Optimising Feedlot Cattle Digestion with Beef Culture Plus
Optimising Feedlot Cattle Digestion with Beef Culture Plus
In feedlot operations, maximising feed efficiency whilst maintaining a high level of animal health is critical to the overall profitability.
As cattle are transitioned onto high-energy, grain-based rations in intensive feeding cattle systems, digestive challenges can arise. Beef Culture Plus is a proven probiotic formulated to support optimal rumen function in feedlot cattle during these high-stakes periods
What Digestive Challenges Do Feedlot Cattle Face?
Feedlot diets are specifically designed to drive rapid and efficient weight gain in cattle. However, they can also place a significant amount of stress on the cattle’s rumen function. High starch diets tend to disrupt the rumen microbial balance and reduce fibre digestion, which increases the risk of acidosis.
Rumen acidosis is a serious condition that produces high amounts of lactic acid, which can result in:
Reduced feed intake
Poor weight gain
Bloating and lethargy
Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are the primary and desirable end-products of normal rumen fermentation. Key VFAs - including acetate, propionate and butyrate - supply approximately 70% of the animal’s energy requirements for maintenance and growth. By supporting a stable and efficient rumen environment, Beef Culture Plus promotes optimal VFA production, helping enhance feed efficiency and overall feedlot performance.
What Is Beef Culture Plus?
Beef Culture Plus is a unique blend of four beneficial bacterial strains - including the original Beef Culture strains and two Bacillus strains to support optimal gut health in feedlot cattle. Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis are known to produce digestive enzymes and peptides that assist in the breakdown of starch, fibre and protein, which improves the nutrient availability and more efficient rumen and post-ruminal digestion.
It works by enhancing the population and activity of beneficial rumen micro-organisms, which helps cattle adapt better to high-concentrate grain diets used in feedlot systems. Beef Culture Plus can reduce total liver abscesses by 4% and also increase hot carcase weight by up to 10kgs.
How Does Beef Culture Plus Enhance Digestion?
Beef Culture Plus assists in the following ways:
Improved Fiber and Starch Utilisation - Beef Culture Plus promotes a stable rumen environment to efficiently break down both fibre and starch, allowing the cattle to extract more usable energy from each kilogram of feed.
Enhanced Rumen Stability - By supporting beneficial microbial populations, Beef Culture Plus helps moderate rumen pH, reducing the risk of ruminal acidosis from their grain-heavy diets.
Increased Feed Intake Consistency - Cattle with healthier rumen functions maintain a more consistent feed intake, which leads to improved daily weight gain across the feedlot pens.
Better Feed Conversion Efficiency - Beef Culture Plus helps convert more nutrients into growth (rather than waste), which leads to improved feed conversion ratios and lower cost per kilogram of gain.
Increased Enzyme and Peptide Production - Beef Culture Plus promotes significantly higher enzyme and peptide activity which improves the cattle’s overall digestion and nutrient absorption.
Reduction In Clostridial Issues - In high-grain feedlot conditions, Clostridial Type A pressure can contribute to subclinical gut damage and both unexplained performance losses and mortality. The Bacillus component of Beef Culture Plus greatly supports the rumen’s microbial balance through competitive exclusion. This helps limit the proliferation of opportunistic clostridial species.
What Are The Benefits For Feedlot Operations?
Beef Culture Plus has been proven to improve feed efficiency by up to 6%. Incorporating Beef Culture Plus into feedlot nutrition programs will deliver multiple operational advantages:
Improved growth performance and carcase outcomes
Reduced digestive upsets during diet transitions
Greater consistency in cattle performance
Enhanced overall profitability
As feed costs continue to rise and production margins tighten, solutions that improve nutrient utilisation are more important than ever.
Beef Culture Plus offers feedlot operations a practical, science-based supplement to support digestive health, animal performance and ultimately increase economic returns.
For more information about Beef Culture Plus, visit our product page or talk to one of our reps to see if it’s right for you.
