New Product Fights Sudden Death Syndrome in Chickens
Tom Johnston Communications Services Oklahoma State University (405) 744-6260
Vet Medicine's Dr. Stanley Vanhooser and Agriculture's Dr. Robert Teeter recently received a patent for a chicken feed additive that reduces sudden death syndrome in chickens.
Each year, about 12 to 18% of broiler breeder hens die of sudden death syndrome (SDS). It's a major financial blow to chicken breeders. Not only do they lose what they have invested in the hens. They also lose the eggs from the breeder hens which would have hatched.
Two Oklahoma State University professors think they may have the answer to the problem.
Dr. Stanley Vanhooser of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Robert Teeter of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources have received a patent on a feed additive for chickens which incorporates carnitine. Carnitine is a compound synthesized in the body from the amino acids, lysine and methionine. It has been found to have a number of protective effects in human beings, mostly connected with heart health. It works by promoting beta-oxidation of fatty acids, a fuel source for heart muscle. The carnitine in the feed supplements the carnitine which naturally occurs in the chicken's body.
Vanhooser said it's been pretty well established that chickens with SDS suffer from cardiomyopathy, or enlarged heart. "They just fall over and die," he said. "We think the main problem with this syndrome is lipid metabolism by the heart. The carnitine helps the hen metabolize the fatty acids and greatly reduces the incidence of the problem."
The doctor added that the product is now on the market in the U.S. and that the Lonza Group, a life sciences company headquartered in Switzerland, who supported the research, has been licensed to manufacture the product. He said the group is procuring foreign patents, as well.
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