CALF_News_April_May_2020

14 CALF News • April | May 2020 • www.calfnews.net CALF ANIMAL HEALTH Chuteside Manner EXPLORING THE FRONTIER OF ANIMAL HEALTH New Discoveries By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor A new way of thinking was noticeable on the floor of the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef ssociation Trade Show in February. Spurred by the antibiotic resistance/ residue dilemma, consumer perception of animal welfare and simple economics, ideas are being generated more aggres- sively from the top down. Feed manufacturers, drug compa- nies and producers are reconsidering the importance of immunology. With no new antibiotics currently being tested, ideas are trending toward enhanced vaccination techniques, new feed additive product trials and more extensive research to learn about bovine immune systems. Proactive manage- ment is being used to reduce the use of antimicrobials. Newly released research from Lalle- mand Animal Nutrition is an example of the way science is pursuing knowledge of nutrition’s effect on immune system response. An interview with Kip Karges, Ph.D., Technical Services Ruminant, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, revealed new informa- tion about the importance of nutritional management on the immune system. A nutritional trial was conducted at a Montezuma, Kan., feedlot from Septem- ber 2018 through June 2019 using 1,274 beef heifers. Weighing in at an average of 547 pounds, the calves were purchased at Joplin, Mo., and Oklahoma City auc- tion markets. Like most calves purchased at sale barns, weaning, co-mingling, feed changes, trucking and weather were challenges for the youngsters. All these events impact the health and feeding performance of newly arrived calves. The heifers were sorted at the Mont- ezuma feedyard into control and a treat- ment groups. The treatment group was fed ProTernative® at 20 billion colony- forming units per head per day, for 45 days. ProTernative, in laymen’s terms, is a live yeast probiotic that aids cattle health and digestion. It is incorporated into the ration. The ProTernative-fed cattle had fewer first bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pulls, less death loss, lower cost of gain, lower treatment costs and higher average daily gain. This over-simplified synopsis is, of course, accompanied by volumes of data on the test results. We will visit that later. The question that remains to us in the country is, how does a yeast product promote digestive health and how does that relate to respiratory health? How can a yeast probiotic boost immunity? Karges explained that yeasts, like Pro- Ternative, are probiotics – live organisms that are produced in a tightly controlled, scientific fermentation process. Grown in laboratory vats, they are later dried and packaged in a way to support the feeding needs of various sized cattle operations. Beneficial yeasts support the immune system and must be very strain-specific. Incredibly, he added that 60 to 70 percent of an animal’s immune system resides in the digestive tract, a topic which is seldom discussed. Probiotics are designed to work in the digestive tract by promoting favorable bacterial populations. Since all guts contain both good and bad bugs (think E. coli), the probiotics stimulate beneficial bacteria, ensuring an ideal balance so bad bacte- ria do not overtake the digestive system. Karges went on to explain that when animals are stressed, undesirable bacteria produce toxins that further harm cattle. Toxins also have a negative effect on ben- eficial rumen flora, which is detrimental to the entire digestive tract. Reduction in general stress levels benefits the entire animal, allowing him to expend energy for growth rather than fighting off disease. How are yeast products administered? Probiotics (specifically ProTernative) can be fed in several ways. ProTernative Kip Karges, Ph.D., of Lallemand Animal Health says 60 to 70 percent of a bovine’s immune system resides in their digestive tract. He refers to digestive health as being “the next frontier.” Photo taken at Upstream Ranch, Taylor, Neb.