New tonic set to give game birds a lift

Following on from the acquisition of Janssen Animal Health, Elanco has launched a new improved version of the former company’s game bird tonic and they are letting breeders and rearers know that the new improved formulation could help them produce stronger, more robust birds. The new tonic is called Elanco Game Bird Tonic HD Plus and it represents a significant improvement on the previous product as a result of incorporating some of the latest innovations in nutritional science: a natural antioxidant blend and a vitamin D3 metabolite.

Just as the previous formulation historically led the way through inclusion of nucleotides, this new product represents a major step forward in supporting birds during the most demanding periods of productivity, such as breeding, and rearing up to release dates.

The antioxidant blend contains natural preparations of vitamins that are better absorbed and used in the body, as well as more complex antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as flavanoids, polyphenols and carotenoids.

Antioxidants mop up ’free radicals’ produced by day-to-day metabolism, which would otherwise damage cells. The requirement for antioxidants can be increased in certain physiologically stressful situations – such as when additional demands are placed on the bird by vaccination, movements or periods of fast growth.

The vitamin D3 metabolite has been shown to increase body weights in broilers and improve feed conversion by 2.6 per cent, bone strength was also improved by almost 10 per cent.1 Game bird producers can also anticipate more robust, stronger birds, produced more cost effectively. And with feed costs likely to rocket this year, that has to be front of mind.

When it comes to breeding stock, the vitamin D3 metabolite has also been shown to increase egg weights. Research has shown that higher pheasant egg weights lead to higher chick weights at hatching, better live weight gain, improved feed consumption and better feed efficiency.

Previously, the tonic was one of the first to contain nucleotides – which help boost defences against infection – and the new formulation still benefits from their addition. The tonic also still includes sulphur containing amino acids, methionine and lysine, which can increase egg weights and feed conversion efficiency 3

Elanco’s new Game Bird Tonic HD Plus is available from vets and animal health retailers and it can be given throughout breeding and rearing, or reserved for use during times of stress. The company is also launching Poultry Tonic HD Plus at the same time.