Intestinal Welfare
Published: May 8, 2008
By: Raquel Gutiérrez Vázquez (Courtesy of BIOVET SA)
The intestinal welfare is a crucial parameter in animal production, changes in the welfare cause disbiosis (bacterial enteritis, enteritis non-specific, bacterial overgrowth of population, clostridiosis or wet beds problems), necrotic enteritis and coccidiosis.
The intestinal welfare is a not good known term that includes different status like absence of clinical and/or sub clinical disease, state of intestines that allows the intestine all the genetic potential for growth, optimum state of the intestine that allows optimizing the functions of digestive tract.
The length and weight of the intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum), liver, pancreas, gizzard and proventricles significantly increase the first week of life, taking each organ a model of growth. Pancreas, duodenum and jejunum are developed proportional faster than the liver and ileum.
In general, the development of the digestive system is much faster than the rest of the body.
In reference to length and weight of the small intestine, there is an increase from 3,9 to 5,3 g and from 13,4 to 16,8 cm (expressed per 100 g of body weight) to give little digestible diets. The same happens in enzymatically poor diets and highly fermentable, which is strongly correlated with the viscosity of quilo.
At birth, pancreas enzymatic reserve in the chick is weak (trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase). Its secretion is stimulated quickly the first week of life and each one has a profile.
The premature food produces, in relation to fasting for 36 hours, an increase of enzymatic secretion, a faster reabsorption of vitelo and faster morphology development of the small intestine, reducing the volume of intestinal villi. All this is reflected in the growth of broiler.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Biovet Laboratories work in research and development of products aimed at optimizing the intestinal mucous and welfare. As part of this investigation have been conducted various trials, thanks to the collaboration of universities like the University of El Salvador and collaborating companies. Trials are conducted in order to compare batches treated with additives manufactured by Biovet Laboratories, with control batches, treated with chemical treatments normally used in the respective farms.
Some of the trials are detailed below.
RESULTS
Alquernat Zycox
Among the trials conducted by Biovet include a test carried out in 1999 at The Farm Trencaes of Castellon. This trial was conducted with 8 replicas of 50 birds per treatment from the date of birth (13/09/99) until the date of slaughter (28/10/99). Controls were made at 7, 14, 28 and 45 days. In 45 days, the batch that presents higher mortality (3.5%) is one in which only antibiotics are used (tto1: 0-14d nicarbazin / 15-28d narasin + nic / Salinomycin 29-40d).
At slaughter, the best performance in the canal is observed in the batch treated with Alquernat Zycox during lifetime of broiler. In this same batch, the average weight of the intestine is lower, 124 gr, 4.56% of the bird compared to 129 grams, 4.63% of the bird that the batch treated only with antibiotics. This indicates that the efficiency of the intestine using Alquernat Zycox is higher than the use of antibiotics.
Alquernat Zycox is a pronutrient which stimulates the immune system through a specific immune phenomenon of exclusion, after administration of Alquernat Zycox, parasites are found in feces but no injuries in the intestinal mucous, coccidia fails to penetrate the epithelial cells .
In another trial carried out in Panama in 2004, compared two batches, the first treated with Alquernat Zycox and the second treated with a chemical coccidiostatic as Salinomycin. The results showed no difference in the parameters average weight and rate of conversion, but were differences in the percentage of mortality (1.2 in batch 1 versus 4.2 in batch 2) and the efficiency index ( 253.16 in batch 1 versus 243.14 in batch 2). Therefore the use of a nutritional supplement containing pronutrients as Alquernat Zycox show better results than the use of chemical coccidiostatics.
In the year 2007 is carried out a trial in Romania where they are applied 3 different treatments:
Batch 1: Alquernat Zycox at 0.25 kg/ton used continuously from day 0.
Batch 2:
Diclazuril 200 gr/ton from 0 to 20 days.
Lasalocid 600 grams/ton from 21 to 35 days.
Withdrawal period from 35 to 42 days.
Batch 3: Alquernat Zycox at 0.5 kg/ton used continuously from day 0.
The best results were obtained in the batch 3 treated with Alquernat Zycox with 0.5 kg/ton from day 0, was the only batch that did not submit coccidia and was the best batch weight and lower mortality presented. This trial confirmed that Alquernat Zycox is an effective product as intestinal mucous optimizer with better results than chemical coccidiostatics.
Later was made another trial in El Salvador in 2006 in which it wanted to consider the comparison between the use of Alquernat Zycox versus spray vaccine administered at the hatchery. The results showed that the batch treated with Alquernat Zycox had a better conversion rate, better uniformity and mortality similar to the batch of vaccine.
Alquernat Zycox / Alquernat Nebsui
Then was studied the effect of Alquernat Zycox and Alquernat Nebsui against the use of the spray vaccine administered at the hatchery. The results showed that the group treated with Alquernat Zycox and Alquernat Nebsui presents a higher weight, higher uniformity, lower mortality and lower consumption.
After the experience of Biovet Laboratories in some made trials, it is proposed the replacement of chemical coccidiostatics products for natural products as Alquernat Zycox for reducing intestinal injuries as well as severity, it reaches a higher weight, avoiding the appearance of wastes in meat as well as interaction with another products (antibiotics, antioxidants). It also improves the results in layers such as the percentage of laying, weight of eggs and the rate of conversion.
Alquermix Starter Premium
Alquermix Starter Premium is pre-starter premix that constitutes a source of amino acids highly digestible, protects the health of the broiler and improves the digestibility of protein and energy sources.
Recently there has been a trial in El Salvador with the Alquermix Starter Premium product marketed by Biovet Laboratories of Spain, which has been used in chicks between 1 to 10 days of life at dose of 4 kg per ton of concentrate.
Were compared 2 batches of 125 chickens each one: the batch A using Alquermix Starter Premium, which replaces the promoter, coccidiostatic and mycotoxin binder that are normally used. And the batch B in which was not used Alquermix Starter Premium but it was used promoter, coccidiostatic and mycotoxin binder. At no time are provided or vitamins or antibiotics. The results of using Alquermix Starter Premium compared with the batch that did not use that product were as follows: At the ninth day, weight gain was a 11.36% more, the average daily gain was about 14.89 % more, mortality was the same, the conversion rate was about 5.03% less, a 17.21% more of European index and a 13.43% less of intestines weight.
CONCLUSIONS
Additives tested increase the efficiency of the intestine which entails a better conversion rate, better uniformity and lower mortality.
They should be considered as a profitable investment that increases efficiency and productivity of animals. The low dose required to treat each ton of food, makes these additives suppose a minimal cost.
Do not interact with other products such as antibiotics and antioxidants and do not give wastes in meat. All these characteristics have made additives as the best alternative to using chemical products.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jaime Borrell Valls (2005), “Benefits of Using Natural Pronutrients in veterinary”.
Edwin Vargas (2006), “Natural pronutrients in poultry and swine”, International Symposium Biovet 2006.
María Francesch (2007), “Intestinal Health in Poultry”, International Symposium Biovet 2007.
Ricardo Fábrega, Raquel Gutiérrez (2007), “Useful results in the use of Alquernat Nebui like intestinal conditioner in Broilers”. International Simposium Biovet 2007.
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