Nutritional Strategies to Mitigate Heat Stress in Broilers Birds

The poultry industry is growing across the world to fulfill the increasing demands of poultry meat and eggs. Poultry meat contains a low amount of saturated fatty acids and is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Similarly, poultry eggs are the most affordable source of animal protein. Besides vitamins, minerals, and proteins, eggs are also rich in antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which possess major benefits for eye health. Considering these facts, the global consumption of poultry meat and eggs have doubled in the past decade and is expected to be doubled by 2050. To fulfill the demands, there has been an immense improvement in chicken genetics in the past decade. Broiler chickens, which weighed around 900 g in 56 days in the 1950s, were around 4202 g in 2005. Due to a higher metabolic rate, they produce more body heat and are prone to heat stress. High stocking density of birds, along with the high ambient temperature, increases the propensity of heat stress. Heat stress is a major problem in the poultry industry affecting the health and performances of poultry.