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Mycotoxins, natural substances produced by molds and fungi, are more prevalent — and more of a problem in agriculture — than ever before. Alltech is expanding its mycotoxin testing program Alltech RAPIREAD, which now includes a new collaboration with Waters | VICAM and the connection to its analytical tool, Vertu TOUCH.
[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Alltech is pleased to announce the expansion of its mycotoxin testing program Alltech® RAPIREAD™, which now includes a new collaboration with Waters™ | VICAM® and the connection to its analytical tool, Vertu™ TOUCH. Offering simple touch-screen operation, the Vertu TOUCH lateral flow strip test reader works in concert with VICAM’s Vertu strip tests to deliver full-range quantitative results for up to six major mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, fumonisin, vomitoxin (DON), zearalenone, ochratoxin A and the combination of T-2 and HT-2 toxins.
Mycotoxins, which are natural substances produced by molds and fungi, are more prevalent — and more of a problem in agriculture — than ever before. Results from the 2024 Alltech Harvest Analysis show that more than 95% of crops today are contaminated with at least one mycotoxin and usually two or more, thus demonstrating the need for robust quality control programs. Because these toxins are difficult to detect, they can cause significant damage to animal health before producers even realize they are present, hence a proactive mycotoxin management program is essential.
“Since mycotoxins are a continuous problem for the agricultural industry, it is important for producers to understand the risk to their feed and animals,” said Dr. Alexandra Weaver, global technical support for Alltech. “Rapid tests at the feed mill or on-farm can be used to detect the mycotoxin type or content, but including Alltech RAPIREAD can assist in understanding how the mycotoxins could actually impact the performance, health or profitability of production.”
AlltechRAPIREAD launched in 2020 to enable customers to identify and analyze mycotoxin risks within minutes. This began, and continues, with a collaboration with Neogen® and integration to its Raptor® testing device, designed for use on-farm or in feed mills to test individual grains and forages.
Complementing the continued connection with Neogen, this new collaboration with Waters | VICAM using the ONE line of quantitative strip tests will expand analysis capabilities to include complete feed, while keeping Alltech RAPIREAD at the forefront for data collection, risk assessment and consultation.
The Waters | VICAM Vertu TOUCH reader and mixer was launched three years ago with updated features, including a touch screen for ease of use and the technology to detect six mycotoxin levels in a single sample within 10 minutes. This has added a greater opportunity for on-site testing with ease of use, faster time to results and extremely high quality of results.
“Waters | VICAM has been delivering quality mycotoxin testing products to the food and feed industries since 1987,” said Lanny Smith, global sales manager, Waters | VICAM. “The addition of the CT-Connect enables the Vertu TOUCH to work with Alltech’s RAPIREAD system to transfer data securely across all networks.”
To learn more about this collaboration between Alltech and Waters | VICAM, visit the Alltech booth in Hall A #1211 at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). For more information about Alltech’s mycotoxin management solutions, visit knowmycotoxins.com.
Alltech has expanded their mycotoxin testing program through partnership with Waters | VICAM.
El meta análisis, método estadístico que combina resultados de múltiples estudios, se ha convertido en una herramienta vital en la investigación de Alltech. Una de las principales ventajas del meta análisis es su capacidad para simplificar investigaciones complejas, lo que facilita la toma de decisiones fundamentadas basadas en una revisión exhaustiva de las pruebas existentes.
La Dra. Alexandra Weaver, del servicio técnico global de Alltech, destaca sus ventajas: "El meta análisis permite reunir todas las investigaciones diferentes realizadas dentro de una categoría y obtener una conclusión global."
"También simplifica la investigación al resumir muchos estudios en un documento exhaustivo, lo que facilita su interpretación por parte de los lectores y permite a los productores abordar cuestiones como las micotoxinas con mayor eficacia", añade la Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, directora técnica del Grupo de Tecnología de Alltech.
Mediante la recopilación de datos de numerosos estudios individuales, los meta análisis de micotoxinas de Alltech han proporcionado información sólida sobre el impacto global de las micotoxinas y la eficacia de las estrategias de mitigación.
Las micotoxinas, compuestos tóxicos producidos por ciertos tipos de hongos, suponen una importante amenaza para la salud y el rendimiento del ganado. Estas toxinas pueden contaminar los piensos, provocando una serie de efectos adversos en los animales, como la reducción de la tasa de crecimiento, la disminución del rendimiento reproductivo, el debilitamiento del sistema inmunitario e incluso la mortalidad. En el caso de los animales monogástricos, como los cerdos y las aves de corral, la presencia de micotoxinas en su dieta puede provocar notables descensos de la productividad, como la reducción de la producción de huevos y del peso en las gallinas ponedoras y el retraso del crecimiento en pollos de engorde y cerdos. Hacer frente a la contaminación por micotoxinas mediante estrategias de mitigación eficaces es crucial para mantener la salud del ganado y la rentabilidad de las explotaciones.
Las micotoxinas clave que afectan a los animales monogástricos incluyen las aflatoxinas, las fumonisinas, los tricotecenos y la zearalenona, cada una de las cuales plantea un conjunto único de retos:
Comprender estos efectos y factores de riesgo -incluida la forma en que diversas combinaciones de micotoxinas pueden causar daños que no causarían por separado- es crucial para desarrollar estrategias de mitigación eficaces que protejan la salud animal y la productividad de cualquier producción ganadera.
La Dra. Weaver y la Dra. Taylor-Pickard destacan cómo las micotoxinas afectan negativamente al rendimiento animal y profundizan sobre qué estrategias pueden ser útiles para combatir el problema. Por ejemplo, en el metaanálisis realizado por Alltech, en un grupo de gallinas ponedoras sometidas a un desafío de micotoxinas, se observó que estas reducían la producción de huevos en 6,3 puntos porcentuales y disminuían el peso del huevo en 1,95 gramos. Sin embargo, la administración de extracto de pared celular de levadura (YCWE) a otro grupo sometido a un desafío de micotoxinas mitigó significativamente estos efectos, mejorando la producción de huevos en 4,24 puntos porcentuales y aumentando el peso del huevo en 1,37 gramos.
La investigación sobre meta análisis de Alltech va más allá de las gallinas ponedoras e incluye pollos de engorde y cerdos. Entre las principales conclusiones figuran:
La Dra. Taylor-Pickard subraya la importancia de traducir los descubrimientos científicos en soluciones prácticas para los ganaderos. Los metaanálisis facilitan la comprensión de datos complejos y su aplicación eficaz en las explotaciones, mejorando tanto el bienestar de los animales como la rentabilidad de las explotaciones. Por ejemplo, se ha demostrado que la aplicación de los resultados del meta análisis proporciona un ROI de 4,7 a 1 en las gallinas ponedoras.
Los extensos meta-análisis de Alltech subrayan el importante impacto de las micotoxinas en el ganado y la eficacia de las estrategias de mitigación como YCWE. Estos conocimientos no sólo mejoran nuestra comprensión de las micotoxinas, sino que también proporcionan estrategias prácticas para mejorar la producción ganadera y la sostenibilidad. A medida que avanza la investigación, Alltech se mantiene a la vanguardia, integrando métodos científicos avanzados para hacer frente a los cambiantes retos de la producción ganadera.
Autor : Chloe Chisholm
El destete puede ser un periodo estresante tanto para los terneros como para los productores. Una buena dieta puede ayudar, favoreciendo el crecimiento y la productividad de los terneros durante todo el periodo de alimentación. Y lo que es más importante, una dieta óptima también puede proteger contra las enfermedades y las infecciones bacterianas, que pueden afianzarse en esta época de transición.
Las enfermedades respiratorias son las más frecuentes durante el periodo de destete. Por ejemplo, un ternero es más susceptible a la enfermedad respiratoria bovina (ERB) durante las primeras cuatro semanas tras el destete. La ERB cuesta a la industria del vacuno más de 1.000 millones de dólares al año, y la prevención es clave para reducir los costes de tratamiento y evitar pérdidas de rendimiento.
Dado que el tracto digestivo de un animal contiene aproximadamente el 70% de todo su sistema inmunitario, el desarrollo del rumen y la salud intestinal deben ser prioritarios a la hora de destetar e iniciar la nueva alimentación de los terneros.
La salud intestinal se refiere a la capacidad de un animal para absorber y utilizar eficazmente los nutrientes y controlar los patógenos nocivos. Si el revestimiento, o barrera, del tubo digestivo es débil, estos patógenos pueden escapar al resto del organismo, causando numerosas enfermedades, entre ellas la ERB.
Dado que los factores de estrés del ganado -no sólo el destete en sí, sino también el transporte, la mezcla de animales de distintas procedencias, los cambios en la dieta y la restricción dietética- pueden dañar el revestimiento intestinal, es esencial asegurar un apoyo continuo a la salud intestinal. Las estrategias de alimentación centradas en este aspecto son vitales para aumentar el rendimiento y reducir los costes de tratamiento, lo que se traduce en una producción más rentable.
Existen muchos artículos y blogs que ofrecen consejos para destetar con éxito a los terneros y adaptarlos a la nueva alimentación. Una buena regla general es que los terneros deben consumir entre el 2,5% y el 3% (sobre una base del 100% de materia seca) de su peso corporal en los primeros 30 días tras el destete. Los aumentos graduales de la cantidad de alimento, junto con los cambios graduales de la dieta o de los ingredientes, ayudarán a la correcta adaptación de la microflora ruminal, mejorando la salud intestinal.
Sin embargo, la cantidad de pienso es sólo una parte del rompecabezas. Los microbios del tubo digestivo necesitan vitaminas y minerales para funcionar correctamente y digerir los nutrientes. Suplementarlos en la ración de destete es crucial para la salud intestinal, ya que no sólo favorece la absorción de nutrientes en general, sino que refuerza la inmunidad y mejora la respuesta a vacunas y tratamientos.
Los suplementos de vitaminas y minerales varían mucho y deben elegirse con cuidado para obtener el máximo beneficio. Por ejemplo, los oligoelementos orgánicos son considerablemente más biodisponibles para los terneros durante el destete, lo que favorece la absorción de nutrientes, refuerza la salud intestinal y reduce las excreciones nocivas de minerales en exceso al medio ambiente.
Los prebióticos y los probióticos también están ganando terreno en los programas actuales de alimentación y suplementación. Ambos son excelentes opciones para mejorar la salud intestinal en el momento del destete.
Los prebióticos son ingredientes no digeribles de los piensos que estimulan selectivamente el crecimiento y la actividad de las bacterias en el tracto digestivo, proporcionando "alimento" a los microbios beneficiosos que ya existen en él. Las investigaciones demuestran que los prebióticos favorecen la fermentación ruminal, mejoran la digestión, ayudan a la absorción de nutrientes y contribuyen al desarrollo del sistema inmunitario.
Los probióticos son tipos específicos de microorganismos vivos, incluidas bacterias de los grupos Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium y Enterococcus, así como oligosacáridos mananos (MOS) derivados de levaduras como Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ayudan a cambiar el microbioma intestinal a favor de microbios útiles que se sabe que mejoran la salud y el rendimiento. Los probióticos también producen de forma natural metabolitos como ácidos grasos de cadena corta (AGCC), vitaminas, enzimas y compuestos antimicrobianos, que desempeñan un papel importante en el desarrollo de la salud y la integridad intestinal y en la reducción de la inflamación perjudicial.
El destete es un momento especialmente delicado, pero una estrategia dietética inteligente puede convertirlo en una oportunidad. Si proporcionas una buena nutrición a tus terneros, puedes fomentar el crecimiento y la productividad, prevenir enfermedades e infecciones y maximizar la rentabilidad.
Autor : Bryan Sanderson (Alltech)
La resistencia a los antimicrobianos (RAM) plantea un reto importante a la hora de encontrar y aplicar nuevos tratamientos antibióticos contra las bacterias. La creciente amenaza de infecciones farmacorresistentes incrementa estos retos, por lo que es crucial que la ganadería minimice su contribución a la RAM.
El pollo y los huevos, al ser versátiles y ricos en proteínas, son alimentos básicos en muchas comidas, lo que convierte a las aves en una de las carnes más consumidas en todo el mundo. Para 2032, se espera que el consumo total de aves alcance los 100 millones de toneladas. Sin embargo, el pollo y los huevos crudos pueden albergar patógenos como Campylobacter, Salmonella y Clostridium perfringens, causantes de enfermedades de transmisión alimentaria. Estas bacterias pueden contaminar los productos alimentarios durante el sacrificio y la transformación, lo que supone un grave problema para la salud pública.
Tradicionalmente, se han utilizado antimicrobianos para hacer frente a estos patógenos. Sin embargo, el uso indebido y excesivo de estas herramientas ha acelerado la aparición de la RAM, en la que las bacterias resistentes -y los genes que causan esa resistencia- pueden propagarse de los animales destinados a la alimentación a los seres humanos a través de la cadena alimentaria.
La RAM es una de las diez principales amenazas para la salud mundial, asociada a 4,95 millones de muertes anuales, cifra que podría aumentar a 10 millones al año en 2050. La RAM también supone una carga económica para los sistemas sanitarios, con un coste anual de 180 millones de libras (229 millones de dólares) para el Servicio Nacional de Salud del Reino Unido y de 55000 millones de dólares en Estados Unidos: 20000 millones por asistencia sanitaria y 35000 millones por pérdida de productividad.
La mayor concienciación sobre la RAM ha llevado a muchos países a prohibir los antibióticos promotores del crecimiento en la alimentación animal. A pesar de estas prohibiciones, las tasas de resistencia siguen siendo elevadas. Por ejemplo, el último informe de la Unión Europea (2021-22) destaca el hecho de que las bacterias que se encuentran en pollos, pavos y gallinas son muy resistentes a un tipo de antibiótico de uso común llamado fluoroquinolona.
Para combatir la RAM en la producción avícola, es esencial un enfoque polifacético. Esto debería incluir:
Las alternativas a los antibióticos se centran en mejorar la salud intestinal y el microbioma de las aves. La fracción rica en manano (MRF), derivada de las paredes celulares de la levadura, favorece el rendimiento y la salud de las aves modulando el microbioma, fijando las bacterias patógenas y promoviendo la salud intestinal.
Investigaciones recientes muestran también el impacto de la MRF en la susceptibilidad bacteriana a los antibióticos. Los estudios (Smith et al., 2017; 2020; 2022) demuestran que la MRF reduce el crecimiento de E. coli resistente a los antibióticos en un 46%, y en un 73% cuando se combina con antibióticos (ampicilina). Para lograrlo, la MRF potencia ciertas proteínas implicadas en el proceso de producción de energía y aumenta la producción de especies reactivas del oxígeno (ROS) nocivas en las bacterias. Estos cambios conducen a una eliminación más eficaz de las bacterias y a un cambio en la forma en que estas responden a los antibióticos.
Dado que el pollo y los huevos ocupan un lugar central en muchas dietas, garantizar la seguridad de los productos avícolas es primordial. Reducir las infecciones alimentarias por Salmonella, Campylobacter y E. coli puede disminuir la mortalidad, aliviar la carga económica y reducir la propagación de la RAM..
Adoptar un enfoque sólido y holístico de la seguridad alimentaria en la producción avícola es vital. Soluciones innovadoras como la MRF ayudan a reducir la prevalencia de bacterias resistentes, haciendo menos necesarios los antibióticos y potenciando su eficacia cuando son necesarios. Este enfoque ayuda al sector ganadero a mitigar su contribución a la RAM, salvaguardando la salud pública.
Autor: Dr. Harriet Walker
Sürdürülebilirlik, tarımda önemli bir tartışma konusu haline geldi. Bu, toplantılarda duyduğunuz, reklamlarda gördüğünüz veya sektör tartışmalarında referans verilen bir terimdir. Peki, bu sadece pazarlamada bir kelime oyunu mu, yoksa gerçekten sürdürülebilir tarıma yönelik bir hareketi mi yansıtıyor? Daha da önemlisi, sürdürülebilirlik hayvancılık ve süt üretimi için ne anlama geliyor?
Sürdürülebilirlik, her zaman iletişimimizin bir parçasıymış gibi görünse de, bu terim ancak 1970'lerde önem kazandı. Temelde, sürdürülebilirlik, bugünün ihtiyaçlarını karşılarken, gelecek nesillerin kendi ihtiyaçlarını karşılama yeteneklerini tehlikeye atmamakla ilgilidir. Tarımda bu, kaynakları korumak, atıkları minimize etmek ve ekosistemleri korumak anlamına gelir; önemli olan tüm bunları, gıda üretiminin sürekliliğini sağlarken yapmaktır.
Hayvancılıkla ilgili uygulandığında, sürdürülebilirlik daha da karmaşık hale gelir. Bu, sadece çevresel sorumlulukla ilgili değildir; hayvan sağlığı ve refahı, finansal karlılık, sosyal sorumluluk ve gıda kalitesinin dengelenmesini içerir. Bu beş sürdürülebilirlik temeli, süt üreticilerine, hayvanlara, topluluklara ve gezegenimize özen gösterirken uzun vadeli başarıyı sağlamak için bir çerçeve sunar.
Süt üretiminde sürdürülebilirliğin önemi
Dünya, artan bir nüfusa yiyecek sağlamak konusunda büyük zorluklarla karşı karşıya. 2050 yılına kadar global nüfusun 2,3 milyar kişi artması bekleniyor, bu da %60 daha fazla gıda üretimi gerektiriyor. Hayvancılık, et, süt ve diğer süt ürünleri gibi yüksek kaliteli, besin açısından zengin gıdalar sağlayarak bu ihtiyaçların karşılanmasında kritik bir rol oynamaktadır.
Süt çiftlikleri, kırsal ekonomiler ve topluluklar için hayati öneme sahiptir, istihdam yaratır ve geçim kaynaklarını destekler. Sadece Amerika Birleşik Devletleri'nde, tarım ve ilgili sektörler iş hayatının %10'undan fazlasını oluşturmaktadır. Süt çiftlikleri, istihdam sağlayarak ve yerel ekonomileri işleme tesisleri, tedarik zincirleri ve diğer çeşitli yollarla canlandırarak buna katkıda bulunurlar.
Sürdürülebilirlik, aynı zamanda gıda güvenliğini de kapsar, gıdanın hem kalitesini hem de miktarını garanti eder. Güvenli, besleyici süt ve diğer ürünleri üreterek, süt çiftlikleri sağlıklı beslenmeyi destekler ve artan bir nüfusun beslenme ihtiyaçlarını karşılar.
Süt üreticileri sürdürülebilirliğe nasıl katkıda bulunuyor?
Sürdürülebilirlik soyut bir kavram olmak zorunda değildir; birçok süt üreticisi zaten sürdürülebilir uygulamaları hayata geçirmektedir. Bunlardan bazıları şunlardır:
• Atıkları enerjiye dönüştürmek için biyogaz sistemleri kullanmak
• Gübreden altlık yapma veya doğal gübre olarak faydalanmak
• Çiftlik atıklarını, gıda israfını azaltmak için ineklerin rasyonlarına dahil etmek
• Sorumlu tarımsal su yönetimi uygulamak
• Geliştirilmiş barınak ve bakım ile hayvan refahını ön planda tutmak
• İneklerin çevresel etkisini azaltmak için rasyon takviyeleri eklemek
• Toprağı yöneterek uzun vadeli verimliliği ve üretkenliği korumak
Bu eylemler, sadece süt üretiminin çevresel izini iyileştirmekle kalmaz, aynı zamanda finansal karlılığı ve toplum refahını da artırır.
Sürdürülebilir süt üretiminin gelecekteki yolu
Sürdürülebilirlik sadece gezegenle ilgili değildir .İnsanlar, hayvanlar ve onları birbirine bağlayan sistemlerle ilgilidir. Süt üreticileri hayvan refahını iyileştirmek, yeni teknolojiler benimsemek ve doğal kaynakları korumak için çalışırken, sürdürülebilir bir geleceğe aktif olarak katkıda bulunmaktadırlar.
Eğer hayvanlarınıza özen gösteriyorsanız, işletmenizin gelişmesini istiyorsanız, güvenli ve besleyici süt üretimine inanıyorsanız, zaten sürdürülebilirliği benimsemişsiniz demektir. Çünkü, gübrenin yönetilmesinden suyun korunmasına kadar her küçük adım, süt endüstrisi ve dünya için daha iyi bir geleceği inşa etmeye yardımcı olur.
О том, почему каждому животноводческому хозяйству жизненно важно задуматься об отказе от использования антибиотиков и о том, как это сделать максимально эффективно, рассказывает ветеринарный врач-консультант компании Alltech Арсен Бадалян.
Originally from South Africa, Nikolaas Walt Volschenk, known as Wian, brings a wealth of diverse agricultural experience to his role as Technical Sales Representative for Alberta. He holds a BSc Agric. in Animal Science and has an extensive background in ruminants, aquaculture, and equine industries. During his studies, Wian co-owned and operated a tilapia fish farm for feed trials and worked on an Asiatic water buffalo dairy that also raised Chianina beef cattle. After graduating, Wian interned at Lanes End Farm in Kentucky, focusing on thoroughbred yearlings, sales, and breeding. He later managed Leatherwood Stud, working with various horse breeds while advancing his pilot’s license. His diverse expertise enables him to provide tailored solutions and drive agricultural innovation in Alberta.
Jonathan O'Toole Greene serves as the Territory Sales Representative for British Columbia, bringing a deep-rooted passion for agriculture and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Originally from Ireland, Jonathan earned a bachelor's degree in Food and Agribusiness Management from University College Dublin. Having grown up on his family’s beef farm, Jonathan developed a strong connection to the agricultural industry and firsthand knowledge of its challenges and opportunities. He is dedicated to building lasting relationships with customers by providing tailored solutions that meet their unique needs and contribute to their success.
Marie-Claude joined Alltech in late 2022, bringing a collaborative and solution-oriented approach to her role. As a Ruminant Technical Sales Representative, she works closely with Alltech’s clients and their sales teams, providing comprehensive support and ensuring they have the resources needed to succeed. Known for her commitment and reliability, Marie-Claude is always ready to assist clients in optimizing their production processes. With a keen ability to evaluate multiple aspects of production, she delivers tailored solutions and strategic guidance to enhance outcomes. Marie-Claude holds a bachelor's degree in Agro-Economy from Laval University, equipping her with the knowledge and skills to drive success in the agricultural sector.
Eric Guy serves as the Western Canada Feed Additive Sales Manager, bringing a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen to the livestock industry. Based near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Eric holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba. His approach centers on enhancing animal performance and well-being while helping customers achieve optimal financial returns and operational efficiencies. With a customer-focused mindset, Eric is dedicated to delivering tailored solutions that drive success in the livestock sector.
Biosecurity is a term that is often used and often misunderstood. With the intent of protecting their pigs, modern pork producers require meticulous attention to who has access to their farms; equipment and product sanitation prior to entry; and strict herd health monitoring to prevent viruses like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PEDV) from entering the farm.
However, an often-overlooked area of risk in this equation is feed biosecurity. Even in our modern agricultural practices, viruses can easily hitch a ride into a farm on feed ingredients, silently entering and rendering all other biosecurity efforts futile.
To address this challenge, organic-acid-based feed mitigant (OAFM) offers a robust option to achieve viral mitigation in feed. OAFM effectively bridges the feed gap in biosecurity programs, being designed to mitigate viral agents such as PRRSV and PEDV through treated feed. OAFM provides a crucial layer of protection that can help prevent farms from experiencing devastating disease outbreaks.
As a result of many hard lessons learned during the introduction of PEDV into the industry over a decade ago, there is now a robust body of work in the field of feed biosecurity. It is well documented that viral pathogens like PRRSV and PEDV can survive in feed ingredients, especially in conditions that mimic long-distance transportation. This has profound implications, as feed becomes a “Trojan horse,” entering farms with the potential to spread these diseases far and wide. PRRSV alone costs the U.S. pork industry an estimated $664 million annually due to reduced reproductive performance, increased pig mortality, and the need for depopulation in severe cases. PEDV, although slightly less costly, can still wipe out entire groups of pigs, particularly young and newborn piglets.
Traditionally, biosecurity measures have focused on controlling other vectors, like people, vehicles and live pigs. However, feed has become an increasing concern as a possible transmission route for these viruses. Pathogens can contaminate feed ingredients during production, storage or transport, highlighting the need for a comprehensive biosecurity strategy that includes feed mitigation.
Despite the growing awareness of feed as a transmission risk, it remains under-prioritized in many swine biosecurity plans. This oversight likely stems from the assumption that feed, a seemingly inert product, poses minimal risk as a potential vector for disease introduction. However, modern research has shown that feed ingredients, especially soybean meal, can serve as carriers for harmful pathogens like PRRSV.
OAFM is comprised primarily of organic acids and has proven antiviral activity. It was specifically formulated to rapidly reduce diet pH, causing changes to virus survivability. Since the product does not use formaldehyde as part of the mitigation strategy, OAFM offers a safe and natural mitigant option without compromising animal performance or worker safety.
Preventing a disease outbreak is far less costly than dealing with the aftermath. According to industry estimates, a PRRSV outbreak can cost a farm up to $400 per sow annually when losses from reduced productivity, increased veterinary costs, and culling of infected animals are all considered. PEDV outbreaks, while less frequent, can have similarly devastating financial impacts.
Figure 1: PRRSV cumulative incidence across herds participating in the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project, which represents approximately 50% of sows in the U.S. Since the beginning of the project, annual incidence of PRRSV outbreaks across the represented herds has ranged from 18% to 40%.
Figures 2 and 3: Dee et al. demonstrated a significant reduction in herds practicing next-generation biosecurity (NGB), which incorporates systems designed to mitigate virus entry through direct routes of PRRSV entry such as infected animals and semen; indirect routes such as mechanical vectors and fomites, aerosol and feed. Farms that did not address one or more of these areas of virus entry experienced higher incidence of PRRSV breaks over a three-year period, and also saw improved KPIs in their herds.
Source: Dee et al.(2024). Further evidence that science-based biosecurity provides sustainable prevention of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection and improved productivity in swine breeding herds. Animals 14, 2530. 10.3390/ani14172530.
Feed mitigants like OAFM provide a relatively inexpensive insurance policy against these losses. By investing in feed biosecurity, producers can safeguard their herds and protect their bottom lines from the potentially devastating costs of a viral outbreak.
In the fight against viral diseases like PRRSV and PEDV, and with other health challenges looming on the horizon, OAFM offers a crucial line of defense for the modern pork production system. As swine biosecurity continues to evolve, the importance of feed mitigation can no longer be ignored. Use of OAFM will help ensure that feed remains a source of nourishment only — not of infection.
About the authors:
Dr. Jose Soto is the monogastric research and technical lead at Alltech. He was born and raised in Chile, where he received undergraduate and graduate training in agricultural sciences and agricultural economics, respectively. He received a Ph.D. in applied swine nutrition from Kansas State University, where he worked extensively with amino acid nutrition and dietary energy economic modeling. Prior to joining Alltech, Dr. Soto served in various roles for three of the Top 10 swine integrators in the U.S., in addition to several swine nutrition companies, where he was involved with research and development, production operations and technical services.
Dr. Andrew Bents is a swine technical veterinarian at Hubbard Feeds. He attended the University of Minnesota where he earned both his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science, as well as his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. After graduation, Dr. Bents served the Worthington, MN area as a mixed animal veterinarian, with an emphasis on swine production.
At Hubbard, his role is to support pork producers by integrating and managing the interaction of health on all aspects of pork production through cooperation with producers, nutritionists, and their veterinarians. He is passionate about finding ways to improve pig health through advanced husbandry, nutrition, epidemiology, and pharmacovigilance techniques.
In his spare time, Dr. Bents enjoys spending time with his family, serving his church and community, helping on the family farm and woodworking in his shop.
I recently sat down with Dr. Shelby Roberts, Alltech technical sales support, to take a closer look at calf gut health, the importance of nutrition during the first weeks of the calf’s life, and some other calving season considerations. Here are a few points to keep in mind before and during spring calving.
Nutrition is a major player in the success of a calf’s life, but proper management of your herd is essential to the health of your cattle. Dr. Roberts shared some management tips to keep in mind as calving season progresses.
What constitutes as “essential” will vary by operation. Think about your operation and consider what you need to have stocked for the season – especially if you don’t have easy access to the store in a pinch. A few things that are handy to keep near and on hand are:
Colostrum is the mother’s first milk and the calf’s first source of immunity and nutrients. Antibodies from colostrum protect calves until their naive immune systems are fully functional. Calves are susceptible early on to a host of potential illnesses, so ensuring that they nurse and/or are supplemented with colostrum in the first hours after birth is crucial to their lifelong success. That’s an important fact to consider, especially when many beef producers don’t have access to a calving barn — or an easy way to get to the calf — when the calf first hits the ground.
Once the calf nurses, not only is getting that colostrum in their system critical, but the quality of the colostrum can affect the success of the calf as well. For better colostrum quality, the rancher needs to look toward the dam. Cows start producing colostrum around five weeks before they give birth, so it is essential to consider the dam’s nutritional needs well before birth to enhance her colostrum quality and, subsequently, the health of her calf. Choosing from the Bio-Mos range of nutritional technologies is one great way to give your calves a strong start to a healthy life.
Dr. Roberts and I took time to talk about how the antibodies the calf consumes by way of colostrum affect its health and immunity. What it comes down to is a balancing act happening in the gut.
Good bacteria are constantly fighting to keep the pathogenic bacteria in check. Simultaneously, the animal’s immune system is fighting the pathogenic bacteria. The immune system and the good bacteria work together to keep the animal healthy and to suppress the pathogenic bacteria. When antibiotics are used, this clears out the pathogenic bacteria AND the good bacteria. When the gut recolonizes, the animal is at risk for pathogenic bacteria recolonizing at a quicker rate than the good bacteria, leaving the immune system as the last and only line of defense when antibiotics are removed.
The first couple weeks after birth can remain a period of elevated risk as the maternal antibodies disappear and the calf’s immunity is still maturing, as shown in the diagram. In fact, according to Dr. Roberts, “Mortality data shows that most calf death occurs within the first two weeks of life.”
When producers are considering nutrition strategies, Dr. Roberts encourages them to think holistically about dam nutrition by considering the seasonal changes in the dam’s nutrition needs. Her needs — and the needs of the calf — will vary throughout the seasons.
Nutritional solutions like Bio-Mos® are beneficial pre-calving and beyond. Since the 1980s, Alltech has been conducting studies on these technologies, and the calf research has shown the following results:
Bio-Mos has also been tested in different life stage changes — like transitional receiving diets. In a study conducted in a commercial feedlot in Southern Alberta in Canada, 902 mixed-breed, newly weaned beef cattle were split into two groups, one fed a control and one supplemented with Bio-Mos. Cattle fed Bio-Mos showed improved average daily gain and maintained a healthy immune response.
Calving season is a critical time of year for producers, as healthy calves on the ground directly affect the success of the operation throughout the whole year. Consider utilizing these tips and tools to put your cattle in the best position for a successful start and a successful life. Best of luck, and happy calving!
About the author:
An Ohio farm girl with roots down in Kansas on her husband's family cow-calf operation in the beautiful Kansas Flint Hills, Cece Blythe's involvement in the cattle industry is more than her job, but her lifestyle. She pursued her interest in agriculture through her degree in agribusiness and applied economics from The Ohio State University and comes to Alltech with a background in livestock genetics and marketing.
Cece has been with Alltech since 2020, where she serves as the Western U.S. marketing manager.
