Protein Power and the New Dietary Guidelines

Kristen Hicks-Roof, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND, FNAP, delivered an interesting presentation on the new Dietary Guidelines and the positioning of animal protein.

• The opportunity for animal protein has significant potential.
• 70% of people want more protein in their diets.
• For the fifth consecutive year, protein is the nutrient most Americans say they are trying to consume.
• 74% of consumers say eating meat is important in their diets.
• U.S. meat consumption grew from 109 kg to 117 kg between 2018 and 2023 and is projected to reach 122 kg in 2027.
• The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines increased protein recommendations by 50–100%.
• Federal feeding programs, including school and military meal programs, need protein options.
• Animal protein is a high-quality, multidimensional, complete protein that provides value to consumers.
• A three-ounce serving of fresh meat provides more than 20 grams of protein.
• Animal protein offers flavor, complete protein, versatility, nutrient density, and culturally relevant scalability.
• Meat provides more than 10 key nutrients.

• Protein is currently one of the most widely discussed macronutrients in America.
• The Dietary Guidelines do more than provide nutritional advice. They influence federal purchasing, institutional menus, healthcare messaging, and long-term consumption norms.
• The new food pyramid includes considerably more protein.
• Animal protein can help supply high-quality, complete protein in federal feeding programs.
• One in four Americans receives meals from a federal program, creating an opportunity for greater exposure to protein and more meat on the plate.
• Animal protein is nutrient-dense and is a key contributor to human health.
• The industry should communicate more about the nutrient value of meat, its role as a high-quality protein source, its additional nutrient benefits, and its importance in human nutrition.

Grain and Commodity Outlook

The meeting also provided new insights into grain and commodity markets.

• Corn and soybean meal markets continue to experience considerable volatility.
• Prices remain high, with expectations that elevated prices may continue.
• During the past year, corn prices traded within the upper range of the previous three years and in the top historical price quartile.
• The market was heading into harvest, when increased supply typically reduces prices.
• Drought conditions in the western Corn Belt, including Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota, presented risks.
• Production in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio could potentially help offset those losses at harvest.
• Strong demand for soybean meal could pull planted acres away from corn in the following year.

Nutritional Strategies for Optimizing Pullet Development

Broiler breeder pullets have the genetic potential to eat and behave like broilers. Breeder managers must carefully manage that genetic potential during pullet rearing to produce productive broiler breeder hens.

Leonel Mejia of Aviagen shared insights on managing breeder hen pullets. His recommendations included:

• Extending the starter diet to support more adequate feathering.
• Slowing the feeding rate of hens.
• Increasing dietary energy during the pre-breeder phase.
• Decreasing digestible lysine during the pre-breeder phase.

Commercial Laying Hen Research

Andrea Rubio of Hy-Line International presented commercial laying hen research collected from around the world.

• In North America, 60% of laying hens are housed in conventional cage systems and 40% are housed in cage-free systems.
• In Europe, those percentages are reversed, with 60% of laying hens in cage-free systems and 40% in conventional cage systems.
• Germany has a cage-free rate of approximately 95%.
• Sweden has a cage-free rate of 100%.
• Only 7% of the U.S. market is considered organic.

Precision Feeding and Piglet Weight Sorting

Deven Goehring discussed sorting piglets by weight and using precision feeding programs based on weight. Precision feeding may provide benefits for pigs, particularly smaller pigs, although the labor requirements could make commercial implementation challenging.

Management Factors Affecting Fertility in Broiler Breeders

Dr. Jeanna Wilson presented management factors that can affect fertility in broiler breeders. Key takeaways included:

• Pullets need to be started correctly to achieve optimal feathering and develop into successful breeding hens.
• Adding more fiber to breeder diets could be beneficial.
• Flocks with less time to eat often experience poorer performance. Because fiber acts as a filler, it could help extend feeding periods.
• Heat-treated, cellulose-based fibers may be particularly important.
• Sperm analysis can provide useful information about fertility.
• Diets higher in crude protein may negatively affect fertility.
• The optimal crude protein amount for both egg and sperm production was approximately 20 grams per bird per day.
• Roosters can benefit from receiving their own diet rather than sharing diets formulated for hens.
• Higher calcium levels in hen diets are often associated with reduced sperm counts.
• Feeding male-specific diets may reduce inflammation in the male reproductive tract.
• Sperm motility improved when selenium was supplied from an organic source.
• Placement should include no more than 10% males.

Managing Wet Litter and Loose Droppings

Dr. Fausto Solis of the Wenger Group discussed nutritional and non-nutritional interventions for minimizing gastrointestinal differences that contribute to wet litter and loose droppings.

Litter Quality and Bird Health

• To help control footpad dermatitis, chicken litter should contain less than 30% moisture and ammonia should remain below 25 parts per million.
• The gastrointestinal tract and kidneys are the two primary physiological pathways that can contribute to wet litter.
• Mycotoxins in feed can damage kidney cells, reducing water absorption and resulting in wetter droppings and dehydrated birds.
• Gastrointestinal bacterial infections, including E. coli and necrotic enteritis, can cause intestinal microbiome dysbiosis and contribute to loose, wetter droppings.
• Testing feed for mycotoxins and supporting proper gut health are important for bird health and litter quality.

Environmental and Water Management

• Drinker management is an important environmental consideration.
• For every one-degree increase in temperature, water consumption increases by 7%.
• Older waterers can leak and create wet litter, particularly beneath drinking lines.
• Water should be tested to ensure it contains no more than 5 parts per million of E. coli and other coliforms.
• Appropriate electrolyte balance should also be considered.

Diet Composition and Ingredient Selection

• High-protein diets, particularly vegetarian-fed diets containing high levels of soybean meal, have high water-binding capacities that can increase wet droppings.
• Soybean meal can increase water consumption because of its water-binding capacity.
• Potential strategies include using proteases with appropriate matrix values, enzymatically treated soybean meal, or alternative ingredients such as hemp seed cake.
• Research showed that excreta moisture was consistently lower in diets containing hemp seed cake compared with soybean meal.
• Bulky feed ingredients may help reduce litter ammonia.
• Diets containing 3–15% coarse corn reduced ammonia content and increased gizzard size in broilers.