Advances in Poultry Science: Nutritional Aspects of Poultry Production
Poultry nutrition has evolved beyond simply formulating diets to meet nutrient requirements, with greater attention given to feed efficiency, animal health, environmental challenges, and the quality of poultry products. This Special Issue brings together 11 studies covering a range of topics, including alternative ingredients, functional dietary additives, feed processing, heat-stress mitigation, intestinal microbiota, and poultry product quality. The studies investigated insect meals, Bombyx mori, Camelina sativa, and Spirulina platensis, in addition to phytogenic compounds, selenium, fermented feeds, and enzyme-based approaches. The results show that these nutritional strategies can influence growth performance, nutrient utilization, immune and antioxidant responses, as well as meat and egg characteristics. At the same time, several factors may limit their application in commercial poultry production. These include differences in the composition of alternative ingredients, variation in responses under different experimental conditions, and the relatively small number of studies carried out under commercial production settings. Future studies should place greater emphasis on understanding their mechanisms of action, establishing appropriate inclusion levels, and assessing potential interactions among different strategies. It will also be important to consider the economic feasibility and environmental consequences of their use. Such information will help translate experimental findings into practical and more consistent nutritional strategies for poultry.