The incorporation of bentonites in aflatoxin-contaminated animal feeds to remedy aflatoxicosis has been tested widely in animal trials. Yet, a large variation in efficacy among samples has been observed which has been attributed to variations in the properties of the clay mineral adsorbents. The objectives of the current study were: (1) to evaluate the mineral and chemical composition of two selected bentonites to find minerals or elements which are potentially of concern; (2) to characterize the aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) adsorption (selectivity, capacity, reversibility, and interlayer accessibility) by the bentonites; and (3) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of selected clays as amendments of aflatoxin-contaminated feed for broiler chickens. The mineral, chemical, and exchange cation composition of the clays were analyzed, and they appeared to be safe for use in feed. The bentonites and their fractions showed that adsorption capacities range from 0.48 to 0.97 mol/kg. The interlayer spaces of both montmorillonites were accessible by AfB1, and the adsorption was irreversible. Three-day old broiler chickens were given clean and high-aflatoxin-concentration (1400 mg/kg) diets with and without the presence of the two bentonites. After three weeks the chickens were sacrificed and biomarkers were evaluated. The presence of aflatoxins reduced the body weight by 58% and resulted in a 25% mortality rate. Adding bentonites 1TX and 4TX increased the body weight of the chickens by 14 and 23%, respectively, but did not improve the mortality rates. The results suggested that selected bentonites could effectively sequester aflatoxins in vivo but did not eliminate the total toxicity present in highly contaminated poultry feed.

Similar to omega-3 eggs, chicken meat has great potential to become a functional food for humans. In India, chicken meat is preferred due to its perceived health benefits and affordability. The balance between omega 3 and 6 fatty acids is crucial for its usefulness in animals. At present commercial chicken meat has low omega-3 fatty acid content and higher omega-6 fatty acid content. Published research shows that it is possible to modify the lipid profile of commercial chickens by manipulating the broiler diet. The modern human diet is deficient in n-3 FAs, which has been linked to the increase in several degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and mental illness. Therefore omega-3 chicken meat may be an effective means of increasing n-3 FA in the human diet. There are several problems associated with the commercial production of omega-3 chicken meat related to the choice of source of fatty acids in the feed, cost of production, consumer acceptability and stability of the chicken meat that need to be tackled. The present article briefly reviews the studies carried out in this respect, the possible impact of omega-3 chicken meat production on the poultry industry, and on human health.

Poultry farming is very difficult in the cold arid Himalayan region of India, where the altitude is 3048-3658 m above mean sea level (MSL) and the temperature ranges from +35°C to -35°C. Poultry farming in Leh-Ladakh has been a venture that has generally taken a back seat in this cold, arid region for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Buddhist community makes up the majority of the population in this region, and, because of their largely vegetarian lifestyle; they generally avoid killing animals on principal. The second reason is the lack of availability of any specific high yielding variety of layer or broiler breed suited to such high altitude. Evaluation of the feeding value of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides spp. sinensis) through feed analysis considered five factors; crude protein, lysine, methionine+cystine, calcium and phosphorus. The comprehensive values of sea buckthorn seeds, leaves and fruit residues rank in the fifth, sixth and ninth position among the 16 types of feed and seed reported. The leaves and fruit residues of sea buckthorn are suitable for use in livestock and poultry fodders. The weight and egg rate of poultry are increased greatly after feeding poultry with the leaves, seeds, and fruit residues of sea buckthorn. The use of leaves, seeds and fruit residues of sea buckthorn have potential as a feed material for livestock and poultry in India.

The effect of certain simple and cost-effective processing methods on the nutritional and anti-nutritional properties of seed materials of an under-utilized food legume, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis (Wall. ex Wight) Baker ex Burck (velvet bean, VB), collected from Valanadu, Kerala, India was analyzed in experiment 1. The raw VB seeds were found to contain appreciable levels of crude protein (263.2 g/kg dry matter (DM)); ether extract (79.6 g/kg DM); crude fiber (95.8 g/kg DM) and ash content (38.4 g/kg DM). Among the different treatments used, soaking in sodium bicarbonate solution + autoclaving was more effective in reducing maximum levels of various anti-nutritional compounds of VB seeds. Furthermore, in experiment 2, the effect of inclusion of different levels of velvet bean meal (VBM; subjected to soaking in sodium bicarbonate solution + autoclaving) as an alternative protein source in poultry feed on the growth performance of commercial-type broiler birds was investigated. The results indicate that the inclusion of VBM up to the 40% level exhibited better growth performance of the broiler birds such as feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio in both the starter and finisher phases.

Studies on genetically modified (GM) feedstuffs for poultry (and other livestock species) have not added any substance to public concerns in Europe about their safety for human or bird health. The compositions of maize lines engineered for insect resistance (Bt-maize) or herbicide tolerance (glyphosate) and herbicidetolerant soybean have all proved to be essentially indistinguishable from their conventional counterparts. Consequently, and not surprisingly, comparative feeding studies with broilers and layers in which conventional maize (50 to 78%) or soybeans (27%) were replaced in feeds by transgenic varieties, also have failed to show differences of any significance in production parameters. These data indicate that feeding studies with target livestock species contribute very little to the safety assessment of crops engineered for input traits that have little or no detectable effect on chemical composition. However, comparative growth studies made with broiler chicks, particularly sensitive to any change in nutrient supply or the presence of toxic elements in their feed, can be used to screen for any unintended adverse consequence of the recombinant event not detected by compositional analysis. This does, however, depend on whether the GM plant can be matched to a parental line or another suitable control and its suitability for inclusion in broiler diets. The discovery that DNA fragments from the digestive tract can be found in the tissues of animals evoked interest in the fate of ingested transgenes. Plant DNA derived from feed has been detected in the muscle, liver, spleen and kidneys of broilers and layers, although not in eggs. However, no fragments of transgenic DNA or its expressed protein have been found to date in poultry meat or eggs or in any other animal tissues examined.

Irradiation offers a potential method for effective microbial control of poultry feed. Birds fed such irradiated diets are not adversely affected and radiation status of the diet is unchanged. While radiation at 25–35 kGy is likely to raise feed temperature by only 5°C during processing, there seems to be loss in potency of certain nutrients. Most reports indicate loss in potency of all fat-soluble vitamins, and there are less consistent reports regarding thiamine and pyridoxine. At 25–35 kGy irradiation there will be around 15% loss of potency of these vitamins. Irradiation also causes increased peroxidation of fats, although this effect can be controlled by appropriate inclusion of antioxidants. There are no consistent reports of irradiation having any effect on protein quality or amino acid status of diets.

An explanation is provided of why and how one group of researchers in a Chinese village setting came to focus on what the authors call biological recycle farming. An explanation of applied agricultural research in China is provided. One conclusion reached is that application of research at the village level was largely successful because it was founded on community development principles. Another conclusion is that food production in very marginal Chinese villages can be increased significantly. While the alternative approach discussed cannot be exported wholesale to many other countries of the world, the concepts are very useful for international economic and agricultural development.