Higher welfare systems needed to end routine use of antibiotics in animal production.

 

Could current animal welfare standards in industrial production systems undermine the European Commission’s ambitious new rules to restrict the use of antimicrobials in livestock production?

Reduce, replace and re-think the use of antimicrobials in animals.

 

 Reducing the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, replacing them where possible and re-thinking the livestock production system is essential for the future of animal and public health.

 Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s most pressing public health issues and the use of antimicrobials in animals contributes to this problem, so limiting their use to the minimum necessary to treat infectious diseases in animals is crucial. 

 Control strategies that have been important drivers for change include setting of national targets to reduce antimicrobial use. The use of antimicrobials in animals should be reduced to the minimum that is necessary to treat infectious diseases. Other than in exceptional cases, their use to prevent such diseases should be phased out in favour of alternative measures. 

 Critically important antimicrobials for human medicine should only be used in animals as a last resort. Alternatives to antimicrobials that have been shown to improve animal health and thereby reduce the need to use antimicrobials include vaccines, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages and organic acids. 

 However, reducing the use of antimicrobials and finding alternatives is not enough. There is a need to re-think the livestock system by implementing farming practices that prevent the introduction and spread of the disease into farms and by considering alternative farming systems which are viable with reduced use of antimicrobials. 

Education and awareness of AMR should be addressed to all levels of society but in particular to veterinarians and farmers. 

 Experts concluded that it is reasonable to assume that reducing antimicrobial use in food-producing animals would result in a general decrease in antimicrobial resistance in the bacteria that they carry and the food products derived from them. 

However, they could not quantify the impact of single reduction measures or alternatives to antimicrobials on levels of antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals and food due to lack of data. continue

Tips for raising healthy antibiotic-free poultry.

The demand for antibiotic-free (ABF) poultry is growing fast, and what was once considered a passing trend has become a well-established, health-conscious requirement for consumers worldwide. However, ABF production presents challenges for meat producers, who are taking distinct approaches to its development, with different results. While some producers still have difficulties in controlling health challenges, others have had success, due to improvements in housing and changes in feeding, management and health programs. There are some key factors to consider in ABF production. Factors to consider in antibiotic-free production. 1) Managing nutrient intake: A common misconception in ABF production is to focus only on controlling intestinal diseases. These are the main health issues when any ABF program is implemented, but the reality is that they are the consequences, not the causes, of the real problem. Excess nutrients, especially protein and fat, may not be well digested and absorbed by the bird. Undigested feed increases microbial proliferation in the ceca, leading to potential infections. Appropriate digestibility is key to broilers’ overall health and can help control microbes and resultant diseases. Factors such as a balanced diet and sufficient water consumption are essential to improve digestibility. A pH between 5 and 7 and water temperature between 16C and 25C are ideal conditions to support the activity of most enzymes. To further strengthen the effect of endogenous enzymes, additives such as phytases and xylanases can be added to feed. Moreover, to guarantee acidic crop, organic acids are a good option. Feed management plays an essential role too. Grain damage and conditions that could increase mold and insect spoilage must be minimized and, at the same time, fat storage conditions should be frequently revised in order to control rancidity within the feed mill. 2) Improve house environment, biosecurity: Proper environmental conditions are the foundations of effective ABF poultry production. Optimum temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity according to the age, phase of production and size of the birds should be considered. Environmental stress, due to heat, cold, very dry or very humid air could affect feed intake and intestinal motility, causing reduced digestibility. Lighting programs may also affect feed intake, motility and digestion. Light intensities lower than 10 lux and 4 to 6 hours of total darkness per day improve feed conversion ratios, indicating slower feed intake and better digestibility. Good house ventilation is key for ABF programs to maintain litter moisture below 30 percent, and to minimize condensation and caking. Flock management is also important to allow the flock more space during the brooding period. This helps avoid excessive stress. 3)Maintain flock health: Preventing coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis are normally the main concerns during ABF production. In cases where no anticoccidial medications are allowed, coccidiosis vaccines and litter management are the principle controls. Cocci vaccination for broilers has been applied in traditional poultry production systems and new ABF programs for years, in many countries. The appropriate feeding regime and use of feed additives, such as the eubiotics category, may help maintain healthy microflora adding to flock health. Control of other intestinal parasites, worms and poultry diseases that affect intestines and immunity is also necessary. Practices including bio-exclusion, limiting visitors, vehicles and equipment that visit other poultry farms, and bio-containment, isolating the houses, controlling insects, rodents and entry of wild birds and other animals to the houses, can help prevent new infections. Continue

COPPER SULPHATE AND ANTIBIOTIC- FREE PIGLET DIET.

Copper sulphate is an old additive that has received renewed interest with the ban of zinc oxide and antibiotics. Long before the advent of zinc oxide, another mineral used to dominate piglet feeds: copper sulphate. It was known to reduce or prevent piglet diarrhea and, as such, it improved animal growth rate and feed efficiency. when the need to rotate antibiotics from batch to batch was necessary, copper sulphate remained a constant addition to even the simplest corn-soybean meal-type diets. With the introduction of zinc oxide, the effects of copper sulphate appeared to wane, but it never completely left the scene, mostly because it is very inexpensive. Supplementing piglet diets with high dosages of zinc oxide is under pressure worldwide. The European Union which has imposed an otherwise restrictive feed legislation, it is common practice to add pharmacological doses of zinc oxide, but only under veterinary prescription.( WATTAgnet.com) Even in the U.S., this ingredient is under scrutiny, along with growth-promoting antibiotics. Luckily, long experiences in the EU have demonstrated that we can replace both antibiotics and high dosages of zinc oxide. This is done through feed reformulation and the use of alternative additives. One of those is, naturally, copper sulphate; old technology at the rescue due to new regulations! Using just a bit of copper sulphate to be sure is not going to harm animals, but it is not going to help them either. Going back to original research, we need 250 ppm to get the full result, and at least 150 ppm to start seeing an effect. And, if we accept the hypothesis of copper sulphate being a bactericide, then we need the highest possible dosage exactly when pathogen pressure is highest. .

ANTIBIOTIC-FREE POULTRY PRODUCTION.

Pressure from consumers, along with regulatory changes, is rapidly pushing integrators and growers to reduce or totally remove antibiotics from broiler production. The removal of antibiotics from the equation requires growers to keep a cleaner, more bio secure operation as well as promote positive gut microflora. Going antibiotic free means growers need to be more mindful of the cleanliness of their operation and more cognizant of how feed and feed additives can promote the overall health of their birds.This was expressed by Dr. Mahmoud Masa’deh, a poultry technical sales specialist and nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition L.L.C., during his presentation at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Masa’deh spoke as part of the March 16 Broiler Production workshop. Masa’deh said pressure from consumers, along with regulatory changes, is rapidly pushing integrators and growers to reduce or totally remove antibiotics from broiler production. This change forces growers to be more careful about bio security and farm sanitation; litter management and downtime between flocks; the composition of feed; and which probiotics and other additives are included in feed. The steps to antibiotic free production are outlined as follows: 1) Bio security and strict farm sanitation practices Generally, raising birds without antibiotics requires a back-to-basics approach. Masa’deh said removing disease-preventing and growth-promoting antibiotics requires farmers to reduce the opportunities for birds to get infected at any stage of their life. This means paying close attention to the cleanliness of everything from the breeders to the hatchery to the feed mill to the barn itself. Masa’deh said managing dust -- which can carry dangerous bacteria and mold around barns through the air -- in all stages of production is key. He said special consideration must be paid to dust and the overall cleanliness of the hatchery and pullet housing because exposure to negative microbes early in the lives of the birds can set a flock up for failure. If chicks are vaccinated, it’s important to make sure they receive optimal light to improve their vaccine uptake. There must be a bio security protocol in place and keeping an eye on potential disease vectors can be the difference between success and failure. 2) Litter management and downtime Another key factor in keeping a sanitary operation is the maintenance of litter in the farm and enough interval in between flocks. He recommended establishing a strict downtime program with growers, requiring them to remove the birds and the litter and take at least 14 days before putting new birds in. This must be done to ensure the products applied to combat harmful microbes have enough time to work. When birds are in the house, increasing the stocking density by at least 0.05 square feet of space per bird compared with a regular growing program is essential. He said this leads to better growth because there is less moisture in the litter and less disease shedding. Studies have shown more space per bird can lead to improved body weight, feed conversion, mortality and breast meat yield. Effective management of built-up litter can benefit the birds as well, the litter is essentially a community of microbes which can actually benefit the health of the flock. Maintaining a proper pH can prevent Clostridium, Escherichia coli and other dangerous microbes from growing in the litter. If there is too much moisture in the litter, it can lead parasitic diseases, leg disorders and breast blisters. Excess ammonia from urine can lead to blindness, respiratory disease, reduced feed conversion, foot pad injuries and impairment of a bird’s immune response to disease. Choosing the correct type of drinking system and ensuring proper airflow can help solve these issues. source; wattagnet