A Chinese broiler study showed the efficiency of a feed additive to improve animal performance in antibiotic free environments. The trial proved positive results for body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and footpad integrity, outperforming antibiotic growth promoters.
The need? Withdraw antibiotics from animal production. The challenge? Keep performance up, protecting animal welfare and business profit.
There is no need to explain why antibiotic reduction is needed. Increasing antimicrobial resistance, the serious risk for animal and human health and growing legislation worldwide about the issue speak for themselves. With no question about the must of decreasing antibiotics use, animal producers now face another difficulty. Maintain performance and profitability.
Fig 1:Selko-pH in broilers significantly decreases feed conversion ratio during the entire cycle (day 1 – 42) Fig 2:Selko-pH in broilers significantly increases body weight gain during the entire cycle (day 1 – 42)
Feed additives prove results through research
Driven by market needs, several companies are working on solutions. Feed additives have a preferred place within this concept as they can offer support in antibiotic-free environments. Trouw Nutrition has developed several programmes based on a feed-farm-health approach and keeps researching to prove results towards this aim. As part of this effort, a trial was carried out in China in order to determine whether the use of a feed additive could improve broilers performance when no antibiotics are used.
The study evaluated the performance of 900 male Ross broiler chickens. The animals were fed either a basic commercial diet with no additives at all, with an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), or with a feed additive. The AGP in the trial was Bacitracin zinc and the feed additive was Selko-pH. During the 42-day trial period, the animals were monitored for performance.
Withdrawing antibiotics does not mean giving up performance
The result might indeed encourage the poultry industry. In the first half of the trial, the addition of the feed additive significantly;y increased the body weigh gain and feed intake, while decreasing the feed conversion ratio. These improvements continued during the second half of the study. The feed additive group showed a significant improvement in animal performance, compared to both the negative and the positive control. The results show that the group receiving Selko-pH had a 0.04 improvisation in feed conversion ratio compared to the negative control, and a 0.02 improvement compared to the positive control. Also, the addition of the feed additive improved the footpad integrity of the broilers.
About Selko
Selko is the feed additives brand of Trouw Nutrition, a Nutreco company. Selko’s portfolio consists of natural feed additive solutions that add value to integrators, feed mills and farmers. Foc7us areas are salmonella control, feed safety, gut health, in antibiotic-free production systems and trace mineral nutrition solutions. Selko solutions are offered as a complete package consisting of products, know-how and services. The Selko brand encompasses blends of organic acids, organic and hydroxy trace minerals, betaine and mycotoxin binders Trouw Nutrition’s global sales organisation commercialises the Selko feed additives brand.
Source: Selko. Written based on TRS Selko-pH #42.
