ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2024 69 disease agents, genetic selection, environment, and management practices can negatively affect the delicate balance among the components of the gut and subsequently impair growth rate and feed efficiency. That’s why improving gut health is an essential step to reach the best feed efficiency. Small changes in FCR parameter at any given feed price will have a substantial impact on financial margins, as more than 50% of the total production costs is allocated to the feed. In a context of high raw materials cost leading to high feed price, looking for strategies to reduce FCR in a flock are a must. Some solutions are aimed at quickly lowering the feed cost but show their technical limits. Another approach can be the use of solutions as feed additives ingredients that will reduce the FCR through an improvement of animal weight or the optimization of the feed consumption. This strategy will lower the production feed cost and/or will be iso-cost but profitable as leading to a higher production level. CONCLUSION Nutritional management offers a large panel of alternative feed ingredients targeting better nutrients digestibility, feed quality and gut health available on the market. They are essential to optimize animal productivity and feed efficiency as well as to ensure the profitability of the sector. Nevertheless, as feed efficiency is a multifactorial complex trait, a holistic approach on other parameters involved such as the equipment and facilities, animal health, genetics, farm management and environmental factors have to be considered to achieve the best feed efficiency possible. Furthermore, there is no consensus on a unique definition for feed efficiency as it would depend on economic, geopolitical, environmental and food security aspects. Improving animals’ feed efficiency means that less inputs are required to obtain better outputs, optimizing zootechnical performance, obtaining a greater economical profit, especially in a volatile commodity market and when feed costs are a major part of the expenses for the producer. However, additives can also contribute to a more sustainable animal production, reducing the environmental impact of feed production, including carbon footprint mitigation from crops cultivation, processing and transport. In addition, the application of additives as preservatives also contributes to reducing spoilage, waste and to maintain the best nutritional value in animal diets. It is in this direction that ADM will continuously work to unlock the power of nature to contribute to a more resilient animal production and a sustainable future. References are available upon request. About Célia Gomes da Silva Graduated in Animal Science with a MSc degree from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal) and with a double BSc degree in Animal Husbandry (The Netherlands), Célia Gomes da Silva conducted her academic research in projects related with the effect of polyphenols on in vitro rumen fermentation and mycotoxins occurrence in feed. In 2016, Célia started her path in the feed additives industry, working with a broad range of product categories applied to microbial control, feed to food safety, gut health and contributing to the development of new solutions. In 2020, she joined ADM for the position of Global Product Specialist, focusing on Phytogenic Bioactives, where she’s been actively involved in applied research, technical support, trainings to technical and sales teams and product life cycle assessment. About Pauline Pourtau Tilly Pauline Pourtau graduated with a MSc degree in Nutrition and Health by the University of Burgundy in Dijon (France). She started her path in the feed additives industry in 2012 within ADM, working with a broad range of product categories applied to gut health prevention, mycotoxins solutions, modulation of the microbiota and internationally sold. In her current role as Global Product Specialist, Bioactives, she promotes technical support, provides training to technical and sales teams, and develops technical and marketing materials to support the positioning of products and identify market needs.
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