Overview of Research Programs

Nutrition and Gut Physiology

Program manager:

Enhanced quality and productivity using novel approaches to digestive physiology and metabolism of poultry.

The chicken meat and egg industries face challenges on a number of fronts, namely a shift away from some traditional feed ingredients, changing consumer perceptions and competition from imported poultry products, through to the phasing out of antibiotics for growth promotion.

Program 1 offers an integrated set of research projects aimed at establishing a healthy balance between the gastrointestinal tissue and its commensal bacteria (i.e., a healthy gut environment) early in the life of the chicken, and maintaining that balance throughout life without selective removal of the organisms using antibiotics, in ways that are acceptable to consumers.

Associated Projects