The rise of yeast in ruminant feed

Not all yeasts are created equal. Specifically developed for use in ruminants, Vistacell represents a combination of advancements in yeast technology. Vistacell ensures the highest delivery of live yeast to the rumen to maximise performance and reduce the risk of Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA).

What is live yeast?

Live yeast is a mode of action that delivers unique benefits. Only live yeast can compete for sugars and scavenge oxygen, allowing for increased fibre digestion and stabilisation of ruminal pH leading to optimisation of the rumen environment.

Strain selection plays an important role on the ability of live yeast to survive and perform in the rumen. Specifically selected for its proven ability to elicit a response under rumen conditions, Vistacell has demonstrated improved gas production when compared to other yeast products – a reflection of increased rumen fermentation.

Micro yeast delivers 60 billion CFU/head/day. Strain selection plays an important role on the ability of live yeast to survive and perform in the rumen. Vistacell has the highest CFU/head/day compared to other live yeast products.

A higher CFU/head/day is associated with:

• Greater fibre digestion and VFA production
• Reduction in lactic acid production
• Improved animal performance

Vistacell is created from a live yeast product. Dried in granular form, an outer shell protects an inner core of live yeast cells. This process helps to make it more stable, therefore making Vistacell one of the most active live yeast products commercially available. Vistacell is available for both ruminant and swine diets.

The addition of Vistacell into feed can help increase rumen pH which lowers the lactic-acid producing microbes and increases the fibre-digesting microbes. When the animal is digesting fibre more efficiently, the producer sees greater productivity.

Vistacell can produce a 4:1 return on investment for dairy and beef farmers in five simple ways. An improvement in live weight gain (beef) up to 10%, when cows are lactating an increased forage and dry matter intake, lower incidences of acidosis and SARA, better feed efficiency and dug consistency.

Vistacell improves gut microflora, increases good bacteria and improves sow milk by raising its nutritional integrity. This can be achieved by improving immunoglobulin levels to increase piglet immunity, and both sow and suckling piglet gaining weight and reducing mortality. Studies show an average 4.9% improve in gain and seven-point improvements in FCR over four trials in partnership with Vistacell.