Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle (2004)

Authors

M.A. Greenquist
B. Dicke
G.E. Erickson
T.J. Klopfenstein
James S. Drouillard

Keywords

Cattlemen's Day, 2004; Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution; no. 04-242-S; Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 923; Beef; Lactobacillus acidophilus; Propionibacterium freudenreichii; Growth performance; Carcass characteristics; Finishing cattle

Abstract

There have been contradicting reports of the efficacy of direct-fed microbials in finishing cattle diets. Some researchers have observed improvements in daily gain and feed efficiency when direct-fed microbials are included in finishing diets, whereas others have reported no differences in dry matter intake or ruminal and blood pH. Many of these studies have been conducted on a relatively small scale and used few animals per pen compared with that of typical commercial feedlot operations. In our study, yearling crossbred beef steers and heifers (n=3,539; 796 lb body weight) were used in an experiment conducted at a commercial feedlot operation to characterize growth performance and carcass characteristics associated with the supplementation of direct-fed microbials (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii) in finishing cattle diets. Including direct-fed microbials in the diet throughout a 122-day finishing period had no measurable impact on growth performance or carcass characteristics of finishing cattle.

Recommended Citation

Greenquist, M.A.; Dicke, B.; Erickson, G.E.; Klopfenstein, T.J.; and Drouillard, James S. (2004) "Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle (2004)," Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 0: Iss. 1. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.1621