STEPS TO ENSURE ANTIBIOTIC FREE POULTRY PRODUCTION.

Taste and health concerns has made clamor for antibiotic free production in the poultry sector a global issue,hence various methods and strategies have been employed to faze out antibiotic use.The following steps are some of the measures; Diets to promote growth and positive microflora. What a bird eats plays a large role in the success of an antibiotic-free (ABF) operation. To combat negative microflora in digestive tracts, growers need to pick feed and additives that promote the right kind of gut environment. They also need a diet that can replicate the effects of antibiotic growth promoters. A strictly vegetarian diet when switching to ABF is recommended. Growers should try and get as close to all-vegetarian diets as possible and find out the animal by-product content of the product. looking for feed with more high-quality fats and less indigestible protein is essential for antibiotic free production. Reducing the presence of bacteria in feed and water is essential as well. The issues with bacteria can be solved through good feed mill management and ensuring the feed is heated to at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria. Keeping a clean water supply prevents the spread of disease and is essential because birds drink twice as much as they eat. Antibiotic alternatives There’s a variety of feed additives being marketed as alternatives for growth-promoting antibiotics such as organic acids, phytogenics, probiotics, prebiotics and short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids. These products look at one major goal: establishing a healthy gut microflora and preventing the growth of harmful microbes. Using a combination of probiotics and prebiotics has shown promises in doing exactly that, but they are not a silver bullet. The use of a combination of probiotics, prebiotics and other feed additives will help promote a healthy gut in broiler flocks. The importance of starting a feeding program that will promote healthy gut in chicks and pullets as soon as possible cannot be overemphasized. Getting the right microbes in place early can prevent unwanted bacteria and other microbes taking up residence inside the gut.

ADDITIVES ; BETTER ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIMICROBIAL GROWTH PROMOTERS IN POULTRY.

The demand for healthier safety-proven production methods and the trend to reduce antibiotic uses is undeniable, and is steadily expanding. Simultaneously, the increasing ineffectiveness of antibiotics due to resistance 
development is another concern. The concern about antibiotic residues in meat products is solved in many countries, but the bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a much more complex problem, involving the entire medical profession. In animal production—poultry production in particular :ceasing the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has changed the technical approaches used to counter the removal or reduction of these products. Without antibiotics, the microbiota in the birds’ gastrointestinal tract must be viewed as an entity to implant, develop and control to ensure that the animals are healthy and can grow according to their genetic potential. The removal of antibiotic growth promoters has revealed that it is crucial to manage the makeup of the birds' intestinal microbiota to avoid or at least limit the risks of health problems inherent to intensive production, hence alternatives are necessary to ensure health of birds and food safety. The main strategies can be outlined as follows: Selectively introduce favourable bacterial populations from a very young age; Provide a regular supply of nutrients specific to the beneficial bacteria; Act directly on pathogenic bacteria. Different methods are available, such as the dietary supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids and essential oils. These products act either avoiding bacterial adhesion to the intestinal cells or through bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects. The goal is to achieve the most stable balance on the microbiota in order to avoid the trouble caused by bacteria like E. coli, Clostridium and Salmonella. The gastrointestinal microbiota profile depends on numerous factors such as the health of the breeding stock, production system, stressors (vaccination, viral episodes, etc.), nutrition and stocking densities. The first bacteria to colonise the animals’ digestive tract will shape the intestinal ecosystem for the introduction of global intestinal microbiota. Selectively colonising the gastointestinal tract with beneficial bacteria can modulate the expression of certain genes in the tract’s epithelium, creating conditions for establishing beneficial microbiota. Since the first micro-organisms that come into contact with a newly hatched chick’s gastrointestinal tract are from the breeding stock, controlling the microbiota in the parents would be ideal. Studies have demonstrated that the use of beneficial bacteria in low doses in the hatchery improves chicks’ resistance to pathogens. Other studies have validated that an in-ovo injection of FOS (fructooligosaccharide) helps maintaining higher levels of bifidobacters, with positive effects on zootechnical performance and mortality rate. Most of the microbial strains in probiotics are of the genus Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus. In certain conditions, lactobacilli can produce metabolites that limit the growth of Salmonella by modulating immunity and avoiding bacterial binding to the epithelial cells of the intestine. However, according to some publications, this type of effect is limited. In poultry production, interactions between the birds’ feed and their intestinal health have been amply demonstrated. In the past, the use of antibiotic growth enhancers had the potential to mask a number of problems. In the field, functional diet-based strategies need to be adapted to the different sanitary and production contexts for each production system. Selectively introducing favourable bacterial populations for young chicks, providing a regular supply of nutritious substrates specific to the beneficial bacteria and effectively controlling pathogenic bacteria are important courses of action to ensure the intestinal health of the birds via their feed. Prebiotics, enzymes, and combinations of organic acids and essential oils can be viable alternatives to antimicrobials. story credit; world poultry.

FEEDING YOUR HORSES.

Learn how to keep your horses happy and colic free!!! http://www.thehorse.com/ecards/Nutrena_102915.html

Probiotics : a paradigm shift in animal production.

Animal husbandry/ production has gone through turns and curves,coming up with different strategies and methods to enhance production of the animals. The industry is currently under fire to stop the use of antibiotics in feed as growth promoters. 

The feed additive directly affects the animals,their production rate and their products which indirectly impacts human health. 

 

The impact of antibiotics in animal feed on human health has been linked to antibiotic resistance resulting in superbugs,thus more and more people are looking for alternatives. There is a paradigm shift in the animal food industry on how animals are raised and managed,some older forms of management are been ditched for newer approaches. 

 The just concluded international production and processing expo (IPPE) in Atlanta,U.S Dr Andrew Read of the Pennsylvania state university remarked that vaccination makes viruses "hot" more dangerous,he sited the Marek's disease stating that some vaccines drive the evolution of more virulent pathogens. 

 Prebiotics and Probiotics have also been added to feed to ensure git health,thus promoting better absorption of feed in animals resulting in enhanced growth and excellent feed conversion.

 Probiotics are alternatives to antibiotic in feed,these are incorporated into feed to manage the normal microflora of the gut which ensures the following 1) strengthen bowel wall. 2)improve mineral absorption. 3)it nurtures good bacteria , stifle production of bad,disease-causing bacteria and it causes multiplication of beneficial bacteria. 

 Probotics are usually live bacteria ,examples are Lactobacillus spp, Enterococcus faecum, Bacillus spp and bifidobacterium spp. 

 Prebiotics are specialized plant fiber that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria,the plant fibers act as fertilizers to promote the growth of many good bacteria in the gut.The prebiotic usually contain both inulin and oligofructose,which treats the entire bowel wall for maximum effectiveness. 

 The combination of prebiotic and probiotic is referred to as synbiotics, is an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. The change train is on the move, join in now.Stop the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed.

Antibiotic resistance# Superbugs.

This is how it all began................................ Thanks to C.D.C for the pictorial expression. Join the change movement!!! resist the use of antibiotic in animal feed!!!. YOU ARE WHAT YOUR ANIMALS EAT!!!!