Alpharma introduces new synbiotic poultry feed additive

Alpharma Animal Health has begun sales and marketing of its novel new poultry feed additive, Proflora, which is designed to optimise the gut environment and support favourable microflora populations, improving poultry performance and production.

Proflora is a unique poultry feed supplement that combines a direct-fed microbial (DFM) with a prebiotic.

Proflora is comprised of two highly beneficial components:

• A live, direct-fed microbial probiotic – the highly researched and patented QST 713 strain of Bacillus subtilis; and
   
• A yeast-extract prebiotic called Beta Mos, which provides nutrition-enhancing ß-mannan oligosaccharides and ß-glucans.

The combination is known as a ''synbiotic.''

The synergistic effect of the DFM in combination with the prebiotic has proven to be effective in attaining and maintaining peak conditions in the avian intestinal tract, said Layne Asay, Director of Strategic Marketing, Alpharma. Each of the two components provides specific benefits to the gut environment that, together, helps elevate nutrient utilisation by poultry, thereby lowering production costs, said Asay.

In addition to enhancing nutrient use, Proflora also has been demonstrated to reduce the negative effects of necrotic enteritis challenge (Clostridium perfringens) on performance, mortality and lesion scores.

As a non-drug, non-antibiotic feed supplement, Proflora can serve as an adjunct to existing medicated feed programmes, or as a non-antibiotic alternative for operations producing birds for specialised markets. Proflora is compatible with feed-based coccidiosis control programs and coccidiosis vaccines, and be used concurrently with feed antibiotics and water medications. It is stable in pelleted feeds and requires no withdrawal period before slaughter.

Alpharma Animal Health has a patent pending that covers the combination product and its use with anti-coccidial vaccines and select anti-coccidial premix products.

Alpharma Inc. is a global animal health company that is currently active in more than 80 countries. Alpharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.