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EW Nutrition’s Dr. Predrag Peršak offers practical solutions to safeguard performance in modern poultry production
Dr. Predrag Peršak, Regional Technical Manager for Northern Europe with EW Nutrition, spoke recently at an exclusive event for the poultry industry hosted by EW Nutrition in Berlin, Germany titled Producing for the Future.
What is gut health?
Gut health has long been an industry topic – but what does it mean in practical terms for producers, nutritionists and veterinarians? Dr. Peršak said he believes it’s compromised of a number of physiological and functional components, including nutrient digestion and absorption, host metabolism and energy generation, a stable microbiome, mucus layer development, barrier function and mucosal immune responses. For the bird to reach its genetic potential, all these features must interact together.
“There is not one single driver affecting gut health, but actually many things that influence it, including things like animal health and performance, conversion factors like the reproduction efficiency factor and the environment,” he said. “However, always keep in focus that chickens want to grow fast. Our job is to help fulfill this while ensuring a healthy gut and a healthy animal.”
Factors affecting intestinal permeability
The concept of intestinal permeability—often referred to as “leaky gut”—offers a concrete and measurable way to assess the health of the gut.
“Intestinal permeability is one of the features that we use when we try to describe gut health,” he explained. “Once permeability sets in, that’s it. Everything can go in a faster or slower way, but it will never go back unless there’s some kind of intervention.”
Understanding the degree and cause of intestinal permeability can help prioritize the most impactful interventions and help manage leaky gut. Factors such as pathogenic bacteria can trigger or worsen gut permeability, but identifying which factors are most severe can guide strategy.
Dr. Peršak categorized factors into three groups:
Microbial
- Clostridium perfringens – necrotic enteritis and mucosal damage
- Coccidiosis – destroy intestinal epithelium
- Salmonella spp. – disrupt the tight junctions
- Escherichia coli – damage the gut lining
- Mycotoxins – impair tight junction proteins
- Poor litter quality
Feed
- Protein – feeds harmful bacteria
- NSPs – increase gut viscosity and dysbiosis
- Dietary fat oxidation products – damage mucosal surfaces; be conscious of source quality
- Unbalanced calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) – gut enzyme activity and microbial growth
- Residues
- Feed restriction
- Sudden diet changes
- Heat stress
- Mineral or vitamin deficiencies
Immunological principle
- Chronic inflammation – sustained cytokine release weakens tight junctions
- Oxidative stress – damages epithelial cells and reduces regeneration
- Immune immaturity – weaker mucosal defense in young chicks
Practical prevention strategies to protect the gut barrier
Every farm is different, so work with your nutritionist and veterinarian to consider the specific production needs and challenges of your operation as you address gut health, and specifically, leaky gut.
Dr. Peršak recommended the following strategies to protect the gut barrier:
Balanced diet and nutritional support are critical
- Offer high quality protein and fat sources to avoid undigested nutrients that feed pathogens
- Provide adequate fiber like insoluble fiber from oat hulls to stimulate gut motility and microbial balance
- To strengthen tight junctions and epithelial cell integrity, add butyrate, or naturally enhance its production
Competitive exclusion of pathogens
- Prevent colonization of pathogen producing SCFAs to modulate immune responses
- Prebiotics like Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin support beneficial bacteria growth and enhance mucosal immunity
Organic acids
- Formic acid, lactic acid and butyric acid lower gut pH thereby inhibiting pathogens
- Butyrate, through many forms, nourishes colonocytes and tight junctions
Phytomolecules
- Oregano, thymol and carvacrol have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects on poultry
Toxin management
- Prevent gut damage caused by endotoxins and mycotoxins
Biosecurity and hygiene
Holistic approach to poultry health and performance
A holistic approach to poultry nutrition goes beyond simply balancing feed formulations – it involves understanding and integrating the complex interplay between the bird, its environment, and the entire feed production chain. While the idea isn’t new, its value is becoming increasingly clear on-farm.
“As a veterinarian and nutritionist, I am Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” said Dr. Peršak, highlighting how his merging disciplines can provide a more complete perspective.
By blending insights from veterinary science and nutrition, it’s possible to better interpret how metabolism, genetics, husbandry, disease pressures and management all converge to influence bird health and performance.
Looking at nutrition in isolation often misses the mark. True success on-farm requires seeing the animal as part of an entire system
“You cannot look at feed as just one component,” he said. “The effectiveness of any nutritional strategy depends not only on nutrient content but also on the sourcing, quality and processing of raw materials. Technologies like milling and pelleting can alter feed value, making it essential to evaluate the process from ingredient selection all the way through to on-farm performance.”
This systems-level thinking is key to problem-solving and continuous improvement when it comes to gut health and other health parameters. A holistic approach allows for better identification of root causes when issues arise—whether they stem from feed variability, health challenges or environmental stressors. It also supports innovation, encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
“This is something that we use and promote in our daily work with customers,” he said, underscoring how this mindset leads to practical, farm-ready solutions. Ultimately, considering the full spectrum of factors shaping poultry performance helps ensure more resilient, efficient and sustainable production.