Jagadeesh N and Chanthirasekaran R
Kemin Industries South Asia Pvt. Ltd.
NATURAL IMMUNOMODULATION FOR SUSTAINABLE POULTRY HEALTH
In recent years, genetic selection has significantly boosted poultry production efficiency, improving growth rates, feed conversion, and processing yields. However, this focus on performance traits has often compromised bird immunity. Combined with intensive farming and confined housing, poultry are increasingly exposed to pathogens and stress. Therefore, several tools like vaccination, biosecurity, and antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have helped to maintain health and productivity. Yet, due to rising concerns over antimicrobial resistance and shifting consumer preferences, the industry is moving toward natural alternatives.
Immunomodulators have emerged as a promising solution, supporting the immune system and enhancing disease resistance, growth, and feed efficiency. Among these, ALETA™ Flex, a next-generation linear 1,3 beta-glucan derived from Euglena gracilis, helps the bird to improve immunity and performance.
Key Benefits of ALETA™ Flex:
- Better disease resistance
- Reduces stress
- Improves gut health
- Anti-inflammatory action.
This makes ALETA™ Flex an effective and sustainable alternative to AGPs, especially in antibiotic-free production environments.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the trial was to check the efficacy of ALETA™ Flex on the immunity of breeder chicks & growers in terms of mortality, uniformity, and serology titer in actual farm conditions in Cobb-430y broiler breeders.
TRIAL DESIGN
The experiment was conducted in a well-managed broiler breeder farm in Udumalpet, India, in 2023. The details of the experimental groups are given in Table 1. A total of 36510 Cobb-430y broiler parent female (F) birds were selected for a 16-week study. Birds were placed in two different sheds with an open-sided Californian cage system of rearing under natural environmental conditions. The birds were fed with a breeder crumble feed diet and ad libitum water during the experimental period.
Table 1: Dosage and trial details of experimental groups
| GROUP | DESCRIPTION | NUMBER OF BIRDS |
| Control | Breeder diet without any immune modulators | 19,500 F |
| Treatment- ALETA™ Flex* | Breeder diet with ALETA™ Flex through feed for 16 weeks at the dose of 500 g per ton of feed | 17,010 F |
PARAMETERS MEASURED
- Livability – assessed in terms of mortality %
- Uniformity – by average Body weight (BW) with CV%
- Vaccination Response / Uniformity – by blood serum analysis for ND, IB, IBD, REO, MG & MS ELISA titer estimation.
RESULTS
Results indicated that the treatment group fed with ALETA™ Flex had low mortality & better uniformity, and good ELISA titer. The current trial data & tested reports indicate that the ALETA™ Flex treated group is better compared to the control. The detailed results are mentioned below.
Impact on Mortality:
For the total trial period of 16 weeks, the ALETA™ Flex group had a Female mortality of 0.4% less compared to the control group, and weekly mortality details for both the ALETA & Control groups are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Mortality % of experimental groups (Female birds) during the trial period.
Uniformity (Body weight & CV%):
For the total trial period of 16 weeks, average body weight is almost normal in both the trial and control groups compared to standard body weight, but CV% is better by 1.1% in the ALETA™ Flex trial group than in the control group. Week-wise Body weight and CV% details for both the trial and control groups are given in Table 2, and a graphical representation of body weight for both the trial and control groups, along with the standard, is given in Figure 2.
Table 2: Female body weight with CV% of experimental groups during the trial period.
| ALETA – Female | Control – Female | Females | |||
| Age in Wks | ALETA B.wt | CV% | Control B.wt | CV% | Standard B.wt |
| 1 | 153 | 7.4 | 157 | 7.6 | 140 |
| 4 | 537 | 7.2 | 562 | 7.9 | 530 |
| 8 | 931 | 7.9 | 913 | 8.5 | 940 |
| 12 | 1322 | 8.3 | 1294 | 9.2 | 1310 |
| 16 | 1797 | 8.2 | 1788 | 9.3 | 1730 |
Figure 2: Female body weight of experimental groups during the trial period.
Vaccination Response (Serology titer):
Serology titers were analyzed for Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bronchitis (IB), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), Reoviral disease, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) at different periods during the trial study of 16 weeks. All four disease titers given in Table 3 are numerically and marginally better in the ALETA™ Flex trial group than in the control group. MG & MS are negative in both the trial and control groups. Breeder vaccination schedules are common for both trial and control groups.
Table 3: ND, IB, IBD & REO ELISA titer with CV% of experimental groups during the trial period.
| ND | ||||
| Age(wks) | Aleta | CV% | Control | CV% |
| 4 | 85 | 88 | 48 | 145 |
| 11 | 6431 | 22 | 5015 | 27 |
| 16 | 6207 | 20 | 7095 | 11 |
| IB | ||||
| Age(wks) | Aleta | CV% | Control | CV% |
| 4 | 101 | 79 | 147 | 52 |
| 11 | 3594 | 57 | 3106 | 40 |
| 16 | 3926 | 64 | 3454 | 59 |
| REO | ||||
| Age(wks) | Aleta | CV% | Control | CV% |
| 4 | 85 | 88 | 48 | 145 |
| 11 | 2549 | 64 | 2191 | 78 |
| 16 | 2802 | 87 | 2832 | 79 |
| IBD | ||||
| Age(wks) | Aleta | CV% | Control | CV% |
| 4 | 141 | 131 | 319 | 107 |
| 11 | 2677 | 68 | 1524 | 81 |
| 16 | 1850 | 62 | 1445 | 68 |
DISCUSSION
Usage of ALETA™ Flex in broiler breeders showed benefits in terms of productivity parameters, minimizing the cost of production of hatching eggs, and improving chick quality. Supplementation of ALETA™ Flex resulted in a reduction of mortality by 0.4% in females, and average body weight is even though normal in both trial and control groups compared to standard body weight, but CV% is better by 1.1% in the ALETA™ Flex trial group than the control group. There are no major natural or field challenges during the trial period. Also, it was indicated that ALETA™ Flex helped in maintaining the immunity of the birds by improving antibody titer for ND, IB, IBD & Reo vaccination.
CONCLUSION
The study concluded that ALETA™ Flex helped in improving the economic indices of broiler breeder birds with better performance in terms of better livability, body weight gain with better CV%, and improved immune parameters. Thus, ALETA™ Flex can be used as the best immune modulator to improve the health and immunity of chicks and growers, maintain optimum pullet uniformity, and improve livability.
References are available upon request