Fairy dust or farmer’s friend?

By Kevin J. Jacque, DVM, PAS

One can walk into a feed or farm store and be quite overwhelmed by the number of supplements and feed options for their farm animals. Many have catchy names, flashy labels, or marketing for “show” or “high value” animals. We will intend to discuss some of those supplements – prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics – their uses and dissemination within farm animal health.

First, let us define the terms. Prebiotics are compounds in feeds and forages that help to feed the microorganisms of the gastrointestinal tract. Let us call these products those that “feed the bugs.” Some common examples are fiber (especially in ruminants), inulin, lactulose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), and others. Most of these compounds are used by the gut microorganisms to ferment into usable compounds or metabolic processes that benefit the cells of the gastrointestinal tract.

In cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, deer, and similar ruminants, fermentation occurs in the foregut (rumen, C1, or pseudorumen). In monogastric or polygastric animals, these prebiotics are fermented in the intestinal tract to varying degrees (dogs and cats ferment less than rabbits or horses).

The second group is more common to farm animal owners – probiotics. These products are live microorganisms (living organisms). Think of these products as “the bugs.” Common “bugs” in probiotics include bacteria and yeast such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Saccharomyces, and Enterococcus. Many people may recognize some of these bugs from yogurt commercials and beneficial infomercials. Products that are naturally fermented, like yogurt or kefir, have natural probiotic strains. One can also find common probiotic pastes, powders, and drenches in the feed store.

Our last group of products is postbiotics. These products are molecules and compounds normally produced by beneficial microorganisms, but are delivered individually. Some examples of these are: enzymes, acids, peptides, short-chain fatty acids, teichoic acids, and other fermentates. Some of these molecules have been shown to reduce stress, improve digestibility, and lower inflammation within the body. Let us call them the group that comes “from the bugs.”

So, what do you do with the products? The important thing is that these will naturally derive from forages and feeds that our farm animals use. However, we now know that adding in extra prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics can create more beneficial environments of gut motility, reduced inflammation, better digestion, improved production, and reduced stress. The old adage of “You are what you eat,” is not just for people. For a practical note, animal owners should discuss with nutritionists and veterinarians about some of these products and how they may be useful to reduce stress, lower antimicrobial product needs, and improve the productivity of their herds.

So, remember, one may have healthy animals if you “feed the bugs,” give products that “are the bugs,” and have products “from the bugs.” This is merely one small step to a healthy gut and a healthy, productive, and thriving animal population.