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Herd health and nutrition: The benefits of live yeast cultures Dr. Juan Tricarico Alltech South Dakota Ruminant Physiology Lab Manager
But what most producers are missing in the big picture of production and health is the importance of their nutritional program. Inadequate levels of nutrients can have a serious effect on the overall health of the herd. Likewise, health conditions and disease challenges can play a part in affecting nutrition, especially the animal's ability to absorb and metabolize many nutrients. In the past, many producers relied on pharmaceuticals to aid in combating disease and infection. Today, with a consumer demand for more "natural" beef products, more expensive feed ingredients and the economic implications from high levels of antibiotics, many herd owners are reconsidering their cows' nutrition. When developing a nutritional program, producers have many ingredients to consider- vitamins, minerals, direct-fed microbials, probiotics, etc.; and many avenues to turn to for input- veterinarians, nutritionists, microbiologists and others in the animal health industry. So where is a good place to start when considering nutritional applications? Let's start with a basic additive--yeast. Research has shown that the use of feed additives, such as yeast cultures containing live microorganisms and metabolites can improve the feed efficiency and digestion of various nutrients, especially forage in the bovine digestive system. For freshly weaned calves and calves just getting on feed, yeast culture supplements can help enhance palatability of the feed and get calves past the stress of their new environment. Studies have also demonstrated that the addition of live yeast culture, such as Yea-Sacc1026 from Alltech, can support higher feed intake, improved rate of gain and stabilization of the rumen pH. Through a higher feed intake, more nutrients can be gained from the forage and the protein supply can be boosted, thus providing a more stable rumen environment for efficient production and weight gain. When cattle eat, the volatile fatty acids produced reduce rumen pH, which comes back up over the day. The goal is to keep pH above 6.0 for as long as possible, since below 6.0 fiber digestion suffers. Live yeast cultures can help reduce fluctuation by increasing the fiber-digesting population of bacteria and stimulating the activity of the bacteria that convert lactic acid to propionic acid. The combination of a live yeast culture and an ionophore has also revealed a synergistic response in both high-forage and high-grain diets. In a 120-day backgrounding trial at Montana State University, positive results were seen with the use of Yea-Sacc1026 and Lasalocid. With a start weight of 534 pounds, the herd was fed ad lib corn silage and either a one pound supplement of Lasalocid and Yea-Sacc1026 or just Lasalocid. The results for the group fed Yea-Sacc1026 and Lasalocid indicated a 19 percent increase in higher daily gain and 4.3 percent increase in silage intake. At the University of Kentucky, another trial was conducted with cross-bred steers with a start weight of 550 pounds. During the 112-day growth study, the cows were fed an ad lib corn-cottonseed hull diet with the addition of either Monensin or Monensin and Yea-Sacc1026. The cows fed Yea-Sacc1026 and Monensin demonstrated an increased daily gain of 6.3 percent and improved feed efficiency of 10 percent. Today's beef operations must look toward the future of nutrition when maintaining animal health and increased productivity. Adequate levels of nutrients play a part in the overall health of the herd, just as health conditions and disease challenges have a hand in affecting nutrition, especially the animal's ability to absorb and metabolize many nutrients. Research continues today on how yeast cultures actually function in the animal and what other unseen benefits can be attributed to the additive. For more information, call 605-692-5310, or visit www.Alltech.com. 12/10/07 Date: 12/7/07
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As most producers are aware, a profitable cow-calf and feedlot operation depends heavily on herd health. With more intense management programs, stressful transports, extreme environmental conditions and the ever-present pathogenic disease challenges, keeping animals healthy and productive has proven quite challenging.
