A Calgary-based developer of livestock products says one of its products could replace a growth-promoting antibiotic in the broiler chicken industry.
Maxi-Gen Plus, which is marketed by Canadian Bio-Systems, has been in commercial use for several years, but recent studies show it could replace virginiamycin, an antibiotic used to promote growth in chickens.
The product is yeast-based, and its formulation was based on research trials at the University of Manitoba, according to a company news release.
“Stressors such as disease, initial transportation and stocking density that negatively affect broiler chicken profitability have traditionally been managed by in-feed antibiotic treatment,” Rob Patterson, technical services manager for CBS Inc., said in the news release.
“However, new research has shown that alternative nutritional technologies can also alleviate production stressors and deliver similar performance to in-feed antibiotic products.”
The company said Maxi-Gen Plus could be an alternative, considering the greater public attention to antibiotic use in poultry.
It quoted a study that compared the product to virginiamycin in broilers, in which weight gain under both options was equal.
