Nutrition and Production

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**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

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**1. Introduction**

Advances in Poultry Nutrition

Poultry production involving farmed avian species (chickens, turkeys and ducks) is globally recognised as a vital aspect of animal agriculture. It contributes greatly to supply of high-quality protein (meat and egg) for humans. The intensification and commercialization of the poultry sector is accelerated and continues to be so as a result of research discoveries in the field of breeding, nutrition, housing management and disease control. However, the explosion in poultry nutrition research, in particular, has significant impact on the success of the poultry sector. The progress in nutritional research is made possible by several advanced techniques reported by researchers in both academia and industry. Nutritional research is mainly geared towards improving knowledge on ingredients good for the growth and health of the bird and of nutritional requirements for various types and classes of birds, as well as the ability to match nutritional requirements of any type or class of bird for variable conditions including that of the environment. This chapter discusses the importance and growth of the poultry sector. Also, nutritional research efforts over the years, achievements, some notable advance research techniques employed, and challenges confronting nutritional research in the 21st Century have

**Keywords:** poultry, nutrition, research, advanced techniques, review

Globally, poultry (avian species such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and guinea fowls) production is an important aspect of the animal agriculture. It is undeniable fact that the intensification and commercialization of the poultry sector is accelerated by research discoveries in the field of breeding, nutrition, housing management and disease control. That is to say, the success of the poultry sector is underpinned by considerable research efforts over the years through application of scientific innovations. These research efforts were largely geared towards the following: improving genetic strains specialised for food use (meat and eggs) and regional conditions; improving knowledge of nutritional requirements and ability to match these for variable conditions; and ensuring stable environment for growth and production. These research efforts are still ongoing in the light of new challenges facing the animal industry in terms of birds' welfare and issues of environmental pollution as well as consumers' concerns of food quality and safety.

So far, the objectives of nutritional research include selecting ingredients good for the growth of the bird, enabling conditions for the bird to express its full genetic potential, eliminating certain disease conditions, reducing the cost of production,

Research-A Review

*Herbert Kwabla Dei*
