Perinatal feeding of epidermal growth factor to enhance development and maintenance of a functional intestinal tract for improved growth and efficacy in poultry
Principal Investigator
Elijah Kiarie, University of Guelph
Year the work was done
2018-2022
Overall objective
- Evaluate the ability of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to stimulate gastrointestinal development of broilers pre-hatch and its subsequent effects of growth performance, gastrointestinal development, resiliency to enteric pathogen challenge and nutrient utilization in the context of an antibiotic-free feeding program.
Specific objectives
- Evaluate the effects of in ovo application of EGF in the amniotic fluid of incubated fertile broiler eggs on the indices of gastrointestinal tract development.
- Evaluate growth performance, nutrient digestibility and enteric pathogen responses of broiler chickens treated with EGF during incubation.
This research applies to
Breeders, Broilers, Layers, Turkeys