The Role of Dextran Iron in Broiler Chicken Farming Industry
In the broiler chicken farming industry, "efficient market readiness" and "quality assurance" are core goals, and the healthy growth of broiler chickens depends on the support of key trace elements. Iron, as an important element involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, energy metabolism, and immune function in broiler chickens, can cause a series of problems once deficient. Dextran iron, with its efficient iron supplementation and easy absorption characteristics, has gradually become an indispensable "nutritional guarantee product" in broiler chicken farming, playing a key role in disease prevention, growth performance improvement, and risk reduction.
Solving the broiler chicken "iron deficiency dilemma" to prevent anemia and growth disorders
Broiler chickens grow fast and have a short cycle (usually marketed in 40-50 days), with more concentrated and urgent nutritional needs. Especially during the chick stage, the iron reserves obtained from hatching eggs are limited. If the iron content in the starter feed is insufficient (for example, the iron content in corn-soybean meal-based basic feed is only 20-30mg/kg, far below the chick's daily requirement of 50-60mg/kg), or due to weak intestinal absorption function leading to insufficient iron absorption, iron deficiency anemia is easily triggered.
"Previously, we did not pay attention to iron supplementation for chicks, and every year a batch of chicks showed symptoms such as fluffy feathers, pale combs, and unstable standing, with a mortality rate of about 8%." Liu Jianjun, head of a broiler chicken farming cooperative in Weifang, Shandong, recalled. After introducing dextran iron oral solution, the situation changed significantly: "Now, 3 days after chicks enter the farm, we add 5ml of dextran iron oral solution per liter of drinking water and feed continuously for 3 days. The incidence of anemia in chicks has dropped to below 1%, and the survival rate has increased to over 98%."
According to experts from the Poultry Farming Technology Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, iron deficiency leads to impaired hemoglobin synthesis in broiler chickens, reducing the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity, which causes hypoxia in the body—manifested as lethargy, reduced feed intake, and slow growth. Even if they survive, "stiff chicken" phenomena occur, with market weight 10%-15% lower than healthy broilers. Dextran iron, as an organic iron preparation, can be quickly absorbed by the broiler chicken intestine through drinking water or injection, directly supplementing iron reserves, promoting hemoglobin synthesis, fundamentally solving the "iron deficiency dilemma," and preventing growth disorders caused by anemia.
Enhance immune function and reduce the risk of disease infection
In high-density broiler chicken farming environments, disease prevention and control are paramount. Iron is closely related to the normal operation of the broiler chicken immune system—iron participates in the proliferation and activity regulation of immune cells (such as macrophages and lymphocytes). Deficiency leads to decreased immunity in broiler chickens, weakening resistance to pathogens like Escherichia coli and Newcastle disease virus, increasing the incidence of disease.
Comparative experiments at a large-scale broiler chicken farm in Zhengzhou, Henan, show that the experimental group using dextran iron had a respiratory disease incidence of 3.2% and intestinal disease incidence of 2.8% during the fattening period; while the control group without use had incidences as high as 12.5% and 10.3%, respectively. Wang Hongmei, the farm's technical director, explained: "After supplementing dextran iron, the immune organs of broiler chickens (thymus, bursa of Fabricius) develop more fully, antibody levels in serum significantly increase, and when facing pathogen invasion in the environment, the immune response can be activated faster, reducing disease occurrence."
Additionally, for secondary iron deficiency caused by diseases (such as coccidiosis damaging the intestinal mucosa and affecting iron absorption), dextran iron can assist treatment—supplementing iron while treating the primary disease helps broiler chickens quickly restore hematopoietic function and physical strength, shorten the course of illness, and reduce culling rates caused by disease.
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