Patent ID: 8734837

Claim:
A method of facilitating the growth of a bird, comprising: (a) providing an enteric modulator capable of stimulating the development and/or metabolism of enteric tissue of the digestive system; (b) administering to a bird in ovo said enteric modulator in an amount effective to stimulate the development and/or metabolism of enteric tissue of the digestive system, wherein the enteric modulator is administered in an amount between about 0.1 milligrams and 1.0 milligrams per bird, wherein the enteric modulator is administered in a composition comprising the enteric modulator and an edible carrier, wherein the osmotic pressure of the composition is not greater than 800 milliosmoles, wherein the enteric modulator is HMB or Ca-HMB, wherein said administering step is carried out during the last quarter of in ovo incubation, wherein the bird is a chicken or turkey; and (c) stimulating the development and/or metabolism of enteric tissue of the digestive system of the bird as compared to a bird not administered an enteric modulator in ovo, whereby stimulating the development and/or metabolism of enteric tissue of the digestive system facilitates growth of the bird as compared to a bird not administered an enteric modulator in ovo.