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Gut Health in Poultry: The Foundation of Disease Resistance and Performance

Introduction

In modern poultry production, achieving optimal growth, efficient feed utilization and consistent performance requires much more than just balanced nutrition. The gut  often called the “second brain” plays a central role in maintaining health, digestion and immunity. A healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract ensures that birds not only digest and absorb nutrients effectively but also resist pathogens and environmental stress.

In commercial poultry systems, however, gut health is frequently compromised due to high-density rearing, feed transitions, pathogenic exposure  and heat stress. These factors disrupt the delicate balance of the intestinal microflora, leading to diarrhoea, uneven growth, reduced feed conversion and lower productivity.

To address these challenges, natural and scientifically balanced formulations like DIAGUT, a synergistic combination of selected herbs and yeast, have emerged as effective tools to modulate intestinal function, enhance gut absorption and promote overall GI health.

The Central Role of Gut Health in Poultry

The intestinal tract of poultry is home to trillions of microorganisms  bacteria, fungi and yeast collectively known as the gut microbiota. This ecosystem influences not just digestion, but also immunity, metabolism and disease resistance.

When the gut flora is balanced, beneficial microbes dominate, producing metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that nourish the intestinal lining and inhibit harmful bacteria. However, when this balance is disturbed due to stress, contaminated feed, or infections like E. coli or Clostridium the result is dysbiosis, leading to inflammation, diarrhoea and poor nutrient absorption.

A compromised gut means the bird must divert energy from growth and egg production toward repairing intestinal damage  resulting in poor Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), low productivity and economic losses.

How DIAGUT Supports Gut Integrity and Performance

DIAGUT is formulated to naturally support intestinal integrity and microbial balance through herbal bioactives and yeast components. Its dual-action design works both at the microbial level (modulating gut flora) and the tissue level (enhancing villi growth and absorption).

1. Modulation of Gut Microflora

DIAGUT contains herbal actives with prebiotic and antimicrobial properties that reduce the colonization of harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium species. At the same time, it promotes the growth of beneficial microbes such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, maintaining a healthy intestinal balance essential for optimum digestion.

This microbial modulation helps in:

  • Preventing pathogen attachment to intestinal walls
  • Reducing toxin production
  • Enhancing enzymatic digestion and feed utilization
2. Strengthening the Intestinal Barrier

The intestinal mucosa acts as a critical protective barrier between the gut lumen and bloodstream. The bioactive phytocompounds in DIAGUT support mucosal regeneration and tight junction integrity, ensuring that pathogens and toxins are not absorbed into systemic circulation.In layers and breeders, this translates into reduced soiling of eggs, improved litter quality and better overall hygiene in the production environment.

3. Anti-Diarrhoeal and Gut-Protective Action

Herbal constituents in DIAGUT possess antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties that control diarrhoea of both specific and non-specific origins. Whether diarrhoea arises from infections, feed changes, or stress, the formulation restores gut tone and fluid balance without affecting normal digestion.

5. Improved Nutrient Absorption and Feed Efficiency

Healthy intestinal villi mean greater surface area for nutrient uptake. By promoting villi development and maintaining epithelial health, DIAGUT ensures better absorption of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

The overall effect is enhanced digestibility, improved FCR and steady weight gain in broilers, along with higher production and egg quality in layers and breeders.

References
  1. Oakley et al. 2014, Poultry Science.
  2. Bedford & Gong (2018, Animal Feed Science and Technology)
  3. Rinttilä & Apajalahti (2013, Poultry Science)
  4. Role of Physiology, Immunity, Microbiota, and Infectious Diseases in the Gut Health of Poultry