Getting more out of feed additives

23-03-2016 | Feed additives | Article

Additives that specifically support gut health for pigs and poultry include, among others, (salts of) organic acids, yeast and yeast cell wall products, botanical components, as well as prebiotics and probiotics. <em>Photo: Koos Groenewold</em> — Additives that specifically support gut health for pigs and poultry include, among others, (salts of) organic acids, yeast and yeast cell wall products, botanical components, as well as prebiotics and probiotics. *Photo: Koos Groenewold*

Feed additives have been found to have additional functions beyond their nutritional value for pigs and poultry. How they work exactly is still a topic of much research. This article zooms in on the mode of action of butyrate and botanical products. One of the most important changes in livestock production over the past two decades has been the recognition of gut health as a key driver of animal performance. This phenomenon has been accelerated by an increasing awareness of the impact of good l