Prebiotics and probiotics are not the same thing: prebiotics are nutrients that feed beneficial gut bacteria, while probiotics are living microorganisms that directly supplement the gut flora. Both play a role in the gut health of farm animals, but they work through different mechanisms and are used to address different challenges. This article answers the most frequently asked questions about prebiotics and probiotics in livestock farming, including the role of betaine as complementary support for gut health.
How do prebiotics and probiotics work in the digestive system of animals?
Prebiotics work indirectly: they are not digested by the animal itself, but serve as a food source for beneficial bacteria in the gut. Probiotics work directly by adding living, beneficial microorganisms to the gut flora. Together, they influence the balance between good and harmful bacteria, also known as eubiosis versus dysbiosis.
In practice, this means that prebiotics stimulate the growth of already present beneficial bacteria, while probiotics introduce new, beneficial strains. A healthy gut flora is essential for good nutrient absorption, a strong gut barrier, and a well-functioning immune system. In farm animals, the gut is constantly under pressure from stress factors such as weaning, transport stress, heat stress, or a dietary change. At those moments, the microbiota quickly becomes unbalanced, resulting in diarrhea, reduced growth, and higher mortality.
Prebiotics such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as butyrate, which in turn strengthen the gut wall. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bacillus strains compete with pathogens for space and nutrients, giving harmful bacteria less opportunity to grow.
What are the concrete benefits of prebiotics for livestock and poultry?
Prebiotics for farm animals improve gut health by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria, increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids, and strengthening the gut barrier. In livestock and poultry, this translates into better feed utilization, fewer intestinal infections, and more stable technical performance.
The benefits of prebiotics are most noticeable during periods of stress or high production pressure. In broilers and laying hens, prebiotics lead to improved villus height in the gut, which increases the absorption surface and improves nutrient uptake. In pigs, particularly weaned piglets, prebiotics help maintain gut integrity after weaning, a critical phase during which the microbiota can be severely disrupted.
Concrete benefits of prebiotics for livestock and poultry include:
- Stimulation of the growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
- Increased production of butyrate and other SCFAs, which nourish the gut wall
- Reduction of gut pH, which inhibits pathogens
- Improvement of the feed conversion ratio (FCR)
- Reduction of wet litter in poultry through better manure consistency
- Support of the immune system via gut-associated lymphoid tissues
In ruminants, prebiotics also work at the level of the rumen, where they can support microbial protein production and fiber digestion.
What are the concrete benefits of probiotics for farm animals?
Probiotics for farm animals deliver living microorganisms that directly compete with harmful bacteria, activate the immune response, and restore gut balance. They are particularly effective after antibiotic treatments, during outbreaks of intestinal infections, or during periods of high stress.
The use of probiotics fits well within a strategy aimed at reducing antibiotic use, also referred to as a “No Antibiotic Ever” (NAE) approach. Probiotic strains such as Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium produce antimicrobial substances that inhibit gram-negative pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella.
The benefits of probiotics are concrete and measurable:
- Restoration of gut flora after disruptions caused by stress, transport, or medication use
- Reduction of diarrhea incidence in weaned piglets and young chicks
- Improvement of average daily gain (ADG) through more efficient nutrient uptake
- Strengthening of tight junctions in the gut wall, making it harder for harmful substances to penetrate the gut barrier
- Activation of the immune system through interaction with gut-associated immune cells
- Reduction of mortality under challenging conditions, such as in warm climates or at high stocking densities
In laying hens, probiotics contribute to more stable egg production and better shell strength, particularly in older flocks that are more susceptible to gut-related problems.
When do you choose prebiotics and when do you choose probiotics?
Choose prebiotics when the animal’s gut flora is already reasonably balanced and you want to structurally reinforce that balance. Choose probiotics when the gut flora is disrupted or at risk of being disrupted, for example after an antibiotic treatment, during weaning, or during an infection. In many cases, they complement each other.
Prebiotics are a preventive, structural measure: they create a favorable environment for the existing microbiota. They are well suited as a standard component of the nutritional strategy, throughout the entire year. Probiotics are more reactive or curative in nature and are used at moments when the gut flora needs extra support.
In practice, the following rules of thumb apply when making a choice:
- Prebiotics are suitable as preventive support in regular feed or drinking water
- Probiotics are effective as a targeted intervention during disruptions, periods of stress, or disease pressure
- For chronic gut problems or structural dysbiosis, a combination is preferred
- The choice also depends on the animal species: in poultry, the gut flora is more susceptible to rapid changes than in ruminants
A good feed and drinking water strategy takes into account the life stage, the production system, and the specific risk moments of the farm.
Can prebiotics and probiotics be used together in animals?
Yes, prebiotics and probiotics can be used together in farm animals. The combination is called a synbiotic and has a reinforcing effect: the prebiotics feed the probiotic strains, allowing them to survive better and work more effectively in the gut.
The combined use makes sense from a systems perspective. Probiotics introduce beneficial microorganisms, but those also need the opportunity to establish themselves and multiply. Prebiotics provide the nutritional substrate needed for this. This makes the combination more effective than each product individually, especially in animals that are chronically under pressure.
In livestock farming, synbiotics are increasingly being applied during periods of high stress, such as during transport, vaccination programs, or climate changes. In poultry, the combination can improve litter quality, lower the FCR, and reduce mortality. In pigs, the combined approach helps to shorten the post-weaning dip and improve the uniformity of the litter.
What role does betaine play in the gut health of farm animals?
Betaine supports the gut health of farm animals by acting as an osmolyte and antioxidant. It protects intestinal cells against stress, strengthens the tight junctions in the gut barrier, and improves villus height for a larger absorption surface. Betaine is not a prebiotic or probiotic, but a complementary nutrient with its own proven mechanism of action.
Betaine fulfills four key functions for gut health:
- Strengthening of the gut barrier: betaine increases the expression of tight junction proteins such as occludin and claudin-1, making the gut wall less permeable to harmful substances
- Reduction of oxidative stress: as an antioxidant, betaine protects the gut wall during infections, heat stress, or other challenges
- Improvement of gut structure: betaine increases villus height and reduces crypt depth, leading to a better absorption surface and more efficient nutrient uptake
- Support of a healthy microbiota: betaine promotes eubiosis and helps maintain a stable, beneficial bacteria-dominated gut flora
In weaned piglets, betaine protects enterocytes during weaning stress, maintains tight junction function, and reduces intestinal permeability. This translates into less diarrhea, better manure consistency, and higher daily gain. In broilers, betaine improves resistance to coccidiosis and reduces the risk of wet litter. More information about the mechanism of action of betaine in animal nutrition can be found on our betaine page.
Betaine therefore does not replace prebiotics or probiotics, but strengthens gut health through a different mechanism: it protects the gut wall itself and supports the microbiota indirectly through a healthier gut environment.
How Jodoco helps with gut health in farm animals
At Jodoco, we develop products that structurally support gut health in farm animals, based on natural ingredients with a proven mechanism of action. Our approach combines the power of betaine, organic acids, medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and essential oils in targeted formulations for poultry, pigs, and ruminants.
Our gut health products offer, among other things:
- Jodobet: natural betaine as an osmolyte, methyl donor, and gut barrier protector, effective during heat stress, coccidiosis, and weaning stress
- Grovax: a combination of organic acids, butyrate, MCFA, and essential oils that improve gut health and inhibit pathogens, suitable for feed and drinking water
- Jodoplume: a liquid drinking water solution with betaine, organic acids, and copper for use during heat or coccidiosis stress
Our products fit within a NAE strategy and are scientifically substantiated through our own research and collaboration with universities and institutes. Whether you are looking for preventive support of the gut flora or targeted intervention for gut problems, we are happy to think along with you about the best approach for your farm. Contact us and discover which solution best suits your situation.
