Page 12 - AWA Vol. 42-No.2 issue

ANiMAl HEAlTH

ForFarmers unviels refreshed ViTA youngstock range

at Dairy Tech

ForFarmers has unveiled its refreshed VITA youngstock range
at Dairy Tech, placing greater emphasis on gut health and ru-
men development as drivers of calf and heifer performance.
The updated VITA range reflects ForFarmers’ continued invest-
ment in youngstock nutrition at a time when dairy farmers are
under pressure to improve efficiency, manage rearing costs and
deliver long-term herd performance in challenging market con-
ditions.
Central to the refresh is the inclusion of PrimeGut, a hydroly-
sed yeast designed to support gut integrity, microbial establish-
ment and early rumen development during the most influential
stages of a calf’s life. for early fermentation,” says Ann. “By stabilising the gut envi-
“Early gut health and rumen development underpin everything ronment, it helps calves cope better with early-life challenges,
that follows in a young animal’s life,” explains Ann Coombes, maintain intakes and develop their rumen more effectively.
Youngstock Product Manager at ForFarmers. “If calves don’t es- “Unlike live yeast, PrimeGut is heat-stable and suitable for
tablish a healthy gut and functional rumen early on, it becomes pelleted feeds, ensuring consistent inclusion and intake in calf
much harder to maintain consistent growth, achieve smooth starters.”
weaning and hit targets such as calving by 24 months.”
By supporting rumen development early on in life, the aim is
Supporting calves from within
to help calves transition through weaning with fewer setbacks
Calves are born functioning as monogastrics and must rapidly and lay the foundations for improved feed efficiency and forage
transition to becoming effective ruminants. This transition de- utilisation later in life.
pends on early intake of solid feed, the establishment of bene-
ficial microbes and a stable gut environment. Disruption during “Gut health and rumen development are the foundations of
this phase can slow rumen development, reduce feed intake efficient, resilient youngstock,” Ann concludes. “By focusing on
and create growth checks that persist long after weaning. these areas we’re helping farmers give calves the best possible
“PrimeGut supports gut integrity, helps bind certain pathogens start and build herds that perform well into the future.”
such as E. coli, and encourages the microbial activity needed Circle 11 on enquiry card

NOVUS Releases Global Soybean Data, Highlights Risk Hidden
in Poultry and Swine Diets

Soybean meal is a mainstay of poultry why routinely monitoring TI is becoming
and swine diets worldwide but variabil- increasingly important for nutritionists
ity in soybean quality creates hidden who want consistency in animal perfor-
risks, both nutritionally for the animals mance and predictability in their finan-
and economically for producers. cial returns.”
A new white paper from NOVUS draws The white paper called Outsmarting
on more than a decade’s worth of data to Trypsin Inhibitors includes information
explain why trypsin inhibitor (TI) in soy- on:
bean meal is a persistent and often un- • Why there is no “safe” level of TI where
derestimated challenge in modern feed animal feed is concerned
formulation.
natural defenses that also interfere with • How TI levels vary globally and across
“Soybean meal is the greatest protein protein digestion. While commonly asso- soybean products
contributor in most diets, yet its nutri- ciated with under-processed soy, NOVUS • Why heat processing alone does not
tional value is often assumed rather than research found that TI can persist even in
measured,” says Rasha Qudsieh, NOVUS commercially processed soybean meal eliminate risk
global enzymes and microbials senior with measurable effects on gut health • The documented impacts of TI on
manager. “Our data from more than and growth in both poultry and swine. poultry and swine performance
1,900 soybean meal samples globally “We’ve analyzed hundreds of soybean • Practical strategies for measuring and
shows that trypsin inhibitor levels are meal samples globally, creating an ex- managing TI-related risk
highly variable across regions, years, tensive database on trypsin inhibitors. NOVUS plans to update the white pa-
and processing methods, and even small We’ve also invested years developing per annually to reflect new information
increases in TI can negatively impact practical methods to measure TI accu- collected in its Global Trypsin Inhibitor
amino acid digestibility, feed efficiency, rately,” says Paula Fisher, NOVUS analyti- Database, providing the industry with an
and animal performance.” cal services senior manager. “This paper evolving view of soybean quality and TI
Trypsin inhibitors are part of a plant’s shares what we’ve learned and explains trends. Circle 12 on enquiry card
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