One of the Phibro Animal Health, Poultry Gut Health and Coccidiosis Management Seminar’s standout sessions came from internationally known scientist Dr Gonzalo Mateos, who reframed gut health not as a single topic, but as the central system linking nutrition, welfare, and productivity.

Mateos emphasized that the digestive tract is highly sensitive to environment, feed structure, and management decisions, where even small mistakes can trigger measurable performance losses. In his view, modern broilers operate with the gut as a “control center,” connecting everything from beak-driven intake behavior to gizzard function, intestinal microflora balance, and microbial stability.

A key business takeaway for producers is that feed technology choices can have unintended biological consequences. Mateos highlighted that wider use of pelleted feed may reduce gizzard activity, which in turn can influence digestive physiology and gut stability. He also underlined the role of particle size and fiber structure as practical levers for gut function.

He placed special focus on fiber, arguing that insoluble fibers support gizzard development, help regulate gut pH, and can limit overgrowth of harmful microorganisms. At the same time, he warned that excess dietary protein may increase fermentation in the gut, contributing to wet litter, dysbiosis, and footpad lesions, translating welfare issues into direct economic loss.

Mateos also pointed to “subclinical stress” as a major gut disruptor: heat stress, high humidity, poor litter quality, and unbalanced nutrition can create chronic inflammation that reduces feed efficiency. Because it often progresses quietly, the first visible signals may be higher feed consumption for the same output, reduced carcass quality, or widening performance variation.

He also highlighted electrolyte and mineral balance (including sodium, calcium, and phosphorus) as drivers of water intake and wet litter, reinforcing the need to evaluate feed and water together, not separately.

His bottom line: there is no single “miracle” solution. Performance comes when feeding strategy, feed form, management quality, and supportive additives align behind a gut-focused production model.