Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    3. June 2025
    4. 2025 Innovation supplement
    5. May 2025
    6. April 2025
    7. March 2025
    8. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    9. February 2025
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    20. June 2024
    21. 2024 Innovation supplement
    22. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    23. May 2024
    24. April 2024
    25. March 2024
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    31. October 2023
    32. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    33. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJuly 1, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Health & Welfare

Silicon supplement could improve bone strength and welfare of millions of chickens a year

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanNovember 22, 20183 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Scientists have found a way to develop a silicon food supplement for poultry, which could provide a major boost to the health and welfare of millions of chickens produced every year.
For the first time the team from Nottingham Trent University were able to devise a method that kept silicon in a form that was both absorbable and useable by the body.

It has been known for some time that silicon is essential to life and has the capacity to improve the integrity of body tissues, but natural silicon often exists in forms (silicate minerals) that are extremely difficult for the body to make use of.

The development could have a significant impact in the poultry industry, as the fast growth of modern strains of meat chicken often leads to lameness and skeletal issues.

By understanding all of the chemical factors which dictate the likelihood of silicon being absorbed by the body, the team was able to develop a process for combining other key ingredients to enable it to be added into animal feed.

Chickens were fed different doses of the silicon supplement to identify whether it was being absorbed by the body and reaching the target areas.

The researchers found that, not only did the amount circulating in the blood directly correspond with the amount offered in the feed, but the bones of the birds fed the supplement were stronger than those who were not.

Chicken is the world’s most commonly consumed meat, with 50 billion birds produced each year. Lameness is recorded in about 4% of these, meaning the supplement could potentially benefit millions of individual birds a year.

The team state that the supplement could be valuable for the welfare of all chickens, including layers, as well as  other vertebrate species which face challenges in how well their body develops or where bone breakages are a problem.

This could include athletes hoping to reduce healing time for minor fractures, elderly people at risk of fractures from falls, or racehorses in training.

The study, reported in the journal Scientific Reports, involved Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences and School of Science and Technology.

“The skeletal challenges associated with the fast growth of modern strains of meat chicken made them a natural target for this new silicon feed supplement,” said Dr Emily Burton, Head of the Poultry Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University.

She said: “Modern strains of meat chicken grow incredibly quickly and although poultry breeding companies now include leg strength among the traits they breed for, it is still a huge challenge to rear birds without lameness issues. The immaturity of the skeletal structure just struggles to support the muscle weight of the growing bird.

Distinguished Professor Carole Perry, Head of the Biomolecular Materials Interface Research Group at Nottingham Trent University, added: “Our findings are very exciting indeed. Even the smallest improvement in skeletal integrity of the world’s 50 billion chickens produced every year, will improve the welfare of millions of individual birds, and increase the production efficiency of the world’s most commonly consumed meat.”

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleSainsbury’s and Asda merger could increase pressure on farmers, NFU says
Next Article Profits slide at 2 Sisters in “harsh environment”
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Health & Welfare

Tackling red mite

July 4, 20254 Mins Read
Health & Welfare

£1 billion boost for UK biosecurity with new national centre

June 26, 20252 Mins Read
Health & Welfare

Avian Influenza confirmed in North Yorkshire

June 23, 20251 Min Read
Latest News

Pershore’s finest

July 4, 2025

Tackling red mite

July 4, 2025

Comment: Morrisons painful decision to stock imported chicken

July 4, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.