Probiotic Bacillus species from Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen has been building its probiotic portfolio for more than 140 years, developing the world’s largest commercial bank of bacterial strains. Two of the company’s novel strains to support dairy calf health and growth are Bacillus licheniformis CH200 and Bacillus subtilis CH201.

These storage-stabilized live probiotic bacteria germinate in the animal’s GI tract and positively impact digestive health. Unlike conventional probiotic Lactobacillus species, Chr. Hansen’s Bacilli strains are motile “hunter-killers” that attack potentially pathogenic bacteria, producing bacteriocins and quorum-quenching compounds.

CH200 and CH201 also produce enzymes that improve dietary starch and fiber digestibility, promote the “barrier function” of intestinal tissue, and help support immune cell production in the gut.

A growing body of research supports use of these Bacilli strains in calves — currently more than 20 scientific trials, 10 published abstracts, and four peer-reviewed publications. In three controlled trials, daily feeding in milk replacer and starter feeds from 2 to 11 weeks of age significantly improved ADG driven by higher feed intake.

In a summary of nine trials in calves, daily gain increased 8.2% and FCR improved 4.2% (chart).