Optimal Gut and Survival in AGP-Free Broilers: Effects of Medium-Chain Glycerides and Phytogenics

The key to optimal animal production is a balanced gut. Performance pressure renders broilers vulnerable to infectious and/or non-infectious triggers. With the European withdrawal of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) in 2006, enteric broiler diseases became more prevalent in the EU. A common syndrome causing intestinal health aberrance is called ‘dysbiosis’ or ‘dysbacteriosis’ [1]. This condition hampers a proper digestion thus compromises productivity, survival and well being whilst increasing time and cost of therapeutic treatment. More recently, also the therapeutic antibiotic use is monitored in many EU countries. For instance in Belgium (AMCRA, Belgium, EU), stringent goals have been set towards 2020 and further on, aiming to reduce and preferable abandon antimicrobials in animal husbandry. All of this to monitor and diminish antibiotic resistance in production animals to safeguard animal and human health and well-being.