Potential to Fine-Tune the Requirements for Amino Acids, Copper, Zinc, and Manganese to Optimise Growth Performance in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Chicken meat is the most widely consumed meat globally, with Australia alone reporting a per capita consumption of 53 kg/person/year. Amino acids and microminerals are essential to poultry nutrition, supporting growth performance and health in broiler chickens, partly mediated by their interaction with the gut microbiota. However, imprecise or excessive supply increases nutrient excretion, raising environmental concerns and adding unnecessary feed costs, emphasising the need for precision nutrition. This review examines the impacts of amino acid and micromineral nutrition, including their role in shaping the gut microbiota, and explores how precision feeding can reduce nutrient waste, environmental impact, and cost. Precision nutrition seeks to improve growth performance, feed efficiency, gut health and nutrient absorption, by delivering the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Across the literature, organic microminerals consistently show greater bioavailability and overall performance than inorganic forms at lower inclusion levels; likewise, split (AM/PM) feeding has improved performance in laying hens, though its circadian-informed application to amino acid and micromineral feeding remains largely unexplored in broilers. This review discusses the potential to fine-tune amino acid and micromineral (copper, zinc, and manganese) requirements together with their microbiota-mediated effects to optimise feed efficiency and growth performance in broilers.