Contents



Preface

Most of the cost in poultry farming involves feeding management. Therefore, the profitability of poultry farming depends on a precisely formulated diet that provides all the essential nutrients in proper proportions. Because poultry diets consist primarily of corn and soybeans, the cost of such diets is high due to the high price of these crops. Therefore, it is essential to use other low-cost feed ingredients in poultry diets. These low-cost ingredients need to be properly proportioned so

Chapter 1 discusses research advancements in poultry nutrition. Chapters 2 and 3 present nontraditional poultry feed ingredients, including microbial hydrolyzed feather protein, which is useful in replacing costly protein ingredients. The evaluation of protein sources in various quail feed formulations is discussed in Chapter 4. Mineral excretion is one of the major issues in livestock and poultry farming, due to the overuse of supplements to fulfill mineral requirements. Minerals from common supplements are only absorbed to a limited extent. Minerals from nanomineral sources are better absorbed through the intestine and thus their inclusion in diets may be reduced, which can also reduce environmental burdens and the cost of feed. The topics of mineral supplements and their use are highlighted in Chapter 5. In Chapter 6, we discuss the effects of environmental temperature and how it affects

Apart from production aspects, poultry health is crucial to reduce mortality and to prevent several diseases including coccidiosis, wooden breast myopathies, and gut disorders. Proper nutritional management can reduce these issues. The use of antibiotic feed additives is common in the poultry industry, but concerns have been raised regarding the potential for antimicrobial resistance, which has compelled the restriction or exclusion of antibiotics in poultry feed. This has in turn led to the use of alternative feed additives such as essential oils, flavonoid compounds, probiotics,

prebiotics, synbiotics, nanoparticles, and antimicrobial peptides.

Chapter 7 delineates the importance of poultry gut health and immunity in production. Chapter 8 discusses the role of secretory defense in the gut for maintaining poultry health. The usefulness and limitations of probiotics in balancing the gut's microbial populations, nutrient utilization, and immunity are discussed in Chapter 9. Coccidiosis caused by the Eimeria spp parasite is one of the major diseases affecting the health and performance of poultry reared in intensive

production systems. Chapter 10 points out how coccidiosis can be managed through appropriate nutritional strategies. Today's fast-growing broiler chickens show an increase in skeletal muscle abnormalities such as white striping and wooden myopathies characterized by degeneration, necrosis, and atrophy of muscle fibers. This is a great concern in broiler meat production resulting in the need to discard chicken meat. Chapter 11 highlights the occurrence, prevention strategies, and economic losses due to these abnormalities. Poultry experience heat stress occasionally throughout the year, especially in developing countries where poultry housing is not mechanized to maintain temperature. Heat stress exerts adverse effects on

that production performance is not hampered.

poultry water intake.

*by Mathew Gitau Gicheha*
