ISSUE FOCUS 44 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2022 on the improved palatability of the feed they are included in and the related feeding behavior and nutrient supply, they participate in the improved feed efficiency through better protein and energy efficiency in all kinds of diets and the support of animal's resilience. Improved protein efficiency impacts favorably the farm's margin (e.g., less protein needed for the same production) and the environment due to reduced manure losses. In dairy, the trials resulted in increased milk yield and milk protein, better performance under heat stress conditions. They improved the overall status of the animal through body condition score, milk SCC, feeding behavior, rumination and rumen pH, blood parameters related to inflammation, and antioxidant status... when PFAs were added to a balanced diet, compared to the negative control. In countries where their use is allowed, comparisons have been run with antibiotic growth promoters such as monensin; results have shown similar milk performance between animals of the different groups, leading to consider PFA as a potential natural alternative to these compounds. Based on these positive results, in other trials, it has been possible to reformulate diets by reducing the protein content or profile, successfully maintaining the milk performance compared to the initial diet. This allowed greater flexibility in selecting raw materials to formulate dairy cows' diets, thus improving the farm's margin by reducing the feed cost. Plants have much more to offer than someone might probably think. With the natural power of plants and exploring and documenting their modes of action for animal nutrition, we are on a more natural path to improved milk performance. About Delphine Lacombe Delphine Lacombe joined Delacon in April 2018 as Customer Technical Manager for the ruminant team. She is an agronomist engineer, graduated from Agrocampus Ouest in France, and started working as a dairy nutritionist for a feed mill. Delphine has been working within the animal nutrition industry for the past ten years, mainly in the feed additive business. Currently, she is responsible for the technical support of the EE and Latam regions. Figure 4. Process of complex PFA development (©Delacon)
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