Feed Additives in Animal Health

Animal feed additives are used all over the world for various livestock including poultry for more reasons than one like to provide essential nutrients, increase palatability of the feed, improve their growth performance, as well as optimize the utilization of the feed. Animals with high growth performance need to maintain a high health status, and the use of proper additives is a predominant argument in such cases. With increasing industry standards and consumer awareness as well as demand for healthy food products of animal origin, there is an increased pressure on the industry for more natural and non-residual alternatives than the conventional feed additives used till recently as animal feed products. Consumer and animal welfare are primary concerns dictating the valuable alternatives of animal feed additives. Some of the alternatives seen for use as animal feed additives are probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, and herbs. Such choice of feed additives is backed by scientific and empirical research on these alternatives as herbs and their extracts (botanicals) have been found to have a wide range of activity which cannot only stimulate feed intake but also stimulate endogenous secretions or have antimicrobial, coccidiostat, or anthelmintic activity.