AMAFERM in Small Ruminants

Managing the rumen through change and stress is a challenge faced by all in the industry. The rumen's ecosystem is always in a state of dynamic change with any stress posing a threat of changing the balance from an efficient into an inefficient fermentation vat. The rumen fungi's importance in maintaining this balance is key and it is clear that the beneficial effects of Amaferm supplementation are mediated via the endogenous fungi population.

Amaferm is not a yeast, hormone, antibiotic, or probiotic but an all-natural feed additive. Unlike generic Aspergillus oryzae, Amaferm is exclusively designed and manufactured for livestock. The proven benefits of Amaferm in the diets of livestock result in increased feed utilization, increased animal performance, lower supplementation cost, and greater return on the feed dollar.

Small Ruminant Research Findings

Sheep

Herring and Hallford, 1990

Amaferm resulted in no differences in feed intake, average daily gain, or feed efficiency, however, lambs fed .6 grams/day of Amaferm had carcasses with a 30% reduction in backfat, and a 6.7% increase in trimmed leg weight as a percent of chilled carcass weight compared with the carcasses from control lambs.  (Herring, M.A., D.M. Hallford, 1990.  “Growth and Carcass Characteristics and Serum Growth Hormone, Insulin and Prolactin in Lambs Supplemented with Amaferm” SID Sheep Research Journal 6:5-10)

Bard et al., 2006

Amaferm resulted in a 4.9% improvement in feed efficiency and a 5.7% improvement in ADG in Dorset x Hampshire lambs fed a high-concentrate diet.  (Bard, J. L., H. N. Zerby, P. S. Kuber, F. L. Fluharty, and S. C. Loerch.  2006.  Effect of Amaferm supplementation to concentrate or forage based diets on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing lambs.  J. Anim. Sci. 84 (Suppl. 2):51).