If you’re considering adding feed additives to your cattle’s diet, you should know about the benefits and limitations of each type of additive. Vitamin and mineral supplements are a great place to start, but there are also other types of additives that you should know about. These include ionophores, enzymes, and poloxalene.
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Vitamin and mineral supplements
Vitamin and mineral supplements for beef cattle are an important part of a cattle’s diet, as they are necessary for proper animal function and growth. Without these important nutrients, beef cattle’s growth and reproductive performance can be compromised. In fact, a lack of sufficient amounts of vitamin and mineral intake in cattle’s diet can cause them to develop problems such as polio.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are available in a variety of forms for beef cattle. Some are free-choice vitamins and minerals, and others are formulated to be supplementary. In addition to the basic vitamins and minerals, cattle can receive dietary iodine and zinc.
Ionophores
Ionophores are compounds in the diet that alter the rumen fermentation pattern. The rumen is a key organ for cattle that produces milk and meat from forages. Whether they are used in beef cattle feed or dairy cow feed, these compounds have been shown to have several benefits.
These compounds work by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the rumen. This causes the rumen to retain more nitrogen and carbon, which ultimately leads to better production. Ionophores also increase feed efficiency and reduce the amount of feed required by cattle. These benefits make ionophores an important part of a sustainable beef production system.
Poloxalene
Poloxalene is a feed additive for beef cattle that helps to reduce the occurrence of bloat. It works by breaking down the frothy foam that forms in the rumen. However, cattle need to be fed the correct dosage for effective bloat prevention. The recommended dose for beef cattle is 0.7 pounds per day, or 0.8 ounces per 100 pounds of body weight.
Adding feed additives to beef cattle diets has several benefits, including increased productivity, efficiency, and health. They can reduce the incidence of bloat, acidosis, and liver abscesses. Additionally, they can control foot rot and parasites. These feed additives can improve the health and productivity of cattle while decreasing the cost of antibiotics.
Enzymes
The use of enzymes as feed additives for beef cattle can help improve their performance in several ways. Enzymes can break down a variety of forages into simpler compounds for the animals to digest. These enzymes can also increase digestibility and help in improving the rumen health and function.
Enzymes are proteins and organic chemicals that aid in metabolic reactions in the body. The absence of enzymes in feed results in poor feed quality. Enzyme supplementation improves feed quality and animal health, resulting in decreased veterinarian expenses and reduced mortality rates. Enzymes can be obtained from plant concentrates, animals, or microorganisms.
Probiotics
In recent years, probiotic feed additives for beef cattle have gained increasing popularity as an alternative feed ingredient. They are known to have several positive effects on the health of beef cattle. One example is the reduction of fecal shedding of pathogens. Another benefit is that the bacteria produce lactic acid, which can help stabilize pH in the rumen. These probiotics are also believed to inhibit foodborne pathogens.
Probiotics can be found in a variety of forms, including liquids and dry powders. The dry form is generally more cost effective, as it can be stored easily and has a long shelf life. It is likely that the use of lactobacillus-based bacterial animal feed probiotics will surpass non-bacterial forms of probiotics in the next five to ten years.
Selenium
Selenium is a trace element found in soil and animal tissues. It is bound to a number of proteins and enzymes. It is also part of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme, which destroys and inhibits naturally occurring peroxides. Selenium also protects cell membranes. Selenium deficiency can lead to diseases like nutritional muscular dystrophy and white muscle disease.
Selenium is important for growth, reproduction and immune function in livestock. However, it is also a nutrient that can be toxic. Because of this, it is regulated in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a feed additive. Sodium selenate, selenium yeast, and selenium pellets are approved for use in beef cattle diets. The FDA’s feed additive regulations for selenium limit the amount of selenium a cattle can legally receive.
