Description
Stress factors such as handling, sudden environmental changes, feeding programmes, diet composition changes, vaccination, disease challenges, infections and impaired immune response affect animal health and productivity.
Animals possess limited natural resistance and immunity against such stresses leading often to oxidative stress where the animal is no longer capable of detoxifying the reactive oxygen species at a molecular level at the rate they are formed. The impact of such stress factors gets amplified in the presence of toxins.
- Toxins decrease the function of key metabolic organs such as the liver and kidneys
- Mycotoxins have a significant negative impact on the poultry defence mechanisms and immune system
- Fumonisins & DON predispose to the development of necrotic enteritis in broilers
