One of the most significant changes in our industry over the past ten years has been the increased pressure to reduce antibiotic usage in livestock. While Europe continues to progress with successful solutions, adoption in the U.S. could be faster. There are some success stories— for instance, Niman Ranch and Coleman Natural Foods for swine. The poultry industry has had great success with its NAE (no antibiotics ever) marketing strategy.

Products being developed for antibiotic-free production are valuable tools for all production systems. Whether you can use antibiotics or not, most farms need help keeping bacterial populations in check. Muramidase enzymes are a new technology used to reduce the on-farm effects of harmful bacteria. Bacteria leave behind peptidoglycans which accumulate within the gut of animals, negatively impacting gastrointestinal function, inducing inflammation, and reducing nutrient utilization. Remedy is a Muramidase enzyme that targets these bacterial cell fragments. The fragments are broken down and washed out of the gut. In both research settings and field trials, thirty-four studies were conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. Below are highlights of the trials.

Layers
• 3% more hens laying eggs each day
• 2.5% more saleable eggs
• Improved egg yolk color
• Gain 10 points in feed efficiency
• Up to a 43% reduction in gut lesions

Turkeys
• Increased body weight by 0.5 lb at market
• Gain 4 points in feed efficiency
• Up to a 4% improvement in livability

Nursery pigs
• Reduced gut inflammation
• Gain 5 points in feed efficiency
• 5% increase in weight gain in the first two weeks in nursery
• 3% improvement in body weight overall

Remedy is an excellent tool by itself and in combination with other bacteria reduction strategies. This one-of-a-kind product is successful at keeping animals healthy and productive.