By Cheng Lee DVM & Lonneke Jansen MSc Product Managers Intracare
Modern animal production systems are complex and highly variable. No two farms are identical and every farmer has its own method to optimise efficiency, especially during challenging periods. Developments in breeding, nutrition and animal health will continue to contribute to increasing production potential and also consequently shift the on-farm challenges. In every animal’s life cycle there are periods where supranutritional support is required and calls for a custom-made and personalised approach.
Extra care during critical phases of rapid growth, disease or during vaccinations proves advantageous for every animal. Also, feed intake is depressed during stressful phases like temperature fluctuations, feed transitions or transport. Suitable product selection and correct application can provide significant supportive effects on animal health and control pathogen growth. Delivering treatment through the drinking water can be one of the most efficient methods of providing true therapeutic doses.
As Intracare specialises in liquid and drinking water-based supplementation, farmers are able to use our products easily and maximise their returns by supplementing only when necessary. More farms use a water-based medication system for supranutrional support as they see the advantages to managing a farm in more detail with liquid supplements. It is simply easier and more efficient to control treatments through the drinking water than through the feed thanks to three main reasons:
We see a big future for replacing antibiotics by highly qualitative feed supplements. A nutritional way of thinking instead of automatically dosing medication. With customers who are equipped with dosing systems or other new technology every year, it is possible to manage a farm better in further detail with liquid supplements.
Many times animal feed is formulated in such a way that exceeds the nutritional requirements of about 80% of the animals while 20% is fed in deficit. Especially during critical phases these animals are more vulnerable and require immediate support.
Additional precision nutritional supplementation via drinking water is a quick and strategic tool to mitigate diminished animal performance during challenging periods. Our Intra Nutrient portfolio helps farm managers and integrations achieve exactly this.
Many layer farmers experience impaired egg shell quality within older birds. Due to differences in production practises, the time and incidences of decreased egg shell quality differs per farm for which a custom made approach is desired. – Intra Calferol
Vaccination programmes for respiratory diseases also differ per layer farm and to alleviate possible negative post vaccination reactions there is a need for a ready-to-use solution. – Intra Aerosol
Stress can impair gut function and health which compromises digestion and absorption of nutrients. Especially the first week of a chicks life is extremely stressful and a good start is essential in achieving high performance objectives. – Intra Nutri-Mix
Every day, an animal is exposed to about 1 billion pathogens and their oral uptake needs to be eliminated as soon as possible to prevent colonisation in the gut. The proximal gut serves as a frontline and an early-defence approach by creating an unfavourable environment for microbial growth in the crop and stomach have proven to be effective preventive measures. This can be achieved by drinking water acidification. – Intra Aqua Acid Mineral
Oxidative stress from free radical formation is a problem in poultry production worldwide. Caused by various factors like heat stress, pathogens, age, it is a silent threat to animal productivity. Performance support heat stress, meat quality, fertility is necessary – Intra Mineral Se Vit E
When a group of animals require treatment, drinking water application is a responsible and useful option on the condition that the drinking water, the system and the products are of good quality. Products from the Intra Nutrient portfolio are carefully formulated to meet an optimal balance between solubility, stability and bioavailability. The active ingredients are well soluble and highly available to the animal. The supporting elements in our formulations help to create a homogenous mixture.