Additives are substances, usually in small quantities, added to compound feed for specific purposes beyond the basic nutritional content. These non-nutritive additives serve various functions, such as improving growth, enhancing health, or maintaining feed quality. They are typically combined with a carrier or diluent to create a premix before being incorporated into the diet.
The selection of additives should be based on factors like the growth stage of the geese, production goals, feed composition, feeding practices, and environmental conditions. Choosing the right additive is essential to achieve optimal results and ensure the well-being of the animals.
Growth and health-promoting additives are a category of non-nutritive substances that stimulate animal growth, improve weight gain, enhance feed efficiency, support immunity, and prevent diseases. These include antibiotics, antimicrobial agents, and deworming products. Antibiotics, for example, are natural byproducts of microbial metabolism and are often used to promote growth, especially under suboptimal hygiene or management conditions. In brooding stages or during stressful situations like high-density feeding, low-dose antibiotics can boost productivity, improve feed conversion, and support overall health. Commonly used antibiotics include oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, bacitracin zinc, polymyxin, enramycin, tylosin, virginiamycin, and militamycin.
In addition to antibiotics, synthetic antibacterial agents and dewormers such as sulfonamides (e.g., sulfathiazole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine) are also widely used for disease prevention and general health maintenance. Anticoccidial agents like mycin A, ammonia porphyrin, chlorpheniramine, sodium monensin, and salinomycin help control internal parasites. Some growth promoters, such as olaquindox and arsenic-based compounds, are also employed but require careful rotation to avoid resistance development.
Feed quality improvement additives play an important role in preserving the integrity and stability of the feed. Antioxidants, for instance, prevent fat oxidation and maintain vitamin activity. Common antioxidants include ethoxyquin, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). These are typically added at a rate of 150 grams per ton of feed.
During hot and humid seasons, mold growth becomes a major concern. Mold not only reduces feed palatability and nutritional value but can also lead to poisoning in animals. To prevent this, antifungal agents like propionic acid, sodium propionate, and calcium propionate are commonly added to stored feed.
Other types of additives include colorants and flavor enhancers. Flavoring agents, such as saccharin, monosodium glutamate, ethyl lactate, and citric acid, can increase feed intake and improve digestion. Colorants, like lutein and carotene, are added to enhance the appearance of goose meat and eggs, making them more appealing in the market. These are generally used at levels of 10–20 grams per ton of feed.
By carefully selecting and using these additives, farmers can optimize feed performance, improve animal health, and ultimately enhance productivity and profitability in goose farming.
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