After cleaning, BioPure is introduced to prevent biofilm reformation, benefiting flock health and growth. Data analysis reveals lower mortality rates with BioPure, compared to traditional additives, impacting key metrics like feed intake, weight gain, gut development, livability, and overall weight. The consistent use of the BioClean and BioPure combination emerges as a successful strategy for improving livestock performance, contributing to enhanced financial outcomes for producers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Recurrence of biofilm in the water lines decreases the likelihood of health challenges for livestock relying on these water sources.
Enhances the overall well-being and establishes a proactive resilience that positively influences measures of Livability and Weight.
Water makes up between 70% and 75% of the body mass of broilers and turkeys and is one of the three essentials for Life, along with Food and Air. The quality of the water and the infrastructure used to deliver the water to poultry livestock, therefore, is critically important to the vitality and well-being of flocks throughout the grow-out process. What follows here are numerous data sets that demonstrate that the use of BioPure Probiotic Water Additive in poultry waterlines is a proven means of improving flock performance when the waterline system has been properly prepared by cleaning it out with BioClean Probiotic Biosurfactant Cleaner.
This discussion will be in three parts:
Cleaning waterlines with BioClean
Impact of adding BioPure to the water supply
Where BioClean and BioPure fit it (or not) with conventional practices
Cleaning Waterlines with BioClean
Biofilm that harbors and generates unwanted pathogens in waterlines that can negatively impact a flock’s growth and livability rates represents one of the most significant unseen challenges for producers. Conventionally, chemical additives such as Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) have been added to waterlines to inhibit the build-up of such biofilms, but do they work?
Consider this example:
NOTE: BioClean does not need to be left in waterlines for 5 days. 24 to 48 hours is sufficient residency to trigger the release.
It is well known that chemical disinfectant and sanitizing products (such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide) do not dismantle biofilm, which is confirmed in this example. So why does BioClean work at releasing the biofilm from waterlines?
Biofilm is made up of two core components:
Protein Junctions
Strands of Polysaccharides
The Protein Junctions hold the Polysaccharide Strands together, much like cement holds bricks together in a brick wall. The probiotics in BioClean (and BioPure) are living entities and need food to survive. The Protein Junctions that hold the biofilm structure together represent an available food source for the Probiotics.
When the Probiotics consume these Protein Junctions, it’s like removing the cement in a brick wall. Once the cement is removed, there is nothing holding them or the wall together, so the wall becomes structurally unstable and collapses.
That is what happened here in this waterline example. The Probiotics in BioClean consumed the Protein Junctions in the unseen Biofilm, triggering the collapse in its structure and subsequent release. So, cleaning out the waterlines with BioClean will deliver superior results and healthier water.
Adding BioPure to the Ongoing Water Supply:
Once the waterlines are clean, preventing Biofilm reforming is critical. Adding BioPure Probiotic Waterline Additive to the water is the solution not just to inhibiting biofilm reformation but also provides demonstratable, proven benefits to flock health, livability, and growth.
Data Set #1 – BioPure vs ClO2 – Average Flock Mortality (Turkeys):
The data used for the chart below came from three commercial turkey barns on the same ranch of the same size and bird population. The water source was also the same.
This chart highlights how when BioPure was added to the waterlines instead of ClO2, the mortality rate dropped to:
only 3% mortality with BioPure vs
over 6% for the flock using only ClO2.
After viewing the significantly lower mortality rate within the first 5 weeks of using BioPure instead of ClO2, this producer decided to switch a 3rd barn from ClO2 to BioPure at week 5. Even though BioPure was not used for the first 5 weeks by switching away from ClO2 to BioPure, the flock in that third barn also saw a significantly lower mortality rate of 4.5% vs 6.5% for the barn using only ClO2. It is also important to note that that the flock using only BioPure achieved harvestable weight earlier!
Data Set #2 – Impact of BioPure vs ClO2 and other water additives (Broilers)
The following data sets came from trials conducted by the University of Arkansas to compare the impact on key metrics by BioPure compared to other common chemical water additives used to maximize bird health and growth, such as ClO2.
BioPure was applied at two different dilution rates:
1:8200 (normal recommended rate) – #3 in all the Uni of Arkansas data
1:1640 (super ratio – used in past on flocks with health issues) – #4 in all the Uni of Arkansas data
Data on the products Z BioScience’s BioPure was being compared with were not provided by the University. The Control flock had nothing added to the water.
Feed Intake and Weight Gain Data:
BioPure at 1:1640 dilution generated:
by far the best Feed Intake and Weight Gain
BioPure at 1:8200 dilution generated:
The 3rd best Feed Intake performance and the 2nd best Weight Gain
Gut Length
Gut integrity and length are critical determinants of both the general health of a bird and its performance.
As this picture clearly shows, using BioPure at both dilutions generated substantially better bird gut development, explaining why BioPure produced superior Weight Gain performance.
Data Set #3 – BioPure vs ClO2 (Turkeys – actual commercial barn data)
A large commercial organic turkey producer compared the performance of BioPure used in 3 different barns to ClO2 being used in 3 other barns.
The key performance metrics measured were:
Livability
Weight
In all instances, the barns using BioPure delivered better Livability and Weight performance.
Data Set #4 – Impact on flocks when BioPure is not used
In this data set the water systems servicing multiple Turkey grow-out barns ran out of BioPure. For the 3 weeks BioPure was not added to the water (weeks 3, 4 & 5 of the grow-out), mortality rates surged by between double and quadruple the levels of when BioPure was available to the birds.
Conclusions:
The outcomes highlighted in Data Set #4 are incredibly important!
Key to any livestock program is building resilience within the animal as a primary means of ensuring maximum performance and the ability to overcome unexpected and unwanted assaults on the health of the animal. Cleaning the water lines with BioClean to remove unwanted pathogens that compromise an animal’s performance is a critical 1st step.
Ongoing use of BioPure delivers two critical components:
It inhibits biofilm reformation in the lines and, in doing so, reduces the risk of potential health assaults on livestock dependent upon those water lines.
The probiotics in BioPure find their way into the guts of livestock, which strengthens their overall health and builds a level of preventative resilience that improves Livability and Weight metrics.
The outcomes displayed in Data Set #4 highlight how BioPure significantly contributes to the resilience of flocks to assaults that increase mortality. Data Sets #2 and #3 highlight how BioPure beneficially impacts weight gain. This makes sense, given the significant additional length in the guts of birds using BioPure in the photo. Combining cleaning waterlines with BioClean and then adding BioPure has consistently contributed to improvements in critical livestock performance metrics that improve the financial outcomes for producers.
Written by: Ashley Wagner (Probiotech International Inc.) & Ethan Groos
What is ‘stress’?
Generally, the term ‘stress’ is used to describe the detrimental effects of a variety of factors on the health and performance of livestock. Stress in birds is characterized by having limited body resources for growth, reproduction, response to environmental changes and defense mechanisms compared to mammals. Thus, any slight deviation from normal conditions leads to the rapid redistribution of body resources including energy and protein, at the expense of growth, reproduction, and health. When these challenges become more intense or occur more frequently, serious chemical and physical changes take place within the bird with far reaching consequences. For example: birds may become fatigued and weak which may lead to starvation and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. There are common sources of stress in birds, which can be grouped under one or more of the categories defined by Rosales (1984) and summarized in Table 1.
Mammals such as pigs are no strangers to the effects of stress during production. Due to the rapid growth of pigs, there are little reserves to combat stressors, especially during early growth. This combined with environment changes, socialization, and dietary changes, can lead to reductions in performance that are stress-related. The reductions in pig performance can manifest as reduced appetite, increased susceptibility to disease (a physical symptom could be scours), and ultimately mortality.
In addition to the categories of stress mentioned above, all the possible types of stressors experienced by livestock can be broadly classified under two categories: Avoidable stressors and Unavoidable stressors (Mohan, 2005) as presented in Table 2.
Even if the avoidable stressors can be eliminated under efficient management conditions, the load of unavoidable ones at best can only be minimized; thus, stress factors are inevitable events in livestock husbandry. The consequences of the stressors, as previously mentioned, impact performance and economics in all poultry and swine production. Beyond good management practices, what else can be done to alleviate unavoidable stressors?
Can botanicals alter stress-induced behavior?
Botanical blends have been examined in all commercial livestock species to have a wide variety of benefits from supporting gut and respiratory health to brain function, impacting hormones and behaviour. The product CCC is a blend of botanicals and antioxidants that was developed to promote calm and positive-oriented behaviour(s) and improve performance during stress periods (ex. heat, transport, high density, aggressive behaviour, social re-grouping, etc.). Additionally, the compounds in CCC has been shown to alter brain serotonin (Graph 1) or the “happiness hormone” levels. Increased serotonin concentration are directly correlated to enhanced mood, emotion, and appetite. As a result, there are alterations on animal behavior and performance.
Novel Object Test (NOT) in Poultry
Botanical blends have been examined in all commercial livestock species to have a wide variety of benefits from supporting gut and respiratory health to brain function, impacting hormones and behaviour. The product CCC is a blend of botanicals and antioxidants that was developed to promote calm and positive-oriented behaviour(s) (Table 3) and improve performance during stress periods (ex. heat, transport, high density, aggressive behaviour, social re-grouping, etc.).
Post-Mixing Aggression in Pigs
Three hundred thirty-six grow/finish pigs (6 pigs/pen) were either on the control or CCC liquid treatment (200ppm) for three days prior to mixing. Pigs were monitored for fighting threats and lesions. The number and time of each fight or threat and the percentage of pigs per pen with severe lesions were reduced when pigs were on the compounds contained in CCC prior to mixing (Graph 2 and 3).
There are many different stressors livestock face at various life stages. Although some of these are avoidable with good management practices, there are a number that are unavoidable. The functional feed and water additives (CCC) were developed by Probiotech for Essential Ag Solutions based on brain-effect-selected molecules to enhance good management practices and help mitigate the consequences of unavoidable stressors through an improvement in animal welfare. Often, there is a decline in feed intake and increased susceptibility to diseases during times of stress. Because CCC impacts both appetite and mood, these deleterious effects on performance are mitigated during unavoidable stressors. Potential uses in turkey production include but are not limited to, times of heat stress, handling, moving from the brooder barn, and vaccination. Whereas potential uses in swine production are during the nursery period, before and after transportation or mixing of pigs, during sow lactation to impact fertility, and during heat stress. Make sure CCC is a part of your solution to improve performance through mitigating stress in your barns.
As we plan for another fall harvest, livestock producers need to be ready to deal with the possible mycotoxins in their crops. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds (fungi) that can accumulate in grains and pose health hazards to both humans and animals. According to feed experts, mycotoxins are estimated to affect 25% of the world’s crops and cost U.S. agriculture approximately $1 billion each year.
The last couple of years have seen a rise in mycotoxin issues throughout the U.S. Given this, we should not be surprised if 2023’s harvest brings similar reports of high concentration levels of mycotoxins in grains. In fact, mycotoxin concentrations have continued to grow incrementally year after year, so producers would be wise to be prepared for this yet also look at taking proactive steps to minimize the detrimental impacts.
If we know mycotoxin-related issues are inevitable, you may be asking, “How can we control mycotoxins?” Some on-farm practices, like screening grains, can help reduce toxin loads, while properly drying and storing grains can also help slow mold growth and keep toxins from forming more rapidly. However, none of these steps will fully be able to protect your animals from exposure to all mycotoxins. This is why incorporating Anti-Mycotoxin Additives (AMA) products into your livestock feed is a wise move to help guard your animals against occurrences of mycotoxicosis.
It is important to know that all AMA products commercially sold today contain some type of clay base. However, just like people, every clay is different, so knowing about and understanding these differences is key.
Complex Aluminosilicates
Clays are complex and widely diverse aluminosilicates with a variety of functional properties, but they are often grouped into a single category. This is very misleading since there are many different types of clay, all of which are completely different from one another. In fact, many types of clay do not bind to mycotoxins. Some can absorb water, while others can absorb ammonia, but only certain clays can adsorb mycotoxins. Not all clays that adsorb mycotoxins are equally effective in protecting animals against the toxic effects of mycotoxins. Furthermore, similar clays’ binding ability may vary from one geological deposit to another.
Besides their origin, formation, and structure, clays can also vary in chemical composition, surface acidity (pH), electrical charges (polarity), distribution of exchangeable cations, and porosity and expansibility characteristics. Despite all these differences, there is no significant correlation between any single physical or chemical property and the mycotoxin binding capacity of clays.
Evaluating Effectiveness
The effectiveness of a mycotoxin adsorbent is tested by conducting evaluations in vitro (in a laboratory) and in vivo (in animal experiments) to demonstrate a statistically significant response in preventing mycotoxicosis. The dosage of the adsorbent and the level of the mycotoxin used in these tests must always be reported. We utilize third-party lab analysis at Trilogy Labs in Washington, Missouri, for Essential Ag Solutions’ AMA products. Every 20 tons of our Protect-8 Plus product that gets produced has lab work done to ensure efficacy and consistency – something we have done for the past 11 years.
Purified Phylosilicates
In recent years, special proprietary processes have been developed to produce purified and activated phylosilicates with the objective of producing adsorbents capable of binding fusariotoxins, such as zearalenone, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins, and T-2 toxin. After this process, the phylosilicates become very light, showing a much lower density and particle size than regular clays. These products have been effective when added to animal diets at a very low inclusion rate (1-3 lb/ton). One of the few purified phylosilicates is Protect-8 Plus, which has been scientifically proven to be efficacious in preventing the toxic effects of T-2 toxin in broiler chickens and turkeys, as well as fumonisin, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in pigs.
Conclusion
Science has shown that clay-based products are the most effective mycotoxin adsorbents. However, it is important to remember that these products are diverse aluminosilicates with a variety of properties, and many types are not good at capturing mycotoxins. There is also no significant correlation between any single physical or chemical property and the mycotoxin binding capacity of clays. Therefore, any mycotoxin adsorbent’s effectiveness must be evaluated by conducting in vivo tests using a scientific experimental design that measures the product’s beneficial effects on animal performance and on the target organ(s) affected by the mycotoxin being studied. And, while aluminosilicates have been proven to be an effective tool in preventing mycotoxicosis in your animals, very few products are effective against more than one type of mycotoxin. Given this, doing your research and having an effective AMA product (or products) can be the difference between healthy and profitable animals and those that come with health-related challenges as a result of poor grains and feed.
Endotoxins are structural components of bacteria. Together with phospholipids and membrane-bound proteins, they comprise the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. They are released mainly when bacteria are lysed, due to the use of antibiotics or because of the body’s defense mechanism to stress. The structure of an endotoxin is a lipopolysaccharide or LPS. These LPSs are responsible for many interactions within the host.
An LPS consists of three structural elements. 1) A hydrophobic component, called lipid A, which serves to anchor the molecule into the membrane. 2) A core oligosaccharide, and 3) A hydrophilic O-polysaccharide (O-Antigen in picture above) projecting into the extracellular space. The loss of the proximal part of the core oligosaccharide causes the bacterial cell to become extremely sensitive to detergents, antibiotics, and bile salts. So, it seems that this region is essential for the maintenance of outer membrane functions as a biological barrier. Mutations altering the lipid A component are mostly not viable, suggesting that it is important for the maintenance of outer membrane integrity.
The physiological activities of LPS are mediated mainly by the Lipid A component of LPS. Lipid A is a powerful biological response modifier that can stimulate the mammalian immune system. During infectious disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria, endotoxins released from multiplying cells have similar effects on animals as the encountered disease and can significantly contribute to its symptoms and pathology. The injection of living or killed Gram-negative cells or purified LPS into experimental animals causes a wide spectrum of non-specific pathophysiological reactions, such as fever, changes in white blood cell counts, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hypotension, shock, and death. Endotoxins have a wide variety of effects on livestock, mainly affecting performance parameters.
As always, thank you for your role in feeding an ever-growing world! When looking at all the factors that play into growing and maintaining a healthy herd and flock, looking at endotoxins AS WELL AS mycotoxins is very important. These LPS can cause lots of damage and can be produced in various ways (many things that we do daily can contribute to their production). Essential Ag is here to help YOU and keep your livestock productive and profitable.
