Livestock performance and NAGPs support

Although Antimicrobial Growth Promoters (AGPs) are inducing growth and have been used extensively in the past; due to the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance, AGPs (antibiotics as growth promoters) have been banned in the European Union (EU) in 2006. Since then, antibiotic use is only allowed to treat diseases and therefore, the need for alternative growth promoters instead of using AGPs in the livestock farming is greater than ever.

Antibiotics as AGPs were covering up quite vast problems in animal rearing programs. After the ban of AGPs, as the antibiotic consumption decreased, a lot of other issues such as inflammation in the whole animal production process became apparent.  Therefore, many subjects such as nutrition plan, biosecurity, animal welfare as alternatives to AGPs became more important.

Also, administering Non Antibiotic Growth Promoters (NAGPs) including probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, phytogenics and enzymes as important alternatives have been deeply studied and vastly used. Generally, these alternatives help animals to achieve their genetic potential; but to be able to achieve the best performance by the alternatives and especially NAGPs, there would be a need to improve our know-how about AGP’s function at first.  As mentioned, because AGPs were covering up lots of problems in animal production system, anti-inflammatory effects of AGPs were not very clear. Many studies have been evaluating this effect to be able to make the beneficial role of AGPs more clear. For instance, it has been investigated that generally antibiotics are killing bacteria by accumulating in inflammatory cells. They reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines and therefore, reduce catabolic effect. Thus, antibiotics boost the growth enhancement and by eliminating AGPs, inflammation would increase.

Antibiotics are effective because they:

• Inhibit endemic subclinical infection and therefore reduce the metabolic cost of the (innate) immune system

• Decrease growth depression metabolites such as ammonia and bile degradation products by microbes

• Reduce microbial use of nutrients

• Enhance intake and use of nutrients because the intestinal wall in AGP-fed animals are thinner

However, at present the increased number of industrial farming and the inflammation due to AGPs ban is causing severe economic loss if the situation is not under proper management control. In the past, farmers were relying too much on the use of antibiotics and nowadays NAGPs are a great support as immune system enhancer, oxidative stress reduction, gut integrity maintainer and beneficial bacteria growth promoter. In the absence of AGPs, optimal combinations of NAGPs with good farm management, biosecurity, nutrition plan, better know-how and husbandry practices will be the key to maximize performance and maintain animal productivity with the goal of reducing antibiotic misuse in livestock farming.

Inflammation impairs the gastrointestinal ability to absorb nutrients and achieve its growth and genetic potential. Inflammation could cause leaky gut by impairing the tight junctions and triggers the immune system as significant level of nutrients would deal with the inflammation. The inflamed gut would promote better environment for some bacteria such as Clostridium and Protozoa.  Beside inflammation, nowadays livestock farming is under other stress pressures (stressors) such as environmental, nutritional, microbiological, physiological and management stressors as well. Stressors are strongly impacting normal growth and health. They can trigger the stress response (distress) and introduce foreign pathogens into healthy animals resulting in decreased immunity. Among all stressors, the management stress could be controlled more easily by proper vaccination, monitoring rearing condition, improving litter quality, monitoring ventilation, etc.

Every cell in every living organism produces oxygen as a normal metabolism. This oxygen is fundamental in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The excess of the produced oxygen can be harmful for cell structures because increased production of oxygen enhances free radical production, resulting in oxidative stress. Also, when there is imbalance between free radical production and detoxification, then oxidative stress will occur. All stressors associated with stress factors such as nutritional and environmental factors could cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress could happen in every cells or tissues which impairs absorption capacity and leads to lipid peroxidation, protein nitration and DNA damage. In general, oxidative stress will have major disadvantage for cells and alerting overall performance of all organs.

Understanding the animal anatomy (The science of the structure of animals) and physiology (The science of organs) enables us to maximize the livestock performance, especially under stress situations. Livestock need to eat, grow, breathe, reproduce and move. Body systems in every livestock are operating with each other and maintaining the normal activity of the animal as a whole. Each of these systems consist of organs which are characterized for specific activities or functions. This will continue to tissues which consist of the various type of cells. Perfection would work through harmony. Different systems of each livestock consist of Skin and feather, Respiratory, Skeletal, Digestive, Immunity, Hepatic, Renal and Reproductive system. The health of these systems is very important as each of these systems have main activities which need to work together properly.

Understanding the function of different body systems in animals, supporting the idea of keeping these systems healthy and letting them to work properly as a team is vital for animal health and subsequently for human health as end-consumers. At XVET Germany we have been supporting the animal and human health by providing XVET specific NAGPs; NovoVital, Turbo Tox, OregoPlus and Bacflora F. As a next step, we are gladly introducing our NAGPs supporters which are boosting the activities of different body systems. These products would support your flock to be able to get the most benefit of XVET NAGPs. Some of NAGPs supporters are AROMAX, Cal D Phos, Garvit Pro, Renal Cleaner, Zincotin and 42 Degree.

By following our lessantibiotic website you will be updated with more information about the supporters and their effect on each animal system.

For more information, please contact technical@xvetgermany.com