Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the number-one cause of feedlot cattle death in North America and represents more than 70% of all feedlot death and sickness. BRD is the single-largest source of morbidity and mortality in feedlots, causing an estimated $2–3 billion in losses annually (Fulton 2009; Irsik 2006). So how do you treat BRD?

First, you need to know that the phrase “treating BRD profitably” is nearly an oxymoron. Once an animal gets BRD — or shipping fever, as it’s sometimes called — four separate economic factors are negatively impacted: treatment costs increase, productivity decreases, labor costs increase and the likelihood of a BRD re-treat, chronic re-treats and/or death increases as well. Especially in a tight beef cattle market, relying on being able to treat BRD while staying profitable is practically impossible.

What is BRD and how do you spot it?

BRD is the general term for any disease of the upper respiratory tracts (e.g., bronchitis, rhinitis, tracheitis) or lower respiratory tracts (e.g., pneumonia). It is known as a “disease complex,” stemming from three factors usually working in combination: stress, a viral infection and a bacterial infection. BRD normally impacts cattle in the first four weeks after weaning, and it can be fatal.

Symptoms of BRD:

• Droopy ears
• Fever
• Lethargic behavior 
• Lack of appetite (going “off-feed”)
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Coughing
• Bloody or excessive nasal discharge

Four strategies for beating BRD in your feed yard

A common cliché in sports is that “the best defense is a good offense.” The same principle applies to BRD. The best way for you to defend against having to treat for BRD is to have a proactive, offensive-line strategy that prevents BRD in your receiving program. Here are four things you should do to prevent BRD:

1. Reduce stress at all costs

Investing a bit more to ensure the receiving health of your cattle will pay big dividends when it comes to BRD. Remember: cattle have just endured a long, strenuous trip to your yard, so doing everything you can to reduce their stress upon arrival is critical. This begins with providing a good, clean environment with as little overcrowding and dust as possible. Pay special attention if and when adverse weather occurs (e.g., excess heat, cold, rain, etc.) and adjust accordingly to accommodate them. Be sure to provide sufficient bedding as well so the animals can get some much-needed rest. The initial process of co-mingling can introduce countless diseases, even beyond BRD, so giving cattle to have a clean place to rest will allow them to both settle down and fight off any health challenges.

Additionally, having your team trained in low-stress handling practices will help keep cattle calm when they arrive. This means limiting the amount of yelling, excessive noise and the use of electric prods to keep stress to a minimum.

2. Provide good nutrition early and often

There are three keys to preventing BRD via nutrition. Though often overlooked, the first and most important key when cattle are arriving to the feedyard is getting them to drink water. Water is a critical first nutrient. After a long, stressful trip, getting cattle clean water as quickly as possible will help them acclimate and address any dehydration they could have experienced during transportation. The second key to preventing BRD is providing highly palatable, nutrient-dense feed. Especially during the first four to five days, getting cattle to eat much of anything may be a challenge. A good choice to include in your ration would be either a wet or dry distillers grain (depending on what is available in your region). Distillers grains are high in protein, very palatable and are generally cost-effective for a start-up ration.

Sometimes, the smallest ingredients can have the biggest impact on your cattle’s health. Providing the right micronutrients to maximize health and performance is the third and final nutritional key to preventing BRD. Establishing good gut health and mineral status proactively are paramount when attempting to stop BRD before it starts. Feed additive products from Alltech, such as Bio-Mos, can help drive gut health, and Alltech’s Bioplex and Sel-Plex support maximum trace mineral status. Both of these products are backed by peer-reviewed scientific research and have been used by producers as a part of their comprehensive BRD programs.

3. Establish a vaccination program with a vet you trust

Step one in this process may be developing a relationship built on trust with your vet. This goes beyond just “knowing” your vet to actually having full confidence that the vaccinations you are providing will set your animals up for success. A skilled local veterinarian is your best ally to make sure that the vaccines are working most effectively to fight BRD outbreaks. Furthermore, vaccination histories should play an important role in where you source your cattle. For example, finding animals who have been vaccinated as many as 45 days pre-weaning and again before shipping will help boost your ability to prevent BRD in the feed yard.

4. Use your tools wisely: Good pen riders and technology

Remember, cattle are animals of prey — meaning that they will do everything they can not to appear sick or wounded. A skilled pen rider with a keen eye is still your best preventative tool against BRD. Not every case of BRD can be prevented, but putting an end to it before it becomes critical can make all the difference. There can be as much as a three-to-five-day gap between when an animal begins to experience the symptoms of BRD and when those symptoms can be visibly detected. This makes early identification all the more important for a pen rider. The longer BRD goes undetected, the more “catching up” an animal will need to do once treated. That means lost money for your yard. As such, checking animals multiple times a day is good, profitable prevention against BRD.

New technologies continue to aid in the preventative fight against BRD. Many of these technologies still need further development before being profitably introduced, but progress is being made. Early detection swabs, drones, smart ear tags, facial recognition cameras, sensor-based hydronic shoots and much more will help reduce the labor needed to effectively manage cattle and improve overall animal welfare.

Again, your best defense against BRD is a good offense. By putting these preventative strategies in place, you are giving your cattle the best chance to be healthy and profitable. Your ability to combat the number-one feedlot disease can and will make a big difference for your operation today.

References

Fulton, R.W. 2009. Bovine respiratory disease research (1983–2009). Cambridge University Press 2009 Animal Health Research Reviews 10(2); 131–139.

Irsik, M., M. Langemeier, T. Schroeder, M. Spire, J. D. Roder. 2006. Estimating the Effects of Animal Health on the Performance of Feedlot Cattle. The Bovine Practitioner, 40(2); 65-74.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella is the cause of an estimated 1 million food-borne illnesses in the United States every year, including 19,000 hospitalizations and more than 300 deaths. The most common symptoms of a Salmonella infection are diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Serious Salmonella infections are more likely to manifest in those who are under 5 years old or are over 65 years old, or in those with weakened immune systems (e.g., diabetics or cancer patients). Although illness from Salmonella is often the result of improper food preparation or several other factors, poultry producers and backyard flock owners can help reduce consumer risk through good management practices.

Potential sources of bacterial contamination include: 

• Wild birds/pests (e.g., beetles, flies or rodents) 
• Water 
• Visitors 
• Hygiene 

In poultry production, there are eight key areas that must be given attention in order to reduce bad bacterial contamination on-farm and aid in the prevention of Salmonella.

1. Clean facilities and dedication to biosecurity:  Residual contamination from previous flocks is a common cause of Salmonella in birds. Cleaning areas that birds often touch (e.g., drinking and feed containers) or frequent (e.g., the coop) before the birds arrive and after they leave can help reduce the prevalence of Salmonella. Effective biosecurity and pest control are also key to avoiding contamination in the coop. 

2. Feed:  Contaminated grains and feed ingredients can increase the risk of Salmonella in the final feed. Use heat-pelleted feed, and source feed from mills that maintain stringent quality standards. 

3. Water management:  Water management is a crucial part of any Salmonella control program for poultry, since water can serve as a medium for the organism to spread from bird to bird. Chlorination, as well as the use of organic acids in drinking water, can help to reduce Salmonella levels in the flock. 

4. Dust:  Like water, dust can also foster the spread of Salmonella. Try to keep dust levels in and around the coop below 3 milligrams per cubic meter. 

5. Litter and manure management:  Poultry litter and manure with high moisture and pH levels allow Salmonella to thrive. Managing the moisture and pH of the litter and manure can be effective ways to prevent it from spreading. 

6. Managing gut flora: Establishing and maintaining proper gut flora soon after hatching is critical for mitigating Salmonella contamination. Programs that include the use of probiotics, organic acids, enzymes and yeast technologies have proven effective at maintaining optimal gut health. Several Alltech products that can support gut health — including Sel-Plex^®, Bioplex^®, Allzyme^® ;SSF, Bio-Mos^®, Yea-Sacc^® and Integral^® A+ — are incorporated into all Hubbard Premium Quality poultry feeds.

7. Coccidiosis: Intestinal challenges caused by poor gastrointestinal integrity can have a major impact on Salmonella levels in broilers. As such, strong coccidiosis management should be part of every Salmonella control program. 

8. Vaccination: Especially at the breeder level, the use of vaccines has the potential to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella among day-old chicks. You should only purchase chicks from a reputable source. While vaccines can be applied to backyard poultry, a poultry veterinarian should be consulted to design a suitable program for your birds. 

Cleaning and personal hygiene for your safety 

People can get sick from eating Salmonella-infected meat or eggs or by touching infected poultry or housing. Birds can carry Salmonella but show no symptoms or signs of illness. Fortunately, however, there are several factors that can boost protection: 

• Always wash your hands with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer) immediately after touching birds, their housing, eggs or meat. Require visitors to do the same. 
• Do not allow backyard poultry inside your home, especially where food or drink is prepared, served or stored. 
• Wear a specific pair of shoes when taking care of or visiting birds that you do not wear elsewhere. Leave this footwear outside and request that visitors to do the same. Rubber boots are a popular option. 
• Do not eat or drink where poultry live or roam. 
• Do not kiss or snuggle backyard poultry and then touch your face or mouth. 
• When cleaning the equipment or materials you use to raise or care for your birds, do so outdoors, not inside.
• Any individuals with potentially weakened immune systems should not touch the birds.
• Source young birds from government-inspected hatcheries or reputable sources that have a bird health plan.
• Maintain a clean coop and collect eggs often. 
• Clean dirty eggs with fine sandpaper, a brush or cloth — but DO NOT wash eggs with cold water, as this can pull Salmonella into the egg.
• Refrigerate eggs after collecting them and cook them thoroughly before serving.

To expand on the CDC statements regarding Salmonella in backyard flocks, many of these precautions should also be applied when going to a feed or retail store that offers baby chickens, turkeys and/or ducks for purchase. Many stores are now enclosing the birds in an effort to discourage handling, but it is still a good idea to wash and/or sanitize your hands prior to leaving the store.

Additionally, take extra precautions when cooking or handling raw chicken. Try to limit the exposure of raw chicken to temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (e.g., leaving raw chicken out on the kitchen counter). Always cook poultry thoroughly — use a meat thermometer to ensure that the proper temperature is met — and disinfect surfaces where meat was stored or prepared. The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165° Fahrenheit (75° Celsius).
 

For more information, please refer to the following articles from the CDC:  

https://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellapoultry/index.html 

https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-05-19/index.html  

I want to learn more about poultry nutrition for my flock.

Australis Vietnam is the largest barramundi producer in Asia and has introduced a new superfood to the market: The Sustainable Seabass®. This barramundi is antibiotic-free, mercury-free, hormone-free and high in omega-3. Located in Van Phong Bay, Vietnam, this premium brand aims to produce 10,000 tons of fish a year upon reaching maximum production capacity.

A recipient of the prestigious Seafood Choices Alliance’s Seafood Champion Award, Australis brought its innovative ocean farming approach from the U.S. to central Vietnam. It employs a hybrid system of offshore marine net pens and on-land nursery tanks using  recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). RAS, a sustainable technology that has modernized aquaculture, dramatically reduces the amount of water and space required to intensively produce seafood products.

To ensure the efficient growth of their fish, Australis Vietnam has been using Alltech’s Bio-Mos® since 2013. Bio-Mos is incorporated into aquaculture diets to support gut integrity and overall animal performance. It is effective during all phases of growth.

“Bio-Mos meets our demands for feed performance and conversion goals,” said Bao Nguyen, production manager at Australis Vietnam. “I am satisfied with the product. It is irreplaceable.”

Australis and Alltech are aligned in core values. While Australis’ mission is to pioneer climate-smart ocean farming with The Better Fish® concept, Alltech aims to deliver smarter solutions for agriculture through its ACE principle. Ensuring the quality and safety of food is a priority for both companies.

“Alltech has a great brand awareness and reputation in the feed industry, so I am assured when using Alltech’s products,” noted Nguyen. “There is competition, but we prefer Bio-Mos because of the positive results. Moreover, the Alltech team’s technical expertise is incredible.”

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A good start for fish larvae is not only crucial to health and development — it also impacts producer profitability.

Weaning on dry feeds with an unbalanced diet can result in deformities and high mortality rates. High-quality starter diets are therefore essential. Providing nutritional solutions for the specific needs of larvae in their most critical life stage benefits the fish during their entire lifecycle. Supporting the healthy development of all organs, including the skeleton, for an ideal start begins with optimal nutrition.

Extensive studies at the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre have revealed the essentials for a weaning diet, which will significantly minimize deformations in sensitive fish species. This allows us to wean fish larvae with confidence knowing that the vast majority will fully develop into healthy fry without any abnormalities.

Three things producers look for in starter feeds:

• High survival rate and minimal deformities

• Optimal skeleton development as a foundation for future growth

• High digestibility for optimal performance and water quality

Benefits for hatcheries and farms

By delivering nutrients in a way that can be handled easily by the maturing digestive tract of fresh water larvae, we can offer hatcheries more security when weaning freshwater larvae from Artemiaonto a dry diet. Deformities can be scaled back to a minimum with a more even growth rate, thereby resulting in less frequent grading. The end results are healthy larvae and fry, more revenue, more efficiency and less work.

A new generation of starter diets

Alltech and Coppens International are working closely together to bring a new generation of fish feed to the marketplace. Coppens’ Essence, designed with Alltech’s Total Replacement Technology™ and gut health technologies containing Bioplex® and Bio-Mos®, reflects this approach.

Through highly bioavailable, organically bound trace elements, we can ensure optimal skeleton development with a special larval diet that can largely replace live Artemia. Essence also promotes optimal tissue development which reduces factors associated with deformity and low fry survival rates, making this feed truly unique. Due to its high digestibility and excellent performance, this starter diet is ideal for recirculation aquaculture system farming conditions.

Essence is tailored to the specific needs of the early life stage of many freshwater fish, such as cyprinids, pikeperch, catfish, tilapia and koi, which are characterized by many as living jewels.

For more information, please contact aquasolutions@Alltech.com or info@coppens.com.  

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The following is an edited transcript of Tom Martin's interview with Dr. Anna Catharina Berge, veterinarian and owner of Berge Veterinary Consulting. Click below to hear the full interview:

Dr. Anna Catharina Berge, owner of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA, is a veterinarian with extensive knowledge and skills combining real-life animal husbandry with epidemiological perspectives of animal and public health challenges. Berge joins Tom Martin from Vosselaar, Belgium, to discuss the use of, and alternatives to, antibiotics in pig production.

Tom:                          Let’s begin with pig production. Is antimicrobial use in pig production a real threat?

Catharina:                 All antimicrobial use has the potential to increase antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Antimicrobials are really vital to humans and animals to protect against bacteria that can cause disease or death. Antimicrobial resistance is threatening the efficacy of these valuable drugs to treat bacterial disease. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2014 that the antimicrobial resistance situation is so serious that we are entering a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can kill. This is far from being an apocalyptic fantasy — it’s a very real possibility for the 21^st century. This is not just some journalists writing up some fearful scenario. This was the WHO. So, it is a real threat.

                                 Microbial resistance in pig production is usually a consequence of decades of antibiotic use for disease prophylaxis or growth promotion. The antibiotics administered are not completely absorbed by the animals. If you’re giving an antibiotic to an animal, 30 to 90 percent of those antibiotics are actually excreted through the urine or feces. The antibiotics can reach the source through medical waste, improper drugs or even from dust from pens in barns. These antibiotic residues can also impact the environment and disturb the delicate ecological balance.

                                 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria may also spread into a virus through other mechanisms. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria may also spread to humans through food or through the environment. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria don't just disappear if we stop using antibiotics. They tend to linger. They’re easily created, but they don't tend to disappear quickly. Therefore, we need to do everything to not increase this pool of resistant disease that can spread between different types of bacteria. These resistant diseases can spread from bacteria that are not dangerous and just hanging around in our dust to those bacteria that are really causing disease and even death. If that resistant disease finds bacteria that cause death, then we have a bacterial disease that can’t be treated, and we may die from it. So, resistance is dangerous.

                                 Antibiotic resistance is also an increasing challenge on many pig farms because producers are noticing that good old antibiotics are not working any longer because bacteria become resistant to them. So, they use newer and newer antibiotics. And this newer antibiotic is what the WHO now calls critical antibiotics, those that we want to maintain to treat humans against dangerous disease, so we’re building up resistance to all of these newer antibiotics. The problem is, there are really no new antibiotics created today. The pharmaceutical industry has stopped investing in the research and development of new antibiotic drugs, so we're running out of good drugs to treat bacteria.

Tom:                          You have noted that herd-level immunity, individual pig gut health, systemic immunity, nutritional status, stress levels, and environmental conditions all interact. Why is it important to understand these interactions?

Catharina:                 No animal, organ or cell works in isolation. They all work closely together and, hopefully, in harmony. They all influence each other. So, a pig, furthermore, is living within a very complex production system where you have various factors that can influence its health and productivity. So, unless you take the whole system into account and evaluate this whole system, you don't really know the cost of a disease or why the pig is not doing well. You may think the cause is something other than disease, but it’s really the disease as a consequence of the production system.

                                    Our production systems have not been optimized for what the pig needs and what we want from the pig. We are trying to adapt the pig to our production systems instead of adapting our systems to the pig. This is creating a problem, and one of the solutions has been to medicate with antibiotics.

Tom:                          What challenges do antibiotics pose to the gut health of pigs and livestock?

Catharina:                 Antibiotics can prevent bacteria from reproducing or destroy bacteria. These antibiotics don't differentiate between bacteria that are good for the body and those that are potentially harmful. Some antibiotics work on different threats to the bacteria and some can work against a lot of bacteria types. Others work against just a few.

                                 Many of these antibiotics are used in the feed in pig production for extended periods of time. They have what we call a broad spectrum. They work against a lot of different bacteria. An example of such is tetracycline. These antibiotics can modify the gut flora and reduce diversity of the bacteria in the gut. Therefore, many good bacteria that are helping in many different ways are killed. Some harmful bacterial also are killed, but when the good gut flora is destroyed, then the pathogenic, harmful bacteria have a bigger chance to reproduce and attack the intestinal lining, maybe even invade the body and cause disease. It’s really essential to create a good microbial flora in the pig, and these antibiotics can actually work against them in that way.

Tom:                          Globally, farmers are now showing that it is possible to reduce antimicrobial use without sacrificing performance in health. A key focus has been placed on gut health. Why is gut and intestinal health in pigs so important?

Catharina:                 It’s key to a healthy animal. The gut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients that are necessary for the whole body to function properly. Through the food ingested, the pig gets energy — macronutrients and micronutrients — to fuel and support the functions of every single cell in the body. So, if the gut is not working, then the pig’s overall health will suffer.

                                  It’s in the gut that the immune system encounters many potential pathogens that are harmful bacteria. These need to be stopped before they start destroying the intestinal linings or invade the body. In the gut, we have the most immune cells of the whole body. This immunity has high requirements for energy and nutrients and must be in top shape for protecting the pig. If you don't have good gut health, then the immune system doesn't have enough energy to do good work.

                                 A healthy gut, furthermore, has a microflora of bacteria that participates in the digestion of many nutrients. These healthy gut microflora also prevent pathogens from growing and invading intestinal cells. This microflora shows a high level of diversity, and every bacteria species influence each other. So, the healthy gut microflora is also critical to a healthy gut.

Tom:                          What do you think will be the best measures to reduce antibiotic use?

Catharina:                 I like the holistic approach. The best measure to decrease antibiotic use is to optimize the production system and nutrition to better meet the pig’s basic needs.

                                 A first step is to create awareness of the consequences of our antibiotic medicating system and motivate people to change. It’s important for producers to understand that reductions in antibiotic use can be made without compromising the health of the animal or their productivity. But it requires an evaluation of the whole production system and nutrition to identify the weaknesses in every single system because every single system we enter is different.

                                 The easiest part to change is nutrition for the pig and making sure that it’s correct for every single stage of its life and that the pig is not exposed to high levels of bacteria or mycotoxins in the feed and the water. Thereafter, we are starting to look at management changes and housing changes to meet the physiological needs of the animals and protect them from disease from inside and outside the unit. That’s also called “biosecurity,” and that's very important. Thereafter, we need to start looking at how we can boost immunity so that the pig is then able to meet all the challenges.

Tom:                          Among the farms you are working with, what percentage of reduction do you think is realistically achievable?

Catharina:                 I would say most farmers across the world are still using a lot of antibiotics prophylactically to prevent disease, or they use it for growth promotion. And I believe that all of that use can stop. There, again, there has to be a motivation of the producer to change. But, in general, if we go onto a farm, a realistic goal we usually can see without too much of a challenge is a 50 percent reduction in antimicrobial use already within the first year.

Tom:                          What are the components that should be included in any antibiotic reduction program?

Catharina:                 There was a philosopher in 1850 that said if you don't record it, you can’t improve it. So, you have to have an antibiotic use registration system and you have to evaluate it. It’s not enough just to jot down a few notes in a book somewhere. You have to evaluate. Then you have to set targets. You have to ask, “How can I achieve this reduction with those targets?” You need to look at the appropriate nutrition for every single stage of production. All the pigs, based upon where they are and how old they are, have different needs. You need to have appropriate nutrition. You also have to have very good, quality feeds — low microbial levels and low mycotoxin levels. Then you need to look at the management level. How are you moving the pigs around the system? Are you weaning them too young? Are you stressing them at different phases by mixing litters, and so on? So, management systems are very important.

                                 Housing systems need to be evaluated. Many times, we have pigs in old systems where it’s really not optimized for holding them, and we may need to consider rebuilding on a long-term scale.

                                 A very important part is biosecurity. Biosecurity is what we call “disease protection.” You need to protect the animals from disease that is found inside the uterus. That’s called “internal biosecurity.” You also need to protect the pigs from diseases that are not on the farm currently, but could be introduced by animals, vehicles and people. That’s called “external biosecurity,” and that's very important.

                                  You also need to be able to correctly diagnose and treat the clinical diseases in the best way. People don’t always understand what they're seeing and how it should be best treated.

                                 And of course, we have the alternatives to antibiotics that are valuable tools to support health and productivity. We have products that can support microflora in the gut and optimize the strength of the gut lining such as Bio-Mos® and Actigen®.

                                 We have alternatives to boost immunity. Vaccines, for example, are vital to protect the pigs against many diseases. Organic minerals are important to boost the immune system and help the immune system work optimally. So, all of those components are appropriate and are very important to consider in a program.

Tom:                          You have suggested that the goal to reduce antibiotic use should be rephrased to a goal to produce healthy production systems. How do producers look at this challenge as an opportunity instead of a threat?

Catharina:                 Well, I think for that exact reason: Health is not a threat. It’s something we all strive for, whether in our bodies, a healthy business, healthy ecosystem or healthy planet. And producers are realizing more and more that diseases are costly. Furthermore, there is no joy in working with sick animals. Honestly, I have yet to meet a pig producer that tells me that he or she wants to use antibiotics. It’s rather that they believe it's necessary to prevent disease. When we start showing that we can remove the antibiotics without suffering productivity losses or increased diseases, then they start seeing the possibility of moving toward a more sustainable production.

Tom:                          Can you expand on the practical measures a pig operation could implement to develop a healthy production system?

Catharina:                 I would recommend any pig producer that wants to develop a healthy production system seek out a team of experts: consultants, nutritionists and veterinarians who can evaluate the whole system. That is what we call a “whole herd audit.” This audit usually takes at least a day. Based upon this initial audit, there will be various points to address, whether in housing, management, nutrition or disease treatment. You start setting up the concrete plan of what major issues to address and what targets to achieve.

                                  Everyone involved in production, as well as nutritionists and veterinarians, needs to be involved in an antimicrobial reduction plan. Once you’ve set up this plan and you start implementing, it's really important that you have a very good follow-up. Therefore, you should have regular audits to monitor the progress, create accountability for effort and set up new achievable targets as necessary. Alltech has actually developed such a holistic antimicrobial reduction audit.

Tom:                          What is the future of antibiotic use in the pig industry?

Catharina:                 I hope that the pig industry will move toward reducing antibiotics very quickly so that the consumers are not forcing them to completely ban all antibiotics. The future of antibiotic use, as I see it, is that antibiotics will be available for individual treatment of sick pigs or serve a metaphylactic use in the exceptional cases. But all prophylaxis or regular continual use such as growth promotion is stopped.

Tom:                          In the past couple of years, we've seen some significant increases in the presence of mycotoxins in haylage, barlage and silage. Why are mycotoxins important to consider when we're talking about antibiotic reduction?

Catharina:                 Mycotoxins are produced in various unfavorable conditions. As you mentioned, we see them more and more emergent in all our feed sources. They’re very toxic compounds, and they can impact both immunity and health. There are various types of mycotoxins present in most feeds in various levels. We have seen in audits of many pig producers that an underlying reason for poor health and productivity is a high level of mycotoxin exposure.

Tom:                          What kind of effects do mycotoxins have on pigs?

Catharina:                 That is one of the problems — that people don't realize that they have a mycotoxin challenge in their production because the signs are very subtle and diffused. There are various symptoms that the producer does not recognize. Some of these symptoms are, for example, poor feed efficiency, suboptimal growth, digestive distress, various disease problems and poor reproductive performance. Mycotoxins have strong immune suppressors, and that’s one of the reasons why we see more and more disease and why the pigs are susceptible to disease.

                                 All of these mycotoxins — there are many — have different modes of action. But there’s seldom just one mycotoxin present in the feed. There’s usually multiple. When they’re working together, sometimes they can have an additive effect, but sometimes they will have a multiplicative effect. The gut and immune system are first to encounter the mycotoxins once ingested. We have talked about the importance of gut health and antimicrobial reduction audits and programs. It’s essential to address this risk as an aspect of the reduction program. We have always seen in our antimicrobial reduction audits that when we go in and address these mycotoxin challenges and feed through the inclusion of a good broad-spectrum mycotoxin binder such as Mycosorb®, then we see improved productivity.

Tom:                          What consumer demands are driving significant changes in the industry?

Catharina:                 Consumers have high demands on the industry. Today’s consumers want food from animals from a sustainable, animal-friendly system. They also want food from animals that have not been medicated with antibiotics. We have seen that consumers are actually willing to pay a higher price for meat produced without antibiotics.

                                  Animal welfare is another area that has a very high importance for consumers. Measures such as tail docking and castration are increasingly questioned. Since these interventions are often coupled with an antibiotic injection, systems where castration and tail docking are not necessary will have reduced antimicrobial use. Tail docking has been performed to reduce the incidence of tail biting in group-housed pigs. If the animal environment is improved, it is possible to rear pigs with their tails intact. That is the case in Sweden, where tail docking is banned.

                                  An improved group housing system will reduce antimicrobial use in growing pigs. Another area is the group housing for gestating sows, so they don’t stand locked up in small crates all their life. This is also highly desirable by consumers. This also optimizes the health and strength of these sows, and they can rear healthier piglets. The animal welfare requests of consumers contribute to healthy animals that do not need antibiotics. 

Tom:                          Dr. Cat Berge of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA in Vosselaar, Belgium. Thank you so much for joining us.

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In a recent webinar, Dr. Shelby Roberts, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Alltech Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition, used her knowledge of ruminant health and immunology to take a closer look at calf gut health and the importance of nutrition during the first weeks of the calf’s life. Here are a few points to keep in mind in the midst of spring calving.

1. The importance of colostrum for the calf’s immune system

Colostrum is the mother’s first milk and the calf’s first source of immunity and nutrients. Antibodies from colostrum protect calves until their immune systems are fully functional. However, the first couple weeks after birth can be a period of elevated risk as the maternal antibodies disappear and the calf’s immunity is maturing, as shown in the diagram.

2. The balancing act between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria

Good bacteria (e.g., lactobacilli, bifidobacteria) are constantly fighting to keep the pathogenic bacteria (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella) in check, but the immune system is also fighting the pathogenic bacteria. The immune system and the good bacteria work together to keep the cow healthy and to suppress the pathogenic bacteria. When antibiotics are used, this clears out the pathogenic bacteria AND the good bacteria. While recolonizing the gut, the cow 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.

3. The new research behind Bio-Mos® is here

Since the 1980s, Alltech has been conducting studies on its signature product, Bio-Mos. The calf research on Bio-Mos has shown the following results:

• Maintenance of gastrointestinal health
• Alteration of intestinal microbial populations
• Stimulation of immune activity
• Stimulation of the natural defenses of the animal 

When it comes to receiving diets, Bio-Mos has also been tested. 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. 

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Farmed fish species are generally exposed to a huge variety of microorganisms that inhabit the water column within aquaculture systems. This is especially true for fish farmed in marine settings, as these species must drink large volumes of the surrounding water to maintain an osmotic balance with their environment. Such interactions between environmental microbes and those of the gastrointestinal system of fish can potentially lead to disturbances of the commensal gut microflora, which can consequently affect the normal functioning of a healthy digestive system.

Support the good

An increased level of positive commensal bacteria in the gut can enhance the innate immunity of fish, improve performance and help to support the efficient functioning of the gastrointestinal system.

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Figure 1. Illustration of microvilli

Extensive peer-reviewed research has shown that mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), derived from specific yeast strains, can have a positive impact on the overall gut health of fish. Through feeding these yeast fractions, both the length and density of villi and microvilli can be increased in the gut. This translates to a larger gut surface area and supports enhanced uptake and absorption of nutrients delivered within the feed.

In addition, MOS serve to fortify the epithelial layer of the intestine, thereby enhancing mucus production, which prevents opportunistic bacteria from attaching themselves to the surface of gut enterocytes. As a result, these microbes are readily removed from the fish intestine.

Tackle the bad

Promoting a stronger mucus layer and longer microvilli is a giant leap forward in gut health, but these benefits alone are not sufficient to guarantee optimal functionality within the intestinal tract. Alltech’s Bio-Mos^® aids in normalizing gut microflora. 

Bacteria attach to the epithelial cells in the gut via fimbriae that recognize certain sugars on the cell exterior. Many pathogenic bacteria attach via specific type 1 fimbriae, which recognize mannose as a surface receptor, depicted in the illustration below.

Figure 2. Illustration of bacterium attaching to Bio-Mos^® instead of the gut surface

The Alltech^® Gut Health Management program is based on the unique “Seed, Feed and Weed” principle developed by Dr. Steve Collett at the University of Georgia, in which we seed the gut with favorable microflora and then feed the beneficial resident bacteria, maintaining a natural intestinal environment. Through these interconnected processes, we can subsequently weed out potentially unfavorable microorganisms and strengthen the immune defense system of farmed fish.

Avoid the ugly

In modern aquaculture, ensuring optimal gut health is more vital than ever before. We want to avoid ugly situations and produce farmed fish as responsibly as possible, which means the maintenance of optimal water quality parameters is of paramount importance. Every farmer continuously strives to improve the performance of their livestock, and this also applies to terrestrial farms. Fish farmers focus predominately on two key aspects to maintain productivity: the reduction of feed costs and the improvement of growth performance rates.

By implementing our gut health management program in combination with our dedicated on-farm support, we can achieve:

1. Enhanced growth performance, which drives a shorter production cycle.
2. Optimal immune defense, which means reduced treatments and veterinary costs.
3. Strong, robust fish with an optimal fillet quality that satisfies consumer demands.
4. Highly efficient, responsible and sustainable aquaculture practices.

Interested in having our experts help you to achieve optimal gut health in your farmed fish? Email aquasolutions@alltech.com today to request an on-farm assessment. Irrespective of your target species and farming environment, we are here to help.

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This year at the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, Alltech sponsored the Mineral Myths Forum, which featured industry representatives and their discussion on the myths behind mineral supplementation. We interviewed two experts who were present at the forum to hear their takeaways from the event.

Mineral quality over quantity

Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director at Alltech, was interested in the discussion surrounding the levels of minerals in supplements.

“The key point to take away from this forum is that you cannot judge a bag of mineral supplements by its cover,” said Holder. “The fact that a certain bag has higher levels of minerals in it does not mean it should be worth more to your enterprise. It is more about the quality of the components that are inside of the bag, and sometimes you can get away with using much lower levels of quality minerals and actually achieve better results. Remember, sometimes less is more!”

The saying “less is more” is one that we hear often, but not always when it comes to mineral supplementation. Holder emphasizes the fact that some companies focus strictly on quantity of minerals, not necessarily quality. However, in a University of Florida study featuring Alltech’s Bioplex® and Sel-Plex® organic trace minerals, it was found that, even when included at lower rates than their inorganic counterparts, Alltech organic trace minerals still managed to outperform the standard mineral in various areas, including weaning weights, pregnancy rates and even colostrum quality. For a full recap of this study, which was featured in the February issue of Progressive Cattleman magazine, click here.

Mineral antagonists

Another point discussed during the forum was the concept of “mineral antagonists,” a complex-sounding topic that is actually very simple — something that blocks or decreases the absorption rate or metabolic function of a nutrient. We pulled in Mark Robbins, manager of research and technical services at Ridley Block Operations (the makers of CRYSTALYX®), to speak on the issue.

“If you have mineral antagonists, which is where you have situations in which inorganic trace minerals aren’t your best option, the Blueprint® program that we have formulated with Total Replacement Technology™ using organic trace minerals is the way to go,” he said. Research has shown that certain organic trace mineral complexes resemble those found naturally in plant proteins, and this may be the reason that they do not act as antagonists in the ration.

We hope you enjoyed the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show as much as we did this year, and if you didn’t get a chance to attend, visit our Facebook page for recaps of the event. We hope to see you next year in New Orleans, Louisiana!

Panelists Dr. Vaughn Holder, Dr. Tanya Covey, Mark Robbins and Dr. Matt Hersom at the Alltech Mineral Myths Forum during the 2018 NCBA conference. 

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When we talk about the balancing act of a healthy gastrointestinal tract, we want to make sure that calories, colostrum, cleanliness, comfort, the strength of the immune system and the health of the gut flora outweigh the pathogens that may invade the gastrointestinal tract of calves. In a recent webinar, Dr. Corale Dorn, a veterinarian at Dells Veterinary Services in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, explained how using proper management practices and keeping an eye out for diseases are key to tipping the scales in the right direction for healthy calves.

Calories

We need to adjust our thinking from quarts to the number of calories that calves are receiving through milk replacer.

“When I go out to a farm in the dead of winter in South Dakota and they are only feeding 2 quarts of 20/20 milk replacer every 12 hours, I know we are not hitting anywhere near the calorie requirements that we need,” said Dorn. “If we are completely missing the mark on these calorie requirements, we cannot expect to maintain calf health when pathogens enter the herd.”

If we are getting 2.1–2.5 pounds of average daily gain on Holstein calves, then we have enough calories to keep the calves healthy and growing. 

The calories and protein that they need depend on their weight and the temperature of their environment. For example, during the winter in South Dakota, we need to be feeding at least 6 quarts of milk a day.  This can be pasteurized whole milk or 24/20 milk replacer.

Re-evaluating our thinking when it comes to feeding calves for the calories they need can assist in their ability to endure seasonal changes and other challenges that can impact calf health.

Colostrum

It’s a given that calves need a good measure of colostrum beginning at calving. We know that when we take a blood sample at 24–48 hours post-calving, calves well-fed with colostrum should reach a calibrated total protein of 6.0 grams per deciliter

For calves that require esophageal tubes, we need to make sure they are getting 1 gallon of colostrum within the first six hours of life.

Not only is quantity key, but quality is equally important. Colostrum needs to be clean, high in immunoglobulin (IgG), low in bacteria and fed as soon possible. If colostrum is not fed within one hour, it needs to be cooled to less than 35 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacterial growth.

Cleanliness

A standard procedure to ensure milk bottles and nipples are properly cleaned is extremely important to reduce pathogen exposure to calves. It is also vital that the environment the calf comes into is managed properly to ensure cleanliness.

“The maternity pen is the first place the calf is going to be, so ask yourself, can you kneel into the bedding and come out with dry knees?” asked Dorn.  “If you have a large surge in calving, you can have a very dirty pen, so ensuring that pen is cleaned as frequently as necessary is important.”

Calves should be moved to a clean “wet calf” area within the first 15 minutes of life before attempting to stand. Be sure to clean this area vigorously after every calf to prevent pathogens from spreading between calves.

Comfort

The thermo-neutral zone for a calf is 50–68 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the winter, use calf jackets and deep bedding.

In the summer, we start to get anxious when we have semi-opaque housing, as on hot days these hutches can get very hot if not ventilated properly. Looking at ways to provide additional ventilation and water to hutch calves during the summer months is key to keeping calves cool and comfortable.

Immune system

Everything we do impacts the health of the immune system. Normally, when bacteria invade the calf’s system, immune cells attack and swallow up the bad bacteria, destroying them. However, some bad bacteria can evade this immune response.

“The problem with some of the bugs that enter the immune system, such as Salmonella, is that they have developed ways to invade the calf’s immune system by hitching a ride on the white blood cells,” explained Dorn. “Once bacteria join ranks with the white blood cells, we have a breach in the immune system and have bugs we can’t kill, with few medicines or vaccines that can slow down this process. This is where MOS products come into play. When bacteria attempt to attach to receptors on the intestinal wall, MOS blocks the attachment of these bacteria.”

Stop bugs before they take hold in your livestock

Long gone are the days we could just give calves a drug and kill the bug. Dorn advised dairy producers to:

• Keep the maternity pen clean. Be sure to test the bedding regularly to ensure it is not too damp.
• Ensure calves are well-fed! Remember, calves need an adequate supply of energy not only to fuel metabolic activity, but to support their developing immune system.
• Alltech’s Bio-Mos® is designed to feed the gastrointestinal tract and is the original solution to intestinal health issues. It promotes good bacteria and builds defenses, thereby maximizing performance and profitability.

To watch the full webinar, click here.  For more information on how Bio-Mos might be a fit for your farm, visit bio-mos.com.

Doctoring calves is never easy. Doctoring lots of calves is a nightmare. For producers, nothing takes more time or creates more stress than seeing sick cattle. So how do you get ahead of the problem and address herd health and immunity before it's too late?

In a recent webinar, Dr. Kate Jacques, Alltech’s director of nutrition, shared how to bolster herd immunity and increase profitability.

Strike Out Scours, Fight Down Stress Webinar

Key tips for bolstering your herd’s immunity

Identify stress points

When it comes to boosting immunity, “Stress is the enemy,” said Dr. Jacques. Scours, respiratory issues or decreases in dry matter intake are all indicators that cattle may be stressed.

The first thing to do is identify the source of stress. Common stress points include:  

• Weaning
• New pens, chutes or feed bunks
• Movement through marketing channels
• Shipment – both to pasture and feedlot
• Diet changes

Keeping cattle healthy and maximizing growth means getting them through a number of crunch points before finish. Rethinking how to best handle these stressors is a continual process, but it is critically important to do so to keep immunity high.

Boost gut health through nutrition

Feeding some form of starch, fiber, protein and mineral is typical in most rations, but realizing the opportunity other nutrient forms can play shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Bio-Mos® provides a new perspective on carbohydrate nutrition. Bio-Mos is in a unique class of functional feed ingredients able to play a positive role in gut health.

“If you can reduce challenges to the intestine, you can promote a healthy gut, and that’s exactly what Bio-Mos does," said Dr. Jacques.

For over 20 years, Bio-Mos has been Alltech’s trademark technology. Studied in more than 733 research trials, it has been proven to aid nutrient uptake while also binding potentially harmful gut bacteria to drive growth and performance at all stages of production.

Put a plan in place; Act on it

At the end of the day, there’s a tension between knowing something is a best practice for your operation and actually doing it.

Dr. Jacques stressed that producers need to be strategic and that waiting to spot a problem means that profits have already been lost. To best boost immunity, analyze your operation’s potential stress points and use technologies like Bio-Mos in the ration before a gut health or immunity challenge. 

Trust that with proper management and nutrition, profits will follow. Like thousands of others across, producers such as Clifton Goff of B-Gee Angus in Nebraska have seen the benefits of having a plan and using Bio-Mos. He explains that by using Bio-Mos they’ve, “got a healthy herd of calves running, and I haven’t dealt with anything respiratory.”

By being proactive, you can fight a mess of stress in your operation and boost your herd’s immunity. To learn more about how Bio-Mos might benefit your beef cattle, visit bio-mos.com or contact beef@alltech.com.

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