17 minute read
Editor’s Q&A: Zinc oxide
Livestock Q&A: Zinc oxide
As the pig sector potentially has longer than expected to phase out therapeutic use of zinc oxide in diets, despite the o cial ban on 26th June 2022, experts say is it essential that this extra time is used wisely. Livestock editor Sarah Kidby explores the latest guidance.
What options are available for zinc oxide removal?
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) recently announced that zinc oxide products already in the supply chain by 26th June can continue to be used until their use-by date, potentially allowing access to products for another two years. But as supply levels are di cult to predict and zinc oxide removal can be complicated, producers are being urged to use the time e ectively to explore alternative ways to manage post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD).
Q
A: There is no ‘one size ts all’ solution and a holistic approach will be needed to tackle PWD going forward. Speaking at a recent AHDB webinar, AHDB health and welfare scientist Lauren Dimmack advocated a ‘back to basics’ approach that includes maximising colostrum intake, regularly reviewing and tweaking cleaning and disinfection protocols, reducing stress and optimising gut health. As a robust pig that has hit its target weaning rate will cope better with any challenges, she advised maximising feed intake through simple measures such as ensuring easy access to water – as pigs that drink more, eat more; providing extra feeding space; getting heating and lighting right and ensuring pigs are familiar with solid food before weaning.
Piglet nutritionist Sadie Douglas, of Primary Diets noted that, alongside other factors, feed can be one tool in the armoury. When trialling zinc removal, she advises starting with the last starter diet, as it is easiest to remove, and working backwards, making sure you have a small amount of zinc on hand in case. The priority should be to tackle looseness rst, then deal with any lost performance later, she added.
Key recommendations included:
• Reducing crude protein in the diet. Protein digestion requires the enzyme pepsin, which operates at a low pH. As the piglet’s stomach pH is not low enough, protein digestion will be suboptimal, so undigested protein reaches the hind gut and is fermented by pathogenic bacteria, which produces a variety of compounds that exacerbate PWD. Synthetic amino acids etc have allowed nutritionists to reduce crude protein level in the diet • Try to modify immune response during the stressful weaning period • Including di erent types of bre in the diet has big bene ts, helping to bulk up digesture and slow transit time through the gut. Primary
Diets has trialled wheat bran in diets with zinc removed and found it can make faeces rmer and improve growth • Additives are incredibly useful and may include acids, enzymes, pre- and probiotics and essential oils/plant extracts. However, the market is saturated with di erent types, Sadie noted and Primary
Diets’ trial work of 103 additives found that while 27 had a positive e ect, 61 had no e ect and 15 negatively impacted growth and faecal consistency. So it’s important to do your research. Managing the weaned pig is also key, Sadie said and advised talking to your nutritionist about optimising pre- and post-weaning feeding regimes, considering if your feeding regime is suitable for the genetics and size of pigs, and to potentially look at gruel feeding or transition feeders.
Key advice included: • Piglets should eat asap post-weaning so make sure feed is available • Maximise feed and drink space where possible – extra troughs for the next few days can be really bene cial • Think about weaning age – there are bene ts to weaning an older pig.
Trial work carried out by Primary Diets has found 75% of farms saw no di erence in looseness when zinc was removed, while 12.5% had mild looseness but not enough to warrant action; and another 12.5% had severe looseness that required antibiotics. Reduced performance was seen in just over half (53%) – though Sadie stressed this could be improved – while 35% maintained growth rates and 12% actually saw an improvement. It is known that some farms will nd zinc removal harder than others, and Sadie said the results should be interpreted with caution.
Other methods to consider when removing zinc include acidi cation (of feed and water). However, AHDB notes that signi cant investment is needed to use this technique on farm, and high standards of overall management, biosecurity and health are essential.
For those using a liquid feed system, fermentation of feed can be used, though again, cleanliness is essential and the temperature must be maintained at 37ºC throughout the process.
Whatever methods are adopted, working in close collaboration with the farm vet, nutritionist and feed company will be essential.
General advice on zinc removal is available from AHDB: www.ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/removing-zinc-oxidefrom-pig-diets FG
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UK poultry farms are increasingly being challenged by permitting requirements to reduce the concentrations of ammonia leaving houses. DraperGROUP senior ventilation consultant Justin Emery provides some guidance.
About 65% of a bird’s total nitrogen intake is excreted, with 17% not digested and 48% not utilised. When litter moisture content is 25–35%, microbial action readily converts faeces into ammonia.
Best practice for limiting ammonia emission is to maintain dry bedding, with good internal air recirculation, air change helped by heat recovery, and much better climate control. With the correct installation, managed correctly, reduction of ammonia can be 30–50% on the UK standard broiler emission factor (0.034kg NH3/place/yr).
However, regulators are looking to stabilise the ammonia background count. They are juggling several, perhaps contradictory, aims such as minimising damage to the environment whilst encouraging food production (without incurring excess cost) and trying to encourage a reduction in energy use. Reducing ammonia emissions using ‘acid scrubbing’ techniques has suddenly become a requirement for many proposed poultry farms in the UK, especially in Wales.
Essentially, acid scrubbing involves passing exhaust air through a large matrix wetted by a solution of sulphuric acid and water, so that volatile ammonia is dissolved into the liquid, leaving the exhausted air much cleaner. Acid scrubbing is the most e cient and reliable ammonia removal system, with reductions of 90% possible for some applications, where sulphuric acid converts ammonia into an ammonium sulphate solution.
But this reduction is only achieved by incurring (in my opinion) excessive capital and energy cost to the farmer without, to date, meaningful consideration from the retailer and consumer. There is cost in ation across the board, but now in ation of means needed to tackle emissions.
There is limited online guidance from regulators, but detailed advice on how much to scrub tends to come from planning consultants and environmental modellers. How to ventilate and how to scrub comes from the equipment suppliers.
It is not all bad news. Farmers are tackling the issue and looking to build top-class farms that will be energy and emissions future-proofed.
This is new technology to the UK, so choose carefully: • You are rearing poultry or pigs rst – the ventilation and other hardware is ‘more important’ than the scrubber • Find a system that integrates energy saving solutions e.g. heat – it is possible • The scrubber equipment must meet the permit requirements • UK regulators do not insist on one scrubber type, or one certi cation • Acid is corrosive – the system must be resistant and durable • The year-on-year running costs vary considerably between scrubber types, depending on the running costs of pumps – do check carefully. To discuss further, you can contact the DraperGROUP team directly for guidance. FG
become a requirement for many proposed poultry farms in the UK, especially in Wales. Essentially, acid scrubbing involves passing exhaust air
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In-feed enzymes could be the answer to lysine shortage
Lysine, an important amino acid in pig and poultry diets, is in short supply and coupled with astronomical rises in cereal and raw material prices, nutritionists are under pressure to reformulate rations – keeping feed costs low without jeopardising quality.
There are mounting concerns that substituting lysine for less expensive, but more readily available feed ingredients, could compromise productivity and performance. Prices for dry dietary lysine (L-Lysine) are escalating and there is little indication this will change until at least spring 2022.
Soya and rapeseed meal o er some economic advantages as a lysine replacement, but can also present digestion challenges and anti-nutritive responses. This can lead to health problems, reduced performance and higher nitrogen excretion in faeces, says Elanco Animal Health technical nutritionist, Agustina Rodriguez.
Most plant-based raw materials contain β-mannans – undigestible bres. The molecular structure of these β-mannans is similar to that of certain pathogens, which the immune system often mistakenly recognises as a potential infectious challenge. This innate immune reaction is known as feed-induced immune response (FIIR).
“The protein sources typically used in pig and poultry diets – soyabean, rapeseed and sun ower meals – often contain high levels of β-mannans. Increasing the amounts of these ingredients to balance diets and meet crude protein requirements frequently heightens the risk of digestive upsets, intestinal in ammation, and susceptibility to enteric infections,” advises Ms Rodriguez.
“Very little β-mannan concentration is needed (0.20%) to trigger FIIR and young pigs and chickens are particularly vulnerable to its ill-e ects, which can negatively impact lifetime productivity.”
However, including enzymes, such as Hemicell HT, in pig and poultry diets can prevent a typical FIIR and diets can prevent a typical FIIR and these adverse outcomes, she explains. these adverse outcomes, she explains.
“Hemicell HT is a patented in-feed enzyme that supports the in-feed enzyme that supports the animal’s own digestive processes by animal’s own digestive processes by neutralising anti-nutritive factors. neutralising anti-nutritive factors. This nutrient-sparing enzyme This nutrient-sparing enzyme hydrolyses the β-mannans, by hydrolyses the β-mannans, by breaking them down into small breaking them down into small oligosaccharide fragments that are oligosaccharide fragments that are not recognised as a threat by the not recognised as a threat by the animal’s immune system.”
“The enzyme works immediately on ingestion and its activity averts potential FIIR and so subsequently reduces the energy and nutrient waste and performance losses associated with feeding high levels of intact, plant-derived proteins.
“Including Hemicell HT in diets that have 0.2% or more soluble β-mannans has been shown to increase feed e ciency and optimise production performance of rearing pigs and broilers[1],” concludes Ms Rodriguez. FG
References: 1.Anderson, D.M & Hsiao H.-Y. 2009. ‘’New Feed Enzyme Development.’’ ChemGen Corp. 2009. 1: 1-30
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Sensor and app tech drives welfare and profitability
As farmers face ongoing recruitment problems, price rises and regulatory changes, Chris Beamish, chief operating o cer at Greengage Agritech, explores robust technology that can be incorporated into the farm’s existing set up, improving welfare, e ciency and pro tability.
A specialist in bespoke lighting and sensor solutions, Greengage o ers four packages for broilers, breeders, layers and swine, all of which are based around its agship ALIS barn lamp – patented induction powered technology that is highly safe and e cient.
Its app and sensor technology create a ‘virtual stockman’ – although Mr Beamish says the technology does not take away from the stockman’s base skills, but allows farms to do more with less, reducing pressure on labour.
The sensor system has seven sensors contained within four units which measure the environment (light, temperature, CO2, NH3 and humidity); and welfare/behaviour (acoustic and movement). Movement sensors use infrared cameras to assess behaviour while acoustic sensors measure key vocalisation parameters to assess welfare.
A University of Newcastle study, commissioned by Greengage, revealed it is possible to pick up several di erent vocalisations in newly placed chicks. Early-stage stress calls were identi ed as having key welfare and productivity impacts. It was also found that stress signals can spread from one animal to the rest of the ock. The ability to remotely pick up distress calling creates the potential to identify welfare issues at an early stage, preventing potential productivity losses, Mr Beamish said. Greengage is currently working with BQP to establish how infrared and acoustic technology could be used with swine.
The app can be used on a phone, tablet or desktop and provides individual shed information. If an alarm threshold is crossed, the user is alerted. In this way it works as a management tool – if a worker comes on shift, they can prioritise what needs to be done. Users can also see the di erence in performance between sheds, helping to pinpoint potential issues.
Mr Beamish said: “If you monitor and improve welfare, by default you’ll get higher productivity.”
Greengage is also in the early stages of developing an Animal Welfare Index (AWI), which couples sensor data with information already being gathered on farm (e.g. mortality, growth, intake, water and electricity usage). This builds a ‘welfare picture’ of each shed which can be used to help farms determine what constitutes a good shed for them, and how to replicate it consistently. The user can set their own targets and incorporate changes to regulatory requirements, and the system will measure how well targets are adhered to.
Disease detection is also in the pipeline and one of the simplest things to look at is fever. For swine, the company is also looking at identifying areas of in ammation for early detection of tail biting. Greengage hopes to get traction on this and the AWI from supermarkets, so that high welfare products could carry a premium. FG
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Trials yield positive results for zinc removal
As the zinc oxide ban approaches in June 2022, Primary Diets is reporting promising results from trials of its new range, PD-Progress, which is designed to maintain piglet health and performance without zinc oxide.
Zinc oxide has been used to control post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) for decades. However, with the ban on using therapeutic levels of zinc oxide still on the horizon, the industry needs to nd alternative strategies to combat looseness at weaning.
Primary Diets has been researching and developing the new PD-Progress range for over ve years to o er a tailored feeding programme that maintains piglet health and performance in the absence of zinc oxide.
The company has already worked with customers and their vets to trial zinc removal using PD-Progress on over 27,000 weaners across 30 farms, covering indoor, outdoor and straw-based systems, and a range of genetics, weaning weights, feeding regimes and pen sizes.
Its approach is split into two stages: rstly, prioritising piglet health by limiting looseness, often involving feeding a di erent speci cation diet (lower protein and lysine), and then switching focus to build back any lost performance.
The results are very encouraging with most units (88%) reporting no or only mild looseness without zinc, Primary Diets says.
Its proven nutritional approach focuses on supporting the piglet through the post-weaning challenge; this includes lowering crude protein levels, strategies aimed at impairing pathogens and formulating diets to meet the di erent nutrient requirements of a weaned pig under disease challenge without therapeutic zinc in the diet.
Good quality nutrition alongside optimal management, high biosecurity standards and an e ective vaccination programme are the key to success, the company believes.
It’s important, however, to recognise that no two farms will be the same for zinc removal. Without a ‘one-size- ts-all solution’ to replace zinc, collaboration between producers, their vets and nutritionists is critical for success. FG
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