and effectively. Whether short-term provision with energy (Lovit LC Energy) or supply with essential vitamins – the specific formulations of our LOVIT range allow a fast, easy and targeted supplementation with micro nutrients in the animal house.