Cutting Downtime and Mortality: How Strengthening Gut Health Can Save Thousands Per Flock
When gut health breaks down, everything else follows
Every poultry farmer in the Philippines knows the sinking feeling: birds suddenly eating less, slowing down in growth, or showing signs of weakness when the temperature rises. Heat stress doesn’t just make chickens uncomfortable. It triggers a chain reaction inside the gut that can quietly drain performance, widen mortality rates, and cost farms thousands in lost productivity.
During hot months, many farmers notice longer grow-out cycles, uneven weights, and spikes in mortality. And because modern chicken breed lines grow fast and have high metabolic demands, any disruption especially in gut health quickly shows up in the numbers.
What we often forget is that the gut is the first line of defense. When it weakens, the whole flock does too.
The hidden link between heat stress and gut damage
Under heat stress, chickens reduce feed intake by up to 20 to 30%, depending on temperature and humidity levels. Lower feed intake alone hurts growth, but the real problem is what happens inside: heat stress causes changes in the intestinal lining, making it more permeable and less efficient at absorbing nutrients.
Studies show that compromised gut integrity can reduce nutrient absorption by 10 to 25%, depending on severity. That loss isn’t abstract. It translates directly into slower growth, poorer feed conversion, and higher susceptibility to pathogens.
When the gut barrier weakens, harmful bacteria can more easily proliferate. This increases inflammation, reduces performance, and elevates mortality risk, especially in open-sided houses common in the Philippines, where managing high temperatures and humidity becomes a constant challenge.
For layer farming operations, poor gut health also affects egg quality and consistency, with drops in production appearing during prolonged heat periods.
How much are Philippine farms losing?
When gut health deteriorates, costs pile up quietly:
Delayed harvest: If birds take 3 to 5 more days to reach target weight, farms lose feed, time, and turnover opportunities.
Higher mortality: Even a 2% increase in mortality in a 10,000-bird flock can already translate to thousands in lost revenue.
Poorer FCR: A drop from 1.7 to 1.9 can cost tens of thousands more in feed across a full cycle.
Biosecurity pressure: Birds with weak gut health are more vulnerable to pathogens that thrive in warm, humid environments.
These numbers may vary per operation, but the story remains the same: when gut health suffers, farm efficiency collapses.
Strengthening gut health: Where prevention truly pays
Improving ventilation, providing cool water, and maintaining strong biosecurity help—but farmers need internal protection too. Nutritional support is now recognized as one of the most reliable tools to protect poultry from heat-stress-driven gut issues.
This is where ANN’s solutions come in:
OxiShield
Supports the bird’s natural antioxidant capacity, helping neutralize oxidative stress caused by high temperatures. By protecting cells and tissues from internal damage, birds maintain vitality and more stable growth even in harsh conditions.
EnteroPro
A holistic gut-protection solution focused on supporting intestinal integrity, nutrient absorption, and microbial balance. With a stronger gut, birds convert feed better, resist environmental stress, and recover faster.
Together, OxiShield and EnteroPro help shield poultry from the heat-stress cycle from oxidative damage to weakened immunity so farmers can maintain better performance even during peak summer temperatures.
A healthier gut means fewer losses and more predictable cycles
When the gut stays strong, farmers see:
Better daily gain
Lower mortality
Improved feed conversion
More uniform weights
Faster turnaround time
And most importantly: reduced financial losses due to heat stress.
Protect your flock before the next heat wave hits
Summer will always be a challenge for poultry farmers in the Philippines, but the damage doesn’t have to be inevitable. Strengthening gut health is one of the most effective ways to cut downtime, reduce mortality, and keep your operation profitable through the toughest months.
If you want to learn how OxiShield and EnteroPro can help protect your birds from the inside out, reach out to ANN today. Your next cycle and your profits depend on it.
