Infective pressure and immunity in poultry farms

Infections are constantly challenging poultry and are a risk for the farms’ economy because of the intensive rearing conditions, which include high densities and high infection pressures. These add up to the high prevalence of immunosuppressive diseases such as the Newcastle disease (ND), infectious bronchitis (IBV) [1], [2], and to the use of commercial lines highly selected towards production (growth and reproduction) without considering disease resistance, making the problem much more difficult to address.

For all these reasons, infections have  a great economic impact in the farms related to mortality, treatments expenses, and poor productive performance [1]. The latter can have huge economic consequences even in subclinical cases.

Hence, investing in prevention is recommended; biosecurity programs, management and feed are a good target. Management should include vaccination plans to immunize birds against the most relevant infectious diseases in the area.

These preventive measures are favored by the use of immunoboosters, substances capable of promoting the functioning of the immune system with the aim to improve resistance to infections [3].

Immunobooster pronutrients in poultry

Immunobooster pronutrients help to prevent infectious diseases that have a direct impact on morbidity and mortality rates, and they indirectly help to improve performance and reduce the use of antibiotics as treatments.

It is important to choose an immunostimulant whose efficacy has been testes with a well-defined mechanism of action. This is the case of immunostimulant pronutrients, which are botanical molecules that optimize the functioning of the immune system of birds, the one in charge of protecting the organism against external agents [3].

Their mechanism of action was defined in in vitro studies, and it is based on the stimulation of specific genes, such as CCL20 and HOXA3, in the targeted immune cells that are related to immune system’s physiology and resistance against infections. Besides, pronutrients in the field proved were proved effective to:

• Improve vaccines efficacy: they help to take more profit of vaccines by increasing the production of antibodies after their administration. They also prevent the loss of vaccine efficacy related to immunosuppression, since they maintain the immune system working at physiological levels.
• Reduce morbidity and mortality: survival rate increases as treatment expenses decrease.
• Higher performance yield: healthy animals do not need to use their energy to recover after and infection and use all the nutrients to grow and produce eggs and/or meat.

Field results with pronutrients

Immunobooster pronutrients’ efficacy was evaluated in many field trials conducted in poultry, whether broilers, layers, turkeys or ducks [4], which showed that these active molecules improve vaccines’ efficacy and, consequently, animal welfare and performance in the farms. These trials were conducted in experimental centers and commercial farms with the aim to prove that they are affective under different situations.

In broiler chickens [5], more specifically 131,480 birds in a control group and 56,200 in the groups with pronutrients, all birds received the same vaccinations against ND (days 10 and 23 of age) but birds in pronutrients group also received immunobooster pronutrients from day 1 to 10 and, later, from day 11 to 20.

Results proved that the group with immunoboosters obtained higher antibody titters (+36%), and indicator of greater vaccine efficacy and, therefore, greater protection against this disease. This improvement was shown to improve productive performance, since the group with pronutrients obtained better weight (+3%), feed conversion rate (-1.7%) and mortality (-15.7%).

Other benefits derived from the use of immunobooster pronturients

Immunobooster pronutrients can have a positive effect on carcass quality, mainly because they reduce the likelihood of animals being affected by diseases that cause energy loss and, therefore, reduce the percent of meat in the carcasses. Moreover, they reduce the prevalence of diseases that may affect part of the bird that are commercially valued.

For example, in a trial conducted in ducks, apart from reducing mortality by 17%  and the feed conversion rate by 3.5%, seizure at slaughter were decreased by 30% and class A carcasses increased by 7% thanks to using immunobooster pro nutrients.

For all this, it is important to study the use of immunostimulant pronutrients in a broad approach, considering the additive’s cost as well as all the benefits derived from their use. Besides, it is also recommended to choose immunoboosters with an important scientific background and field results, as in the case of immunostimulant pronutrients.

Conclusions

High infection pressures, intensive rearing conditions and selection of breeds in favor of performance rather than health led to a higher prevalence of infection in poultry farms. With the aim to reduce the consequences of infections, the use of effective immunostimulants is highly recommended.

Immunobooster pronutrients are a broadly proved solution that can prevent infections and reduce mortality and morbidity in the farms. Their administration associated with vaccinations helps to increase their efficacy and improves antibody production.

The improvement in bird welfare has a positive impact on performance and carcass quality, as it reduces seizures and improve type A carcass percentage.

Immunobooster pronutrients are marketed under the commercial name Alquernat Immuplus by Biovet S.A., available in premix (to be mixed with the feed) and liquid presentations (to be included in the drinking water). The product is añsp available for organic production systems.

Bibliography

• Hoerr, “Clinical Aspects of Immunosuppression in Poultry Invited Review — Clinical Aspects of Immunosuppression in Poultry,” Avian Dis., vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 2–15, 2010.
• Umar et al., “Immunosuppressive interactions of viral diseases in poultry,” Worlds. Poult. Sci. J., vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 121–135, 2016.
• Borrell, “Uso de pronutrientes de origen natural en veterinaria,” RACVE (Real Acad. Ciencias Vet. España), 2005.
• Borrell, “InmunologĂ­a Veterinaria,” in III Curso Internacional de Avicultura, 2018.
• Technonews, “EvaluaciĂłn de la actividad de un inmunoestimulante en broilers tras la vacunaciĂłn contra el virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle (NDV),” Veterinaria Digital2, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.veterinariadigital.com/post_blog/evaluacion-inmunoestimulante-broilers-tras-vacunacion-enfermedad-newcastle-ndv/. [Accessed: 31-May-2021].