Poultry producers face increasing challenges, but a new generation of feeds additives has the potential to unlock production potential as Chloe Paine, poultry technical manager at Trouw Nutrition GB explains.
The traditional focus of poultry producers on maximising output and profitability is now intertwined with regulatory demands, consumer expectations, animal welfare standards and sustainability goals. The increased complexity of systems requires innovative solutions that go beyond single-target approaches.
Factors including suboptimal environmental conditions, housing, stocking density, nutrition and disease pressure all impact on performance. These conditions are often associated with inflammation, reduced nutrient absorption and impaired gut barrier function in birds which divert nutrients away from growth and egg production and explains why producers experience a gap between production performance and genetic potential. Exploiting full genetic potential will have a significant impact on profitability and the achievement of other objectives.
Feed additives have become an important weapon in the producers’ armoury to help maintain productivity while meeting higher standards and meeting increased regulation. The first generation of additives were single function products, but our increased understanding of plant-based solutions means the next generation can address multiple challenges.
Trouw Nutrition PhytoComplexes are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds derived from plants. Unlike products that isolate a single active ingredient, PhytoComplexes retain the full spectrum of plant metabolites, preserving the natural complexity that underpins their effectiveness. Plants have evolved a vast array of specialised metabolites to survive and adapt, and these compounds interact with animal physiology through intricate biochemical communication. The PhytoComplexes make use of this and modulate the animal’s immune function, metabolism, and stress response via signal transduction pathways in the gut. It is a host-mediated approach which supports resilience and wellbeing from within.
Trouw Nutrition has established a specialist development centre in Switzerland dedicated to advancing the use of these products in animal nutrition. The development of a PhytoComplex begins with pinpointing a specific challenge that may hinder a bird from reaching its full genetic potential. For example, broilers often face subclinical, chronic inflammation, which can reduce growth rates and feed efficiency even in the absence of overt disease.
Once the challenge is defined, biological mechanisms are mapped, including receptors in the gut and enzymes in metabolic pathways. This target-driven approach ensures that discovery efforts are grounded in biology and tailored to the needs of animal nutrition.
Candidate plants are identified and screening is conducted to evaluate the full range of specialized metabolites each plant can produce. Candidate plants demonstrating consistent and relevant biological effects progress to the next stage, where plants are cultivated with the focus on optimising the yield of the compounds most relevant to animal performance.
Based on the PhytoComplex principles of preserving nature’s complexity, targeting specific biological mechanisms, and delivering measurable benefits to animal health and resilience, Fytera Perform is one example of the products available which delivers benefits to poultry producers.
Fytera Perform is a micro-encapsulated blend of essential oils containing the target phyto-actives from three plants with more than 15 individual compounds. Scientific research has shown that the active ingredients contained in Fytera Perform improved feed conversion rate and delayed Campylobacter colonisation, improved the structural integrity of the intestinal mucus layer and facilitated nutrient absorption.
In 15 trials carried out across four continents broilers that received Fytera Perform at 25 g/ton showed significant improvements over control groups. Broilers that received Fytera Perform in their diet showed improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased final body weight compared to the control groups (see graph). These performance gains were achieved without affecting mortality or feed intake.
As the poultry industry navigates a future defined by complexity and change, phytotechnology will play a pivotal role in supporting animal health, performance, and sustainability. Trouw Nutrition’s commitment to innovation and products such as Fytera Perform, demonstrates that science-based PhytoComplex solutions can support producers, animals, and the planet.
PhytoComplexes are more than products. They are science-based, nature-inspired, and solution-driven, designed to meet the evolving challenges of animal production and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future.