Your primary focus as a producer is providing your calves with what they need to grow into healthy adult animals. To do so, gut health is key. Good gut health allows the calf to efficiently utilize the nutrients in the feed, giving them a strong, stable and healthy start.

However, helping a calf meet its true genetic potential is often easier said than done when there’s a battle going on at the microscopic level inside the calf’s gut. Understanding gut health in cows and calves and how to be a more proactive producer regarding your herd’s health will impact the overall efficiency and success of your operation.

Understanding gut health in cows and young calves

“An animal’s gastrointestinal tract is made up of billions of bacteria,” said Dr. Shelby Roberts, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Alltech Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition. “This bacterial population is comprised of both some pathogenic bacteria and other bacteria that are beneficial to the animal. In a healthy gut, these bacteria keep each other in balance. Gut health problems start when this balance becomes offset and the bad bacteria start to outnumber the good bacteria.”

For bad bacteria to cause trouble, they must first attach to the gut, where they start to multiply. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria, but they can also kill good bacteria, so taking a different, more proactive approach when addressing calf gut health can be beneficial.

“Maintaining the good gut bacteria, while ridding the system of the bad bugs, is essential to promoting gut health,” Roberts said.

Good gut health benefits cattle in a few ways, including:

• The efficient utilization of feed
• Healthy weight gain
• Immunity
• Gut integrity

Taking a proactive approach to gut health

Traditionally, the gut has been thought of as just another part of the digestive system. However, we also know that it is an active component of the immune system.

Considering the dual function of the gut, one way to achieve optimum gut health in calves is to use a feed supplement created to promote good bacteria and support natural defenses. This preventative approach to animal health can help reduce the number of sick calves and, in turn, decrease the amount of antibiotic treatments as well. This can save producers valuable time and money during the busy calving season.

Over the last 20 years, Alltech has conducted research trials that have evaluated management practices that utilize nutritional technologies and the effects of those technologies on calf health and performance. Certain high-quality prebiotics, for example, have been proven to positively impact calf gut health. Prebiotics are indigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of microbes in the gut. 

Establishing strong calf immunity starts with the dam

• At birth, calves are born with a naïve immune system due to maternal antibodies being unable to pass through the placenta, which leaves calves susceptible to disease.
• Colostrum, the first milk produced at calving, is one of the most important components of calf health. Colostrum is a calf’s initial source of the antibodies that are essential for protecting young calves until their immune systems are fully developed, which takes 1 to 2 months.
• Studies of perinatal mortality indicate that 4–12% of calves are born dead or die within 24 hours of birth. Numerous risk factors contribute to higher perinatal mortality rates, including failed antibody transfer from dam to calf, which only reinforces the importance of colostrum and early nutritional management for calves.
• There are numerous factors that can affect colostrum quality, including the dam’s age, breed and nutrition. Making sure that the dam’s nutritional requirements are being met prior to calving allows the dam to pass along quality stored colostrum to the calf.

Better health for improved performance

Producers spend a lot of time and money trying to improve the genetics of their herds. Calves that have both strong immune system development and a healthy gastrointestinal tract will be better able to utilize nutrients efficiently and reach their genetic potential.

“If we can make calves healthier and reduce the energy they spend keeping the bad bacteria in balance, it should result in better performance,” Roberts explained.

The principle of improved gut health for improved performance is best applied during periods of stress, such as weaning and feedlot arrival. These stressful times negatively impact animal health and growth due to exposure to new pathogens and periods of decreased feed intake. Improved performance resulting from increased efficiency can mean more money in the producer’s pocket. This can be achieved through:

• Improved animal growth (average daily gains)
• Reductions in calf treatments and morbidities

Trials have shown that, without a doubt, enhanced calf health and immunity translate to better growth and gains.

“Being proactive with the use of nutritional technologies and establishing a healthy gut could give a producer’s calves the leg up they need to reach their genetic potential,” Roberts said.

Bio-Mos 2^® promotes a healthy gut

Bio-Mos 2^® is a second-generation feed supplement formulated to feed the gastrointestinal tract in your cattle, optimizing average daily gains, aiding in calf immune system development and reinforcing a healthy gut microbiome without antibiotics at all stages of production. With a healthy gut, calves can better absorb the nutrients in colostrum, and as they transition to creep feed, they can maximize their potential to achieve big gains and maintain high performance.

Learn more about Bio-Mos 2 here.

Download a free poster!

Discussion topics to include blockchain technology, beef in China and value-added opportunities  

Register before March 31 at one.alltech.com for savings of $400

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE18), held May 20–22 in Lexington, Kentucky, will bring together producers and industry experts from around the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within the beef industry.  

ONE18 beef focus sessions include*:

• The Chinese Border is Open for Beef: Now What?

After 14 years, U.S. beef is back on the shelves in China, creating new opportunities in 2018. To succeed, you need to know the key players in the global beef market and hone your strategy — after all, the right message and the right product can make or break a sale.

• Kerchin: Breaking Down the Beef Blockchain

“Blockchain” is a word everybody hears but few understand. Hear from Chinese beef producer Kerchin on how they have broken down blockchain into the building blocks of beef’s future in China. Discover how modern technology can optimize your operation today.

• Blueprint for Beef

Integration has happened for the pork and poultry industries. Why not for beef? Some say our industry is too big and too segregated — but is it? Maybe we just need a few new ideas. Learn how Alltech is redesigning the way cattlemen support animal health throughout all phases of production with Blueprint^®, a beef nutrition program designed to maximize cattle performance and profitability.

• Mineral Myths: Mining the Truth About Organic Trace Minerals

Why are we still using inorganic minerals? Science has spoken and the message is clear: Organic trace minerals mean less inclusion, less waste and better meat quality. What mineral myths prevent you from embracing the future? Uncover the truth and learn how a simple change in your ration can have a big impact on your bottom line.

• The Abscess Obsession

Liver abscesses are a major issue in feedlot cattle at slaughter and represent a significant economic cost to the producer, the packer and, ultimately, to the end consumer. Yet pushing “hotter” cattle rations is key to increased performance. Join us to discover the real science behind this problem and how one scientist is blazing an innovative new trail.

• From Ivy League Student to Feedyard Foodie: Anne’s Journey

Before she became a cattle farmer and one of ag's leading voices, Anne Burkholder was a competitive swimmer and distance runner, and then an Ivy League student. Listen as she shares her incredible journey and offers valuable insight into how modern cattle management can transform the way consumers see, hear and experience food.

• Making Money in Value-Added Programs: How It’s Done

We’ve all heard about the explosion of natural, antibiotic-free and European beef programs, but where does the money really come from? And how can you get a cut of the action? Join us as we get into the nitty-gritty details of value-added programs and how your operation can qualify for them. With just a few key changes, learn how to make the extra profit and score a bigger return.

*Topics subject to change as the schedule evolves.

Now in its 34^th year, Alltech’s conference is attended annually by nearly 4,000 people from over 70 countries. Whether producers are navigating a fundamental change within the beef industry or just need a little inspiration, they’ll learn about real-world opportunities and solutions at ONE18.

Learn more and register at one.alltech.com for a savings of $400 before March 31. Join the conversation with #ONE18 on Twitter, and follow the ONE18 Facebook event page for updates.

As the distance between farmer and consumer closes around the world, we must continually adapt our methods to meet the ever-growing demand for high-quality, safe food. In the webinar, “The Path of Least Resistance,” we took a dive into the world of antibiotics, specifically how they have impacted and will continue to impact the agriculture industry. The key speaker, Dr. Richard Murphy, explained why we should worry about antibiotic resistance, where we are now with restrictions on antibiotics in livestock health and what opportunities exist for your operations.

Our three key takeaways were:

1. Worldwide, scientific evidence indicates an overall decline in the total stock of antibiotic effectiveness; resistance to all first-line and last-resort antibiotics is rising.
2. The livestock and poultry industries are not only facing increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EFSA, but, worldwide, meat processors are starting to demand change.
3. Alternative growth promotion strategies are available that utilize strategic nutritional management practices as part of an antibiotic-free strategy for animal production.

To view the webinar and get the full story behind the takeaways, click on the button below: