The global animal productivity should proportionally increase to meet the food needs of a growing population. This article presents an overview of the current and promising nano-applications in poultry and livestock production systems that could offer opportunities for improved efficiencies and productivity. Some basic information on nanotechnology and the economics of nanotechnology is provided. Poultry and animal production systems, current situation and available tools and techniques are presented in parallel with animal health care, animal nutrition, animal shelter and food processing nano-applications and their advantages. These applications are directly or indirectly related to the human food chain and may affect the food safety and food quality. Lastly, the expected risks and hazards related to nano-application in poultry and livestock production systems that can affect animal, human and environment are described. It is concluded that nanoapplications have the potential to provide smarter solutions for various applications in the poultry and livestock production systems, which can help in reducing costs and enhancing the final product quality. However, concerns over safety of some nano-applications hamper their immediate implementation. Extensive risk assessments should be conducted to ensure the safety of the nanoproducts before making them available for animal or human use.

Water is essential for various physiological functions and the productive performance of animals. However, with climatic uncertainties exacerbated by climatic changes, water could become a scarce nutrient shortly. This is already the case in one-third of the world’s countries, which are under medium to high levels of water stress. Accordingly, with the growth of poultry production, the availability of water at ad libitum level may not be guaranteed, and birds can be under water restriction for variable periods. Thus, this article aims at attracting the attention of animal scientists to the freshwater shortage challenge, as well as shedding light on (1) the effects of climate change on the freshwater resources; (2) the effects of limited access to water, either by water restriction (WR) or water deprivation (WD), on the growth, feed efficiency, and meat quality of broilers; (3) the effects of different levels of WR or WD on egg production and egg quality traits; (4) the effects of limited access to water on the health, behavior, and welfare status of chickens; and (5) suggested solutions to overcome future water shortage challenges. In conclusion, severe water shortage/restriction might negatively influence the productivity, behavior, and welfare status of the chickens. Genetic background and environmental conditions may interact with the WR effects. The tolerance level of indigenous chicken breeds to limited water access could provide the knowhow to potential solutions to overcome water shortage problems. Selection of chicken strains with high tolerance capacity to thirst and limited water access regimens may be a sustainable solution for solving water scarcity problems.

Waterfowl is an important animal-protein source, which has the potential to get a bigger share in the animal production sector. However, waterfowl farming practices and welfare standards are not well established yet. Stocking rate is one of the farming standards that can enhance the productivity, behavior, and well-being of birds; however, rare studies are available in this area. Thus, this article (1) gives an overview of the recent global waterfowls’ meat and egg production and their population distribution, (2) reviews the effects of stocking rate on social, feeding, and sexual behaviors, (3) shows the effects of stocking rate on growth performance, carcass weight, and meat quality of ducks and geese, and (4) declares the relationship between the stocking rate and egg production. Conclusively, an optimal stocking rate standard can improve behaviors, productivity (meat-egg), and meat quality. Moreover, using weight (kg)/m2 will help in affording the required space allowance for different ducks and geese under various housing systems. The fish-waterfowl production system could be a promising and sustainable solution for increasing waterfowl production, maintaining the welfare of birds, saving energy, and reducing the water footprint of waterfowl meat. Based on prior research findings, we recommended adopting the stocking rate (SR) standard for specific duck and goose breeds to achieve an optimal production-welfare balance.

SUMMARY The general trend in the poultry industry considers animal welfare and the quality of final products. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance, along with increased public concern about superbugs, resulted in considerable interest in the use of natural and safe alternatives in poultry production to lessen the risk of resistance transfer to humans via the food chain. Some feed additives such as chitosan may confer additional cytoprotective impacts. Chitosan is a biosynthetic polysaccharide that is the deacylated derivative of chitin. Chitosan is one of the promising natural polymers and additives that has attracted great attention due to its biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, antioxidant, antimicrobial, non-toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity. Chitosan has been shown in recent publications to be an effective feed additive for poultry health and an antibiotic growth promoter alternative. Thus, it can be concluded that chitosan is one of the natural feed supplements expected to enhance the overall health and productivity of different poultry species. This review contributes to updating our knowledge on producing chitosan, its characteristics and dietary chitosan influences on the productive performance and gut health of poultry.