Sweden currently has about 8.6 million laying hens, which produce around 148,000 tonnes of eggs each year, meaning the 2.3% of total European production.

Egg production in Sweden has increased by 42% since 2009, from 104,000 tonnes to the current 148,000 tonnes, although this growth has slowed in recent years (Figure 1).

Sweden is one of the countries with the highest percentage of organic egg production, with 14.3% of total egg production, only behind Denmark, with 33%. In the case of Sweden, organic egg production is subject to the guidelines established according to the KRAV^® Standard, the necessary accreditation for producing organic egg.

Requirements for such certification include the maximum density of animals per square metre, the area of pasture required per bird, as well as the maximum number of animals per batch, among other guidelines.

Organic egg production has increased in all the countries of the European Union, however, this type of production entails the emergence of new problems.

In organic production systems, birds must have access to the outside and this implies direct contact with the field, which means that these birds are exposed to a large number of pathogens, to a greater extent than housed birds, without access to the outside and were houses are disinfected after each batch.

It is important to bear in mind that poultry selection has been directed mainly to obtain a higher productive performance, that is, to obtain a greater egg production per housed bird, and has left aside, the immune capacity of birds to respond to infections by different pathogens.

Therefore, the appearance of problems associated with both parasites, as is the case of coccidiosis caused by different species of the genera Eimeria sp., as with intestinal dysbiosis caused by bacteria, is more frequent than in conventional egg production systems. These infections cause a significant decrease in egg production, as well as a greater presence of dirty eggs with the consequent impact for the public health.

In this sense, it is essential to offer egg producers natural solutions, and with organic certification that allow preventing these problems. These solutions include intestinal optimizer pronutrients, aimed at optimizing the immunity of birds and thus preventing protozoan infections such as coccidiosis. Intestinal optimizer pronutrients are active molecules of botanical origin that boost the local immune system of the intestine of birds, which allows to prevent this parasitosis.

At the same time, as they are molecules of natural origin, so they do not leave residues in animals, do not create resistance and are available under organic certification.

Intestinal optimizing pronutrients are marketed under the name of Alquernat Zycox of Biovet S.A.