Improved performance of broilers by structural manipulation of feed: Evidence from gizzard development, nutrient digestibility, gut microflora and gene expression

Spreadsheet and document details from trials supporting a PhD Thesis. Thesis Abstract: The legislation to ban the use of in-feed antibiotics in the poultry industry in European Union and voluntarily removal of antibiotics in animal feed have led to the emergence of wet litter problems, imbalanced gut microflora and reduced nutrient digestibility due to enteric disorders such as necrotic enteritis. Thus, the performance, health and welfare of broilers are affected and the profitability in the industry compromised. There has been a concerted effort to find alternative strategies to modulate gut microflora, augment the immune response and reduce pathogens through management and nutritional intervention, such as the inclusion of fibre and large particle size in diet, in an attempt to improve health and digestive efficiency of broilers. The current thesis examined a variety of strategies to minimise and tackle the issues that raised after the ban of in-feed antibiotics in the poultry industry.