SPECIAL STORY 58 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2023 is spores reach a 90% germination in 45 minutes, compared just 10% of spores being germinated with non-primed B. licheniformis. Microsaf® has also been shown to have excellent resistance to high-temperature pelletization and long-duration heat treatment. To explore the impact of Microsaf® on birds, specifically while they were undergoing a dysbiosis challenge, a trial was established at Texas A&M University in the USA, in 2022. A total of 480 ROSS 708 broilers were divided into two groups of 12 replicates, each containing 20 birds. All birds were placed on used litter from day zero (D0). Group one birds served as a partially challenged control while group two birds, exposed to a greater challenge, received Microsaf® as a dietary supplement, given at 500 g/t (Log 5.0 CFU/g of feed) from D042. In addition, birds in the Microsaf® group were given a coccidiosis vaccine at double the recommended dose. Diets in the Microsaf® group contained 5% DDG’s throughout all phases of production. Trial results showed significant body weight and FCR differences between the two groups. The average body weight of the Microsaf® birds was 180 g more than birds in the control group (Fig.1) with FCR being 10 points lower for the supplemented group than for the control (Fig.2). It was duly concluded that Microsaf® has the capacity to mitigate the negative effects of a dysbiosis challenge, while also improving the growth performance of birds under challenging conditions. Another trial, this time carried out in India on birds exposed to a mild coccidia challenge, showed that Microsaf® helped to improve bird performance and mitigated the effect of necrotic enteritis at a low supplementation rate of Log 5.0 CFU/g of feed. It was also found that, at this inclusion rate, Microsaf® outperformed other Bacillus products, even when they were supplemented at higher inclusion rates. During the India trial, the efficacy of Microsaf® supplementation (at Log 5.0 CFU/g) was compared to another commercial Bacillus product administered at its recommended dosage of 2 x Log 8 CFU/g of feed. A total of 125 male Cobb broilers were used for the trial. They were divided into five treatment groups with five replicates in each: Negative control (NC); Challenged control (CC); CC + BMD (500 g/t); CC + commercial Bacillus subtilis based probiotic at 2 x Log 8 CFU/g of feed; and CC + Microsaf® at Log 5.0 CFU/g of feed. Challenged birds were exposed to a mild coccidia challenge on D14, with the administration of 10 x the recommended dose of Livacox Q being followed by a Clostridium perfringens (Cp) challenge Figure 1. Body weight at D42 Figure 2. Adjusted FCR from D0 to D42
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