High Carotenoid Orange Corn for Poultry Health

Consumer pressure is forcing the egg industry to move towards cage free production. In addition, the Veterinary Feed Directive will significantly restrict the use of antibiotics in animal production. One of the primary consequences of these changes is that significantly more pressure will be put on the immune system of poultry; therefore, egg and poultry producers will need to seek novel solutions that will promote the health of their birds while maintaining optimal efficiency and profitability.The primary goal of this Phase I research is to prove the feasibility of using NutraMaize's high carotenoid orange corn in feed to protect poultry from disease. This will be accomplished by testing orange corn's effectiveness in lowering the rate and severity of coccidiosis and footpad dermatitis in broilers. A secondary goal will be to demonstrate that orange corn is an effective method for coloring egg yolks and broiler skin. If the proposed research is successful and NutraMaize's orange corn is adopted for commercial use in the diet of poultry, it has the potential to help improve animal welfare and decrease economic losses associated with disease such as decreased feed efficiency, mortality and carcass condemnation.