Benefits of Actifor® Protect result in better feed efficiency and health criteria as a trial shows

Improving calves' resilience and feed intake is crucial for better growth performance, and thus for higher productivity in adulthood. Delphine Lacombe shows in a poster presentation how phytogenics address these issues.

Technical Service Manager Ruminant Delphine Lacombe took part at this year´s ADSA Conference in Itasca, USA. She presented a trial run at “Freie Universität Berlin” on calves with Actifor® Protect in poster format. The focus of the conference was on “natural bioactives in dairy production,” it gathered over 150 industry representatives and research experts.

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Poster summary

Young calves are susceptible to diseases in the first stage of life. Improving their resilience as well as their feed intake is crucial for better growth performance, and thus for higher productivity in adulthood. Delacon’s Actifor® Protect was added to a basal calf milk replacer (CMR) in the study, which measured the health status of 40 calves from age 12 to 68 days and lasted 56 days.

By recording performance parameters and health scoring criteria during the trial, it was observed that calves fed with the supplement Actifor® Protect showed higher feed intake and higher body weight gain. Besides better feed efficiency of this group, it was also observed that health criteria were improved in comparison to the negative control group. 

©ADSA

Trial results

When comparing the blood parameters of the two groups, the one fed with Actifor® Protect showed higher antioxidant levels in the blood, meaning that these calves are better armed to resist oxidative stress than the control group. These findings, together with the better growth performances, can be explained by the fact that the animals which did not have to use their energy to fight against inflammation or oxidative stress, which are closely interlinked, could concentrate this energy in growth instead. Actifor® Protect used as a supplement had a positive impact on the animals, during a strategic time in the calves’ lives.

©Delacon

Biography Delphine Lacombe

Delphine started her career as nutritionist and sales manager at a local feed mill in France. In her studies of animal science at Agrocampus Ouest in Rennes, she specialized in animal production and animal feeding. Before joining Delacon, she worked at a feed additive company in France as sales manager at a national level. She has been working as Customer Technical Service Manager Ruminant at Delacon since April 2018. Her main tasks are technical support for distributors and customers, execution, analysis and reporting of new trials for ruminants and the identification of market requirements for new products.

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Sanja Erkic

Sanja Erkic

Sanja Erkic grew up and lived in different cultural environments and is a real language expert. After studying Cultural Studies (majoring in social sciences and politics), she joined the Delacon team in Toulouse in 2018. Sanja is a globetrotter, she loves to learn new things and tries to see the world from different angles. As an Event Coordinator, Sanja is responsible for organizing various events all around the world.

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