P.PSH.1375 - Effect of Bovaer®10 on performance, health, carcase characteristics and carbon footprint of Australian feedlot cattle

Summary

A commercial feedlot study was conducted between the 1 June 2022 and 6 March 2023 at a feedlot in southern Queensland. A total of 7,997 Black Angus steers (451.8 ± 10.4 kg SD) were allocated to project treatments and fed for an average of 151.5 days targeting a mid-fed export beef market. The study was designed as a randomised block with 16 blocks (replicates) of two treatments each, providing a total of 32 feedlot pens.

The treatments were:
• Control = standard feedlot diet with 0mg 3-NOP/kg DM
• 3-NOP = standard feedlot diet with 100mg 3-NOP/kg DM

Project cattle were fed the standard feedlot transition diets for the first 20 days on feed. The 3-NOP treatment cattle received the 3-NOP within a cereal based pellet included at 2% (As-Fed basis) within the standard feedlot finisher ration. The study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 (blocks 1 to 8), and Phase 2 (blocks 9 to 16).

Objectives

(1) Determine the effect of Bovaer®10 on feedlot cattle performance, health, and carcass characteristics;
(2) Evaluate effect on carbon footprint of Australian feedlot cattle;
(3) Determine the cost-benefit of Bovaer®10 to the feedlot operation using three scenarios:
(i) Assess cost of feeding Bovaer®10;
(ii) Assess increase in carcass value ($/kg) required to offset cost of feeding Bovaer®10;
(iii) Assess ability to monetise emissions reduction using an internationally recognised carbon trading scheme.

Key findings

- Bovaer®10 had no effect on feedlot cattle performance to re-implant at an average 70 DOF (both Phase 1 & 2).
-Findings requiring further research include the 2.1% decrease in dry matter intake of cattle and a 4.2kg decrease in hot carcase weight, in the latter half of the feeding period of Phase 1 of the project, which may be caused by wet weather conditions and/or high dry matter intakes (and 3-NOP intakes) observed.
-In Phase 2 during drier conditions during late/spring early summer there was no effect of Bovaer®10 on feedlot performance, carcase characteristics or animal health over the full feeding period.
- This project demonstrated that Bovaer®10 lacked stability when applied through the supplemental pellet formulation used in this project. Bovaer®10 had active losses of 12.0% with pelleting and 7.3% during storage, and alternative supplementation mechanisms or stabilising technologies will need to be identified.
- Using efficacy values from recently completed MLA research (Almeida et al. 2023) Bovaer®10 reduces feedlot Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by more than 50%, but when including Scope 3 (carbon associated with purchased cattle), reduction falls to 5%. If value is derived from carcase weight premiums breakeven prices of $0.017, $0.034, $0.069, $0.103 and $0.138/kg are required at 5, 10, 20, 30 c and 40 c/hd/d Bovaer®10 cost, respectively assuming no performance loss at a 5-year average $7.40/kg carcass price ($/kg).
- If a 2.6kg HCSW loss was factored, breakeven premiums increase to $0.061, $0.079, $0.113, $0.148 and $0.183/kg respectively.

Benefits to industry

This project has provided an evaluation of the efficacy of Bovaer-10 for feedlot cattle performance. In the lack of current productivity benefits, it also explored other value drivers including branding premiums and carbon credit revenue.

MLA action

MLA has communicated the results of the research at the ALFA/MLA Consulting Vets and Nutritionist research symposium in October 2023.

Future research

Bovaer®10 is an effective tool for mitigating methane, but for broad industry adoption further research may occur in a number of areas. These include product stability under a range of supplemental forms, storage and weather conditions; understanding why performance was decreased during wet spring conditions and/or high feed intakes, further research in dose titration of Bovaer®10 and/or including an additional feed additive or probiotic that effectively captures ruminal hydrogen to improve cattle performance.