Feeding garlic powder to cattle: Effects on mineral intake, fly repellence and cattle performance Lead Scientist – Dr. Obioha Durunna
Duration – 2019 to 2022
Background Summer grazing allows cattle producers to make cheap and cost-effective weight gains from pastures. However, the seasonal abundance of filth flies (such as horn, stable, and black flies) presents some production, economic, welfare, and social license consequences to the cattle industry. Further, the demand for improved animal performance has prompted cattle producers to look for strategies to reduce energy losses while also ensuring better animal health. Forage and grain-based diets alone cannot achieve the optimal nutritional needs of cattle. Beef cattle can get most of their nutrients from forage, while the remaining must come from supplementation or feed additives. Therefore, feed additives are effective and practical tools for producers to manage nutrient deficiencies while promoting feed efficiency in cattle. A growing practice for beef producers is feeding mineral supplements infused with phytogenic feed additives such as garlic powder (Allium sativum) in order to stimulate increased mineral intake in cattle. Increased mineral intake is necessary for feeding systems or regions requiring elevated mineral intake to make up for nutrient deficiencies in feed. Garlic is used as a flavoring agent to increase the appetite of animals, but there is a considerable gap and lack of scientific information related to long- and short-term beef production activities. Most producers feed their animals these supplements to take advantage of the insectifugal claims. It is unclear whether this feeding practice has other benefits or adverse effects on animal productivity and health. Moreover, the impact of the various recommended inclusion levels is also not well understood. Some studies reported that garlic products or their components have immunostimulant, antimethanogenesis, improved fibre digestibility, and antimicrobial properties. Others have reported that garlic and its derivatives have insect-repellent abilities, which could be advantageous to the livestock industry. As consumer awareness grows, there is a higher demand for quality animal products at lower prices, others emphasize natural products rather than conventional commercial chemical products. Some cattle producers also have a growing interest in feeding natural alternatives rather than the conventional chemical-based types. Because cattle producers will benefit from strategies to ensure their stock consumes adequate mineral supplements to meet their production and health needs, a system that simultaneously reduces fly abundance and increases mineral intake is beneficial to the cattle industry. The objectives of this study were to measure supplement intake alongside fly abundance and other performance parameters in feedlot steers receiving different levels of garlic powder in their mineral supplement. The health indicators evaluated include blood parameters, liver abscess scores, and fecal parasite load.