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NR-Gold-Brad Brinkworth

Brad Brinkworth won gold for the Alice Switzer Award for his article, “Science unveils new pathway to broiler chicken growth performance”, published in the Ontario Farmer and others.

                                  Media Release  

Science unveils new pathway to broiler chicken growth performance  “Yeast Bioactives” technology helps farmers meet the challenges of organic, RWA & more 

July 17, 2019 

MONTREAL, QUEBEC — A new tool has emerged for broiler chicken operations seeking  new ways to optimize results while keeping aligned with a full range of the latest organic, raised  without antibiotics (RWA) and conventional market opportunities.  

New study results showcased at the Poultry Science Association annual meeting, July 15-18 in  Montreal, add to a growing body of science showing the unique potential offered by ‘Yeast  Bioactives’ – a new form of feed technology pioneered and introduced by Canadian Bio-Systems  (CBS Inc.)  

“We are very pleased with the results we are seeing with this new feed technology,” says  producer Mike Edwards of Edwards Family Organics near Millbank, Ont., a family-run farm  that includes the broiler chicken operation where the trial was conducted. “It’s a new tool that  has become a valuable part of our overall production approach – in particular, helping us to  lower our bacterial challenges and promote better gut health. We’re seeing less issues. We’re  achieving significant improvements in growth performance. It’s exciting to have a tool like this  come into the marketplace that is eligible for use in organic.” 

Yeast Bioactives technology, launched in late 2018, is a yeast-based innovation designed for use  as a feed supplement in diets for poultry, swine and ruminants. The technology features  enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast carbohydrates that offer advantages over conventional yeast cell  wall supplements (the enzymatic hydrolyzation process makes the yeast carbohydrates more  soluble and thus more effective).  

Yeast Bioactives offers benefits as an enhanced yeast technology supporting an optimal  environment for animal wellness, performance and related productivity, says Paul Garvey,  Poultry Sales Manager with CBS Inc. It also offers benefits as a grain management technology,  helping to mitigate a number of potential threats that can undermine feed quality, animal  performance, animal health and food safety. As a bio-based feed ingredient, it is the type of  solution favored not only on-farm but also by major retailers and by consumers. 

“The poultry industry has the potential to continue as one of the most progressive and  successful sectors in agriculture, but as it continues to diversify and evolve there is a strong  need for new options in the toolbox at the producer level, particularly for operations targeting  reduction or replacement of antimicrobial use,” says Garvey. “The results we’re seeing with  Yeast Bioactives on commercial poultry farms point to this as a very effective option to support  highly productive and sustainable operations across all types of production.” 

Edwards Family Organics is an early adopter of the Yeast Bioactives technology via Maxi Nutrio, which received approval for use in certified organic production in 2018 and has seen steady adoption in all forms of poultry operations. Mike and Krista Edwards, who have a young 

family with three children, were one of four applicant families approved as a new entrant to the  industry in 2017, under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario’s New Entrant Program. Their  relatively new broiler chicken operation is certified organic and places on average 17,500 birds.  Mike is also Manager of Nutritional Services at Jones Feed Mills Ltd. and has over a decade of  experience working in the feed and nutrition business, including with a specific focus on poultry  production including supporting organic producers with the Yorkshire Valley Farms group. 

“Yeast Bioactives technology fits well with the unique challenges of operating under certified  organic requirements,” says Edwards. “Our operation along with others using it in our organic  producer association are now getting results comparable to conventional producers. A number  of our producers are actually producing well ahead of the provincial averages for conventional  production.” 

The trial results unveiled at the Poultry Science Association meeting confirm advantages that  the Edwards’ farm and other early adopters have seen over the past several months, while  providing valuable information on dosage response, he says. “The trial data will help us drill  down to the optimal rates we want to use.” 

The trial involved a total of 16,320 newly hatched Ross 708 broiler chicks. The study was  designed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with a commercially available Yeast  Bioactives product (Maxi-Nutrio) on performance and health of broiler chickens raised under a  commercial organic production system. A subsample of 360 birds were randomly selected and  placed in 18 identical floor pens with 20 birds / pen for a 28-day feeding study. The  experimental pens, which provided 966 cm2 per bird of floor space, were located within the  barn and were fitted with individual feeders and waterers. Birds were randomly assigned to one  of three dietary treatments with or without Maxi-Nutrio supplementation (one without, one  step-down dose and one full dose). Results showed clear growth performance advantages with  Maxi-Nutrio supplementation, with the most pronounced beneficial effects observed in the full  dose treatment (1 kg/tonne).  

“Even with the inherent stressors of an organic system, the results shown during the trial were  very strong,” says Rob Patterson, CBS Inc. Technical Director. “With the rising popularity of  organic and RWA approaches, and the overall shift in production approaches toward a  preference for bio-based solutions, we see the adoption of this type of enhanced yeast feed  technology continuing to expand. It’s an important part of our portfolio of CBS Inc. Feed  Science Platforms.” 

CBS Inc. is an innovation-focused company that researches, develops and manufactures a wide  range of bio-based products used in feed, food and industrial applications. More information on  the Yeast Bioactives commercial organic production trial and the data it produced is available  on the CBS Inc. website at www.canadianbio.com. More information on CBS Inc. Feed Science  Platforms is also available at fsp.canadianbio.com. 

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Contact 

Media Assistance: Brad Brinkworth 

bbrinkworth@sermo.farm | 587-897-7405 

More information: 

Paul Garvey, Poultry Sales Manager 

pgarvey@canadianbio.com | 226.646.7282 

Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. 4389 — 112 Ave. S.E. Calgary, AB, T2C0J7