The purpose of this study was to assess BioSupreme and GutPro products for their ability to enhance broiler performance and modulate the broiler gut and respiratory microbiota. Biosupreme® is a saponin-containing product, and GutPro® is a probiotic containing both Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp.
Once again, this morning I awoke to two very large poultry producing companies proudly proclaiming, on my television while I was trying to see the weather report, that their chicken was being raised with No Antibiotics Ever and implying that this was somehow better for the chickens and healthier for me. After I settled down from my usual screaming at the television rant, I ask myself what is wrong with this picture. It suddenly occurred to me that the problem is that the only department that should receive an annual bonus after its annual review is the marketing department because it is the only one really excelling at its job. Live production and veterinary services should be chastised for not doing their jobs and fighting for what’s right.
In the Midwest Poultry Show, March 2017 edition of Poultry Talk, I discussed the importance of preparing for warm weather ventilation. With a sigh of relief, we have come through what seemed like a long and cold winter and jumped right into summer weather. However, one must always be prepared for mother nature, as the mercury can drop to cool temperatures and provide us with 30°+ temperature swings in a 24-hour period. This article will discuss some basics of warm weather ventilation concepts, one being wind chill or more specifically air speed over birds.
On January 1, 2019 when I hang up my coveralls and take off my boots for the last time, I plan to sit down and write my next book. The title is going to be “It’s All Smoke and Mirrors”. We live in a world where parents can be jailed for withholding treatment from their children when they are sick and a physician recommends treatment - yet representatives of major poultry companies proudly proclaim on television, in the printed press and on the internet, that their birds receive No Antibiotics Ever.
It has been stated in presentations and articles over the last couple of years from some companies that ALL products used to clean water lines without animal’s present must be EPA registered. It has also been stated that if you use a product that is not EPA registered to clean lines without animal’s present that you are violating federal law and could be fined and even incur jail time if found guilty for these ‘crimes’.
Most probiotic strains used in the poultry industry belong to one of two groups: spore-forming Bacillus species, or lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB, which comprise a variety of genera including Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Lactococcus, are characterized by their ability to thrive in acidic environments, such as the poultry gastrointestinal track, making them suitable candidates for use as probiotics.
In October of 1967, a talented artist by the name of Arlo Guthrie released a ballad entitled “Alice’s Restaurant”. The song was a protest against the unjust war in Vietnam and the enforced drafting of our young men to fight and die in Vietnam. I would never pretend to be as talented a song writer as Arlo Guthrie, but I am as passionate about my cause
Probiotics and natural products containing saponin appear to influence intestinal health by mechanisms other than interference with cycling of Eimeria spp. This study was conducted to investigate the differences in the cloacal microbiome in birds administered either a saponin-containing product (Biosupreme®), a probiotic containing both Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. (GutPro ®), or a combination of the two.
Over a year ago, Best Veterinary Solutions began construction of a 26,000-square foot production facility and warehouse in Ellsworth, IA. As BVS positions itself to meet customer needs, now and in the future, it became clear an additional production facility would be of great value. The Ellsworth plant is designed to blend and package all kinds of dry mixes. This complements the liquid blending and packaging facility in Willmar, MN.
In the last edition of BVS Poultry Talk, I looked at Paying Attention to Detail from the perspective of silver bullets and how new products are coming out of the woodwork in the wake of ABF and organic production, as well as the loss of useful antibiotics in conventional production. With the wave of new products entering the market, it is important that we use products that have guaranteed analysis attached to them and they go through a sound vetting process. Once we find these products, how do we evaluate their efficacy.
