09 27, 2019

ENHANCING POULTRY PRODUCTION THROUGH EARLY CHICK NUTRITION

 

 

Poultry production represents one of the fastest ways of increasing animal protein as needed by humans for consumption and production of other products. The poultry industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sector of the livestock industry with an ever rising increase in meat and egg production. This rising increase in poultry production over these past years can be attributed to a lot of factors including ongoing development in poultry genetic makeup and its application to nutrition. To continue this progress in productivity attention should be given more to early chick nutrition.

  Early feeding of chicks has a great effect in activating the right momentum of growth in chicks. It not only utilizes the residual yolk faster but also increases body weight gain and enhances the gastrointestinal tract development in chicks.

Early feeding utilizes the residual yolk faster. The residual yolk is usually absorbed and utilized by the chick within three to four days of hatching. Recent studies shows that the residual yolk is absorbed more quickly by chicks that have access to feed immediately after hatching than those fasted for 40- 48 hours. This is because the anti-peristaltic movement that transfers the yolk from yolk stalk to the duodenum appears to be stimulated by the presence of feed in the gut.

The post hatch period is critical for the digestive tract because the system is switching itself from ‘off’ to ‘on’. The first day after hatching is critical for the development of body systems in the chicken and certain types of manipulations must occur during the first days in order to achieve long term effects. The gastrointestinal tract which is sterile at the time of birth undergoes exposure to different antigens through the passage of feed. The earlier the food passes through the tract, sooner the proliferating stem cells meet environmental antigens that help create a wider antibody repertoire. Intestine is the primary nutrient supply organ. The sooner it develops its functional capacity, the faster the young chick can utilize dietary nutrients and grow to its genetic potential and resist infectious and metabolic diseases. 

Early nutrition is very important for meat and muscle production. As early chick nutrition is practised occurrence such as exhibition of stunted growth, poor feed conversion, reduced disease resistance and poor meat yield in the long term is been reduced and productivity increased greatly.  ENHANCING POULTRY PRODUCTION THROUGH EARLY CHICK NUTRITION

 

 

Poultry production represents one of the fastest ways of increasing animal protein as needed by humans for consumption and production of other products. The poultry industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sector of the livestock industry with an ever rising increase in meat and egg production. This rising increase in poultry production over these past years can be attributed to a lot of factors including ongoing development in poultry genetic makeup and its application to nutrition. To continue this progress in productivity attention should be given more to early chick nutrition.

  Early feeding of chicks has a great effect in activating the right momentum of growth in chicks. It not only utilizes the residual yolk faster but also increases body weight gain and enhances the gastrointestinal tract development in chicks.

Early feeding utilizes the residual yolk faster. The residual yolk is usually absorbed and utilized by the chick within three to four days of hatching. Recent studies shows that the residual yolk is absorbed more quickly by chicks that have access to feed immediately after hatching than those fasted for 40- 48 hours. This is because the anti-peristaltic movement that transfers the yolk from yolk stalk to the duodenum appears to be stimulated by the presence of feed in the gut.

The post hatch period is critical for the digestive tract because the system is switching itself from ‘off’ to ‘on’. The first day after hatching is critical for the development of body systems in the chicken and certain types of manipulations must occur during the first days in order to achieve long term effects. The gastrointestinal tract which is sterile at the time of birth undergoes exposure to different antigens through the passage of feed. The earlier the food passes through the tract, sooner the proliferating stem cells meet environmental antigens that help create a wider antibody repertoire. Intestine is the primary nutrient supply organ. The sooner it develops its functional capacity, the faster the young chick can utilize dietary nutrients and grow to its genetic potential and resist infectious and metabolic diseases. 

Early nutrition is very important for meat and muscle production. As early chick nutrition is practised occurrence such as exhibition of stunted growth, poor feed conversion, reduced disease resistance and poor meat yield in the long term is been reduced and productivity increased greatly.