Wilbur-Ellis Feed, LLC, a marketer and distributor of value-added ingredients for livestock, pet food and aquaculture industries in North America and New Zealand, announced the launch of Engest™ today at the Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines.
Engest, a ground-breaking new option for swine operations to enhance sow performance and welfare in the new 'post VFD' world, is a first-of-its kind feed technology uniquely designed to support the needs of sows, particularly during critical periods such as lactation. Engest is a natural, bio-based feed additive, simple to add to existing sow diets, that mitigates the negative impacts of stress while optimizing feed efficiency, gut health and nutrition capture.
"The sow is really the engine that drives swine production," says Wilbur-Ellis Feed’s Midwest Nutrition Sales Manager Bryce Martin. "Yet, while there have been strong gains through genetics and management approaches, it's also a focal point that has been largely untouched by feed additives."
Engest features leading-edge Superzyme feed enzyme technology from Wilbur-Ellis partner Canadian Bio-Systems Inc., a leader in innovative multi-carbohydrase feed enzyme technology, in a custom formulation optimized to deliver multi-benefits for sows.
"Engest is designed to open the door for feed additives much wider as an option tailored to the needs of sows that delivers a quick, reliable and sustained return on investment," says Martin. "It gives producers the opportunity to capture a lot of profit potential that has been largely untapped. It’s a 'win-win' tool that is good for the animals and also good for production."
Engest also serves as a viable alternative to not only meet, but far exceed the production benefits associated with medicated feed, providing a timely and valuable option following the January 1, 2017, full implementation of the new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), which greatly restricts medicated feed use.
"The direct benefits of Engest for sows also support multiple additional benefits that extend to the full herd and production cycle," says Wilbur-Ellis Feed’s Nutrition Product Group Manager Dennis McDermott. "Examples include improved fertility, higher annual pigs per sow ratios with higher repeatability, reduced pre-weaning mortality and more productive piglets – all supporting significantly improved economics and profitability for swine operations."
Engest also improves post-lactation recovery, further supporting the welfare of sows and allowing them to return to production sooner at a high level of comfort, health and energy.
"We knew this feed enzyme technology was a winner from its application results in other phases of swine production," says Wilbur-Ellis Feed’s Eastern Nutrition Sales Manager JD Baltzell. "Engest focuses and further enhances this technology to maximize advantages for sows."
"It’s very exciting to see the strong and broad benefits Engest is producing, which confirms when you improve performance and welfare at the sow level it translates to gains across the full spectrum of production," says Martin. "With Engest, producers ensure they get the most out of genetics and management approaches because those aspects are not undermined by stress or sub-optimal or depleted nutrition. For example, we see some approaches hitting the elusive 30 pigs per sow level – Engest can help support and bring in sustainable results to that type of achievement."
To learn more about Engest and Wilbur-Ellis Feed, visit booth 238 January 25 and 26 at the Iowa Pork Congress at the Iowa Events Center.
Source: Wilbur-Ellis