Various parts of the yeast cell have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects in livestock performance. Now a unique processing method that yields the cell wall and contents can be linked to specific pathogen control measures.

If you feed probiotic bacteria continuously, clearly there is no need to feed it as well. However, when a specific strain of enterococcus is fed with a pre-biotic specially chosen to feed the indigenous microflora- the result is a truly synergistic effect for claves and piglets.

Ammonia emission is one of the critical environmental gases that French farmers have to reduce. In an experiment under French conditions the use of benzoic acid was tested to see if it could reduce ammonia emission in pigs.

Water is one of the most important feed ingredients in the diet. Clean water improves the animal’s performance and acidifying drinking water may even suppress bacteria that have a negative influence on performance. But there’s more to acidifying the water than just adding a simple acid.

This year Feed Tech is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. In every second issue we feature a special article looking back over the past decade and also ahead to what the future may bring. Feed additives will feature strongly. This subject is hot, since antimicrobial growth promoters are banned in Europe and the countries around the EU are following developments in the European feed industry closely.

Betaine has been on the market for quite a while with many positive results. But why is supplementation of this nutrient so important in animal diets? Feed Tech delved into the fundamentals of this natural feed additive and its recent application in animal nutrition.

Phosphorus is a basic ingredient for life. But when excess phosphorus loads are allowed to drain from the land, they can tilt the fragile balance of life in rivers and oceans, causing numbers of some marine species to rocket and others to crash. So the best approach would be to only feed what you need. Erin Peabody explains how phytase can help and how US researchers have further developed this enzyme.

What happens to probiotic bacteria as they travel from the feed through the digestive tract? Should live cells be used or spores? The activity of probiotic preparations in the digestive tracts of pigs and chickens was explored thoroughly for one species of bacillus.

A three year research project conducted at the university of Leeds in the United Kingdom focusing on the use of plant extracts in sow diets has revealed novel applications for the improvement of sow and litter performance.