DFM stands for Direct-Fed Microbials. DFMs are blends of probiotic bacteria for livestock or pet animals. Why would we feed microbes to our animals, you ask?
Bad microbes such as Salmonella or Clostridium cause infection and weight loss, while toxins produced by spoilage microbes contaminate feed and cause digestive problems in animals. These bad microbes can be kept in check with increasing quantities of antibiotics... But there’s a safer, better method for best animal health. Similarly to how firefighters can fight fire with fire, we can use good microbes to fight the bad microbes. These good bacteria are also known as probiotic bacteria. Probiotic bacteria in DFMs are our allies and our weapons in the fight for optimal animal health.
Increasing consumption of animal products like milk and meat across the world, and rising concerns over the use of antibiotics in animals, resulted in the growing usage of DFMs in the past decades. DFMs not only fight the bad microbes but also enhance nutrient absorption among the animals, improving animal production profitability. The latest research shows that the benefits of DFMs to beef steers include improved energy status demonstrated by increased plasma glucose levels, compared to control animals fed the same diet without the DFMs. Steers, along with other grazing animals, are key to regenerative agriculture focused on healthy soil.
DFMs are safe, natural, and effective supplements used in animal production worldwide.