Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Being a Poultry nutritionist I am extensively involved in planning, executing, analysing and reporting commercial nutritional projects. I work closely with the national and international poultry industry and my research focuses on the following four primary areas:
1) Nutritive evaluation of feedstuffs to expand and improve poultry feed resources,
2) Exploring the role of nutritional interventions to improve production, gut health, carcass quality and welfare indicators such as footpad and hock scores, feather pecking etc. in broilers, laying hens and turkeys.
3) Advancing the understanding of the application of exogenous feed additives to improve nutrient utilization, modulate gut health, reduce feed cost and minimize nutrients excretion into the environment.
4) Use of chicken infection models to investigate host-pathogen interactions to advance our understanding of infections such as Campylobacter, coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis in developing strategies to improve gut health by encouraging the development of a beneficial microbial community.
My studies range from proof of concept to novel in-depth investigations to unveil the mode of action of the novel products tested. The overall aim remains to understand how the novel idea/product will influence animal production, gut health, bird's resilience and animal welfare.
Teaching
- HNC in Poultry Production, SRUC
- Module leader for Incubation of hatching eggs.
- Module leader for Poultry Nutrition and Feed formulation
- MSC in Applied Poultry Science, University of Edinburgh
- Module leader for Poultry Feed, Nutrition & Digestion
Projects
Current Ongoing Projects
2021-2022: DSM funded research: Novel feed additives and their impact on poultry productivity and health (£136,300.86). Principal investigator
2021-2022: Adisseo funded research: Efficacy of Novel Phytase in broilers and layers (£158,837.00). Principal investigator
2019-2021: FermentationExperts funded research: Novel feed additives and their impact on Campylobacter Jejuni colonization and growth (£58.894.75). Principal investigator
2019-2021: Vetagro SPA funded project: Zootechnical Interventions to improve feed efficiency, productivity and gut health in broilers (£56,000). Principal investigator
Past projects (Past 5 years)
2019-2020: DSM funded research: Efficacy of novel feed additives in poultry (£122,447.76). Principal investigator
2018-2020: Neovia funded research: Nutritional interventions to reduce Campylobacter colonisation in broilers (£50,161.00). Principal investigator
2019: HOCKLEY INTERNATIONAL funded research: Alternative for poultry litter amendment (£22,921.00).Principal investigator
2018-2019: ELANCO-funded research: Non-antibiotic nutritional approach to promote growth and health (£85,462.00). Principal investigator
2015-2017: Akeso Biomedical funded research: Nutritional interventions to inhibit Campylobacter Jejuni biofilm formation and caecal colonisation in broilers (£463,568.47) Principal investigator
2015-2018: Evonik: Tryptophan requirement for enriched cage layers (£73,394) Principal investigator
Supervision
PhD Students
• Allison Craig. Supervisor. “Strategic Use of Carbohydrases in Broiler Diets to Increase Productivity by Improving Gut Health”.
• Marwa Hussein. Co-Supervisor. “Sensitivity of ideal protein nutrition to gut health”.
MSC Research
• Tara Mc Meel: Supervisor. The Impact of Egg Storage Duration on Hatchability and Chick Quality of The Silver Hill Duck Egg.
• Sarika Devi Fakeer. Supervisor. Effect of Supplemented Butyric acid on Growth Performance of Commercial Broiler
• Lyndsey Cassidy. Supervisor. The Influence of the hatch window on yolk sac utilisation in commercial and non-commercial broiler breeder chicks.
• Ernst Beitler. Supervisor.The effect of different fibre sources in the diet on production performance of Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens
• Scott Dewart. Supervisor. The effect of different levels of dietary Tryptophan on production and feather pecking behaviour of laying hens
• Andrew Scott, Supervisor. “to investigate the effect of an extended bleeding time on the carcass and meat quality of broilers”
• Alla Levchenko. Supervisor. To investigate the effect of different dietary fiber components on digesta osmolality and excreta moisture level of broiler chickens.
• Mark McConville. Supervisor. Evaluation of the effects of diets varying in amino acid contents and supplementing with or without protease on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers
• Naser Asheen. Co supervisor “Evaluation of the effects of reducing crude protein content and supplementing with crystalline amino acids on growth performance and litter quality in turkey”.
Other work
- Committees and Other Bodies
- Membership Secretary WPSA UK Branch (2008-ongoing)
- Treasurer WPSA UK Branch (2008-ongoing)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Aberdeen
1993 → 1997
Award Date: 15 Jun 1997
Master, MSc (Hons), N.W.F.P Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan
1990 → 1992
Award Date: 30 Oct 1992
Bachelor, N.W.F.P Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan
1986 → 1990
Award Date: 1 Jun 1990
External positions
Senior management, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
2003 → 2009
Expert, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan
2001 → 2003
University of Aberdeen
1992 → 1997
Keywords
- S Agriculture (General)
- Poultry, gut health, nutrition, animal production
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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FK010823: Predicting bone quality in laying hens
Khattak, F. (PI) & Whyte, F. (Technician)
27/05/24 → 29/11/24
Project: Commercial
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FK231123: Enhancing Livestock Welfare & Performance with Hyper-oxygenated Water
Khattak, F. (PI), Hasan, M. H. (Researcher) & Steel, M. (Technician)
1/04/24 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
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Nutritional Strategies To Stimulate Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides In Poultry: A Promising Alternative To Antibiotics With A Smart Solution For Safe And Sustainable Poultry Farming
Khattak, F. (Supervisor) & Payne, H. (PhD Student)
1/10/22 → 30/09/27
Project: PhD project
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RESAS 22-27: SRUC-a2-2 Zoonoses And Emerging Diseases.
Lawton, S. (PI), Whyte, F. (CoI), Khattak, F. (CoI), Baughan, J. (CoI), Tongue, S. (CoI), Boerlage, A. (CoI), Galgano, S. (CoI), Rodrigues da Costa, M. (CoI), Khalid, Z. (CoI), Denniston, J. (CoI), Athanasiadou, S. (CoI), Nale, J. (CoI) & Landeryou, T. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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Strategic use of carbohydrase enzymes in broiler diets to increase productivity by improving gut health
Khattak, F. (PI)
1/10/15 → 30/09/19
Project: Research
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TYPLEX® Chelate, a novel feed additive, inhibits Campylobacter jejuni biofilm formation and cecal colonization in broiler chickens
Khattak, F., Paschalis, V., Green, M., Houdijk, J., Soultanas, P. & Mahdavi, J., 1 Apr 2018, (First published) In: Poultry Science. 97, 4, p. 1391 - 1399 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile24 Citations (Scopus)59 Downloads (Pure) -
The similarity of the effect of carbohydrase or prebiotic supplementation in broilers aged 21 days, fed mixed cereal diets and challenged with coccidiosis infection: Carbohydrase or xylo-oligosaccharide supplementation in broilers
Craig, A., Khattak, F., Hastie, P. M., Bedford, M. & Olukosi, O., 24 Feb 2020, (First published) In: PLoS ONE. 15, 2, e0229281.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile24 Citations (Scopus)91 Downloads (Pure) -
The effect of carbohydrases or prebiotic oligosaccharides on growth performance, nutrient utilisation and development of small intestine and immune organs in broilers fed nutrient-adequate diets based on either wheat or barley
Craig, A., Bedford, M. R., Hastie, P., Khattak, F. & Olukosi, O., 1 May 2019, In: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 99, 7, p. 3246-3254 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile15 Citations (Scopus)82 Downloads (Pure) -
Xylanase and xylo- oligosaccharide prebiotic improve the growth performance and concentration of potentially prebiotic oligosaccharides in the ileum of broiler chickens
Craig, A., Khattak, F., Hastie, P., Bedford, M. R. & Olukosi, O., Feb 2020, In: British Poultry Science. 61, 1, p. 70-78 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile62 Citations (Scopus)145 Downloads (Pure) -
Effects of acetic acid supplementation in broiler chickens orally challenged with Salmonella pullorum
Saleem, G., Ramzaan, R., Khattak, F. & Akhtar, R., 25 Nov 2015, (First published) In: Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. 40, p. 434 - 443 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile18 Citations (Scopus)73 Downloads (Pure)
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Role of pre-, pro- and syn-biotics in reducing zoonotic pathogen abundance, lowering antimicrobial resistance, and improving food safety: Old concepts with a new perspective
Khattak, F. (Speaker)
22 Aug 2022 → 24 Aug 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Covid-19 and global poultry Sector: Opportunities and Challenges
Khattak, F. (Speaker)
22 Apr 2021 → 23 Apr 2021Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
File -
Monogastric nutrition : challenges and opportunities
Khattak, F. (Speaker)
16 Jan 2020Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Campylobacter: Challenges and Nutritional strategies for inhibition of Campylobacter
Khattak, F. (Speaker)
9 Oct 2019Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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World's Poultry Science Association - UK branch (External organisation)
Khattak, F. (Treasurer)
25 Apr 2018 → 25 Apr 2026Activity: Membership types › Membership of professional body