Egg yolk feed supplement may boost immune response in poultry

Adding egg yolk to the feed can help poultry naturally prevent diseases such as necrotizing enteritis and optimize performance.

“When animals are young and their gastrointestinal tract is not yet fully developed, birds are very susceptible to various diseases and microbes in general,” says Kimberly A. Livingston, Ph.D., chief scientist at Optum Immunity.

Livingston is one of many experts scheduled to speak at the Poultry Tech Summit October 30-November 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a one-of-a-kind event that promotes the transfer of innovative technologies from researchers and entrepreneurs to commercial applications for the benefit of the poultry industry.

Egg yolks contain a component that binds to and neutralizes excess IL-10, an anti-inflammatory molecule in the bird's gut.

When using egg yolk as a feed additive, this action allows the host's immune system to mount an adequate inflammatory response against various intestinal microbes. Most importantly, this process can restore inflammatory homeostasis when natural gut microbes are out of control in young chicks, resulting in reduced mortality, improved productivity, and less gut damage.

Thus, this feed additive acts as a drug-free alternative to antibiotics and anti-coccidia.

So far, the egg yolk feed supplement has been successfully tested in broilers, but Livingston believes it can also benefit laying hens and parent stock.