Lallemand Animal Nutrition has introduced ProTernative Milk to the U.S. dairy market. The product is a specialized formulation of the active dry yeast (ADY) probiotic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079, which helps reduce the negative effect of stress in pre-weaned calves.
"Stress adversely affects the immune system, making a calf more vulnerable to disease," said Angel Aguilar, technical services manager for Lallemand Animal Nutrition. "In dairies, about 79% of deaths in pre-weaning calves are due to scours, digestive and respiratory disorders associated with stress. Sources of stress can include many events that pre-weaning calves are regularly exposed to, including abrupt feed changes, weather changes (heat or cold), transportation, vaccination and weaning. ProTernative Milk offers a proactive approach that helps reduce the harmful effects of stress in the digestive system and start calves off right."
S. cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 has been shown to favor beneficial microbes in the lower gastrointestinal tract in cattle and other animals, the announcement said. During periods of stress, this ADY has been shown to help cattle lower levels of morbidity, mortality and improve average daily gain (ADG).
ProTernative Milk is designed to achieve the highest level of dispersion in milk or milk replacer fed to neonatal calves. Each pouch contains 600 standard feedings. A standard, 5-g feeding supplies 10 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of ADY per head per day. When additional stressors are present, a 10-g feeding rate that supplies 20 billion CFU per head per day is recommended.
