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July-15-2005
Sow Trial reports on Sel-Plex and its impact on mortality and performance
- Alltech's Sel-Plex cleared for Bison
- Alltech blogs fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa
- Sel-Plex® receives free choice allowance
- Sel-Plex - the Only Organic Selenium Authorised for use in the European Union
- FDA Clears Alltech's Sel-Plex Selenium Source for Dogs
- Sel-Plex Cleared for All Livestock Species in Canada
- Sow Trial reports on Sel-Plex and its impact on mortality and performance
A recent commercial sow trial, reported in the Journal of Animal Science, compared Sel-Plex to sodium selenite, showing significant differences in performance parameters and mortality.
In 1974 the FDA approved the use of supplemental selenium (sodium selenite) in animal diets. In 1982, the legal limit was raised to 0.3 ppm; but selenium deficiency symptoms in piglets have continued to occur during neonatal and/or post-weaning periods. Then in the 1990s Professor Don Mahan of Ohio State came with a prediction that organic selenium would replace sodium selenite and that we would all supplement Se to pigs the way nature feeds it.
Until 2002, the only option pig producers had to supplement selenium was to use sodium selenite. That year the FDA approved selenium yeast as a selenium supplement in pig diets. This approval followed 8 years of rigorous review of research with Sel-Plex as well as the Sel-Plex manufacturing process and quality control method. The approval was a real breakthrough in pig nutrition.
The latest trial confirms the beneficial effects on pig health that were seen earlier in the FDA-reviewed work with Sel-Plex. The Iowa trial, conducted in a modern, large-scale pig system under commercial conditions, compared the overall survivability and growth attributes of piglets from sows being fed Sel-Plex compared to sodium selenite.
Key findings include:
- Sel-Plex increased the number of pigs weaned per litter
- Sel-Plex reduced pre-wean mortality
- Sel-Plex-fed sows weaned piglets with a lower mortality and morbidity through nursery.
Lampe. J Anim. Sci. 83 (Suppl. 2):51
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