It is often said that we feed our livestock better than we feed ourselves. Those words may now ring a little truer on many farms across the United States. Alltech, a global leader in animal health and nutrition, recently launched a series of new species solution programs aimed at helping animals reach their full genetic potential.

“Yesterday, when we discussed animal nutrition, we talked about increasing performance through a stress pack,” said Dr. Kate Jacques, Alltech’s director of nutrition. “Today we are discussing the gene chip and how we can feed our animals to up regulate their genes, improve immune response, advance carcass quality and leave less stress on the environment. It’s a whole new ball game.”

This shift in industry focus changes the priority from just getting more nutrients into the animal, to understanding the degree to which each nutrient affects animal production at the cell and tissue levels. Alltech utilizes the genechip, a DNA microarray, to measure gene expression and allow for scientists to analyze a very large number of genes at once. With this technology, scientists have found nutrients are “gene switches” that regulate bio-functions.

According to a recent survey conducted by Alltech across the United States, 33 percent of farmers said if they had unlimited resources, the first area of their operation they would seek to improve would be feed costs, followed by another 33 percent stating commodity prices. With these increased prices in mind as well as the additional costs associated with supplements and additives, Alltech’s new solution program combines several technologies to synergistically work to enhance performance, improve animal health and increase return on investment all while helping that individual animal reach its full genetic potential.

“When we think of tractors, we think of John Deere and when we think about putting on our jackets for morning chores, we think Carhartt,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “This is a very targeted, revolutionary approach that is true to Alltech’s ACE principle – safe and beneficial to all three entities – while delivering value and savings to the farmer.”

Besides nutritional applications, Alltech’s On-Farm Support program includes workshops and training for the farm employees, nutritional advisory services, fermentation testing, 37+ Mycotoxin analyses, forage quality inspections, quality control checks and many other services to support farmerss.

For more information about the Alltech On-Farm Solutions and Support program, please visit www.alltech.com or call (800)289-8324.

About Alltech:

Founded by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech is a global animal health and nutrition company with 32 years’ experience in developing natural products that are scientifically proven to enhance animal health and performance. With 2800 employees in 128 countries, the company has developed a strong regional presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle-East, Africa and Asia. For further information, visit www.alltech.com.