Jackie Roembke reviews how changes in production systems and animal welfare expectations challenge nutritionists and producers to maintain healthy animal populations. Focusing on immunity first to reduce antibiotic use requires a gut health perspective.
With 70 percent of an animal’s immunity concentrated in the gut, fostering a strong gastrointestinal system will improve its health, performance and welfare.
Source: Feed Strategy, July 2018, page 12. Link.
Everything in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is connected: the nutrition, the microbiome and the gut and immune function,” says Aart Mateboer, referring to this interaction as “nutribiosis.”
INSIGHTS: Mateboer suggests nutritionists address three factors to maintain a favorable “nutribiotic” state:
- Nutrition
- Microbiome
- Gut plus immunity function