Grand Valley Fortifiers Ltd. PO Box 726, Cambridge ON, N1R 5W6
1006704
Swine Grist
WESTERN & PRAIRIE EDITION A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 | WINTER 2023
Dear Friends, As we soon wrap up calendar year 2023, we know that in some parts of the Prairies there was a bountiful harvest, and in other parts meager. The same variability will also exist in terms of crop quality. Please review the article by Samuel Waititu to brush up on your knowledge of mycotoxins and the various strategies to consider as we work together to incorporate the 2023 harvest into performance orientated feed rations on farm. In this edition of the Grist, we are pleased to welcome Aline Pereira MSc., poultry nutritionist, to our growing team of nutritionists as well as JP Thibault who has taken on the role of Business Development Manager for Direct Source Commodities and a successor to Steve McGuffin who plans to retire in 2024. As Grand Valley Fortifiers enters its 64th year of operation in 2024, we are embracing the reality that a number of our three and four decade tenured team members are looking forward to a new season in retirement. One of those is our dearly loved and sincerely appreciated PhD monogastric nutritionists, Dr. Martin Clunies. Words can not express the gratitude that we, at GVF as well as the swine and poultry producers that Martin has worked with across the country and around the globe, have for the way Martin’s advice and nutritional expertise has improved the performance, productivity and profitability of their herds and flocks. Indeed, beyond that, Martin has become a friend to so many of us and has personified the “Humble Confidence” that we at GVF aspire to exude. Please join us in thanking Martin for his tireless work in the industry and wish him and his wife, Estelle smooth sailing as they literally sail into a new season of life together. David Ross and I, as well as the entire GVF family want to wish you are yours a very Blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with much love, health, prosperity and happiness. Sincerely, Ian Ross, President & CEO, GVF group of companies
MITIGATING THE RISKS OF MYCOTOXINS
by: DR. SAMUEL WAITITU Monogastric Nutrition, Fortified Nutrition Ltd.
M
ycotoxicology, the study of mycotoxins, is a very broad area of science. The aim of this article is not to delve into finer details but rather to simplify our understanding of the definition, role, and control of the negative effects of mycotoxins in swine. Pigs are very sensitive to mycotoxins and exposure through feed can lead to feed refusal, compromised fertility, immune system suppression, damage to internal organs, respiratory difficulties, and reduced growth performance. In a farrow-to-finish farm, feeding mycotoxin contaminated feed can cause up to $30 to $50 reduction in net returns/sow/year.
What are Mycotoxins?
Mycology is the study of fungi. There are three types of fungi: molds, yeasts, and mushrooms. Molds are the main source of myco-toxins (toxins from fungi). Even though all mycotoxins are of fungal origin, not all toxic compounds produced by fungi are called mycotoxins. Fungal products toxic
Samuel Waititu, Ph.D. | Saymore Ndou, Ph.D. Monogastric Nutritionists AB/SK: 1-866-610-5770 | MB: 1-866-626-3933 fortifiednutritionltd.com
to bacteria (such as penicillin) are called antibiotics, whereas those toxic to plants are called phytotoxins. Interestingly, ethanol is a fungal product but is mostly toxic in high concentrations. Moreover, toxic compounds produced by mushrooms are called poisons and not mycotoxins. Therefore, a precise definition of mycotoxins is they are chemicals produced by fungi and are toxic to animals in low concentrations. It is important to emphasize that mycotoxins can be fatal in low concentrations.
Mycotoxins of major interest
There are over 500 known mycotoxins and thousands that are unknown or masked within other compounds. The mycotoxins of major concern (Figure 1, adapted from Malhotra et al., 2014) in Canada are produced by 4 main fungi: a. Aspergillus: produces aflatoxins and ochratoxins
Ian Ross, President & CEO | David Ross, VP & CMO Adam Totafurno, M.Sc. | Drew Woods, M.Sc. | Kayla Silva, M.Sc. | Curtis Ebanks, Layout Editor
Fig 1.
b. Fusarium: produces trichothecenes (including deoxynivalenol (DON or vomitoxin), T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin), zearalenone, and the fumonisins. c. Penicillium: produces ochratoxins and patulin d. Claviceps: produces ergot alkaloids The fungi that produce mycotoxins generally grow during crop production and storage. From a preventative perspective, we recommend testing each new batch of grain for mycotoxins rather than doing a mold test. A mold test tells presence or absence of mold, however, presence of mold in grain sample is not evidence for presence of mycotoxins.
antibiotics, hence gaining their antibiotic resistant status. Some scientists have discovered how to feed the gut cells in a way that potentiates these mycotoxin efflux pumps hence naturally improving their barrier function against a broad spectrum of toxins. That is the Assure strategy of improving voluntary feed intake, specifically, the gut cells are well nourished to prime efflux pumps to do their job.
Recommendations
Test every new batch of grains for mycotoxins before feeding to livestock. Remember that mycotoxins are fatal even in low concentrations, hence do not feed to livestock grains whose mycotoxin levels are beyond the tolerance limits published by CFIA. Conversely, continuous feeding of mycotoxin contaminated grains with acceptable tolerance limits without using an appropriate mycotoxin detoxification agent will lead to accumulation of mycotoxins in body organs. Beware that combinations of mycotoxins have synergistic effects that exacerbate the negative consequences that mycotoxins can cause in animals.
ROOM TO PLAY IN THE NURSERY BUDGET
The Fight against Mycotoxins
Why would the government regulate mycotoxin levels in feed grains? Infeed mycotoxins not only harm the animal, productivity, and profitability, but also exacerbate the potential for "carry-over" of mycotoxins into animal products, such as milk or meat, destined for human consumption. Hence, every effort to reduce in-feed mycotoxins load concomitantly improves food safety. There are three strategies for mitigating the negative effects of mycotoxins to livestock: binders, biotransformation and activating cellular efflux pumps. Some clays (such as bentonite) and yeast cell wall polysaccharides are used as mycotoxin detoxification agents. They are added to feed to directly bind to mycotoxins within the gut hence preventing the mycotoxins from being absorbed by the intestines. Mycotoxin binders are most effective on aflatoxins, ergot alkaloids and ochratoxins, but not on T2-toxins, fumonisins, vomitoxins and zearalenone. Binders also exhibit variable effectiveness based on the amount and number of different compounds they bind. Moreover, some studies have shown that binders may also bind important minerals and vitamins, hence necessitating higher inclusion rates of such nutrients to avoid deficiency. Biotransformation is a method that detoxifies mycotoxin molecules by cleaving (splitting or breaking) them using in-feed or microbial enzymes. If well developed, biotransformation may be the most effective and safer method of mycotoxin control. This principle was borrowed from ruminants after it was discovered that bacteria in the rumen are capable of detoxifying mycotoxins. This is the reason why ruminants are more tolerant to mycotoxins than monogastrics (poultry and swine). Biotransformation is challenged by the difficulty to identify and culture the bacteria, yeast and protozoa that detoxify mycotoxins. Furthermore, this area of study is currently under-researched, and some researchers have expressed the fear that splitting some mycotoxins resulted in metabolites that are more toxic. The biggest limitation of biotransformation is that the products already in the market have a narrow spectrum, that is, most target only a single type of mycotoxin. Mycotoxins ingested with feed are first absorbed into the cells that line up the gut tract (epithelial cells). About 80 to 90% of the ingested mycotoxins are absorbed in the upper gut (duodenum, Figure 2, adapted from Grenier and Applegate, 2013) and quickly pass into the blood stream where they get spread to other organs. This rapid absorption in the upper gut is the reason feed refusal is usually the first sign of a high dose of mycotoxins in the feed. Mammalian cells are naturally endowed with a cellular pump that can flush out mycotoxins and other poisons in low concentrations. However, when the concentration of mycotoxins and poisons are beyond tolerance limits, these pumps lose their barrier function. Therefore, an alternative strategy for mitigating mycotoxins is to increase the transport of mycotoxins out of the gut epithelial cells. These special pumps are a unique class of transport proteins called efflux transporters or pumps (efflux means to flow out or pump out). These pumps act as “bouncers” in a night club, they throw out the “bad boys”. It is interesting that some bacteria effectively use efflux pumps to flush out
by: EMILY MILLER Monogastric Specialist, Grand Valley Fortifiers
A
t Grand Valley Fortifiers, we are continually running trials in the nursery phase to fine tune the recommendations for our feeding programs, test new products, or even try out new ingredients. When considering the different phases in a nursery feeding program, the diets will generally start more complex, with easily digestible ingredients for young piglets, which is also associated with higher cost. As the piglets get older, we can simplify the diets to reduce the cost, while still achieving good performance. We know it is important to get weaned piglets off to a great start, but perhaps there are still some efficiencies to be gained. For example, are there times in the nursery feeding program where we can successfully modify the feed budget to reduce the cost per kg of gain without sacrificing performance? This is the type of question we wanted to answer with our BioForce product lineup. Recently, we launched two new early nursery feeds – BioForce Initiate® and BioForce Propel®. These were designed for the producer who still wants to purchase pellets (vs. making them on farm) for piglets up to 9 kg, but who is more sensitive to cost per tonne in the nursery. For customers who want to maximize nursery performance, our BioSure products, Surge and Respond, for the early nursery are still a great choice. In a trial conducted this summer with 364 weaned pigs, we utilized the same feeds throughout the nursery from our BioForce product line but offered either our standard feed budget or a more economical one. This resulted in a slightly lower feed budget per pig in phases 2 and 3 for the Economic Program (Table 1). The trial ran for 47 days, with technical and economic performance in Table 2.
Table 1: Economic vs. Standard Feed Budget Feed
Standard
Economic
Bioforce Initiate
1.0 kg
1.0 kg
BioForce Propel
2.0 kg
1.5 kg
BioForce 180
4.0 kg
3.5 kg
BioForce Piglet 32
Balance
Balance
Table 2: Overall Nursery Results Parameter
Standard
Economic
Start Weight, kg
6.3
6.2
End Weight, kg
31.1
32.0
Average Daily Gain, g
529
549
Feed Consumed/Pig, kg
37.3
39.4
Feed Conversion Ratio
1.50
1.53
Feed Cost/KG Gain, $
1.12
1.10
Margin Over Feed Cost, $/Pig*
46.64
48.88
Swine Grist *Margin Over Feed Cost= ($3 per kg feeder pig gain feeder pig)-feed cost. All feeds were medicated with Chlor and Tiamulin
Utilizing a smaller feed budget in phases 2 and 3 with the Economic program resulted in similar overall nursery performance compared to the Standard program. Considering the entire nursery period, feed consumed per pig was slightly higher in the Economic program, but this was later in the nursery when cost per tonne of feed is lower. This led to a lower feed cost per kg of gain, and ultimately greater margin over feed cost of $2.24. This trial is a great example of continuous evaluation of the nursery feeding programs at Grand Valley Fortifiers. Each trial gives us more insight and allows us to make improvements to our feeding programs, with the ultimate goal of improving the profitability of our customers. We do recognize that every farm is different, and conditions can even vary from batch to batch, highlighting the importance of continuous data generation and product evaluation. If you would like to learn more about running trials on your farm or sharing data with us, please reach out! Would you like to see how a modified budget or different feeding program could impact your bottom line in the nursery? Contact your Grand Valley Fortifiers Livestock Business Consultant today! With his long tenure at GVF, there are many treasured memories but to share a few today:
GVF SAILING INTO RETIREMENT:
“Martin always embraced the myriad of questions we had and took them as an opportunity to teach and make us think critically. He would always challenge my mind to think of different perspectives and provide solutions based on experience and research. Not only is Martin a wealth of knowledge, but he has a great sense of humour, one that will be missed in the office!” – Kayla Silva
Farewell to Dr. Martin Clunies After 34 Remarkable Years
A
fter an incredible 34 years, Dr. Clunies is setting sail into retirement on December 29, and it's only fitting to reflect on the remarkable journey of the first monogastric nutritionist at Grand Valley Fortifiers. Martin began his career at Grand Valley Fortifiers in 1989 and quickly made an impression in the industry. He created the foundation of the monogastric premixes that are still used today. Beyond his technical accomplishments, Dr. Clunies became a mentor and guide for countless colleagues over the years. He took this responsibility to heart, sharing his wealth of knowledge generously to the next generation of nutritionists at Grand Valley Foritifers. Martin had an answer for every question, a solution for every problem, and an idea for every challenge.
“Dr. Martin Clunies always tells me that " I trust farmers 100%, but I never forget to verify". Dr. Martin and I did a lot of chicken barn walking together from coast to coast in Canada, and down South in the US. He always observes, holds, and listens to chickens to try to understand what they are saying about his ration. If the chickens are happy and on target, he is happy.” – Tanka Khanal “Martin's story telling was second to none. You always knew you were in for a long story when he would say "Tell me something" or "I'm going to ask you a question". At this point, you might as well grab your popcorn, but without a doubt you would always learn something from him. Martin was a fountain of knowledge, and his storytelling will be missed.” – Adam Totafurno As Martin prepares to embark on a new chapter of his life, we can't help but to be grateful and to reminisce on his time at Grand Valley Fortifiers. We are grateful for the years of dedication, hard work, and invaluable contributions that have made Grand Valley Fortifiers what it is today, and we reminisce of the friendship, the shared victories, and the lessons learned under his guidance. Retirement, however, doesn't mark the end of Martin’s journey but rather the beginning of a new and exciting chapter with his wife Estelle. December 29 will not only be a day of farewell but also a day of celebration for a career well-lived, for friendships gained, and for a legacy that will endure long after he sets sail on new adventures. Smooth sailing and endless adventures, Marty.
GVF OFFICIALLY WELCOMES JP THIBAULT TO THE DSC TEAM!
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et’s give a warm welcome to JP Thibault joining the GVF team as Business Development Manager of DSC. JP has extensive experience in the animal feed industry. Most recently, he was Business Development Manager, Quebec, Ontario & Atlantic for Nutripartenaire (Nutrition Partners). JP has owned his own Feed Dealership and has been a Technical Sales Representative with Jefo, a supplier of Grand Valley Fortifiers. His understanding of the feed and premix industry, experience in managing commodity risk and knowledge of many of our ingredients will be valuable in supporting our go forward strategy. JP will work closely with Steve McGuffin and Cheryl Andela to assist in day-to-day operations of DSC while developing the future of the business grandvalley.com
Swine Research Trial Results
with Kevin Broadworth’s oversight. JP’s first year with DSC also provides the opportunity for him to slowly transition into the leadership role as a succession plan for Steve’s retirement in 2024.
COMMODITY OUTLOOK
Swine Research Swine Research Trial Results Swine Research Trial Results Trial Results
In 2019 a feed trial was conducted in Thailand to determine the effect of adding Assure® to the gestating and lactating diets of sows. The results are presented in the graphs below:
In 2019 a feed trial was conducted in Thailand to determine the effect of adding Assure® to In 2019 a feed trial was conducted in Thailand the gestating and lactating diets of sows. to determine the effect of adding Assure® to In 2019 a feed trial was conducted in Thailand The results are presented in the graphs below: 1 the gestating and lactating diets of sows. to determine the effect of adding Assure® to The results are presented in the graphs below: the gestating and lactating diets of sows. The results are presented in the graphs below: These feeds 1 Effect of Assure® on Sow Milk Yield (kg)
by: JP THIBAULT Business Development Manager, Direct Source Commodities
D
Effect of Assure® on Sow Milk Yield (kg)
12 ue to Argentina’s drought and a historical low 2023 bean crop, protein 11.5 buyers will be relying on the US to supply the missing meal. Adding to P=0.0010 contained low to 11 Effect of Assure® on Sow Milk Yield (kg) moderate levels this story, adverse weather forecast during 10.5planting season for South AmeriP=0.0001 Effect of Assure® on Sow Milk Yield (kg) These feeds P=0.0010 of mycotoxins. 10 ca, and you have the perfect storm that explains the 100$us/st increase since contained low to These feeds 9.5 moderate levels early October. The price for the coming months will be volatile, so take adcontained low to 9 of mycotoxins. moderate levels vantage of any major pull back to price8.5on some loads. On the corn side, of mycotoxins. 8 the new crop is ample with different levels of VOM is7 reflected Day 14 Day 0 toxins. This Day After Wang et al., 2018. J. Anim. Sci. 96:206–214 into the DDGS, where we see VOM level as high as 12 ppm. In consequence, nutritionists have reduced the DDGS usage and are looking at shorts and Effect of Assure® on Piglet Body Weight (kg) ® on Piglet Body Weight (kg) Effectasoffreight Assure bakery meal to replace it. Plan your orders companies are quite 7.69 Effect of Assure® on Piglet Body Weight (kg) 8 8 7 8 busy at this time of year. Effect of Assure® on Piglet Body Weight6 (kg) 7 1
12
11.5 1
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12 P=0.0010
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kg
kg
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kg
8.5
P=0.0001
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1
10.5
P=0.0010
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P=0.0010
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kg
9.5
9 P=0.0001 8.5
P=0.0010
Assure
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8
8.5
Control
Day 0
Day 7
Day 14
8 Wang et al., 2018. J. Anim. Sci. 96:206–214 After
Control
Day 0
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Assure After Wang et al., 2018. J. Anim. Sci. 96:206–214 Control
1
Day 0
P=0.0001
P=0.0010
10
Assure
Day 14
After Wang et al., 2018. J. Anim. Sci. 96:206–214
1
7.69
7.69
P=0.0001
6 kg
5 4 3
P=0.0005
P=0.0001 3.1
4.9
1
1.76
P=0.0001
Day 14
4 2
2.8
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5 3 kg 1
1.65
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kg
4.21
GVF JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR NEWEST MONOGASTRIC NUTRITIONIST! Effect of Assure® on Litter Statistics 2
7
6.52
Day 24
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P=0.0001
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White mycotoxin P=0.0001 mold P=0.0001 3 beginning to 4.9 form on the 6.52 4.21 2 tip of a corn cob. 4.9
Day 7
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1.65
Day 0
Day 7
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Effect of Assure® on Litter Statistics 11.0
1.65
Day 24
Day 24
Contro
Average weaned/Litter
Average weaned/Litter
11.0
9.4 Control
AB/SK: 1-866-610-5770 MB: 1-866-626-3933 AB/SK: 1-866-610-5770 fortifiednutritionltd.com MB:1-877-625-4400 1-866-626-3933 fortifiednutritionltd.com Advanced Animal Nutrition for Improved Human Health grandvalley.com
P=0.0001
Assure
Control Assure ® on Litter Statistics Effect of Assure
Average weaned/Litter
Effect of 9.4 Assure® on Litter Statistics Average weaned/Litter P=0.001 Control Assure
Day 0
Control
Day 24
6.52
4.9
4.21 White mycotoxin mold 3.1 beginning to form on the 2.8 tip of a corn cob. White mycotoxin mold beginning to form on the Day 7tip of a corn Daycob. 14
1.76
1
4.21
3.1 2.8
P=0.0001
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3.1 P=0.0001 2.8
1.76
2 Day 0 Assure Control 1
7.69
P=0.0001
8
P=0.0001
Assure
9.4 Control
P=0.001 11.0
AB/SK: 1-866-610-5770 P=0.001 MB: 1-866-626-3933
Assure
1-877-625-4400 fortifiednutritionltd.com grandvalley.com 1-877-625-4400 Advanced Animal Nutrition for Improved Human Health grandvalley.com
AB/SK: 1-866-610-5770 Aline was born and raised in the state of MB: 1-866-626-3933 Santa Catarina Brazil, and pursued an fortifiednutritionltd.com Advanced Animal Nutrition for Improved Human Health undergraduate program in Veterinary Animal Nutrition for Improved Human Health Medicine atAdvanced the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). During her undergraduate program, Aline joined UFPR's Avian Pathology and Microbiology laboratory,2 0 2 2 AND NEW YEAR’S SCHEDULE which focused on developing research In order to help us provide you with the best service possib for gut health of broiler chickens. Initially, season, please beTUESDAY advised of the days we’ll b Aline was a volunteer research assistant, MONDAY TUESDAY holidayMONDAY ALINE PEREIRA Order early to ensure you don’t run out. but then she recognized that working Monogastric with poultry and gut health was her true DEC. 25 DEC. 26 JAN. 01 JAN. 02, 2023 Nutritionist MONDAY TUESDAY MONDAY passion. Aline became an undergraduate researcher and had the opportunity to get involved in research CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED RETURN TO DEC. 26 DEC. 27 JAN. 02 involving Salmonella, Coccidiosis, Nonspecific Enteritis, NORMAL Mycotoxins, and E. Coli. However, there was a common theme BUSINESS 8AM - 5PM CLOSED CLOSED RET in most of these research projects: testing different formulations HOURS B CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK OPEN, and the use of additives in challenged broilers while observing DELIVERIES RESUME DEC 28. AND their impact on organs, histology, microbiology population, and E W YEAR ’S performance parameters. This sparked her curiosity toNbetter SC HEDULE understand the interaction of nutrition with gut physiology, which led her to the University of Guelph, where she pursued Thank you for your business in AB/SK: 2022. 1-866-610-5770 | MB: 1-866-626-3933 her Master of Science program in Animal Nutrition under the supervision of Dr. Elijah Kiarie.
Dear Friends
Aline’s Master's research used enzymatically treated and untreated cranberry pomace in broiler chickens challenged with Coccidiosis. Her results showed that dried raw cranberry pomace has the potential to mitigate the effects of Coccidiosis, but the treatment with enzymes still needs more investigation because, although the enzymes reduced the insoluble fibers present in the cranberry pomace, the bioactive compounds were also affected. After completing her Master's program, Aline happily joined us here GVF as a monogastric nutritionist where she has been working with the poultry team. Her main role is to contribute to solving the growing demand for poultry formulations. Aline’s background in improving gut health will help provide solutions to producers through nutrition. A healthy chicken gut makes Aline happy.
Thought for the Day Let Earth Receive Her King “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (– spoken by the Angel to Mary in Luke 1: 32 – 33) Here Mary is told of the significance of the birth of her son that would be provided her, a virgin, through the coming upon her of the Holy Spirit. For this reason the holy Child is called the Son of God. Nowhere else does the value of a baby’s birth, come with the value of his life! Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, how much value are you placing on Christ Jesus birth? Let us take time to remember and reflect on this significant event in history when Earth received her King and how this pivotal time, changed our future forever – “… and His kingdom will have no end.”