The Impact of Garlic-infused Supplements on Beef Cattle Health and Performance
Date
2023-10-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0009-0004-8212-0846
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
A 2-year study was conducted to investigate the effect of free-choice garlic-infused supplements on the performance and health of feedlot beef steers. Collection of performance data included diet and mineral intake, fly abundance, average daily gain (ADG), liver abscess scores and carcass quality. Animal health was assessed through blood components, fecal parasite load and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) profiles. A total of 208 yearling steers (mean BW±SD; 511 ± 42 kg) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments, either non-garlic mineral supplement (MS) only, MS + 0.3% garlic oil-based premix (0.3GO), MS + 2.5% garlic powder (2.5GP) or MS+ 5% garlic powder (5GP). Animals were fed a high-grain diet and mineral supplement ad libitum in separate GrowSafe™ bunks to measure individual intake quantity and feeding behavior. Feeding trials were 86 d and 108 d in Yr 1 and 2, respectively.
Data from GrowSafe™ bunks showed treatments did not cause difference in feed intake but there was an increase in supplement intake in all three treatment groups (P < 0.01) relative to MS. In addition to our findings in supplement intake, there was an indication of SCFA modification from the treatment where interaction between trt*yr showed significant difference in the percent of acetic acid (P = 0.005) and propionic acid (P = 0.014). When pairwise comparisons were performed on SCFA ratios, we found acetate to propionate ratios were within normal rumen metabolism range with mixed outcomes between the years, pointing to limitation on the statistical analysis. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed for fly abundance between treatment groups, possibly due to recent insecticide application and low fly hatch rate in frequently disturbed grain-based manure. Likewise, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for ADG, complete blood count, parasite load, liver abscess scores or carcass quality parameters among treatment groups.
Study results suggest garlic treatment showed no performance benefit or adverse health impact in growing steers. This study revealed the addition of garlic products can potentially increase mineral supplement consumption which may be used as a feeding strategy to stimulate intake. Future research is required to further clarify whether variability in allicin content is responsible for the inconsistency seen between the two years. We recommend that future studies extend the duration of feeding trials for more comprehensive assessment of the long-term effects of garlic. Additionally, housing animals in pasture settings would enhance fly abundance, providing a more accurate evaluation of fly control measures.
Description
Keywords
Garlic-infused supplement, feedlot steer, performance, and health assessment
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Animal and Poultry Science
Program
Animal Science