Improving Sow Longevity
Nutrition and management are key components of production, and are critical to ensure that the modern sow achieves her genetic potential for reproduction. We often measure efficiency by the number of piglets weaned per sow per year However, what is more important, according to the Alltech scientists in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, is the lifetime performance of the sow. This is a vital element in reducing the overall cost of pig production.
REDEFINING MINERAL NUTRITION
Alltech, a world leader in animal health, is redefining mineral nutrition. With this objective in mind, the global company has come out with Bioplex mineral - a proprietary range of highly bioavailable organic trace minerals that could revolutionize the livestock industry.
Designed to resemble the form of minerals found in nature, Bioplex minerals are manufactured in keeping with Alltech’s ACE principle: Increase the performance of the animal, while being beneficial to the consumer and safe for the environment.
Trace minerals are involved in a range of metabolic and physiological processes critical to animal health and general wellbeing. Adequate supplementation of minerals is critical for balancing maintenance and performance requirements for today’s highproducing animals.
WHAT BIOPLEX MINERALS ARE
Unlike chelates and complexes, Bioplex minerals are proteinates. Alltech is the largest mineral proteinates producer in the world, and its unique manufacturing process protects the trace minerals through the negative interactions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Thus, they are more available to the animal for growth, tissue condition. immune and reproductive function. Due to their higher bioavailability. Bioplex minerals are better available to the animal compared to inorganic minerals, which are excreted at higher levels.
Bioplex minerals are less to interact with other minerals during digestion, remaining soluble and easily absorbed.
SYNERGY
It is likely that the greatest effort is achieved when a combination of organic minerals are added to the diet. Several trace minerals act synergistically and therefore, their combined effectiveness may be greater than when provided individually.
INTRODUCING BIOPLEX SOWPAK
Bioplex Sow-Pak is a unique product designed to improve sow productivity and piglet performance. From Alltech’s Bioplex Combo-Pak, this product has been developed for animal diets during gestation and lactation to increase litter size, reduce pre-weaning mortality, and improve piglet weaning weight.
The organic trace minerals of Bioplex Sow-Pak are unique; they are protected by multiple amino acids and peptides, rather than single amino acid-linked compounds. This level of protection gets them safely the volatile GI environment to absorption sites.
COMPOSITION
Bioplex Sow-Pak is composed of six proteinated minerals: Bioplex Iron, Bioplex Copper, Bio-Chrome (chromium yeast), Bioplex Manganese, Bioplex Zinc, and Sel-Plex.
Bioplex Iron. Higher placental transfer of Fe to the developing fetus; higher serum iron levels in both sows and piglets; stronger, more viable piglets at birth; higher mammary transfer of Fe to colostrums and milk; enhanced Fe status of piglet; reduced pre-weaning mortality; fewer small and heavyweight piglets; and higher piglet performance and weaning weight.
Bioplex Copper. Immune response; increased feed intake; improved reproduction; improved leg strength; enzyme activity; and improved hemoglobin production.
Bio-Chrome. More piglets born, born alive and weaned; higher farrowing rate; reduced sow culling rate and mortality; shorter period between weaning and estrus; and reduced variability and more uniform sow performance.
Bioplex Manganese. Enzyme activity; increased bone development and integrity; improved fat-to-lean deposition; and increased growth rate.
Bioplex Zinc. Increased growth rate; enzyme activity; improved protein and carbohydrate metabolism; increased feed efficiency; increased immune status; improved reproduction; and reduced pre-weaning mortality.
Sel-Plex. Higher placental transfer of Se to the developing fetus; higher mammary transfer of Se to colostrums and milk; reduced incidence of stillborn and splay-legged piglets; enhanced Se status of the piglet at birth and weaning; better anti-oxidant defense; increased immune status; and reduced pre-weaning mortality.
The Combo-Pak has the following advantages:
1. Enhances body iron and selenium reserve
2. Improves immune status
3. Reduces pre-weaning mortality
4. Increases piglet birth weight and weaning weight
5. Improves hoof health, prevents skin and skeletal abnormalities
6. Higher ovulation rate and litter size
7. Improves reproductive performance of sow
8. Reduces MMA
9. Increase milk production during lactation
Bioplex forms of Sow-Pak prevent, the following reactions that reduce absorption:
1. Precipitation in “hard” water
2. Complexes formed with phytate, iron and sulfur
3. Antagonism (free Zn+2 and Cu+2 ions, complete for absorption sites)
Bioplex protection gets mineral through the layers protecting gut cells A Bioplex mineral passes through the neutral water layer, is not bound at the negative mucosal layer and moves on to the gut lining itself to be absorbed.
BENEFITS AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Research and commercial trials with Bioplex Sow-Pak have shown
1. Higher mineral status of sow and piglet
2. Higher piglet viability and reduced pre-weaning mortality
3. Increased sow productivity
4. Reduced wean-estrus interval and higher farrowing rate
5. Improved immune and health status
6. Improved sow longevity
Fehse and Close (2000) showed that sow productivity was improved by an extra piglet per year, when Bioplex Sow-Pak was provided during gestation and lactation. There was also a considerable reduction in removal rate in sows from parity 4 onwards. Thus, the longevity of the sows was increased.
On the other hand, the average response of Bioplex Sow-Pak is 1.2 extra piglet per year. This is equal to ROI of 5:1.
