Nutraceutical-based preventive program as a tool to improve health status in broiler parent flocks

Nutraceutical-based supplements are increasingly explored as tools to support poultry health and productivity, yet evidence for their use within integrated, multi component preventive programs, especially in commercial broiler breeder operations, remains limited. This study retrospectively evaluated a nutraceutical based preventive program developed by the Veterinary Clinic of Perutnina Ptuj, Slovenia. The program aimed at reducing disease occurrence and supporting reproductive performance in commercial Ross 308 broiler parent flocks. The program, applied throughout rearing and production phase, combined vitamins, minerals, probiotics, lactic acid, and hepatoprotectors administered at defined stages of the production cycle. Routinely collected records from 44 commercial flocks monitored between 2017 and 2023 were analyzed. Production parameters (egg production, hatching eggs, cumulative hatchability, animal loss) and health related indicators (veterinarian prescribed antibacterial and anticoccidial treatments) were compared across three temporal periods: before implementation, an interim adjustment period, and after full implementation. Statistical analyses included linear mixed effects models for normally distributed variables and generalized linear mixed models for non-normally distributed data. Following program implementation, the number of antibacterial treatments administered after 19 weeks of age decreased drastically, while antibacterial treatments during rearing and anticoccidial interventions remained unchanged. Animal loss peaked during the interim period but later stabilized, with no significant differences observed for other production related parameters. Overall, the findings indicate that this multi component nutraceutical-based program may be associated with enhanced disease resilience under commercial conditions. However, the retrospective design, reliance on routine farm records, absence of a control group, and potential confounding factors limit causal interpretation.