Case study: Microbiome insights that improve poultry performance

In brief:

• The poultry microbiome is a critical but largely invisible driver of digestion, immunity, nutrient utilization, and overall flock performance, knowledge of which can provide targeted intervention for production optimization.
• Advances in sequencing, multi-omics, and AI interpretation now allow microbiome data to be translated into actionable strategies.
• Real-world case studies show that microbiome diversity and SCFA-producing bacteria directly correlate with performance outcomes and economic returns.

Why the microbiome matters

The microbiome is a whole ecosystem; a community of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes that inhabit the bird, and function as a dynamic ecosystem influencing digestion, immunity, metabolism, and overall health.

Key microbiome functions include the breakdown of complex carbohydrates and fibers into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), immune system regulation, and the synthesis of essential vitamins such as B1, B9, B12, and K.

Microbiome diversity is key to optimizing its function; it enhances ecosystem resilience, nutrient cycling, and resistance, reducing the ability of harmful pathogens to establish themselves in the gut.

In poultry production, this biological system remains largely unseen, unlike human medicine, where tools such as X-rays or MRIs provide internal visibility. Birds cannot talk to tell us where it hurts or if they feel off-color, so using tools such as blood testing through platforms such as Verax™, can help deduce what is wrong.

Microbiome analysis is an ever-evolving tool to close this visibility gap from traditional performance metrics and provide a deeper biological understanding of bird performance, such as organ function, bacterial overgrowth, feed conversion efficiency, and inconsistent feed responses.

From data to insights: technology evolution

dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health is a pioneer in the microbiome space. While early culturing methods were limited due to the inability to culture many microbial species, the introduction of 16S rRNA gene sequencing expanded visibility, allowing broader profiling of microbial diversity. As time went on, more advanced approaches, such as metagenomics, delivered a comprehensive overview of microbial communities, while metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics provide insight into active microbial functions and metabolic activity. With these microbiome-based diagnostics, microbial signatures can be used to diagnose and predict disease risk. AI-based interpretation translates complex omics datasets into practical recommendations for nutrition, biosecurity, and antibiotic reduction strategies.

Real-world value add: microbiome diversity drives performance

Microbiome insights are directly linked to operational and economic outcomes across poultry systems – from improved immunity and reduced disease outbreaks, to lower antibiotic use, and enhanced pathogen control (specifically reductions in Salmonella and Campylobacter), all outcomes supporting safer end products.

From a performance perspective, improved feed conversion lowers feed costs – a key driver of profitability on farm - while more uniform growth improves processing efficiency and logistics. Reduced mortality and veterinary costs also contribute to higher profitability, and more predictable flock outcomes improve planning and return on investment.

Results

The economic impact was quantified: a three-point improvement in feed conversion translated to US$540,000 per year, based on US$9,000 per week over a five-month period.

What’s Next?

Microbiome data becomes most powerful when combined with production history, management practices, blood biomarkers, and veterinary observations, allowing producers to base interpretations in an on-farm context.

In practice, this enables targeted interventions - such as adjusting probiotics, maintaining butyrate-producing bacteria throughout the growth cycle, or refining nutrition and biosecurity strategies - based on how birds are actually responding under specific site management conditions.

By integrating microbiome insights with day-to-day management decisions, producers can move from reactive problem-solving to proactive performance optimization, delivering more from less.