New and additional feeding strategies – Part 1 – Liquid Nutrition
September 2018 Newsletter
Genetic advancements continues at a fast pace in the poultry industry for broilers, breeders and table egg layers. A big focus on the genetic front is focused away from growth rate as selection parameter and more towards digestive efficiency and feed wastage limitations through behavioral selection. Feeding strategies also need to change to keep up with the modern day broiler, breeder and table egg layer. Nutritional supplements previously focused on the supplementation of electrolytes and the important stress prevention vitamins. These products was offered in powder form with typically dextrose or similar as carrier. The powders however blocked nipple lines when not hydrated properly and caused the growth of bacterial biofilm in the drinker lines. Powder supplements are limited in the nutrients that can be included as there is no time for nutrient hydration and dissolving when mixing and applying for poultry.
Liquid suspension nutritional supplements such as Super Tonic Liquid allows for liquid nutrition to become a reality. This liquid supplement are a homogenized suspension of the complete range micro nutrients plus the important essential amino acids. It also allows for a higher density to be included with better hydration and thus bioavailability than in the case of powdered products. Animal feed quality and raw material vary from time to time due to processing efficiency and raw material variability. The use of NIR and other on site analytical methods for determining nutrient levels are highly efficient but they do not determine nutrient bioavailability and these variations are lost and only seen in the growth and feed conversion response on the farm. Raw material constraints also lead to poor amino acid ratio vs the ideal leading to increase in crude protein level and excess nitrogen in the lower gut.
Liquid nutrition allows for a better amino acid ratio when formulated in conjunction with the liquid formula. Liquid nutrition can in the future form part of the feeding program of broilers, layers and breeders when formulated together and could lead to improved feed conversion, growth response and egg output. Liquid nutrition will also play an more important role during heat stress periods where feed intake is limited but water intake increases. The increased water intake can then be used to supplement important amino acids, vitamins and electrolytes into the birds. For breeders with calorie limited feed intake but ever increasing fertile egg output, liquid nutrition also offers a solution for sperm and egg integrity due to the additional amino acids, antioxidant vitamins and selenium and other important micro nutrients.