ISSUE FOCUS 38 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2023 Poultry producers are working to reduce antibiotic use and maintain performance. Intestinal health is important for overall animal health, especially as antibiotics are removed. Because there may be multiple reasons for improved performance when antibiotics are used a feed additive with multiple modes-of-action may help maintain intestinal health and animal performance as antibiotics are removed. Poultry producers are working to reduce antibiotic use while sustaining poultry performance. They are turning to feed additives to help offset decreased feed efficiency and increased mortality caused by removing antibiotics. Over the years several things have been suggested as reasons for improved performance when antibiotics were fed: decreased clinician and subclinical disease; less overall intestinal bacteria load; decreased inflammation in the intestine and the body as a whole; as well as others. The true reason for the positive effect of antibiotics on animal performance is unknown and it is probably a combination of any or all of the reasons suggested. So looking at feed additives with multiple modes-of-action may be a way to sustain performance as antibiotics are removed. A lot of the benefits that feeding antibiotics have provided probably start in the intestine. The intestine has two major functions. It lets good things (i.e. nutrients) into the body while at the same time keeping damaging things (i.e. toxins, bacteria) out of the body. Any damage to the absorptive function will have a direct negative impact on feeding performance. Second, the mucus layer, the enterocytes (cells lining the intestine) and the sub endothelial immune tissue (the GALT) form an intestinal barrier that is responsible for maintaining the health of the animal and development of the immune system. The intestinal barrier is under constant assault from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins of all types. In the case of many diseases that decrease animal performance, toxins either enter the body after beMULTIPLE MODES-OF-ACTION MAY HELP WHEN AGPs ARE REMOVED By Amlan International
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