New livestock feeding options are emerging to take the edge off key stressors and provide a viable alternative to growth promoting antibiotics.

A leading example is the yeast based supplement Maxi-Gen Plus from Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. (CBS Inc.). Maxi-Gen Plus, featured this week at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, MN, is designed to support optimal performance for poultry and swine, particularly during times of potential stress such as weaning and transport.

The custom formulation and product design was developed based on research trials conducted by the University of Manitoba. It has been used commercially for several years by industry and operations across Canada and increasingly in the U.S. and beyond.

Among the latest results, Maxi-Gen Plus has shown substantial benefits replacing the growth promoting antibiotic virginiamycin in broiler chicken production.

“Stressors such as disease, initial transportation and stocking density that negatively affect broiler chicken profitability have traditionally been managed by in-feed antibiotic treatment,” says Rob Patterson, Technical Services Manager for CBS Inc. “However, new research has shown that alternative nutritional technologies can also alleviate production stressors and deliver similar performance to in-feed antibiotic products.”

Alternative options are rising in importance not only to expand the toolbox available to industry, but to specifically address the increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use. This includes the growing trend toward “antibiotic-free” status for poultry that has made substantial news in recent weeks.

“The more options industry and producers have, the better equipped they are to not only give their operations the best opportunity for success but also to respond to shifting marketplace demands,” says Mark Peters, Manager of Sales and Marketing for CBS Inc. “Maxi-Gen Plus is a now well established product that has proven itself as a viable alternative. It also fits well with other feed enhancement options in our CBS Inc. suite of products, providing poultry and swine customers with the flexibility to select a package that is well rounded and specifically tailored to meet all of their priority needs.”

In a recent field study, Maxi-Gen Plus was compared to virginiamycin under commercial broiler chicken production conditions. Body weight gain per bird at key phases of production was consistently equal to or slightly improved under the Maxi-Gen Plus treatment. More information on the research results is available at www.canadianbio.com.

“A unique aspect of Maxi-Gen Plus is that it that it is designed to mimic the conditionally essential nutrients that are important especially to young animals and that research shows also help to stimulate tissue growth and recovery during periods of stress,” says Patterson. “It also includes beta 1,3-glucans and mannan carbohydrates, all of which have been shown to promote optimal growth, alleviate stress and improve immune status in poultry and swine.”

Also featured at Midwest Poultry is FeedCheck Express, a new option for rapid and reliable on-site testing for in-feed enzymes, from CBS Inc. More information, including a link to a new video on how to use FeedCheck Express, is available at www.canadianbio.com. See CBS Inc. booth #417 at the convention.

Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. researches, develops and manufactures a wide range of products used in feed, food, industrial and environmental applications. Key distribution partner in the U.S. is Wilbur-Ellis Company