The Role of Gut Health in Egg Production and Longevity

When we think about chicken health and productivity, gut health often takes a backseat to more obvious factors like nutrition, coop conditions, and disease prevention. However, while nutrition and living conditions are key, the digestive system actually plays a large role in determining not only the overall health of your flock, but also their egg production and longevity.

So let’s explore the role of gut health in chickens and how you can boost gut health for a more productive flock of healthy, happy hens!

Key Takeaways

• The Importance of Gut Health: Gut health is essential for the well-being, productivity, and longevity of laying hens.
• A Healthy Digestive System: A balanced gut microbiome plays a key role in egg production, nutrient absorption, and immune function. It influences egg quality and overall health.
• Influencing Gut Health: Taking steps to improve gut health will help increase the productivity and longevity of your flock.
• Practical Tips for Promoting Gut Health: A healthy diet free from mycotoxins, plenty of clean, fresh water, and a low-stress lifestyle are the foundation of good gut health in chickens. 
• Supplements for Gut Health: Adding probiotics, phytogenics, organic acids and fermented feeds to the diet may also improve gut health, particularly during periods of stress.

Why Gut Health Matters

Gut health plays a crucial role in the overall health, productivity, and longevity of laying hens. It is key to egg production and the immune system.

The gastrointestinal tract of chickens is home to a complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and protozoa, called the gut microbiome. When this microbial community is balanced, it creates an ideal environment for digestion and contributes to overall health.

The digestion of feed and absorption of nutrients directly affects energy levels, nutrition and egg quality. A healthy gut microbiome is essential to absorbing nutrients and converting feed into energy. In addition, the gut is often the site of disease challenges, so a healthy gut microbiome is essential for a good immune system.

The information below is based on these scientific studies regarding the importance of gut health, the role that the gut microbiome plays and factors that influence chicken gut health.

The Gut-Egg Connection

A healthy gut is the foundation for optimal egg production in laying hens. Although productivity is influenced by age, breed and season, the other key factor is nutrition. Hens with poor nutrition will not lay well and may not lay at all!

No matter how good their diet is, if chickens don’t have a healthy digestive system, they won’t have the nutrition they need to thrive and produce healthy eggs.

A healthy gut in chickens means:

• Improved Feed Conversion: Feed conversion is the extraction of energy and nutrients from food. Hens with good digestion and a healthy gut microbiome can extract energy and nutrients more efficiently, getting more benefit from the same amount of feed. This not only reduces feed costs, but also makes it easier for chickens to meet the energy requirements of egg production.
• Better Nutrient Absorption: A healthy gut allows for better absorption of essential nutrients. This includes amino acids, which often determine the level of egg production, as well as calcium for eggshell formation. Good nutrition is essential for hens to maintain health and productivity, particularly over the long term.
• Disease Resistance: A healthy gut microbiome helps prevent diseases, including salmonella and E. coli, meaning your chickens are healthier and less likely to have diarrhoea. In turn, eggs will be cleaner and safer, and your chickens will be more productive.

Gut Health and Longevity

Gut health in chickens isn’t just about nutrition for egg production. It also plays a crucial role in influencing the overall longevity of laying hens. This is due to the role of the gut in the immune system, as well as the importance of nutrition for overall health.

Here is how gut health contributes to chicken longevity:

• Enhanced Immune Function: The gut is a major site of immune activity in chickens. A healthy gut microbiome helps fight off diseases and improves immune system function.
• Better Metabolic Health: The gut microbiota influences various metabolic processes (the way nutrients are processed to maintain energy and egg production). A healthy gut can help prevent metabolic disorders such as fatty liver disease and obesity.
• Increased Stress Resistance: Chickens are particularly susceptible to stress, which decreases egg production and overall health. A healthy gut microbiome can help hens better cope with stress as well as reducing the incidence of stress-causing illness and deficiency.
• Reduced Inflammation: A well-balanced gut microbiota helps reduce inflammation, which can otherwise negatively impact long-term health and productivity.

Practical Tips for Promoting Gut Health in Your Flock

Here are some actionable steps you can take to ensure your chickens have optimal gut health, leading to better egg production and longer lives.

A High-Quality Diet

A high-quality, balanced diet is essential for gut health, and consistency in the diet is also important to maintain the gut microbiome.

For chickens, the best diet for gut health and general health is:

• A complete layer feed in pellet form
• A small amount of whole grains (less than 10 % of the diet) e.g. chicken scratch mix, wheat or cracked corn
• Some forage (grass, leafy greens)
• Free-access to grit (Shell Grit for laying hens and plain grit for other birds)

Any other dietary additions, such as scraps, should not be fed every day. All additions, include whole grains and forage, should still be less than 10 % of the diet. You can learn more about the best diet for laying hens here.

Mycotoxin Management

Mycotoxins occur in mouldy feed. They can have a detrimental effect on gut health and can also cause illness or death. 

Never feed your chickens mouldy food and ensure uneaten scraps or fermented feed are removed daily. Adding Salgard Feed Hygiene Liquid to your feed can also help prevent mould and bacteria. 

Clean, Fresh Water

Water plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Cool, fresh water is essential because it encourages chickens to drink more, which in turn supports better digestion and nutrient absorption. In addition, water must be clean and free from contaminants such as algae, dirt and feed, in order to prevent the spread of pathogens.

Never use an open container for your chickens' water. Dine a Chook Drinkers are engineered to prevent water contamination and are fitted with Nipple or Drinker Cup outlets, which are the most hygienic options for poultry. The addition of ACV to the drinking water can also prevent the spread of harmful pathogens.

Create a Low-Stress Coop

Chickens are particularly susceptible to stress, which can impact gut health. A low-stress environment not only keeps your chickens happy but also ensures they remain productive and healthy throughout their laying cycle.

Many things can cause stress to chickens, from nutritional deficiencies to predators. For a comprehensive look at stress in backyard chicken coops and how to manage it, check out this science-based article on the blog.

Supplements for Gut Health

In addition to providing a high-quality diet, studies have found a range of supplements that can help improve gut health in chickens. These supplements will benefit your chickens at any time, but they are particularly important to help maintain gut health if your chickens are suffering from stress or illness.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

There is a growing body of evidence to support the benefit of probiotics for poultry. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support gut health and help maintain a balanced gut microbiome.

Adding an avian probiotic to your chicken’s diet can help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Probiotics are particularly beneficial after your chickens have had a course of antibiotics or other medication. They are also recommended for chickens suffering from heat stress, but can be beneficial during any sort of stress, from moulting to predation.

Phytogenics and Organic Acids

Certain phytogenics (plant compounds) have shown positive effects on gut health by reducing inflammation, improving intestinal barriers, and enhancing digestion, while a shortage of key organic acids, such as amino acids, can have a negative impact on the gut microbiome.

Try supplements such as Oregano Oil, a phytogenic, and Salgard Feed Additive, which contains organic acids, to help improve and maintain gut health.

Fermented Feed

Fermented feed is also linked to improved gut health in chickens. Fermentation introduces beneficial bacteria into the feed, which helps improve digestion and nutrient absorption. It also breaks down anti-nutritional factors, making foods easier to digest.

While fermenting chicken feed is easy - you just soak it in water for 12-48 hours - it does take more work and have more risks that normal feed. If fermented correctly, fermented feed is full of beneficial bacteria. But in unhygienic conditions, fermented feed can grow harmful bacteria and mycotoxins. In addition, fermented feed must be made fresh daily, leading to more waste.

Conclusion

Gut health is often an overlooked aspect of raising a productive and healthy flock, yet it plays a crucial role in egg production and the overall longevity of laying hens. By focusing on promoting a balanced gut microbiome through dietary choices, supplementing with fermented feeds and probiotics, and preventing stressors, you can enhance your chickens’ health and productivity. Remember, a healthy gut leads to better nutrient absorption, stronger immunity, and greater resistance to diseases—all of which contribute to your flock’s long-term well-being.

Happy chicken keeping!

Rachael at Dine a Chook Australia