At this point, most of us know that the gut microbiome is an important component of overall health. With estimates asserting that mammals contain around 10 times more bacteria than cells in their bodies — and 1,000 more microbial genes — the importance of a healthy gut cannot be overstated.

While many of us have heard about prebiotics and probiotics for dogs and cats, the new term on the block is “synbiotics,” which are simply an effective and beneficial combination of pro- and prebiotics for cats and dogs. Current research shows that the right combination product could be a game changer in pet food diets.

How do prebiotics and probiotics for dogs and cats work together?

Here’s a quick refresher:

• Probiotics are consumable live microorganisms that have beneficial effects when fed in the appropriate concentrations.
• Prebiotics are fiber or fermented ingredients that pass through the GI tract undigested and positively influence the microbes in the gut.

In simple terms, probiotics are good bacteria, and prebiotics help feed those good gut bugs.

Synbiotics were created as specific combinations of pro- and prebiotics that work well together. Basically, synbiotics are selective strains of bacteria with specific prebiotics that best support those microbes.

Once in the body, synbiotics can act in various ways to support health.

What do prebiotics do in the body?

Upon being ingested, prebiotics pass through the animal’s stomach and small intestine without being broken down by hydrochloric acid or digestive enzymes. Once they reach the large intestine, prebiotics get to work as the “fuel” for the good bacteria in the gut.

Prebiotics work together with probiotics to maintain a delicate balance and diversity of organisms in the GI tract. As probiotics are fueled, the body reaps more benefits.

Additionally, as prebiotics are fermented and used by probiotics, short-chain fatty acids — such as butyrate and other postbiotics — are generated. These postbiotics are used by the cells of the GI tract as a nutrient source, which further contributes to a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

What do probiotics do in the body?

Different probiotic strains have different mechanisms of action in pets. Some examples of how probiotics can influence health include:

• Competing with and displacing bad bacteria in the GI tract by attaching to the intestinal lining
• Producing antimicrobial substances like fatty acids
• Inactivating toxins
• Up-regulating the production of beneficial metabolites
• Enhancing immune system function
• Supporting the integrity of intestinal epithelial cells

While many strains of probiotics are used in dogs and cats, some of the more common and widely researched include Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. animalis.

Multiple studies have shown that the gut bacteria composition of dogs experiencing digestive diseases, such as chronic diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease, is altered compared to the gut bacteria of healthy dogs, which suggests that probiotics for dogs with diarrhea and other dysbiosis-inducing conditions may be one solution for better health.

What benefits do synbiotics provide?

As stated above, the whole point of synbiotics is to create one combination product that provides a net benefit for the animal based on synergistic pre- and probiotics.

Research trials involving pre- and probiotics for cats and dogs that study the most effective mixture of strains are limited, and the results of the trials that have been conducted vary greatly due to the myriad ways to test changes in the gut microbiome, as well as the different concentrations of beneficial bacteria and fiber being offered and the timing of administration with respect to other foodstuffs or medications. That being said, let’s look at what we do know.

One study in healthy, trained sled dogs found that a synbiotic that included E. faecium, Bacillus coagulans, L. acidophilus, and multiple prebiotics and vitamins led to an increase in Lactobacillaceae bacteria and the concentration of butyrate, as well as a decrease in diarrhea. In cats with chronic diarrhea, administration of a proprietary synbiotic blend improved fecal scores significantly after only 21 days.

Several studies have investigated the use of synbiotics in cats in conjunction with clindamycin, an antibiotic known to induce significant GI changes and distress in both pets and humans. In one trial, the use of a synbiotic with clindamycin in previously healthy cats illustrated synbiotics’ potential ability to mitigate some loss of beneficial bacteria. Additionally, the cats receiving the synbiotic also seemed to have altered levels of polyamine synthesis. Polyamines aid in the repair of the intestinal lining and have anti-inflammatory properties, so this is particularly interesting and will require more research to fully understand.

While the science continues to evolve, what we already know for sure is that supporting the microbiome and continually improving the gut ingredients available for pets will be hugely important in differentiating pet food brands.

How to market synbiotics

Adding a winning combination of probiotics and prebiotics to pet food diets is not only advantageous for good gut health and an optimal pet immune system but could also be profitable for businesses.

With pet parents always looking for an “edge” for their pets, adding a custom combination product that fits your brand’s needs is crucial for brand awareness and recognition. In a crowded marketplace, the smallest ingredients in the bag are often the biggest market differentiators.

Additionally, in the human nutrition marketplace, the idea of synbiotics is becoming more and more mainstream, which means that people will soon be looking for this word on pet food packaging.

When marketing synbiotics to consumers, here a few tips:

1. Identify the main reason why your company chose these particular strains of bacteria and supportive fiber.
2. Boil your main “why” into less than 10 words for each strain or fiber source.
3. Educate consumers so that they understand why your brand has selected these particular ingredients and why what you are offering is different from other brands.
4. Communicate obsessively via your channels. If it feels like you are repeating the same language, then you are doing it right! Most people need to hear something at least seven times before it really solidifies as fact in their brains.

As a company founded on science, Alltech’s technologies continue to be researched as extensively as they have for the past 40 years. We can help identify the custom blend of ingredients that would best serve your pet food brand based on your unique needs, processing techniques and marketing strategies.

In the end, our mission is healthy pets and healthy partnerships.  

To find out more about Alltech’s pet solutions, fill out the form below.

Sustainability — unarguably one the most used words in the agricultural sector both now and probably for the next decade. Every facet of the agri-food industry is working hard toward sustainability, and it is especially high on the agendas of all players across the egg supply chain.

Noble Foods is the U.K.’s leading vertically integrated company striving to serve the egg industry sustainably, from care and welfare to carbon and waste.

Noble Foods entered the world of eggs over 100 years ago, under the name ‘Deans Foods.’ Way back in 1920, William Dean took the rather rustic and entrepreneurial approach of door-to-door egg sales by a horse and cart.

Today, Noble Foods is still under the ownership of the third and fourth generation of the Dean family, producing 400 metric tons of egg products every week, 58% of which are free-range.

Company facts:

• Manufactures around 750,000 metric tons of feed every year from five feed mills.
• Rears around four million pullets per year across 14 rearing sites from 1–16 weeks old.
• Has 280 laying farm sites, both company-owned and contracted independent farmers. 

Noble Foods is a leader in vertical integration of the poultry industry in the U.K.

Noble Foods has proven and is proud of its forerunning proactiveness, from being the first to trial Salmonella vaccines back in the 1990s to sitting at tier 1 within the BB4 model (a regulated welfare program).

Developing a vision and an approach

Noble Foods has set some ambitious sustainability goals in recent months, making it the main company driver. Graham Atkinson, Agriculture Director for Producers at Noble Foods, was tasked with making it happen.

In Graham’s opinion, sustainability means different things to different people and different businesses. There is no clear right or wrong way of “doing it.” He was not sure how or where to start. However, he had a fair idea of what Noble Foods was trying to achieve and where Alltech could help. So, he asked the question: Could we partner together to make the sustainability challenge an opportunity via the Planet of Plenty partnership program?

While Graham and the leadership team accept that the journey will change direction and they will be thrown some curveballs along the way, they have now clearly and proactively defined their vision and focus into four areas:

1. Carbon footprint: reducing the impact of feed regimes.
2. Food loss: restoring and recovering more usable first-class eggs.
3. Land use: reducing and replacing the raw materials.
4. Animal welfare: increasing, developing and driving the fulfillment of the life of laying hens.

Now, the hard part: doing it! Putting some meat on those bones. To do this, Graham is busy building a collaborative council of key players to come together and share expertise.

A journey joined by others

For a while now, Graham has been hunting for partners who share the same vision and who can act as consultants and facilitators. Partners who can deliver the required infrastructure, skill base, science and knowledge to travel fast. Partners who can safeguard their leadership status.

Noble Foods has committed to 100% cage-free production by 2025.

Alltech, like Noble Foods, is a family-owned and operated business, sharing similar sustainability ambitions and values. These shared common values and ways of working are really what sparked and solidified the partnership — the idea of making a bigger and quicker difference by working together.

Through the power of science and nutrition, Alltech is now working very closely with Noble Foods’ supply chain, from start to finish, to help produce more quality eggs from happier birds and with less environmental impact.

The Planet of Plenty partnership between Noble Foods and Alltech is still in its infancy. The first pilot project has just begun, and the excitement of the partnership’s impact on future egg production is radiating from within the supply chain.

Visit one.alltech.com for more information.

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As aquaculture continues to grow in a more sophisticated culture system, we need to adapt the feed for aquatic animals like fish and shrimp. Speaking at the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference in June 2021, Ben Lamberigts, manager of quality, research and nutrition at Alltech Coppens, offered his insight on nutrition for a sustainable future through the four pillars of fish nutrition concept.

The current state of aquaculture feed production

A rapidly growing aquaculture industry has led to increasing demand for good quality aquaculture feed. Yet, the availability of fishmeal is limited. Even if we reduce 50% of the world’s fishmeal inclusion, we still need almost 1.5 million metric tons of fishmeal by 2050, which is simply not available.

“It’s a challenge that we have to solve before we can grow the aquaculture industry,” said Lamberigts. “But the industry is working on this, and we are doing a very good job.”

In fact, we have already lowered the fish in fish out (FIFO) factor since the ‘90s. Still, we need more fishmeal alternatives, such as:

• Animal byproducts (hemoglobin, blood meal, poultry meal)
• Vegetable protein sources (sunflower meal, wheat protein, soybean meal)
• Insect meals (mealworm, black soldier fly meal)
• Byproducts from human consumption (fish byproducts or salmon)

While the global aquaculture production has achieved a 0.27 FIFO rate, Alltech Coppens even lowered the FIFO factor to 0.10, which means only 100 grams of wild-caught fish is needed to produce 1 kilogram of farmed fish.

How did Alltech Coppens do this?

Understanding what fish really need

“First, we need to understand the basics of nutrition,” noted Lamberigts. “No fish has a requirement for fishmeal or even a requirement for a specific raw material.”

What fish require are:

• Essential nutrients, such as digestible protein, fat for energy, vitamins and minerals
• Palatable compound feed, so the fish eat the feed
• Good water quality in aquaculture, because fish swim, defecate and eat in the same environment

“If we define the alternatives with these requirements, those alternatives are not alternatives anymore,” Lamberigts continued. “We split them up into single metrics, so we can compare them better between each other and to the fishmeal.”

This has been done in human food items. An example is the nutrition score on food packaging. Nutritional scoring, as well as sustainability scoring, helps consumers compare between products. Through labeling and pictograms, the producers now make it possible for them to make the right decision.

That is what Alltech Coppens has been doing for the alternatives to fishmeal by dividing them using different metrics that are categorized into four pillars: Palatability, Performance, Pollution and Planet.

The four pillars of fish nutrition for a sustainable future

1. Palatability: The feed needs to be palatable for the fish

“(Palatability) is the most important pillar because if the food is not eaten by the fish, there is no performance and pollution control is very bad,” Lamberigts explained.

The graph below shows a trial with rainbow trout at the maximum feeding level. The y axis represents the feed intake in gram/kilogram metabolic rate, and the x axis shows the taste.

There were two different treatments:

• Blue line: 100% of the protein came from fishmeal (fishmeal-based diet)
• Green line: 100% of the protein came from vegetable sources (vegetable diet)

The diets for these two groups were switched on day four. Interestingly, there was a drop in feeding levels for both diets. That means that even the fish that received a vegetable diet before day four, that switched over to what was assumed to be a more palatable diet (the fishmeal diet), also had a drop in feeding level; nevertheless, that drop in feeding level recovered much quicker than the other group.

From this trial, two crucial metrics regarding palatability were identified:

1. The drop in feeding level after the diet switch
2. The recovery period needed from the change

“If we quantify this effect for all the alternatives, we can calculate and make the best combination between the alternatives to get the same performance as what we had with the fishmeal,” noted Lamberigts.

2. Performance: The fish has a need for essential nutrients

Energy is the driver of growth. When the energy level increases, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreases and the growth performance of the animal rises.

Furthermore, energy is responsible for 70% of feed cost.

“So, if we increase the energy level of a certain feed by 10%, we also increase the price of that feed by 70%,” said Lamberigts.

But what is energy?

The gross energy is the energy that is available in that feed ingredient. If the animal can digest that energy, it becomes digestible energy. If the digestible energy is correctly transferred into the animal’s body or maintenance, it becomes net energy.

Comparing the net energy of different types of feed, as well as considering palatability and sustainability, can help producers choose the best feed for performance.

3. Pollution: The fish requires good water quality

Three main factors that affect water quality are:

• Uneaten feed
• Ammonia and phosphorus excretion
• Feces (how fast they sink, what part is settleable and what part is suspended)

An example of pollution control is fat digestibility, which depends a lot on the water temperature. Pollution in terms of fat is becoming a big problem in trout farms with a low water temperature (below 8° Celsius), especially if the feeding level is high.

A fatty acid with a low melting point, like linseed or soy oil, has high fat digestibility. In that case, even if the water temperature goes down, the effect is low.

Alltech Coppens knows the fatty acid composition of their different alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil. Consequently, they can use this model to predict fat digestibility and prevent fat from polluting the water.

4. Planet: The environmental sustainability of the feed

“Being sustainable and assuring that we can grow this industry further, it is becoming a necessity that we quantify the effect of our products, of our raw materials, of our fishmeal alternatives on the environmental impact,” said Lamberigts.

Alltech Coppens has been doing this via the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It is not only looking into the carbon footprint of a single ingredient but also the different parts of how a product is produced, used, distributed and how the waste is treated.

Combining all these effects gives Alltech Coppens a total sustainability score of the different raw materials, which helps their customers to choose the right sustainable feed.

“If we quantify and measure all these pillars and put them in a software system, we can make the best combination of our alternative protein sources in combination with the fishmeal at the lowest price for the best quality,” noted Lamberigts.

Concluding the presentation, Lamberigts hoped he showed the audience that alternatives to fishmeal are not alternatives; they are ingredients.

“Insect meal, soy protein, poultry meal; if we are able to quantify the metrics behind these ingredients, we are also able to use them in the proper way,” Lamberigts advised. “When it comes to sustainability, pollution control, performance, palatability, we are now able to use these different alternatives and these different fishmeals in the correct way to ensure the growth of our aquafeed industry.”

Visit one.alltech.com for more information.

I want to learn more about aquaculture nutrition.

Okay, let’s get real: While nutrition is one of the most important ways to influence any animal’s health, feeding horses is not rocket science, and we tend to overcomplicate equine nutrition.

While performance horses often have more specific nutrient requirements than the average horse at maintenance, all horses have the same general needs, and keeping it simple when it comes to feeding is the best method for reaching maximum horse health.

Here, we will break it down step by step so that you can make sure your horses receive exactly what they need.

1. Determine your horses’ energy needs based on their exercise and training schedule.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is important to take an honest inventory of your horse’s training regimen. The key word here is “honest” — but we’ll get back to that in a moment.

According to The Nutrient Requirements of Horses (NRC), there are four categories of activity level and intensity:

• Light exercise: One to three hours per week of mostly walking and trotting.
• Moderate exercise: Three to five hours per week of mostly trotting, with some walking and cantering and some skilled work, like jumping, dressage, cutting or ranch work.
• Heavy exercise: Four to five hours per week of trotting, cantering, galloping and skilled work.
• Very heavy exercise: One hour per week of speed work and/or six to 12 hours per week.

Generally, the only horses that fit into the “very heavy” category are racehorses, elite endurance horses or three-day-eventing horses, while most other horses fit into the light or moderate exercise categories.

It’s very easy for us to overestimate our horses’ workload. Keep in mind that modern horses evolved from animals who often traveled 40 to 50 miles per day! They had to really work for their meals, which is not the case for domestic horses. The reason it is important to be honest with yourself about your horse’s activity level is that if you have a horse in the light or moderate category who you unintentionally feed at the heavy or very heavy level, you will likely be at risk for overfeeding, which can have detrimental and debilitating health consequences for your horse.

You may be surprised to learn that some horses who do light to moderate exercise do not require energy in amounts much higher than what is needed for maintenance. On the other hand, some performance horses require up to twice as much energy as a horse at maintenance. It’s all about taking each individual animal’s unique blend of genetics, age and metabolism into account, as well as their exercise intensity and duration. A qualified equine nutritionist can help you determine the winning formula for your horse.

2. Always, always, always start with hay (and a hay test).

Energy can be supplied in the diet by carbohydrates and fat. Carbohydrates fall into two categories: non-structural and structural.

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) come from sugars and starches, primarily from grain concentrates. Most performance horses require some form of NSC, and while there is no reason to fear feeding sugar and starch — sometimes glucose is necessary! — they do tend to be more problematic for our equine friends. As such, it is important to limit the NSCs in the diet to what the horse really needs based on its age and exercise intensity.

Structural carbohydrates, on the other hand, include fiber from forage sources and are one of the most critical components in making sure that the horse’s hindgut functions optimally. Remember: A happy hindgut equals a happy horse.

The large intestine in the horse’s digestive tract is home to billions of beneficial microbes that digest fiber and produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are used as a source of energy. This is the reason why hay alone can meet the energy requirements of some horses. Fiber helps keep the large intestine at the correct pH balance and greatly reduces the risk of colic. After all, forage is what horses were designed to eat and should always be fed at a minimum of 1% of the animal’s body weight per day. The forage component of a horse’s diet also takes pasture grasses into account, so be sure to factor in how much turnout your horse receives.

If you are feeding performance horses, invest in a hay test, which will tell you the exact nutrient levels and help you determine which nutrients need to be added to the diet (based on equine requirements) in the form of grain and horse supplements.

We should also note that good-quality fat is an easy — and, often, safer — way to increase energy in a performance horse’s diet. Fats will be used by the horse’s body during aerobic exercise, which can help save the glucose from NSCs for high-intensity or long-duration exercise. 

3. Remember the importance of water and salts.

While these nutrients are often overlooked, adequate access to fresh, clean water and iodized salt is crucial for all animals, but especially for performance horses.

When exercised in hot, humid weather, horses could lose up to four gallons of sweat per hour! Additionally, horse sweat is hypertonic, meaning that it contains higher levels of electrolytes than what is circulating in the body. Human sweat, in contrast, is hypotonic, meaning that there is a higher concentration of electrolytes circulating in the body than what is in our sweat. This means that giving a sweaty horse plain water will only further dilute the concentration of electrolytes in its body. Given that electrolytes are required to maintain the fluid balance and electrical activity of each cell, they are hugely important for performance!

In normal circumstances when a horse is only emitting small amounts of sweat, an iodized white salt block or loose salt, in addition to hay and grain, will do the trick. If weather and exercise — or some other form of stress, like long-distance travel — lead to prolonged, excessive sweating, providing a high-quality electrolyte supplement with potassium, sodium and chloride is a very good idea.

4. Don’t overdo protein.

Many horse owners accidentally misunderstand how protein should be used in their horses’ diet. As mentioned above, adding energy (or extra calories) to the diet is done with carbohydrates or fat. While protein and, more specifically, levels of certain amino acids are required for growth, muscle and the maintenance of body systems, protein is an inefficient energy source.

Horses have requirements for essential amino acids, the most important of which are lysine, methionine and threonine. This is another reason why investing in a hay test will help you to balance your performance horse’s diet. 

Horses doing light work can often meet their protein requirements (approximately 10% of their diet) from hay and pasture and the use of a ration balancer. Horses doing moderate to heavy work have higher protein requirements, which can typically be met with commercially fortified grain and/or the addition of alfalfa hay.

In general, a protein deficiency is not common in most domestic horse diets; in fact, it is more common for protein to be fed in excess, which will end up as a waste product. If you begin to notice a heavy smell of ammonia in your horse’s stall, this is a telltale sign that you may be overfeeding protein.

5. Help minimize and manage stress.

It’s no secret that performance horses endure stress. What we sometimes forget, however, is that this stress can impact almost every system in an animal’s body, from its digestive system to its musculoskeletal system. A well-rounded approach to managing performance horses includes taking all of these systems into consideration.

• Joint and hoof health: The concussion and force that a performance horse’s limbs must endure is substantial. Providing joint-specific nutrients, like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, and hoof nutrients, like organic zinc and biotin, can help protect joints and hooves before damage occurs.
• Antioxidants: Vitamin E and organic selenium are hugely important components in the performance horse’s diet to help combat muscle damage from the free radicals associated with exercise and metabolism.
• Immune function: Organic trace minerals are important constituents of joint and hoof health — not to mention that they help promote normal nervous system function and a healthy immune system.
• Gut health: The stress that performance horses are subject to in the forms of training, travel, new environments and more can absolutely impact their microbiome and cause digestive upset. Additionally, the need for glucose (i.e., NSCs) to power exercise is a reality for many performance horses. Gut nutrients, such as pre- and probiotics, can help minimize digestive distress and maximize safe feedings, travels and training days.

The key to feeding performance horses is moderation. No one ingredient or nutrient is beneficial when there is either a deficiency or an excess. Use common sense, pay attention to your horse’s behavior and cues, and seek balance with an equine nutritionist.

Alltech’s new line of premium equine supplements was formulated to assist with that balance. Lifeforce Elite Performance was designed to be the only horse supplement you’ll need in a performance setting to promote a healthy, whole-body stress response. We are certain that you will get your money’s worth — and your horse will also be able to tell the difference!

Check out Lifeforce here, and follow us on social media @lifeforcehorse for more tips on keeping your performance horse healthy and happy!

I want to learn more about nutrition for my horses.

No matter the segment of the beef system, stress is a natural and unavoidable hurdle that the beef industry must learn to manage. Ironically, it is often the segmentation of the beef system that results in periods of stress. These stressful times often fall around transition intervals, when cattle move from one phase of production to the next. Weaning and feedlot receiving are two transition periods during which calves will experience multiple stressors. Prolonged exposure to stress has negative impacts on calf performance, and these negative effects can result in long-term issues.

When you consider the long history of the beef sector, stress is a relatively new issue being examined and discussed by those in the industry. In recent years, scientists and producers have begun to realize the impact that stress can have on calf performance. Fortunately, however, there are solutions for mitigating stress for your cattle during transitions. First, it is important to understand what can cause stress, as well as the consequences of that stress.

Stressors that can occur during weaning and receiving include:

• Separation from the dam

The social stress of being removed from the mother can be significant. One management practice that gradually weans calves is fence-line weaning. This technique involves placing weaned calves and dams in adjacent pastures that allow calves to be able see their mothers while being physically separated. Make sure you have sturdy fences with no gaps to prevent calves from crawling through to the other side.

• Transportation

It’s inevitable: At some point, cattle will need to be moved. There are many ways that producers can work to reduce stress during transportation — but similarly to humans travelling to new locations or making a big move, this major transition will likely lead to schedule changes and disruptions, changes in eating patterns, etc.

• Commingling

When groups of cattle are mingled together, they can expose each other to new pathogens. Even if the animals are on the same ranch but are from different pastures, producers need to consider a commingling strategy.

• Unfamiliar diets

Going from their mothers’ milk to feed might feel like a stark transition to some calves. The tips later in this article explain how to get calves to the bunk and help them transition to a new, healthy, nutrient-dense diet.

Stress can have consequences on production, including:

• Impaired growth. Stress causes muscle breakdown and can slow the growth of your cattle.
• Suppression of immune functions, which can lead to a decreased ability to resist infection and an increased susceptibility to getting sick.
• Altered behavior, like reduced feed intake.

A wholistic view of beef production is necessary to identify where leverage points exist within the production system. Recognizing leverage points allows for a more effective application of management practices to minimize stress and improve performance. In beef production, the most effective approach to minimizing stress is a preventative one. Implement practices that will help you foster and maintain a resilient herd. Resilient calves are going to be able to handle the periods of stress that are inherent within the beef system. The key to building resilient calves is implementing proactive management practices.

Outlined below are five easy and practical management tips that will help you produce resilient cattle.

1. Vaccinate prior to shipping.

Work with your veterinarian to establish a vaccination program prior to your animals being commingled and shipped. A vaccination program is essential to building a healthy immune system prior to animals being exposed to novel pathogens in a new place and when surrounded by other animals.

2. Castrate animals as early as possible.

Castration is a stressful but generally necessary management practice. Research has shown that animals experience less stress when they are castrated at a younger age. Some producers will castrate at birth, when they tag or maybe when they take cattle out to grass. Whatever fits into your management schedule, getting your animals castrated early will allow them to recoup before other stressors manifest throughout the following transition stages.

3. Minimize commingling.

Just like with humans, anytime you bring animals from different sources together, you run the risk of exposing them to pathogens. You can reduce this risk of exposure for calves by being strategic about minimizing mixing between sources of cattle. There is also an element of social stress as the newly commingled animals work to establish a pecking order.

4. Expose calves to feed bunks and water troughs.

Familiarize your animals with feed bunks and water troughs prior to shipping. This can help reduce stress during feedlot arrival, as getting calves to feed bunks prior to shipping will help them get onto feed quicker. The sooner they get on feed and start consuming water, the better they will bounce back from transportation stress.

5. Proper nutrition is essential.

When transitioning cattle, it is important to make sure that their nutritional requirements are being met. Meeting the cattle’s protein, energy and trace mineral requirements is essential for their immune function and growth. During periods of stress, it is common for animals to reduce their feed intake. In these cases, providing diets that are more nutrient-dense to compensate for reduced intake is recommended.

It is unrealistic to think that we can eliminate all stress from the production system, but we can minimize the duration and severity of the stress that animals experience. When utilizing these management techniques, consider a schedule that exposes calves to stressors gradually, rather than all at once. When calves feel high levels of stress and no mitigation strategies are used, they can experience critical setbacks. The most important reason to help calves through periods of stress is to set them up for success for the rest of their life — ultimately leaving you with healthy animals, a healthy reputation and a healthy bottom line.  

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Google the phrase “joint supplements for horses,” and you will quickly be overwhelmed by more than 165,000 results.

Many owners and trainers in the horse industry consider joint health a top concern for their management programs. This is warranted; after all, the average horse weighs around 1,000 pounds and is supported by four relatively thin legs with very little protection.

Understanding equine joints becomes increasingly important for each horse owner, as musculoskeletal injuries are classified as the number-one reason for loss of performance.  

What’s really going on in the horse’s joints?

There are three types of joints in the body, but the type that is most influenced through nutrition (and the type that we typically think of when we think of a joint) is called the synovial joint.

Synovial joints are those that allow for movement and help transfer the load between bones, including the elbow, knee or wrist — or, in the horse’s case, the knee, hock or fetlock joint.

Synovial joints are composed of:

• Cartilage, which covers the ends of the two bones that meet at the joint.
• The joint capsule, which is the space encompassing the entire joint with an inner synovial membrane housing synovial cells and synovial fluid.
• Ligaments, a type of connective tissue that connects bone to bone.

Cartilage is one of the most important aspects of the joint

We hate to play favorites, but when it comes to joints, we are partial to cartilage for the role it plays in handling the compressive and concussive forces that joints deal with on a minute-to-minute basis. Cartilage is a metabolically active tissue composed of chondrocytes, the main cells in cartilage, as well as type II collagen and a proteoglycan network.

You can think of cartilage as a small, remote town — “Joint Town,” perhaps.

In basic terms, the chondrocyte cells produce collagen fibrils, which undergo an extensive cross-linking process during development. Collagen is the road system of “Joint Town.”

Proteoglycans are molecules that aid in the shock absorption properties of cartilage. They are made up of a core protein linked to a glycosaminoglycan chain, such as keratin or chondroitin sulfate. 

Proteoglycans are similar to the houses and buildings that comprise a town.

Cartilage is a largely avascular structure, meaning that it receives a limited blood supply, and as a result, repair and renovation is a slow process. This is a small, remote town, after all.

While the proteoglycans can be replaced completely after 300 to 1,800 days, the collagen network is considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime building process — in fact, it is estimated to only be replaced every 120 years in dogs and every 350 years in humans!

You know how road construction goes. Can you even imagine how long it would take to completely replace a town’s road system? Let’s just say that remodeling a home or building (i.e., the proteoglycans) is enough of a task for the construction workers (i.e., the chondrocytes), who receive limited resources.  

That being said, it is important to understand that cartilage, being a metabolically active tissue, will vary based on its location within the joint and how much of a load that area experiences. The load in different areas is dependent on the type of exercise that the horse does on a regular basis, as well as on that animal’s unique conformation.

Daily “wear and tear” impacts the horse’s joints

When a foal is born, it is believed to be born with “blank” joints. The foal’s bone, cartilage and overall joint makeup will develop based on its activity level, and the foal’s early life will set the animal’s joints up for a lifetime of success (or not).

This is where balancing the exercise cycle comes into play.

Based on this information, we know that exercise is a critical component of equine joint health. On the one hand, exercise builds strength and stimulates blood flow and the “pumping” of synovial fluid in and out of the joint.

Synovial fluid not only acts as lubrication in the joint, but it is also an important communication medium between many pieces of the joint, carrying nutrients into the cartilage and waste out. More movement means more nutrients coming in and waste being removed. Think of exercise as traffic control; it helps keep the one-way street in and out of the remote town working, so that resources can continue to be brought in or traded out.

On the other hand, too much or chronic, repetitive exercise can strain certain areas of the joint, resulting in “wear and tear” of the cartilage, inflammation, damage and, in the worst-case scenario, osteoarthritis.

While some of these effects may be unavoidable, there are certainly preventative measures that can help protect the joints and maximize performance — and nutrition may be one of the least invasive ways to protect horse joints.  

Which joint supplements for horses actually make a difference?

There are many questions about whether joint supplements are useful, and frankly, conducting research that investigates the effects of joint nutraceuticals is challenging, to say the least.

While there is always more research to be done, we can honestly say that the evidence does support the fact that joint supplements provide many benefits — especially if you choose the right ones.

When shopping for a joint supplement for your horse, consider four key nutrients:

1. Glucosamine

Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is a natural component of the horse’s cartilage. Glucosamine is a precursor to building glycosaminoglycans, which, as you know from earlier, are important players in the proteoglycan network.

Glucosamine is like “joint food”; it is believed to help prevent cartilage degradation, inflammation and pain in the joint while also supporting cartilage growth.

2. Chondroitin sulfate

While glucosamine is a precursor to glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin sulfate is an actual glycosaminoglycan, which bolsters the strength and resistance capabilities of the joint. Research has found that using a combination supplement of glucosamine and chondroitin in horses with osteoarthritis improved flexion tests while decreasing joint volume and lameness scores.    

3. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organic sulfur compound necessary for the production of connective tissue. Perhaps one of the lesser-understood joint nutrients, research in horses has shown that MSM may help protect the body from free-radical damage due to exercise, and it also appears to play a role in the glutathione pathway, which is an important antioxidant in the body.

4. Hyaluronic acid (HA)

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is most well-known for its lubrication and comfort-inducing properties as a major component of synovial fluid. HA is also found in cartilage and helps aid in absorbing shock. Studies have found that HA plays an important role as a protective and anti-inflammatory agent in the joints, decreasing the breakdown of cartilage and synovial fluid. 

Key points to remember

Performance horses are prone to joint disease as a result of their normal activity. While some of this may be inevitable, especially as the joints’ regenerative ability decreases with age, there are various therapies and technologies that can help promote equine joint health.

First and foremost, asking your horse to perform a variety of different exercises at various intensity levels and on different surfaces can help keep your horse moving and can help balance the load on the horse’s joints, as well as the inflammation cycle associated with training.

Additionally, do not underestimate the power of nutrition. While it is human nature to always seek new information, research offers convincing evidence that high-quality joint supplements can help protect and restore joints throughout a horse’s life.

Alltech’s new Lifeforce Joint supplement was designed to provide all four key joint nutrients in one scoop, helping support and maximize your horse’s joint health and long-term performance.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my horses.

If your pet food company produces balanced diets for puppies and kittens, you know that it is not always easy to differentiate yourselves from the competition.

With numerous options at the neighborhood pet food store and on the increasingly popular e-commerce sites, new pet parents are often bombarded with decisions. Should they go with raw diets for puppies? Dry or wet food for kittens? High-protein diets? Vitamin and mineral supplements?

Ultimately, you want pet consumers to choose your nutrition programs. Let’s look at three ways to make sure that your puppy and kitten diets stand out on the shelf.

1. Beware of the “high-protein” hype.

Yes, puppies and kittens have nutritional requirements that include high protein and calorie levels, but be wary of oversimplifying this message.

Protein sources are not created equal, and claiming that a food is “high protein” is not as important as the levels of essential amino acids that are present in the diets of young kittens and puppies.

Protein requirements for puppies and kittens are really requirements for higher levels of high-quality protein. Do your best to convey to consumers that your pet food brand contains excellent-quality protein from a traceable source that specifically meets the needs of a puppy or kitten.

Furthermore, taking a step backwards, a growing animal’s body also requires nutrients that support its cells’ ability to produce proteins.

Nutrients such as nucleotides, which are the molecules that make up an animal’s genetic material (DNA and RNA), are in high demand throughout the animal’s life, but never more so than during the growth phase, when the gastrointestinal and immune systems are developing quickly.

Nucleotides are found in high levels in the mother’s milk, but young companion animals still have an increased need for nucleotides, even after weaning. Research has shown that nucleotide supplementation in puppies increases their immune systems’ capacity to respond to dangerous diseases, such as parvovirus.

Arming your pet food with the organic molecules and amino acids that really matter for growth and development in puppies and kittens, such as those found in Alltech’s NUCLEO-SACC™, will deliver real results for your consumers and, ultimately, the pets they love.

2. Make it palatable.

This may seem fairly obvious, but reduced food consumption in growing kittens and puppies can lead to major growth and developmental problems.

It is important to communicate to pet owners that while the desired growth rate for both puppies and kittens is “slow and steady” so as to prevent the over-development of their musculoskeletal systems, young animals will grow the quickest in their first 6 months of life and need to be fed in line with those needs.

Building your puppy and kitten diets with highly palatable ingredients, such as glutamic acid, can help promote feed intake in a controlled manner. Additionally, using a body condition scoring system can help to guide nutrition for kittens and puppies. Teaching pet owners how to use body conditioning can help prevent under- or over-development.

For both dogs and cats, body condition is typically assessed on a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being severely underweight and 9 being obese. An ideal body condition for cats and dogs is between 4 and 5, where their ribs can be easily felt but not seen and a waistline can clearly be identified.

In growing companion animals, body condition is likely to change more rapidly, and there could very well be some “awkward” growing phases. All is well. The important thing is to keep their body condition in mind so that you can adjust their diet as needed before anything gets too out of whack.

Overall, helping consumers understand that growing pets require a balanced diet that meets their increased nutritional demands without overloading their body systems is key. Designing pet food diets that are palatable and therefore encourage consumption means that consumers are less likely to overfeed an imbalanced ration to compensate for what is missing, and that could have a hugely positive downstream effect on their pets’ long-term health.  

3. Focus on functional nutrients.

Functional nutrients are those that may provide health benefits beyond the basic nutritional requirements. Regardless of what type of pet food your company produces, be sure to include functional nutrients that can assist with young companion animals’ proper growth and development.

One functional nutrient that often goes unmentioned is inositol. Inositol is a sugar that is found naturally in the body. Inositol supports proper nerve and muscle function, in addition to optimal cell membrane development. Because of its role in cell structure, it is important for growing animals to have quality sources of inositol in their diets.

Additionally, ensuring that your young companion animal pet food contains 100% organic trace minerals (including copper, zinc, manganese, iron and selenium) will provide a huge boost to your nutrition program. Trace minerals are especially critical during growth to ensure the proper development of all of the animal’s body tissues. Organic trace minerals have been shown to be absorbed and utilized at higher rates in the body than their inorganic counterparts, which means that development and performance can be improved just by feeding your brand’s diet!

Summary

Ultimately, you care about your pet food diets because you care about the puppies and kittens who will be eating them.

Adding sufficient levels of functional nutrients — such as essential amino acids, nucleotides, inositol and glutamic acid — in addition to high-quality essential trace minerals will make your pet food brand the best it can be while also ensuring incredible results for your customers’ new family members.

I want to learn more about pet nutrition.

The pathology of cattle consuming endophyte-infected tall fescue varies greatly based on the weather and the alkaloid concentration. The most readily apparent signs of fescue toxicosis include reduced feed intake, weight gain, milk production and reproductive efficiency, as well as tissue necrosis and a rough hair coat. Decreases in productivity caused by fescue toxicosis are estimated to cost U.S. beef producers more than $2 billion annually (Kallenbach, 2015).

Absorption of alkaloids

Calculating the animal’s retention of ergot alkaloids is difficult due to biotransformation. Generally, it is estimated that 76–92% of consumed ergot alkaloids are absorbed, with the other 8–24% excreted in the feces. The math on alkaloid absorption and excretion doesn’t always add up, as alkaloids are broken down and/or biotransformed into numerous metabolites. Most alkaloids are ultimately excreted in the urine as lysergic acid.

Fescue alkaloids and microbiome shifts

An emerging area of research is the interaction between fescue alkaloids and the microbiome. Decreases in the Erysipelotrichaceae family and increases of Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Clostridiaceae, as well as abundances of Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria phyla have been reported for cattle grazing infected fescue. Fescue seed extract, when added to in vitro fermentations, led to increased populations of tryptophan-utilizing bacteria. Considering the tryptophan base of ergot alkaloids, this increase likely indicates an up-regulation in detoxification capacity. The characterization and identification of the three isolates with the highest conversion abilities found that all three were gram-positive, spore-forming rods that produced ammonia from tryptophan, classified as Clostridium sporogenes.

Receptor-binding of fescue ergot alkaloids

Due to the structural similarity of ergot alkaloids and serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, several receptor types in numerous tissues are affected during fescue toxicosis in cattle. This results in a wide range of effects on physiology and metabolism. As more research examining the underlying mechanisms is completed, the connections between ergot alkaloid receptor-binding and animal performance grow more complex.

Individual animal sensitivity to infected fescue is affected by:

• Environmental conditions.
• The density of the receptors.
• The capacity for liver and ruminal degradation.
• Other genetic factors.

Fescue's effect on weight gains

Ergot alkaloid-induced vasoconstriction reduces heat dissipation, resulting in a variety of physiological fescue toxicosis symptoms in cattle, including an increased respiration rate and elevated core body temperature. Ultimately, this leads to lower weight gains — which is generally known as the summer slump, as animals spend less time grazing as a result of standing in the shade or water to cool off. In colder months, fescue-associated vasoconstriction combines with thermoregulatory vasoconstriction, resulting in tissue death in the extremities, which is commonly known as fescue foot.

Ergot alkaloid consumption also leads to:

• The thickening of the medial layer of blood vessels
• Endothelial cell damage
• Vascular stasis
• Thrombosis
• Ischemia
• Changes in blood pressure, among other cardiovascular effects

Fescue's effect on rumen fill

The frequency and amplitude of the ruminal contractions, as well as changes in eating patterns due to fescue toxicosis in cattle, combine to affect rumen fill, passage rates and intake.

• Vasoconstriction also reduces blood flow to the rumen, decreasing VFA absorption.
• Increased rumen fill provides a negative feedback loop, exacerbating reduced intakes.
• While the total tract digestibility of the feeds is generally unchanged, these alterations work in concert to reduce nutrient availability, contributing to the reduced growth rate frequently observed in cattle grazing fescue.
• Added to this are the effects of alkaloids on circulating serotonin levels, the hypothalamic center and tryptophan-related satiety.

Fescue's effect on energy metabolism

Ergot alkaloids affect energy metabolism primarily when alkaloid intakes are high and during heat stress. Growth differences in cattle during fescue toxicosis are most likely the result of reduced intake, as no differences in retained energy or energy partitioning were caused by alkaloid ingestion when feed intake was equal.

• When fed near maintenance, cattle had lower basal metabolic rates.
• At higher feeding rates, maintenance energy requirements increased.
• When combined with observed increases in fat loss and a higher capacity for gluconeogenesis in the liver, this indicates the prioritization of energy (when available) toward elevated respiration, thermoregulation and alkaloid detoxification.

Economic losses due to fescue toxicosis

As much as 75% of the economic losses attributed to infected tall fescue pastures are related to decreased calving rates.

For cows:

• Alkaloid consumption reduces the circulating levels of several hormones important for reproductive efficiency, including progesterone and estradiol.
• Changes in ovarian follicle development, oocyte quality and luteal function have been reported.
• When combined with vasoconstriction to the uterus and ovaries, it is no surprise that reductions in reproductive efficiency are seen in cows grazing infected fescue.
• There is speculation that vasoconstriction in the umbilical cord contributes to low birthweights and diminished fetal development.

On the bull side of the equation, research indicates that ergot alkaloids may:

• Affect sperm count.
• Increase the occurrence of abnormal sperm.
• Alter motility, especially during the summer months.

Fescue's effect on milk production and calving

The structural similarity of ergot alkaloids to dopamine results in reduced prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. Further, changes in gene expression in the mammary glands of cattle consuming fescue indicate alterations in their lipid metabolism and small molecule transport. Altogether, these changes translate to reduced mammary development and lower milk production. Similar changes in lipid metabolism can be seen in reduced levels of circulating cholesterol and the occurrence of fat necrosis (lipomatosis), and in some cases of long-term alkaloid exposure, these fatty masses can cause digestive issues and dystocia. 

Fescue's effect on hair coat and immune function

Reduced prolactin also leads to the rough hair coat that is often observed in cattle grazing infected fescue. Originally thought to be a retained winter hair coat, it is now known that low prolactin levels increase hair growth rates. As prolactin is a co-factor in humoral immune function, the long-term grazing of infected fescue can lead to depressed levels of immunoglobulins. However, as nutritional levels also affect immune function, more work needs to be done to determine whether altered immunocompetence is a direct result of ergot alkaloid consumption or a secondary effect of a diminished nutritional status. While there is no true fescue toxicosis treatment for cattle, there are ways to mitigate the challenges that fescue presents through management, nutrition and feed additives.

References and Additional Reading

Fribourg, H. A., D. B. Hannaway, and C. P. West (ed.) 2009. Tall Fescue for the Twenty-First Century. Agron. Monog. 53. ASA, CSSA, SSSA. Madison, WI. 540 pp. Also (http://forages.oregonstate.edu/tallfescuemonograph).

Kallenbach, R. L. (2015). BILL E. KUNKLE INTERDISCIPLINARY BEEF SYMPOSIUM: Coping with tall fescue toxicosis: Solutions and realities. Journal of Animal Science, 93(12), 5487-5495.

Mayberry, K. J. (2018). Evaluation of Genetic Resistance to Fescue Toxicosis in Purebred Angus Cattle Utilizing Phenotypic Variables, Calf Performance and Cytokine Response. Thesis, North Carolina State University.

Melchior, E. A., & Myer, P. R. (2018). Fescue toxicosis and its influence on the rumen microbiome: mitigation of production losses through clover isoflavones. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 46(1), 1280-1288.

Poole, R. K., & Poole, D. H. (2019). Impact of ergot alkaloids on female reproduction in domestic livestock species. Toxins, 11(6), 364.

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For any cow-calf operation, a primary goal is to enhance the ratio of pounds of calf weaned per cow bred annually. A critical component of reaching this goal is keeping the herd as close to a 365-day calving cycle as possible. To this end, shortening the postpartum anestrus interval and increasing first-service conception rates to reduce the need for cattle rebreeding are key topics of discussion and research within the industry. Both nutrition and body condition affect anestrus and conception, dictating the cows’ ability to rebreed successfully.

Identifying and correcting problem cows between calving and breeding is not an easy proposition. As such, the best option is to set a cow up for success before calving by ensuring that her BCS is between 5.5 and 6 and that her nutritional needs are met.

Return to estrus

The length of the postpartum anestrus is fundamental to determining the calving interval. Given a typical 283-day cow gestation period, cows must have a postpartum interval of 82 days to produce one calf every 12 months. Cows cycle from anywhere between 30 to 100 days after calving, with nutrition and cow age contributing to the anestrus length. In beef cows, the uterus returns to its non-pregnant size by around 30 days post-calving. Before cows are ready to cycle normally, an additional 10 days is required to complete the uterine involution.

Beef cows that calve early in the season and cycle early have better chances of fully completing their uterine involution and returning to their normal cyclicity before the start of the breeding season. Cows that are cycling before starting the breeding season are most likely to conceive on first breeding — and within the first 21 days of the breeding season.

Research has also shown that the nutritional requirements for beef cattle in late gestation affect the cow’s health and return to normal cyclicity. The importance of body condition scores and nutrition in relation to conception and pregnancy rates has been thoroughly studied, with results indicating that:

• Cows need access to sufficient protein and energy to calve with a BCS between 5.5 and 6. Not only is being in the proper condition important for allowing the cow to produce high-quality colostrum, but this BCS must then be maintained throughout the breeding season.
• Underconditioned cows are slower to cycle, skewing the 365-day calving cycle, and cows that lose condition between calving and breeding are significantly less likely to conceive.
• Immediately following calving, the cow is using the nutrition she is provided with to recover from the stresses of the gestation period and calving, as well as to produce milk for her new calf. Only after those needs are met will the cow redirect her energy and nutrients toward preparing for the next breeding season.

A significant body of external work supports the use of fat supplementation to enhance reproduction, generally in relation to managing cattle BSC and/or avoiding a negative energy balance in transition animals. In these cases, oleic acid (C18:1) may be the preferred fat source, as it boosts energy being partitioned toward the cow’s body reserves. 

Alternatively, stearic acid (C18:0) is preferentially used as an energy source, and dietary supplementation may reduce the cow’s reliance on mobilizing her body reserves. All fat feeding should be carefully considered — especially the type of fat and the timing of the feeding, as there are instances in which supplemental fat has reduced reproductive efficiency by increasing anestrous, reducing intake and, in turn, the energy balance, or inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis.  

Conception success and embryo mortality

A lot of attention is given to conception rates in beef cattle. However, research from Ft. Keogh in Montana indicates that 90–100% of cows will conceive at first breeding and that it is actually early embryo mortality that gives rise to many open cows. 

• Approximately 25% of cows suffer embryonic loss before the 28th day of their gestation period, with a further 8% of pregnancies lost before day 42. 
• Unlike late-term pregnancy losses, early embryo mortality is often not noticed on the farm. These losses are often miscategorized as cows that didn’t catch on the first round of breeding.
• Embryo mortality is estimated to cost U.S. cattle producers $1.4 billion annually as a result of open cows, lost productive days and rebreeding costs. 
• Embryo survival is affected by a variety of factors, including maternal and fetal nutrition, genetics, maternal stress, parity and health. As a result, research examining this issue is limited, and often, no clear answer for reducing embryonic loss is determined.  

How nutrition affects reproductive success

Balancing energy and protein in cow diets is important, as lower conception rates are often observed in cows with very high dietary protein intakes. Excess protein can increase the urea concentration in uterine secretions, which results in elevated prostaglandin levels. As prostaglandin is a signal for the body to return to cyclicity, this mechanism may be partly responsible for early embryonic losses in some herds.

As with body condition maintenance, research indicates that fat supplementation may additionally have a direct impact on reproduction.

• Dietary fat has been reported to increase follicle formation in super-ovulated cows, possibly by increasing the serum insulin levels as a mediating step. 
• Luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, which triggers ovulation and CL development, is controlled in part by an animal’s energy status; thus, fat supplementation that enhances the energy balance will also aid in LH regulation.
• Dietary fat supplementation has also been reported to increase serum progesterone. A poor-quality CL or insufficient progesterone can both be responsible for pregnancy losses before implantation, particularly in cows that are bred on their first cycle after calving. This once again highlights the importance of early calving to provide cows sufficient time to complete their anestrus and return to normal cyclicity before the start of the breeding season.

Beyond energy and protein, trace minerals — such as copper, zinc, manganese and selenium — play key roles in health, metabolism and the general nutritional requirements of beef cattle. Sub-clinical deficiencies in trace minerals can lead to reduced cyclicity and diminished reproductive health. Minerals impact colostrum quality and calf immunity, but their value for the cow should also not be forgotten. 

Optimizing trace minerals can aid in maintaining optimal uterine health by reducing the risk of:

• Metritis.
• Retained placentas.
• Other adverse events that lengthen the time needed for uterine involution and a return to normal cyclicity.

Nutrigenomics research has also shown that minerals affect several metabolic pathways related to the preparation of the endometrium for implantation.

Other factors affecting success

The period before the start of the calving season is a good time to go over your herd health plan. Connect with your veterinarian and other experts to ensure that your management and vaccination programs are in line with the best practices for your region.

This is also a good time to make sure that your recordkeeping is up to date. Diagnosing breeding and reproductive issues is often an exercise in looking back. Working from accurate records can make the difference in identifying the underlying causes and developing a plan to prevent them next year.

The bottom line

Beyond the importance of individual nutrients, timing the supplemental feeding of cows correctly is important. The last 50 to 60 days of the cow’s gestation period are well-known to be critical for colostrum quality, as well as calf health and growth — but preparation for calving and rebreeding go hand in hand. As it takes time for nutrients to be absorbed, metabolized and take effect in the animal, a feeding program to support reproductive soundness and breeding-related stresses should begin before calving and continue through the confirmation of pregnancy.

A few key indicators to monitor are the percentages of mature cows calving during the first 21 days of the calving season and of late-season-calving cows. If either of these metrics run above average, it is time to take a close look at your calving and breeding season program.

Simply put, cows need to be set up for successful rebreeding before calving. Waiting to think about the breeding season until after the calf hits the ground is too late to affect major change in your cow herd’s performance.

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Proactive cattlemen are good cattlemen. They have the foresight to combat the inevitable stresses and other challenges their cattle will face. They know that weaning, transportation and other prolonged periods of stress can have a negative impact on immune function and, ultimately, the performance of their animals. So they act to mitigate that stress and, in turn, any health problems their beef cattle are facing. They know that prevention is cheaper than treatment, and they want to see their cattle thrive. Preventative health management practices are key for healthy cattle.

Vaccinations and nutrition have a symbiotic relationship in terms of maintaining healthy immune functions in cattle. While quality nutritional programs are the bedrock of healthy immune function, both nutritional and vaccination programs are important for successful preventative health management on a cattle operation. Preventative health management focuses on promoting an animal’s natural immunity and minimizing the negative growth responses associated with stress and other health challenges.

The role of vaccination

Vaccinating your cattle stimulates their immune systems to produce antibodies that specifically work to combat disease-causing viruses or bacteria. After vaccination, a healthy immune response should translate to a memory of those specific pathogens for the immune system. This memory ensures a rapid response if the animal is exposed to pathogens it has been vaccinated against and allows the animal to avoid infection. Disease challenges vary between different geographies, so it is important to work with your local veterinarian to develop vaccine protocols, as they can identify and walk through the specific needs of your operation.

Although your needs may vary based on your herd and geography, there are a few vaccines that we typically consider crucial for beef cattle, such as a scours vaccine and vaccinating for the bovine respiratory syncytial virus.

Implementing a beef vaccination schedule

While vaccination is generally important, establishing a well-constructed beef cattle vaccination schedule is crucial for vaccine success. One part of that plan — that is, the timing — can make the difference between failure and success. Vaccinations should be timed so that peak levels of antibodies are present when the animal is at the highest risk of infection. Keep in mind that peak levels of antibodies take several weeks to manifest following vaccination, so you’ll want to plan ahead.

The stage of the production cycle will determine the type and timing of the vaccine.

• Pre-calving: A scours vaccination should happen during late gestation so that the highest levels of antibodies are present in the colostrum. A new calf’s immune system is weak, leaving it susceptible to disease and reliant on colostrum to provide it with much-needed antibodies and protection.
• Pre-breeding: For added protection for replacement heifers and cows, it might make sense to implement a pre-breeding vaccination protocol. This should be done around 45 days before you are hoping to breed. 
• Bulls: Keeping your bulls protected may mean implementing an annual vaccination program. Similar to your cows and replacement heifers, these vaccinations may be most effective for bulls around 45 days before breeding.
• Weaned calves: Vaccinations should be given a couple of weeks before weaning so that peak antibody protection is achieved during feedlot arrival. With weaning, transportation, a new environment and mingling with a new group, this time in a calf’s life is the perfect storm for sickness. Vaccination provides calves with some protection as they start this new stage of their lives.

These programs and protocols are only as effective as they are managed. Poor animal health status at vaccination, improper vaccine handling and inadequate nutritional status can all lead to vaccine failure. A failed vaccine costs more than just the amount of product you had in the syringe; it can lead to loss of gain or even death throughout an entire group of calves. Likewise, it is important to understand that vaccines do not guarantee 100% protection and may only provide protection for a period. Even so, can we increase the effectiveness of the vaccine through proper nutrition?

The role of nutrition

Meeting an animal's nutritional requirements is essential for the proper development, maintenance and function of its immune system. Among the other health benefits good nutrition provides, it can also bolster the effectiveness of vaccines and provide longer-lasting protection for cattle. To achieve a nutritional status that supports immune responses, a cattle nutrition program must include energy, protein, trace minerals and vitamins.

• Energy: Immune responses require an abundance of energy. When cattle are exposed to a disease, their immune systems work hard. In terms of the energy hierarchy, an immune response comes before maintenance and production energy. However, shifting energy to the immune response will decrease the nutrients available for growth or maintenance and can cause a reduction in body condition in dams and reduce growth in feedlot animals.
• Protein: Proteins are used to produce antibodies. Since the goal of vaccination is to increase the production of antibodies, a protein deficiency can result in substandard antibody production. As with energy, shifting protein from growth to immune function can negatively impact animal performance.
• Trace minerals and vitamins: The amount of trace minerals and vitamins needed in the diet varies based on the age, role and geography of the cattle, but both vitamins and minerals play an essential role in immune function. Deficiencies in one or more of these nutrients can lead to reduced antibody production.

Nutritional needs at different life stages

Just like with vaccines, the nutritional needs of your cattle will vary based on your specific herd and geography. Factors that can contribute to the nutrition discussion on your operation include the type of facilities your cattle have access to, the feedstuffs used and whether your cattle have experienced health issues in the past. The most important factor, though, is the current life stage of your cattle, as this will dictate the most basic nutritional needs that should be met.

• Newborn calves: As mentioned above, calves are born with a high susceptibility to disease, requiring them to rely on colostrum to acquire those all-important antibodies. Calves should have a healthy gut from the very start so that they can better absorb the nutrients in colostrum and, as they transition to creep feed, maximize their potential for big gains.
• Weaned calves: Maintaining a healthy gut in your calves through weaning is crucial to supporting their gastrointestinal integrity, aiding in vaccine success during the receiving period and keeping them healthy in high-stress situations.
• Cows: The needs of the cows in your herd can vary based on their age and their current stage in the production cycle. Depending on the forage quality, cows may need mineral supplementation for optimum health, immune function and reproductive success.

Herd vaccination programs require an investment of both time and money, and quality nutrition is essential to safeguarding your investment. Talk with your veterinarian about putting together a solid vaccination and nutrition program for your operation. Remember: Proactive cattlemen are good cattlemen, and prevention is cheaper than treatment.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my beef cattle.