Traditionally, mineral supplementation has been achieved through the use of inorganic minerals. However, developing technologies have ushered in a new era in mineral nutrition.

The newest edition of the “Brazilian Tables for Poultry and Swine” verifies the efficiency of organic mineral supplementation in monogastric animals, with farmers starting to implement organic mineral nutrition and seeing improvements in efficiency and gains in performance. Today, we know that feeding the right form of mineral is key to optimizing herd performance, health and productivity.

Studies show that organic trace minerals (OTM):

• Offer higher bioavailability than inorganic minerals (Close 2006).
• Have high biological activity (Peters and Mahan 2004, 2014).
• Reduce concerns about negative mineral interactions (Peters et al. 2014)

Piglet quality starts with the sow

Switching mineral forms can have a significant impact on your sow productivity and your overall pig production. Sows transfer a significant amount of minerals to the fetus during pregnancy (Mahan et al. 2009), meaning that the gestation and lactation periods are crucial times in the sow’s productivity and in her piglets’ viability.

A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Animal Science found that sows given the organic form of trace minerals produced piglets with increased weight at birth and, after 21 days, higher iron content in the liver and blood.

“By supplying Bioplex® trace minerals, we are providing the sow with minerals that are better absorbed, which in turn makes the sow more productive, and more minerals are passed on to her offspring,” says Russell Gilliam, Alltech’s U.S. swine business manager. “The end result is that we are able to lower income cost in producing a weaned pig.”

A “more with less” approach

Alltech’s innovative Total Replacement Technology™ was developed in response to modern production and the mineral requirements that are now demanded by your herd. Alltech has proven that modern management of mineral nutrition can be carried out by the inclusion of organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex® and Sel-Plex® at significantly lower levels than inorganic trace minerals while still improving performance.

Now more than ever, efficiency is a primary focus in the pig industry. Improper mineral supply can have major consequences for health and productivity and, as a result, come at a high cost.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my pig herd.

Are cattle producers ready for the impending U.S. Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)?

More than 550 days ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its updated regulations for the VFD, and now, in just a few short days, the rules will go into effect. Some producers are now scrambling to get clarity on this critically important new directive.

Alltech has put together the latest information to separate fact from fiction and make sure everyone is ready to make the most of the upcoming changes. Let’s start from the beginning:

What’s the VFD, again?

The Veterinary Feed Directive, or VFD, will restrict the use of medically important antibiotics in animal feed. On Jan. 1, 2017, it will be illegal to use certain antibiotics without a veterinary prescription, and affected antibiotics will only be available to prevent, control or treat a specifically identified disease.

Functionally, it will work as follows:

• Feed companies and distributors must register with the FDA if distributing veterinary feed directive feeds.
• Veterinarians will be prescribing veterinary feed directive drugs and must have pre-existing veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR); more on that below.
• Veterinary feed directive prescriptions may be sent to distributors by veterinarians or by hard copy delivered by clients.
• Drug manufacturers will be allowed to assist veterinarians and feed companies with the processing.

Which drugs will be affected by the Veterinary Feed Directive?

A full list is available through the FDA website, but some of the most commonly affected drugs are listed below.

Remember, the list below shows the generic names and not brand names, so be sure to review the appropriate end products.

What worries have some producers expressed about the Veterinary Feed Directive?

The language around a “pre-existing veterinary-client-patient relationship” within the VFD can be confusing. To break that down, generally, this relationship for a producer requires:

• A veterinarian who is familiar with the producer’s operation.
• A veterinarian who will assume responsibility for making medical decisions on the animals involved.
• Medically timely visits to the premise.
• A producer who agrees to follow veterinary directions.
• A veterinarian who is available for follow-up as needed.

For additional insight, a complete list of VCPR criteria by state can be found here.

Dispelling Veterinary Feed Directive rumors: True and false facts

Information on the VFD can be found easily, but misinformation and incorrect rumors about what the VFD is can be just as common. As the start date approaches, what are the most common rumors that need to be dispelled?

Rumor: Feed-grade antibiotics are going away for good.

 That’s false. What is going away is the ability to use feed-grade antibiotics for growth promotion and other off-label uses.

Rumor: Injectable antibiotics will be banned.

That’s false. These will still be available over the counter as needed.

Rumor: The VFD will affect both small and large producers.

That’s true: Large or small, all producers who are found non-compliant will face a wide range of penalties ranging from fines to jail time.

Rumor: Water-soluble antibiotics are not affected.

That’s false. A prescription, not a VFD, will be necessary for medically important antibiotics used in drinking water.

What resources are available on the Veterinary Feed Directive?

Staying up-to-date on the latest information is key. Alltech highly recommends going straight to the source to get the most complete information. There are several comprehensive resources available online:

• The FDA website. Here you can find brochures outlining the requirements for producers, veterinarians and feed distributors, whether or not they manufacture feed.
• This FDA video gives an overview of the VFD.
• The Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University has created free modules on the VFD.
• In this webinar, Dr. Darrell Johnson from the University of Kentucky speaks in depth about the unique challenges faced by beef and dairy producers affected by the VFD.
• WATT and GlobalVetLink put together this great infographic.
• Your local agriculture extension office.

What comes next?

Alltech supports producers by promoting health and performance through nutritional feeding innovations. By bringing together over 35 years of research and practical application with state-of-the-art support tools, Alltech can provide technical expertise in the following management programs:

Preparing for the VFD might seem difficult, but with planning, producers can have a smooth transition and bring new value to their operation. To learn more, contact your local Alltech office.

When it comes to your animals’ mineral diet, you’ve likely never been thinking about “Star Wars” but just like the characters of the epic movie series, you have a choice to make. Do you go with organic trace minerals, or do you turn to the dark side: inorganics?

It should be an easy choice, but many get led astray by practices that date back over a decade-and-a-half. If you were to look at how many times the human food pyramid has been updated since then, you would see constant improvement. Likewise, how can we keep our animals’ diets in pace with this constant development of nutritional innovation? It starts with choosing a side when it comes to your minerals.

Choose the side with less mineral waste

To examine an animal’s diet, you often have to look at what is coming out the other end. If the animal’s waste has undigested feed in it, that signals two possibilities: One, the diet is over-fortified with an ingredient; or two, the animal is having trouble digesting the ingredient. Recent studies have shown that grow-finish pigs fed a diet with the total replacement of inorganics with organic minerals had reduced fecal manganese, copper and selenium excretion (Alltech-Zhejiang University Animal Nutrition and Feed Science Research Alliance). Another study looking at supplementing organic trace minerals at 0, 50 or 100 percent of the National Research Council (NRC) recommendations showed that nursery pigs and finishing pigs’ trace mineral requirements did not appear to need dietary trace mineral supplementation at the levels recommended by NRC. This research highlights the fact that organic minerals are better absorbed, stored and utilized by the animal. The more that is absorbed by the animal means less waste reaches the environment and less is wasted from the producer’s pocket book.

Choose the side you can trust

Not all minerals are made the same. Inorganics have an added level of contamination risk for both feed and food. This comes in the form of dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals. In the 2015 Asia-Pacific Heavy Metal Survey, where 498 mineral samples were tested, the trend for heavy metal contamination over the past five years showed an average of 19.4 percent. This contamination figure should be scary for producers, as that leads to an increased risk of immune suppression, liver/kidney damage, decreased growth and even contamination of the tissue. It is important to know where your minerals are coming from and that they are being tested to ensure safety for your animals and the food chain. Alltech’s Q+ (Quality Plus) process is a positive release program that guarantees all incoming batches of raw material sources and final product batches are tested for dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals prior to sale, providing a safe and traceable product that producers can trust.

Choose the side that’s better for your pigs’ health and performance

Minerals are an important part of the pig’s diet, but they are not meant to be just another ingredient. Effective mineral nutrition can have a very significant on health and performance. Organic trace minerals have shown to support the number of pigs born (The Ohio State University). That means a lot for producers looking to reduce overall production costs per pig. In addition to reducing costs, another major concern is the health of the pig. Additional studies have shown that trace minerals supplementation supports healthy antioxidant status. This allows the pigs that the producer has invested in to be healthier and more likely to make it to market (Alltech-Zhejiang University Animal Nutrition and Feed Science Research Alliance).

Don’t be lured to the dark side. Learn more about the Alltech^® Mineral Management program at alltech.com/pig.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my pig herd.