How important is it to your bottom line?
Probiotics, when used consistently and correctly, have proven to enhance animal health and productivity. Research suggests there are benefits to incorporating probiotics into a herd’s nutrition program, but there are drawbacks as well.
What are Probiotics?
While many people may be familiar with the use of probiotics regarding human health, they may not be aware of probiotics in terms of improving animal health. In general, probiotics have been shown to boost wellness in animals.
“Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be fed to livestock animals that may offer some health benefits. These benefits are largely due to the beneficial microbes that are introduced to the gastrointestinal tract, which can improve various processes in the animal,” Kirsten Midkiff, Ph.D., Extension Animal Health and Wellbeing Specialist at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, explained.
Benefits of Probiotics
Producers choosing to add probiotics to their nutrition program may want to consider working with a nutritionist to determine the proper dosage and composition of the probiotic. Producers should also evaluate the best way to feed the supplement.
Animals that receive probiotics in their daily rations can experience health benefits. Probiotics are known to improve growth in animals, which includes weight gain and feed intake. Probiotics are also shown to enhance milk production in lactating cattle, and boost feed efficiency.
Many animals on the show circuit receive daily probiotics as the stress of travel, new environments and weather can disrupt the gut health of high performing livestock. Probiotics can be fed daily in the feed, but to guarantee the animal is receiving an adequate amount, an oral paste can be administered on a regular basis. Gut health is very important in keeping show stock on feed and performing at the highest level possible.
Additionally, animals receiving probiotics may have enriched overall health. The wellness includes lowered cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone, and reduced incidence of acidosis or other health risks. “Researchers have also shown benefits to the microbes in the rumen when yeast cultures are added to the diet, specifically seeing improved productivity in lactating and growing animals,” Midkiff stated.
Drawbacks to Probiotics
The biggest obstacle most producers face when considering adding probiotics to their nutrition program is cost. “Like all things in the livestock industry that we can supplement to cattle, there are some potential problems that can be associated with probiotics. Likely one of the biggest, that most of our producers think about first and foremost, is the bottom line. How much is this going to cost? And are we going to see returns?” Midkiff explained.
According to Midkiff, in some instances probiotics may not be economical because the herd health improvements may be minor, only 2 to 3 percent in some cases. Producers will need to assess if the investment is worth the amount of improvement.
Another possible drawback is the importance of when animals consume the probiotics. “If we don’t get the product to cattle prior to a stressful situation (such as transportation or commingling), there would not be much benefit. The key here is being able to get the probiotic in cattle before they encounter stress, which can be challenging at times,” Midkiff shared.
Assess the Options
Lastly, animal health specialists encourage producers to take a thorough look into how probiotics could enhance their herd’s health. Producers interested in supplementing with probiotics will want to research the products, determine how to use them in their operation, assess the financial impact to their budget and then after considering all the factors decide if it will benefit their operation.
