In this column, swine nutritionist Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis reviews recent research on pig nutrition and feed technology of practical importance to the global feed industry.

01 oct 2004

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 e...

01 oct 2004

The ethanol industry is one of the most rapidly growing agriculture industries in the US. As a result, the amount of production of a co-product – distiller's dried grains with solubles – is increasing at the same speed. The product is increasingly us...

01 sep 2004

When it comes to modern dairy management, the heifer calf is still probably the most neglected animal on the farm. She shouldn't be, however, and international experts met recently in Nottingham to explain why.

01 aug 2004

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.

01 aug 2004

The search for a reliable, cost-efficient and easy-to-handle substitute for an antibiotic growth promoter is still going on. Considered as a first choice alternative are organic acids and their salts, but pre-fermenting of liquid feeds might lead to ...

01 dec 2003

Supplementary vitamins for the various stages of pig production will account for only 2.5% of the total cost of a mixed feed, more than justified by the benefits. In a previous article, Adrian Packingto9n explored the value of OVN to dairy nutrition...

01 oct 2003

Growth promoting antibiotics improve average daily gain in broilers and pigs thanks to a combination of better feed conversion and enhanced voluntary feed intake. With a total ban in the EU from January 2006 and dwindling public acceptance elsewhere,...

01 jun 2003

Emulsifiers. Nothing new, many will say. And indeed their use has long been practiced in our industry. Although their main use was to improve fat solubility in aqueous media, farmers using them were found to be adding more than was recommended- and g...

01 apr 2003

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 spec...

01 apr 2003