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Probiotics, Prebiotics & Yeast: Do Your Chickens Need Them?

Probiotics, prebiotics and yeasts are three big buzzwords in backyard flock nutrition – but what’s the story behind these feed ingredients and how do they work?

Gordon Ballam, Ph.D., director of lifestyle innovation & technical service for Purina Animal Nutrition, says probiotics, prebiotics and yeasts aid in feed digestion and nutrient absorption by supporting digestive health.

“The hen’s digestive tract is complex, with many moving pieces,” he says.  “After birds gather and eat feed, the feed travels to the foregut (esophagus, crop, proventriculus and gizzard) where it is digested and prepared for absorption. Feed then travels to the midgut, or the small intestine. Here, nutrients begin to be absorbed. Remaining nutrients travel to the hindgut (large intestine, ceca and cloaca) where waste is excreted.”

“Millions of bacteria, known as microflora, live inside the digestive system,” Ballam says. “Some of these bacteria are beneficial, while others are harmful and can cause digestive upset and internal damage. The success of the digestive system depends on a higher ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria.”

One way to promote this internal balance is with probiotics, prebiotics and yeasts. Look for these ingredients in a complete layer feed.

Probiotics

Probiotics work to strengthen the beneficial bacteria in the digestive system.

“Probiotics are essentially the beneficial bacteria required by the digestive tract,” Ballam says. “They support the other bacteria in the digestive tract.  A healthy digestive system helps feed to break down and be absorbed which supports chick and hen health. You can feed these beneficial bacteria directly to your birds through their feed.”

Prebiotics

The role of prebiotics is to provide nutrients to the healthy bacteria.

“While prebiotics help support digestive health, they work differently than probiotics,” Ballam explains. “Prebiotics are not actual live bacteria, but are a form of carbohydrate. This carbohydrate provides nutrition to the healthy bacteria, supporting their growth.”
 

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