Organic acids have become an essential tool in modern animal care, offering a natural and effective way to support your animal’s gut health, improve their digestion and prevent disease. Whether for pigs, poultry or game birds, using an effective organic acid supplement in their drinking water can help to optimise performance while reducing reliance on antibiotics.
How Organic Acids Work
The main function of organic acids in the drinking water of pigs and poultry is to lower the pH. By making the water more acidic, organic acids create a hostile environment for harmful bacteria and pathogens both in the water and in the digestive tract. This lowered gut pH helps to reduce the risk of diseases such as E. coli, Coccidiosis, Mycoplasma and Rotavirus, improving the health and resilience of your animals.
Moreover, when added to water, organic acids work faster and more effectively than feed-based additives. Pigs and poultry will always drink, even if they are off-colour, whereas feed intake can drop, limiting nutrient delivery. Water supplementation allows for flexible inclusion rates, which can be adjusted as needed to meet your animals’ requirements. Organic acids also reduce the need for antibiotics, saving both time and veterinary costs, while supporting their overall immune function during periods of stress.
Organic Acid Supplement Benefits for Pigs
An organic acid for pigs offers multiple benefits, particularly in improving their gut health and nutrient absorption. By lowering the pH in the digestive tract, the growth of harmful bacteria is inhibited, while beneficial microbes are supported; promoting a healthy microbial balance. This reduces the occurrence of wet litter and scours in post-weaning pigs: a common and costly problem.
We have curated the organic acid supplements we produce at Quill with these benefits as a priority. For example, the Quill Complete Organic Acid supplement offers chelated minerals for gut lining support and antimicrobial protection, improves immunity against pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and clostridium, enables better protein digestion and stimulates immunity.
Alternatively, the Quill Acidify offers a versatile option for general water acidification; inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, supporting gut function, preventing the need to use antibiotics and optimising the function of protein enzymes.
Organic Acids in Poultry Management
Using a specialist organic acid supplement for poultry in your bird’s drinking water is particularly valuable. Commercial drinking systems, such as nipple lines with cups, are prone to contamination with pathogens including Salmonella, yeasts and E. coli. In these areas organic acids can help to kill pathogens almost instantaneously as the birds drink: reducing the risk of diseases spreading.
Organic acid products such as Quill Complete Organic Acid can be used to enhance gut health in Poultry as it includes chelated minerals. Chelated minerals strengthen the gut lining of poultry and have antimicrobial properties, while amino acids support birds during moulting, helping to maintain feather growth and skin condition. The chelated minerals included in some of our supplements aid feather growth and strengthen the digestive lining, while amino acids optimise protein metabolism. This is particularly important during times of stress, when immunity can dip and animals become more susceptible to disease.
Organic Acids for Game Birds
Organic acids also play a crucial role in maintaining the health and vitality of your game birds, particularly during periods of stress or moulting. The Quill Boost Tonic can support your birds through times of stress with its combination of organic acids, essential amino acids and chelated minerals that are vital for maintaining your bird's overall wellbeing.
Furthermore, by safely reducing the pH of drinking water, the Quill Boost Tonic helps to control harmful pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli, improving digestion and reducing the need for antibiotics. The formulation also aids in the bird's muscle development and feather growth, while amino acids provide vital support during moulting.
What Do Different Types of Organic Acids Do?
Different organic acids offer different benefits when supplemented in animal diets:
- Formic acid is highly effective against bacteria such as Salmonella
- Propionic acid eradicates most yeasts
- Lactic acid, which is naturally present in the gut, combats E. coli
The use of an organic acid supplement in livestock drinking water not only ensures your animals receive these vital components but also optimises the function of protein enzymes such as pepsin, enhancing protein digestion and amino acid absorption. Better feed utilisation leads to improved growth rates and reduces nutrient loss in manure, which is better for the environment and your farm economics.
Organic Acids and Water System Efficiency
Waterline supplementation with organic acids offers additional benefits beyond health. These acids can help reduce calcium build-up in pipes, keeping your water systems clean and efficient. For precise dosing, peristaltic pumps, such as the Quill Multi-Doser, allow accurate control of inclusion rates across various applications, ensuring that your animals receive the right amount of organic acids at all times.
Maximising Efficiency and Profitability
The major cost in livestock and poultry production is feed. Using an organic acid supplement ensures your animals utilise the nutrients they receive more efficiently, improving growth rates, reducing disease losses and minimising nutrient waste in manure. By supporting gut health, muscle production and immune function organic acids help maintain healthy, productive animals while reducing veterinary interventions and costs.
Incorporating an organic acid supplement into your animal’s drinking water is a practical, cost-effective and scientifically supported strategy to improve the health and performance of pigs, poultry and game birds. From reducing disease and improving gut health to enhancing protein digestion, feather growth and immune function, the benefits are clear.
