HEAL ▶▶▶TH
The role of gut health in cage-free egg production
The transition to cage-free egg production is gaining momentum. The European Commission estimates that 50% of egg production has already moved to cage-free. For those now working on their transition plan it is time to think about new challenges or challenges that may be heightened with this new production system.
BY HARRIET WALKER, ALLTECH C
It is vital that – once estab- lished – this good micro flora population is maintained.
age-free housing systems increase the ability of the birds to mix, move and have contact with litter and the outside environment, leading to several poten- tial gut health issues, including antibiotic use, feed
consumption, disease control and wet litter.
Antibiotic use The European Commission’s legislation to produce all eggs from alternative cage-free housing systems will increase the numbers of laying hens kept in non-cage systems over the next few years. It has been shown that there is more exposure
to potential disease-causing organisms in these environ- ments, contributing to higher mortality levels than in cage systems. The higher mortality will negatively impact bird health and welfare, food security and egg production sustain- ability, resulting from the reduced productive output. To sup- port performance and reduce mortality when changing to a cage-free system, farmers may turn to antibiotics. However, the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) and the associ- ated antimicrobial resistance has been highlighted as a glob- al health problem for both humans and animals. Therefore, with more birds being raised in conditions that favour the spread of pathogens, there is a need to maximise perfor- mance in cage-free systems to avoid the use of AGPs. One way to help reduce AGPs is to improve and support the bird’s gut health and microbiome through the ‘Seed, Feed, Weed’ programme. This incorporates seeding the gut with favoura- ble organisms, feeding a favourable environment for these organisms and weeding out unfavourable organisms.
Microflora development To support gut and microflora development in the young bird, it must be exposed to favourable organisms as early as possible. This can be done via a probiotic that helps the bird
26 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 1, 2022
PHOTO: ALLTECH
PHOTO: JACK CAFFREY
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