Plants have evolved with effective antimicrobial and antifungal defence systems. Combining their strengths with an effective promoter of beneficial gut bacteria gives us a double-barrelled weapon in the fight against bacteria--caused production losse...

01 dec 2002

When all AGP's are banned by the EU in 2006, many other countries are expected to follow. This will take away one weapon from the feed formulators to fight microbial imbalances in young animals. However, more strategies are being evaluated and in thi...

01 dec 2002

In vitro work confirms the antimicrobial properties of medium chain fatty acids. Their differential mode of action compared to the better known short chain fatty acids might explain the fact that piglet trials have repeatedly shown synergistic effect...

01 dec 2002

Since the European ban of most traditional antimicrobials and growth promoters in animal feed, many alternatives have been discovered, tested and commercialised. Safe, innovative and powerful plant extracts can fit perfectly into today's animal husba...

01 dec 2002

The swine nutrition group at Texas Tech University is conducting research to characterize the benefits of dietary supplementation of exogenous enzymes targeting flatulence-producing factors in soybean meal. ADG, gain/feed ratio, villus height in the...

01 oct 2002

Increasing knowledge of pathogen and host interactions at a cellular level can offer new possibilities for natural improvement of animal health. Stimulation of gut antibody secretion and support to the immune defence by antibody-like activity are es...

01 feb 2002

The health of the sow and her litter, and the productivity of both, is balanced delicately, especially during farrowing and in the early stages of piglet development. It has long been known that nutrition can play a valuable role in helping sows and...

01 dec 2001

Feeding grains and forages contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins results in harmful metabolic changes that reduce production efficiency of broilers, pigs and other species. Mycotoxin-binding substances are a popular choice for commercial application...

01 sep 2001

Supplementing diets with minerals can become something of a lottery, as sources differ in their bioavailability to animals. As environmentalists begin to turn their attention to trace mineral pollution, our attention must also be focused on the most...

01 sep 2001

Adding sodium to diets for broilers faced with a coccidial challenge can enhance the effects of traditional coccidiostats. New research shows that the source of sodium used is as important as  the amount added.

01 feb 2001