For years nutritionists have paid attention to the requirements of animals in terms of energy, protein and fibre to give a balanced diet aimed at sustaining growth and production. Formulations have been carefully supplemented with minerals and vitamins to ensure there is no limiting factor in meeting the animal’s needs. Now with the advent of non-antibiotic diets, the increasing challenge is to focus on the animal’s needs from a health point of view. Park Tonks have been involved in the study of natural products to support animal health for over 20 years and are able to capitalise upon their knowledge of how natural products can help support the animal in times of stress and address the new challenge with confidence.

The requirement is to understand what happens to the animal when challenged by disease, as well as what natural defences the body employs and what the nutritional requirements are to fight the challenge. Key areas for consideration are :

Supporting the body’s natural defence mechanisms – e.g. mucosal support to prevent virus or bacteria penetrating & colonising tissue

Active immune support – providing the nutrients needed to produce antibodies

Defence support – providing nutrients that help assist in creating adverse conditions for the growth of pathogenic organisms

The Holistic Approach

Why should I use it?

Our experience tells why 

Park Tonks have successfully employed this holistic approach in dealing with a number of stress situations. Over five years ago ViraMatrix was produced as a natural feed supplement to help pigs combat the increased demand placed when faced with PMWS, a viral disease that in some cases increased mortality by as much as 70%. Farmers commented that pigs which were fed ViraMatrix in their normal feed whilst suffering PMWS recovered faster, had a substantially lower mortality and performed better than those who were not receiving ViraMatrix.

 
CalfMatrix Milk               AH90

CalfMatrix Dry feed        AH88

CALFMATRIX was ‘born’ out of the concept of VIRAMATRIX, a unique product developed by Park Tonks Ltd to nutritionally support the stressed animal in times of viral challenge. Farmers feeding VIRAMATRIX reported that the typically high mortalities associated with the pig disease PMWS (Porcine multi wasting syndrome) were significantly reduced. Typical levels even as high as 72% reduced down to pre-infection levels of 4%.

Work continued in Ireland co-operating with a Vet looking at respiratory problems. A new product was developed to target lung problems and, following early success, this was transferred to a unit of calves suffering with Mycoplasma. The calves responded very well and the farmer said the infection was cleared up within a few days.

Other comments received since:

• 1000 cow farm – problem with calves coughing, growing slowly and generally ‘not doing’ well.  Within 2 weeks of feeding CALFMATRIX their growth rates increased and coughing stopped.  The Farmer is now a regular user.

• Two  farms selected for their difficult situations:

• Various pneumonia problems, calves dying, Vet involved with anti-biotic therapy. Ongoing problem on this farm, calves vaccinated but not always successful at preventing infection.  The Farmer started feeding CALFMATRIX – 3 weeks later when the sales person revisited calves had stopped dying, coughing had cleared up and associated scour stopped.

• ‘This farmer had never had good calves’.   He Started feeding CALFMATRIX.   Following a visit one  month later the farmer had, for the first time in years, calves he was not embarrassed to show to visitors
  

• A farm where CALFMATRIX had worked so well in the calves,  the question was raised whether it would  work in horses as the farm had a number of horses on livery with respiratory problems. The Rep has reported subsequently that it works on horses too!

• One Agent is  selling the product based on photographic ‘before and after’ evidence, as even healthy calves appear to grow much faster.

• ‘ We tried it on 3 farms and it has worked on all of them’.

• I have got 6 people on it and expect to have over 20 this winter.

• ‘ I must admit I did not think it would work as well as it has, especially on the units I chose to try it’.

• Six calves that were scouring dried up following the introduction of CALFMATRIX

• Calf Rearing unit that has between 350-400 animals at a time reports coughing has stopped, looseness in the dung has stopped and calves are looking better with good coat shine and improved growth. This was a test farm that is now using it regularly. Interestingly when they ran out of product recently for a week the problems returned. Latest news is this rearer has for the first time sent away 200 calves that have not been vaccinated against pneumonia. All were healthy, none were coughing and body condition and weight gain during the rearing period were excellent.

SK 03.04.07

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