Provides saponins and polyphenols made from plant products, also known as plant products, A validation study conducted at North Carolina State University (NCSU) found that hens and egg-laying hens had no negative impact on performance or egg quality.
“In a validation study, you don’t want to see that much of a difference between treatments,” explains Dimitri Malheiros, a graduate student in the Prestige Department of Poultry Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NCSU.
“Anything we observed that improved performance could be attributed to the effect of improving gut health. This was just to verify.”
Recent research suggests that plant-based feed additives can help improve intestinal health and protect against various diseases in poultry. In particular, the combination of these saponins and polyphenols Quillaya Saponaria and Yucca Schidigera Biomass is beneficial against coccidiosis and necrotizing enterocolitis infections.
Impact of plant feed additives on performance
This project aimed to verify the properties of this plant-based feed additive in young and laying hens.
The results showed that baby birds fed plant-based feed additives had lower feed intake and equal body weight compared to the control group.
“We don’t know why because we haven’t looked at the histology of the intestines, but we think it’s because the intestines are better able to absorb the nutrients they need,” Professor Malheiros said.
Additionally, no statistical differences were observed in the performance of laying hens or in egg size, grade or quality compared to the control group.
Malheiros noted that the hens in this study were unharmed, meaning they were not intentionally exposed to coccidiosis or other diseases.
“I really hope this trial is challenged and conducted on a large scale,” he added.
This research was originally presented as an oral presentation at the 2024 International Poultry Science Forum (IPSF), part of the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Georgia.
