For years, Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs) did a lot of quiet work in poultry feed, keeping harmful bacteria in check without anyone needing to think much about it. Now that AGPs are being phased out or banned in many markets, that quiet work has to be done some other way. But what actually changes inside the bird’s gut once antibiotics are taken out of the equation, and what do poultry nutrition products need to do to pick up the slack? It’s a question worth answering properly, because not every “non-AGP” product on the shelf is built to do this job well.

What AGPs Were Actually Doing

AGPs worked as a constant, low-level control on harmful bacteria in the gut. With that pressure removed, bad bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella have more room to grow if nothing else is stepping in to manage them. At the same time, birds lose a layer of protection that used to help keep their gut lining healthy and digestion running smoothly.

This is why simply removing AGPs from a formula, without replacing what they were doing, often shows up as inconsistent growth, more digestive upsets, and higher losses.

What Changes Inside the Gut Without Antibiotics

Once antibiotics are out of the picture, a few things tend to happen if nothing is put in their place:

• Harmful bacteria find it easier to multiply and compete with good bacteria
• The gut lining becomes more prone to irritation and inflammation
• Birds absorb nutrients less efficiently, even from a well-balanced diet
• Feed conversion ratio (FCR) tends to drift in the wrong direction
• Flocks become more sensitive to everyday stress like heat or handling

None of this happens overnight, but over a full production cycle, the gap adds up.

What a Good Replacement Actually Needs to Do

Not every non-AGP product fills this gap the same way. To genuinely replace what antibiotics were doing, a poultry nutrition product needs to:

• Actively work against harmful bacteria, not just avoid feeding them
• Support a strong, intact gut lining
• Improve how well nutrients are digested and absorbed
• Leave no residues and carry no risk of resistance
• Hold up consistently across broilers, layers, and breeders

A product that only checks one or two of these boxes tends to leave visible gaps in performance.

How Gallinase Helps Close the Gap Left by Antibiotics

ABTL developed Gallinase specifically to take on the job AGPs used to do, without any of the downsides. It works through three natural components, Lysozyme, Glucose Oxidase, and Sodium Taurocholate, that work together to make harmful bacteria more vulnerable and easier to control.

Gallinase also improves how well birds digest their feed, meaning less undigested material is left over for harmful bacteria to feed on further down the gut. This starves out the bad bacteria while giving good bacteria a better environment to thrive in. The result is a calmer, healthier gut lining, better immunity, and steadier performance, all without antibiotics, resistance risk, or residues. It’s a good example of what a modern poultry nutrition product should be doing: actively managing the gut environment, not just avoiding the one ingredient that used to do it for free.

About ABTL

ABTL (Advanced Bio-Agro Tech Ltd) has been developing feed solutions for the poultry, dairy, and crop science industries since 2007, in partnership with the SEB Group, USA. The company’s focus has always been on products that are backed by real research and that actually hold up on working farms, not just in controlled trials. This approach has made ABTL a trusted supplier for feed mills and producers across India, and in South-East Asian markets including Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Oman, and Bangladesh. Gallinase is part of ABTL’s wider range of poultry nutrition products built to help farms navigate exactly this kind of post-AGP transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What happens in the gut when antibiotics are removed from poultry feed? 

Without antibiotics keeping harmful bacteria in check, bad bacteria can grow more easily, the gut lining becomes more prone to irritation, and nutrient absorption tends to drop.

2.Why can’t AGPs simply be left out of the formula without replacement? 

AGPs were doing active work to control bacteria and support the gut. Removing them without a replacement usually shows up as poorer feed conversion and more inconsistent flock performance.

3.What should a good non-AGP poultry nutrition product be able to do? 

It should actively control harmful bacteria, support the gut lining, improve nutrient absorption, and do all this without leaving residues or creating resistance risk.

4.How does Gallinase help replace what AGPs used to do? 

Gallinase combines three natural ingredients that work together to control harmful bacteria and improve digestion, helping maintain a healthy gut without antibiotics.

5.Is Gallinase suitable for broilers, layers, and breeders? 

Yes. Gallinase is formulated for all three, with dosage adjusted depending on the production stage.