Dec. 10 2020 08:23 AM

Start Your Calves Right for a Productive Life!


The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.




Prebiotics. Probiotics. Essential oils. Organic acids. You’ve probably seen one or all of these ingredients on packaging at the grocery store or in a food advertisement. All four ingredients fall into a category called eubiotics and can be found in livestock feed, too.


What are eubiotics?

Eubiotics are a class of feed additives including prebiotics, probiotics, essential oils and organic acids. They help provide a healthy balance of microbiota in the animal’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract, supporting normal digestive health and a healthy immune system.

Eubiotics derives from the Greek term eubiosis, which translates to “healthy life” and is associated with bacterial homeostasis.


How do eubiotics work?

Traditional livestock eubiotics work as follows:

· Probiotics help maintain a natural population balance of gut flora to support normal digestive health.

· Prebiotics provide a food source for natural probiotics in the gut to help maintain proper flora.

· Organic acids help provide nutritional support for the mucosal lining of the digestive tract, which is key to a healthy, active microbiome in the GI tract.

· Essential oils offer flavoring for appetite, while supporting normal gut health and digestive function.

Combined, these eubiotics work synergistically to help maintain proper digestion, normal digestive health and support a functioning immune system.


When is the right time to use eubiotics?

The window to instill good health starts when a calf is born. Introducing eubiotics to calves early on to help maintain normal GI health is also important in providing support for the developing immune system during the critical first few weeks of life.

Ready to add eubiotics into your program?

First Arrival® with Encrypt® Powder contains the broadest range of novel and innovative ingredients to help calves maintain normal digestive health and support a healthy immune system. In addition to the full range of eubiotics listed above, it includes egg proteins, specialized whey proteins and other key ingredients that form a total package to help calves perform to their full potential.

Incorporate First Arrival w/Encrypt Powder into your calf feeding protocols today to help maintain normal calf health and pay dividends down the road with fast-maturing heifers who enter the milking herd early.