Trouw Nutrition, which attaches great importance to innovation investments in order to support farmers in raising healthy farm animals, also offers solutions to the needs of its business partners with the scientific studies it has implemented. Dr. Kazım Bilgeçli, Trouw Nutrition Turkey Feed Additives and Animal Health Product Group Manager, has revealed in the scientific studies he has conducted in this context that butyric acid, especially in coated form, supports intestinal health in calves.
Rumen development, nutritional strategies and supportive supplements for the digestive system are of critical importance for calves to complete their development process in a healthy manner. Trouw Nutrition Turkey Feed Additives and Animal Health Product Group Manager Dr. Kazım Bilgeçli, who discussed the physiological and metabolic changes experienced by calves from birth to weaning in his scientific article, stated that organic compounds such as butyric acid can increase growth performance by supporting intestinal health.
“In newborn calves, 25 percent of the stomach consists of rumen”
Stating that the process from birth to weaning in calves, called the ‘preruminant phase’, is similar to monogastric animals in terms of digestion and metabolism, Dr. Kazım Bilgeçli said the following: “Since the rumen, reticulum and omasum are not fully developed in the early stages of life in calves, they are not functional and do not contribute to the digestive process. In newborn calves, the rumen makes up 25 percent of the total stomach and its development starts at about 2-3 weeks of age and continues until the 6th month. In order for the rumen to develop healthily, an anaerobic microbial ecosystem must form, solid feed intake must begin and fermentation processes must become active. The energy obtained by producing volatile fatty acids in the rumen with sufficient roughage consumption is used for the development of organs and the digestive system. With rumen development, the number and length of papillae increase, increasing absorption capacity and enabling more efficient utilization of nutrients.”
“Incorrect feeding causes digestive problems in calves”
Dr. Bilgeçli, who emphasized that acetic and propionic acids provide the energy required for the growth of calves, said, “The effect of milk and milk replacers on rumen development in calf nutrition is limited. Excessive milk or milk replacer consumption can lead to digestive problems, metabolic acidosis and villus atrophy. Excessive milk consumption also reduces solid feed intake, and since volatile fatty acids cannot be produced in the rumen in sufficient quantities, it also negatively affects feed consumption and live weight gain after weaning. In recent years, studies have been conducted on alternative feed additives based on organic acids in order to improve the stomach and intestinal flora of animals. However, the taste problems, irregular effects on ruminal pH and high costs of these substances restrict their use. Butyric acid in particular has become a remarkable research topic in this field. Butyric acid derivatives used as feed additives are generally in the form of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium butyrate and are water-soluble and odorless. Third-generation butyrates are produced with specific oil coating technology. Thus, in addition to eliminating the odor problem, effectiveness against harmful bacteria is also provided.”
“Sodium butyrate supplementation positively affects calf health”
Dr. Bilgeçli, who stated that studies have shown that E. coli is a pathogen frequently encountered in cases of diarrhea in calves, said, “It has been scientifically proven that sodium butyrate supplementation positively affects the general health of calves by supporting the proliferation of intestinal cells, villus development and digestive enzyme activities. Studies have shown that adding 3-5 grams of sodium butyrate to milk or formula accelerates the maturation process of the intestinal mucosa, improves digestive system health and reduces the rate of diarrhea. In addition, protecting sodium butyrate in a lipid matrix with microencapsulation method ensures that butyric acid is consumed by calves without any problems. As a result, in this study, the effects of adding butyric acid in the form of sodium salt to milk on the performance of calves, some blood parameters and E. coli pressure in their feces were examined. The findings obtained prove that sodium butyrate makes a significant contribution to intestinal development and general animal health.”
