Poultry Health Problems & Culbac® Animal Solutions

Since the early 1970s, Culbac has been assisting poultry farmers and producers with our line of cost-effective, all-natural products.

Using our heavily researched and field-tested proprietary Culbac® Probiotic Plus™ bacteria-based products, studies show Culbac products have greatly benefitted poultry, especially when added to poultry feeds.

Rooster and Chicken in Pasture

Research studies with Culbac® Probiotic Plus™ products have been shown to:

Chicken Eggs on Conveyor Belt

Simply put, Culbac products, when used as feed additives, optimize the nutritional strategy on farms. They promote the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms to aid in digestion and support superior nutrient uptake. Moreover, they help establish and maintain a strong and healthy immune system and increase productivity.

Culbac products for poultry contain a precisely titered amount of beta glucan from yeast. This has been measured in the feed to ensure necessary utilization within the digestive tract, but not too much to create fluid in the joints and other health problems. Additionally, the beta glucan from yeast that is included in Culbac products is the highest quality and highly refined. Whereas many competitor products contain low-quality yeast (or horrifyingly include the entire yeast body), Culbac products use a 90% pure yeast beta glucan. In fact, it is difficult for us to buy this refined beta glucan because it is human-use grade – the suppliers tell us that we can use the 20% beta glucan (yes, that means that 80% of it is garbage) like every other poultry ingredient buyer. We say absolutely not – our customers and their production animals mean more to us – we are willing to supply the best quality products for poultry with no compromise.

The Culbac product line for poultry includes:

Healthy Start®

Designed for oral administration through automatic watering systems for birds. Healthy Start can be administered through injectors in flow-through systems. However, if static watering systems are used, the waterers must be carefully cleaned out daily. In the case of static watering systems, in-feed options might be optimal.

Culbac Dry

When combined with and Healthy Start, shown to effectively maintain the microbial balance in the digestive tract of the bird necessary for optimum growth and performance. This microbial microflora not only protects against invading pathogenic organisms but also leads to greater nutrient adsorption and overall animal health and vigor.

Culbac BG

Culbac BG includes an ultra-refined yeast beta glucan that is uniquely designed for poultry production by experts in the field to provide the most beneficial and metabolizable components of the yeast beta-glucan while removing any inflammatory components often found in less optimized yeast products. Mix one to two pounds per one ton of feed for all livestock applications.

How Our Products Work In Poultry

Whether they are raised for egg or meat production, poultry can benefit in numerous ways from the addition of Culbac® to their diets. Extensive research has shown that broilers treated with Culbac® more efficiently convert feed into weight gain, suffer lower mortality rates, and require less medication than their peers not given Culbac®. Studies in Turkeys have demonstrated the same benefits. These benefits result from optimized microbial balance throughout the digestive tract of the bird, and is complemented by the glycopeptides, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and additional nutrients from the added fermentate within Culbac products for poultry. For layers, Culbac® can reduce flock mortality, improve feed conversion, increase the size of the eggs produced, and extend laying health. This results from nutritionally supported reproductive tissues and optimized use of nutrients from feed.

Tom Turkey

Benefits of Culbac products

Efficient breeders in poultry require efficient mating and egg fertilization. Optimal fertility depends on the right diet and efficient nutrient uptake in poultry to ensure proper oocyte production (which affects yolk formation) and cloaca preparation for the deposit of sperm from the male. To lay a clutch of fertilized eggs with the greatest viability, nutritional balance and optimized digestive function are both key contributors. The best ration possible does not make a difference if the bird is unable to access or use the nutrients appropriately because her digestive tract is out of balance. Preparing breeders for the best productivity involves preparing the digestive tract with a healthy microbiome, a strong immune system, and efficient nutrient uptake.

Products: Healthy Start, Culbac Animal Dry and Culbac BG

After hatching, the earliest development of a functional and effective digestive process will aid the bird with its lifelong productive capacity. Each of these physiological challenges require energy from the nutrients being fed to the animal.

Optimizing nutritional uptake from the hatchling ration is the most important factor to focus on at this early stage. Ensuring that the digestive tract of the bird is well-developed and is functioning at optimal capacity in the early days of the life of a bird will provide dividends throughout the entire production cycle, whether a layer, breeder, or bird for meat. Developing the crop and ensuring that the small intestine, liver, ceca, and large intestine have sufficient diversified bacterial presence to maintain health throughout the lifetime of the bird is key at this stage in the life of the bird. The best start for an appropriate microbiome in the digestive tract is at this stage.

When the microbiome is well-developed, the responsiveness of the immune system and the reproductive capacity of the adult bird are supported for the future of the bird.

Products: Healthy Start, Culbac Animal Dry and Culbac BG

Early digestive function in the bird is not present at hatch. Building the microbial presence in the digestive tract of the young animal is critical within the first weeks. This is the most important time to supplement with a product like Healthy Start that is going to ensure that your young bird is building the digestive capacity it will need for success throughout its life.

When considering intestinal nutrient uptake after breaking food down efficiently in the proventriculus/gizzard, the microbial diversity in the small intestine and large intestine are important. Perhaps more critical is the bacterial action in the ceca which helps break down undigested food passing through the intestine. Without efficient bacterial breakdown of food in the ceca, the bird will not thrive. As vaccinations are delivered, supporting a healthy immune response is key. Supporting the microbiome in the bird has been shown to enhance immune responsiveness and efficiency.

Making sure that the bird has superior balance in the microbiome, without delivering live bacteria that can create imbalance, is very important at this phase in the life of a bird. Digestibility is extremely important, as is including a supplement that will enhance and support the growth of the microbiome throughout the entire digestive tract. Keeping an additive support for the microbial balance and one that binds or eliminates bad bacteria within the digestive tract will support and ensure digestive and immune success.

Having Healthy Start included can stimulate digestive balance in the young bird. Starting on day one you can use Culbac’s Healthy Start product to protect the bird and ensure that the best possible digestive tract function will develop in that bird.

Products: Healthy Start, Culbac Animal Dry and Culbac BG

Pathogenic exposure can challenge your birds at this most susceptible stage. Antibiotics or essential oils (also antibacterials) are unable to discriminate between “good” bacteria that is necessary to break down food efficiently and “bad” bacteria that will make the bird fail to thrive or worse, die. When these are included in the diet, it is critical to include an additive to support the microbiome and maintain the digestive function and immune function in the bird. Adding live bacteria simply provides more of a target for the antibacterial agent which was initially included in the diet for another purpose. However, Culbac® Probiotic Plus™ products include a unique support to the microbiome by adding a fermented, stabilized bacteria that supports all of the diverse bacteria throughout the intestinal tract. Supporting a healthy microbiome throughout the digestive tract in poultry has been shown to support immune strength and preparedness, and to bolster overall health. Minimizing morbidity and mortality in a flock means high return on investment. Making sure that the digestive tract has the right balance of microbial support and nutrient transport mechanisms to the tissues, as well as ensuring a strong crop and gizzard, will ensure that you get the most out of the feed you are feeding.

Products: Healthy Start, Culbac Animal Dry and Culbac BG

Appropriate amounts of protein, minerals, amino acids, and energy, as well as calcium balance, are required for higher production in the bird. Protein and energy source should be considered to accurately balance rations. Any change in diet should be accomplished gradually in birds to minimize stress. This is important because the microbial balance within the digestive tract needs time to adjust when changing feed or feed balance.

Culbac can help with these transition times by supporting microbial growth and function throughout the entire digestive tract of the bird. In layers, when the “egg machinery” within the bird begins to produce, eggs will be small at first. This is often the time that pullets are transitioned to a layer-appropriate diet. Setting up the digestive tract for optimized nutrient uptake can help support a more efficient transition to larger eggs, and can keep the overall laying machinery in healthy and efficient working order for a longer lifetime productivity. In birds for meat-production, a more efficient feed-to-gain ratio will be supported with a healthy microbiome throughout the entire digestive tract of the bird.

Products: Healthy Start, Culbac Animal Dry and Culbac BG