ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2022 69 dietary crude protein in finisher phase rations. A lower-protein formulation can help retain nitrogen, lower feed costs and improve the well-being of poultry. Researchers found improvements in breast weights and yields compared to the control, and they saw a reduction in nitrogen excretion without performance losses in the broilers6. NEW METHODS FOR MANAGING STRESS Stressors that can negatively affect animal performance and well-being may be caused by a variety of factors, including environmental conditions, life stage transitions and vaccinations. Some feed additives have been found to help accelerate an animal’s recovery and minimize the impact of negative stressors on growth targets. Heat stress, for instance, is a common condition among cattle, pigs and poultry. A species-specific nutrition and services approach called FreshUp®* has shown to leverage the synergistic effects of specialty nutrition formulations to counter the negative impact of high temperatures on animal outputs. Numerous trials demonstrate improved average daily feed intake and increased average daily gain in swine7, greater feed efficiency in dairy cows8 and broilers9, and higher milk yields in cows8. OPTIMIZING ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT WITH EARLY NUTRITION Producing healthy animals requires optimal conditions at early life stages when the right nutrients at the right time support future growth processes and performance. In aquaculture, complete feed is the main source of nutrients, and nutrient utilization depends on physiology that changes during fish and shrimp growth. Thus, it’s necessary to develop feed formulations adapted to each life stage to support animal health from hatchery to harvest. Early-stage feeds are calibrated to meet the precise requirements of fish and shrimp in terms of nutritional profile, digestibility, particle size, attractability and water stability. Created for hatchery and nursery stages, ADM’s BernAqua®* range of fish and shrimp feeds are aligned with the needs of each marine species to help farmers achieve growth and performance targets. Additionally, a sophisticated, cold microextrusion processing technology improves feed particle behavior and stability in water, particle quality and digestibility10,11. This customized approach to aqua nutrition can support productivity and resiliency, helping more juveniles advance to grow-out stages. THE POWER OF PALATABILITY In the animal nutrition business, improving feeding behavior creates efficiencies for producers, and taste and aroma can make feed more appealing to livestock. Flavors and sweeteners can be used to mask unpleasant tastes and aromas to increase feed palatability and encourage feed intake. They are also important to help young animals more readily accept solid feed, easing the transition from weaning. Sucram, a feed additive sweetener and taste enhancer, has shown an effect on taste receptors present in the gut. When the sweet molecules are detected at the enteroendocrine level it triggers signaling pathways that cause the release of gut hormones, which leads to higher sodium/glucose transporter 1 (SGLT-1) production12. Increased SGLT-1 boosts the animal’s absorption of glucose, water and sodium. These physiological changes can help increase uptake of energy in the form of glucose while also reducing the amount of energy available for potentially harmful bacteria to grow in the gut.
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