Challenge in Animal: Stress Occurrence

Whenever we experience stress, like being inside a burning building, our bodies react in predictable ways – increased heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing and an adrenaline rush. Animals feel stress too and for in fact they can even encounter seven stress factors such as environmental stress, physical stress, nutritional stress, physiological stress, pathological stress, social stress, and psychological stress. These, in one way or another, can compromise their health and their ability to thrive in their immediate environment. Likewise, these can push producers to spend extra production expenses, which may lead to serious economic losses and worst, even shutting down of the business.

Animal well-being can be elevated and stress counteracted in farm animals by enhancing their enteric health and immunity through dietary supplementations. Two of the best supplement combinations that can address this issue are the (1.) Mixture of multi-vitamins (fat and water soluble) plus amino acids; and (2.) Combination of vitamins (fat and water soluble), amino acids, and electrolytes. Features that are well-incorporated in VITACID® 

Challenge in Farm: Ammonia Emission

As the poultry industry continuously expands, so have concerns about the environmental management aspects of this industry, including air and water quality. There are increased concerns related to ammonia emission from poultry production. Due to this pungent odor emission, respiratory mucus membrane, eyes’ cornea and conjunctiva are irritated. Likewise, high levels of ammonia have negative effect on egg production performance and over-all livability in layers and FCR, weight gain, and rate of condemnation in broilers.

A number of abatement methods, including dietary manipulation, chemical alteration of litter, and improvement in ventilation system management have been used to control ammonia production from poultry fecal matters, but these methods are perceived to be costly, to stunt bird growth, or to add to pollution in some other form. Alternative strategies include reduction of ammonia emissions by arresting nitrogen in the litter. Another approach is by including in a feed an organic probiotic that is capable of improving digestion, suppressing the growth of urease-producing bacteria and ammonia assimilation. An organic probiotic known as CHALLENGE®.