Farmers are scrutinising every purchase decision from a cost and performance point of view, and rightly so, says ForFarmers technical manager Guto Jones. “Every product put in front of your animals needs to bring value,” he explains. “Many of our customers are saying that Levucell does just that. It consistently performs and helps animals reach their potential.”
For all stages of cattle growth
Levucell is a live yeast product, proven to aid with rumen development in beef calves as well as improving rumen efficiency and easing the transition to finishing diets as they get older, he explains. “It helps the animal get the most out of their feed and grow well right from the start."
“Maximising early growth gains in calves means they will reach better daily liveweight gain later too.” Adding Levucell to calf feed promotes growth of rumen papillae, which enables to calf’s rumen to work more effectively.
Yeast reduces the oxygen content of the rumen, he adds. “This helps stimulate the growth of rumen organisms that digest fibre and starch meaning it works more effectively.”
Eases transitions between diets
As cattle progress the transition period between different diets can be a challenge. “Sudden changes in ration can cause issues in the rumen which can result in growth check,” says Guto. “These are avoidable though if changes are made gradually over a few weeks which means that the microbes in the rumen can slowly adapt to the new diet.
Reduces acidosis
“Levucell also helps over that time as it stabilises the pH of the rumen and helps to maintain its anaerobic conditions.” It can also help reduce the risk of acidosis in cattle fed high energy high starch diets. “When those diets ferment in the rumen they can create acidic conditions and rumen pH drops,” says Guto. “If this isn’t addressed it can lead to acidosis, a drop in rumen performance and can even lead to permanent damage."
“This is another reason that Levucell deserves a place on your order sheet,” he adds. “It regulates rumen pH by encouraging growth of bacteria in the rumen. This counteracts lactic acid and helps to keep rumen pH at 6.2 or above. “This optimum pH means feed is digested effectively and nutrients are absorbed and your cattle get the most out of every bite.”
Availability
Levucell is available Levucell is an encapsulated live yeast product which protects it from challenging conditions. It can be included in many types of feed from pellets to pre-mixes and home-mixes or total mixed rations.
ForFarmers products which can include Levucell include:
- Ewbol Lamb Finisher 16
- Ewbol Express Lamb Finisher
- Super Beef Grader + Levucell
- Prime Rearer 16 + Levucell
- Prime Mix 34 + Levucell
For personalised advice on improving your herd or flock's feed efficiency please speak to your ForFarmers account manager or send us an online enquiry using the link below: