The Science of success: 3 ways Show-Rite improves animal health and efficiency

By: Mari Palacio, Multi-species National Support Specialist

September 2019

Ask any Show-Rite rep and we’ll tell you that our #pinkbags include Alltech® ingredients and/or gut health products. But what does that really mean? What benefits do these products provide to your animal, your feed bill and your peace of mind? Let’s break it down.

There are three ways that Show-Rite complete feeds are directly contributing to your animals’ overall health and efficiency:

  • Through our gut health products
  • Via organic minerals
  • With enzymes

Who is Alltech? Why do we choose to use Alltech ingredients?

In 1980, Irish scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons founded Alltech with just $10,000. Through Alltech, Dr. Lyons saw an opportunity to apply his expertise in yeast fermentation to animal nutrition. Today, Alltech has grown into a team of more than 5,000 people around the world working together to improve nutrition and sustainability for the world’s plants, animals and people through yeast-based technology. More specifically, Alltech’s feed division puts an emphasis on efficiency, antibiotic-free production, food enrichment, management of mycotoxins, gut health, protein, enzymes and minerals. As an Alltech company, Show-Rite benefits from Alltech’s research, science, innovations and products.

Gut health

What if I told you that you could increase weight gains in your beef cattle by 11% while using the same amount of feed? Or that you could increase the milk produced by a cow by 1.6 liters per day without compromising fertility? I know we aren’t in the dairy business here, but you get where I’m going with this. Yea-Sacc® is the answer — and is also the product that made Alltech who they are. In the typical digestive tract, the rumen is like a large fermentation tank, converting feed into energy. Unfortunately, in many instances, oxygen and sugar (lactic acid) inhibit bacteria, which upsets the rumen and causes incomplete digestion, which means decreased energy and nutrients. That’s where Yea-Sacc comes into play: it helps secrete peptides that stimulate bacteria to reduce lactic acid and stabilize the pH, and those peptides stimulate bacteria to digest fiber. This all leads to better food digestion and efficiency!

Another fun fact: this product has a 6 to 1 ROI. Don’t believe me? 47% of all yeast research completed in the world has been conducted as a study on Yea-Sacc, so you can rest assured that it is a proven product and can support all claims.

Now let’s look at a product that has become quite the household name in the livestock industry over the years: Bio-Mos®. As livestock producers, we all cringe at the thought of our stock coming down with diarrhea or scours. Typically, we treat these issues with antibiotics, which do kill pathogens, but they also kill the good bacteria in the gut as well. Some people like to treat with probiotics, but I say: show us the research! The results provided by probiotics are inconsistent. So, what’s the solution? Mos. We can treat diarrhea by adding sugar the G.I. tract with Mos. This product is derived from — you guessed it — yeast! Normally, pathogens stick to the wall of the G.I tract. Mos, on the other hand, acts like a Velcro boat; pathogens stick to it instead and get flushed out while leaving the good bacteria behind. This improves G.I. function and nutrient absorption and allows for same-day recovery. Unlike antibiotics or probiotics, Alltech solutions are proven to be 92% effective, and more than 700 studies have been completed supporting these claims. You may also be familiar with a product called Actigen®. It is a more refined version of Bio-Mos. Not only is it more concentrated and traceable in the feed, it’s also a better natural growth promoter.

Minerals

Let’s switch gears to discuss minerals. All animals need the following trace minerals to survive, for the reasons that are outlined below:

  • Manganese (Mn): fat metabolism, hormone synthesis, bone formation, antioxidant enzyme cofactor
  • Copper (Cu): hair tone/color, antioxidant enzyme cofactor
  • Iron (Fe): hemoglobin formation, antioxidant enzyme cofactor
  • Zinc (Zn): keratin, wound-healing, antibodies, reproductive hormones
  • Cobalt (Co): rumen propionate metabolism, B12 cofactor

Traditionally, these minerals are delivered via an inorganic salt form, but in that form, the minerals aren’t bioavailable and are mostly excreted by the animal. This is why Alltech offers Bioplex®, an organic form for delivering essential trace minerals. Bioplex minerals are coated with amino acids to prevent a reaction and/or binding with each other. Their natural form helps avoid negative dietary interactions in the gut, allows for excellent bioavailability (meaning they are mostly retained instead of excreted) and reduces the amount required by one-third, which also means less pollution during production.

Selenium (Se) is an essential antioxidant for overall health. Sodium selenite is commonly utilized to provide the animal with selenium, but this inorganic form has been recognized as a carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer. As such, Alltech developed an organic selenium called Sel-Plex®. Selenium is found in broccoli, grains, nuts, meats and more, but it’s also found in — what else — yeast!

Since Sel-Plex is a naturally occurring form, it is utilized by the body more efficiently, keeping our animals healthier. It has been proven that selenium leads to more piglets per sow, better vaccination response, better fertility and improved immunity. Sel-Plex has a 4 to 1 ROI and is supported by more than 500 studies.

Enzymes

Lastly, enzymes help ensure that your pigs are getting the most from their feed. Show-Rite’s swine feeds include Allzyme® SSF. This product works in synergy with the animal’s digestive system to break down layers of feed that were previously inaccessible through digestion. Therefore, Allzyme SSF helps to improve feed efficiency, maximize nutrient release, maintain G.I. integrity and reduce animal waste.

These are just a few of the ways we try and make every bite count! Show-Rite is proud to make your project’s overall health and performance our top priority. For more information or to review and order our products, please visit showrite.com.

For more tips on how to be successful in the show ring, please visit www.showrite.com or contact a Show-Rite representative.