On January 1, 2021, a group of progressive dairy and beef farmers decided to embark on a trial to help identify the benefits of feeding a scientifically-researched feed additive to Irish cattle.
This trial was prompted by impending EU legislation that may restrict the availability of antibiotics at farm level from 2022 and conducted across nine dairy farms and three dairy-to-beef calf rearing farms.
The objective of the trial was to quantify the animal health and economic benefits of feeding Omnigen on Irish farming systems.
The farms in the trial represented the current spectrum of dairy systems in Ireland, including grass-based spring production systems, robotic milking systems maximizing grazed grass and a large-scale organic liquid milk farm.
Selected farms in the trial are all well-managed farms with similar goals of maximising profitability by improving animal health, reducing antibiotic use, improving fertility, live weight gains and milk yields.
The chosen feed additive
Omnigen is a unique and patented feed additive that is recommended to be fed during the dry cow period and for a minimum period of 120 days of lactation post calving. It acts by increasing the neutrophils (white blood cells) ability to respond to infection, enhancing the animal’s natural, innate immune response to fight infections in the body.
The period around calving can be a time of natural stress with periods of immune suppression. Omnigen can counteract these negative effects of the immune system to improve cows’ ability to respond to pathogens that cause metritis, mastitis and other diseases.
According to 113 research papers and 18 independt pier-reviewed articles, cows fed OmniGen-AF showed lower incidences of clinical mastitis and retained membranes.
Other postpartum diseases such as mastitis, ketosis, and displaced abomasum’s were also numerically reduced. The Irish Omnigen trial results have revealed a variety of positive benefits on individual farms.
The Irish trial observations
The most prominent benefit of using Omnigen on Irish farms in the trials was the marked reduction in herd lameness. Farmers noted a reduction in treatments of lame cows and when cows required treated for lameness, they typically responded quicker with less treatments.
Then there was a noticeable reduction in the number of days open post calving. Cows cycled up to seven days earlier post-calving when fed Omnigen, and this is reflective of fewer cases of metritis and retained membranes observed due to the enhanced immune response.
A significant reduction in the incidence of pneumonia or mastitis cases was not observed in the Omnigen trial herds.
However, feeding Omnigen did result in fewer antibiotic treatments for mastitis and pneumonia on average, resulting in a 28% reduction in expenses on medicine and an increase in milk sales with animals responding better to treatments.
The Omnigen calf trials also revealed some very promising positive trends in improving calf welfare and health on Irish farms. The results demonstrated enhanced immunity in calves through a reduction in antibiotic use and improvement in live daily weight gain.
One farm in the trial experienced ringworm exposure, a common fungal skin infection. Notably, the calves fed Omnigen on the farm were the only group of calves that did not have ringworm skin lesions.
Similar results to trial results from Pennsylannia in 2010 were achieved where calves that were fed Omnigen had, courtesy of Royal De Heus, Netherlands:
- Improved health status led to 12.5% increase in live weight gain on average (Bewely, 2010);
- Up to 43% reduction in antibiotic use (Bewley, 2010);
- Additional average margin up to €42.20/head.
The Omnigen Immunity Challenge farm trials in Ireland have demonstrated the benefit of Omnigen in reducing antibiotic use, improving herd health, and maximising profitability on farms. For more information on Omnigen and how it may benefit your herd please contact PharVet.
Information on OmniGen-AF: How does it work? 0mnigen largely affects neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cell that are first to respond to infection. L-selectin is a specific protein on the surface of neutrophils that facilitates them binding to the blood vessel walls they need to cross in order to reach the infected tissue. Stress causes neutrophils to express less L-selectin. Research has shown OmniGen fed animals show greater expression of L-selectin, suggesting these white blood cells are more responsive to an infection. When should it be fed? » l t should be fed from birth to 300kg body weight. It should then be reintroduced eight weeks before first calving and fed through the lifetime of the animal. This will underpin immune function in light of stress events such as calving, group changes or heat stress.
By Dr. Lauren Popiolek, Interchem and PharVet veterinary technical advisor
More information
For more information on…
…contact your local representative via the details below:
- Denis O’Carroll: Territory manager (southwestern region) tel: 087 745 1750, [email protected];
- Aaron Feehily: Territory manager (western region) tel: 086 029 7273, [email protected];
- Dermot Heafey: Territory manager (southern region) tel: 086 0465045, [email protected];
- Aidan Hallen: Territory manager (east region) tel: 087 2536187, [email protected];
- Shane Geraghty: Territory manager (Northern Ireland) tel: 00444 7585, 608889, [email protected].
