ISSUE FOCUS 30 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2026 In this article, I draw on my experience in animal nutrition to explain why critical periods in young animals matter. I also share practical feed strategies to support growth, immunity, and resilience in young animals during these challenging phases. Everyone who has worked with production animals knows that certain stages in the life cycle of production animals are more critical than others. Universal examples include brooding in poultry, weaning in piglets, and transition periods such as early gestation, farrowing, and onset of laying. Location-specific or operation-specific challenges, such as seasonal challenges, disease outbreaks and management events also demand attention. In my experience, we must address these critical periods from multiple angles, including biosecurity, health, management, and nutrition. WHAT DEFINES A CRITICAL PERIOD? A critical period occurs when biological, environmental, and management factors combine to influence performance, health, and profitability. Characteristics defining critical periods are high physiological demands, abrupt transitions, and limited adaptability. Critical periods are not defined by age alone, but by the interaction between biology and management. When physiology is changing rapidly and coping capacity is low, health, nutrition, and management interventions become crucial for long-term productivity. For poultry and swine, these periods include: • Early growth stages • Transition phases • Reproductive stages • Stress events During these times, feed must provide not only energy and protein but also essential vitamins, minerals, and functional additives that support immunity, gut health, and overall resilience. In this article, I share insights from my years working with feed formulation and animal nutrition. My goal is to provide practical strategies that help farms anticipate critical periods and improve performance and resilience. These ideas come from years of observing farms and feed mills where solutions are tested and refined every day. BASIC FEED FORMULATION PRINCIPLES FOR CRITICAL PERIODS Feed formulation goes beyond meeting basic nutritional needs; it’s about strategically supporting animals, especially during their most vulnerable stages, as this can influence growth rates, reproductive performance, and overall health in the short FROM STRESS TO SUCCESS: FEED STRATEGIES FOR CRITICAL PERIODS Marisabel Caballero Category Manager Monogastrics Hamlet Protein
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