Nutrition and immunity in poultry flocks

Interactions between nutrition and the immune system have been the centre of attention in scientific communities over the past few years. It is already known that most nutrients are involved in the development of the immune system and its responses.

The effectiveness of this system is largely dependent on dietary conditions and it can be adversely affected by an inadequate supply of nutrients. Under commercial conditions, birds are usually exposed to a wide variety of stress factors which might alter the requirements for nutrients.

It is clear that a well-fed animal is immunologically more competent than a poorly fed animal. Nutrition and nutritional status have direct effects on the immunocompetence of birds and their resistance to infectious diseases.

Nutritional imbalances (particularly nutrient deficiencies) are more deleterious to the immune system early in life when the immune system is rapidly expanding.

On the other hand, immune responses caused by infectious challenges or other stressors can affect nutrient metabolism/requirements, growth rate, and reproductive efficiency of birds.

Does immune system enhancement have any place in your poultry farm’s ration formula? If so, do you follow the commercial manual of your flock or do you act following your previous experiences?

Do you think that the nutritional approach is adequate to deal effectively with the immune system of your birds – particularly fast growing broilers? Let’s share our experiences here.


For more articles on Nutrition check out the Article Archive