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AS-1177, July 1999
Dr. Chip Poland, Area Livestock Specialist, Dickinson R/E Center
Dr. Karl Hoppe, Area Livestock Specialist, Carrington R/E Center
Feed additives are ingredients added to calf rations to enhance production efficiency, improve health, and/or reduce morbidity. A variety of additives can be safe and effective when used as indicated on label specifications.
Introduction
Feed additives are compounds that are added to diets for reasons other than to supply nutrients to the animal. For example, an antibiotic would be considered a feed additive because there is no "nutrient requirement" for antibiotics. Urea, on the other hand, is not considered a feed additive because it is a source of dietary protein (in the form of nitrogen) for cattle. For the most part, additives are used in cattle feeding because they enhance production efficiency, improve health, and/or reduce morbidity. The economic benefit of feed additive use is typically lowered production costs as a result of an improvement in production efficiency.
Feed additives are typically used in very small quantities. Concerns with toxicity and end-product residual make appropriate mixing, delivery and consumption critical. For these reasons, most feed additive use is regulated. No one, not even veterinarians, can authorize the use of a feed additive in a manner inconsistent with label specifications. The feed industry has developed a variety of products (premixes, supplements, vitamin/mineral packages) that enable producers to use feed additives effectively and safely.
Classes of Feed Additives
Antibiotics and Sulfas
These feed additives are classified as antibacterial agents because they limit the growth of certain bacteria. Bacteria are known to cause clinical sickness or subclinical reductions in health (morbidity) that can reduce performance of cattle. These compounds are generally approved for use as low-level continuous or periodic additions to the diet to enhance production efficiency or for the treatment of clinical disease. Animal response to this category of feed additive depends on the feeding conditions at the time they are used, so it is difficult to quantify the actual response that can be expected. For these reasons a positive financial return derived from the use of antibacterial feed additives is not guaranteed.
There are several production responses that can be achieved through appropriate use of anti-bacterial compounds. Compounds approved for low-level use in feedlot cattle diets to enhance gain and feed efficiency are shown in Table 1. Also, certain compounds can be used to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle (Table 2). Liver abscesses can be prevalent in cattle with erratic feed intakes fed high concentrate diets. Antibacterial compounds are also used to reduce the incidence and severity of respiratory diseases, diarrhea and anaplasmosis (Table 3).
Antibiotics are ubiquitous in nature. Many are normally produced in organisms found naturally in the soil and other places. Therefore, people and animals have been exposed to antibiotics for centuries. Their judicious use in livestock production results in healthier animals. In over 40 years use in livestock production, bacterial resistance to antibiotics resulting from their use as feed additives has not appeared to result in any increased risk to people or animals. As long as the presence of bacteria reduces feedlot performance and bacteria continue to respond to antibiotics, proper use of anti-bacterial compounds will provide performance benefits.
Table 1. Antibacterial compounds for use as low-level feed additive
in feedlot cattle diets to increased weight gain and/or improved feed efficiency.
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Compound Recommend use Withdrawal Time*
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Bacitracin Zinc 35 to 70 mg/hd/d None
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Bambermycins or Gain Pro� 10 to 20 mg/hd/d None
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Chlortetracycline, CTC� 25-70 mg/hd/d for None
or Aureomycin� cattle weighing
250-400 lb;
70 to 100 mg/hd/d None
for cattle greater
than 400 lb
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Oxytetracycline, OTC� 75 mg/hd/d None
or Terramycin�**
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Sulfamethazine plus 350 mg/hd/d Feed for 28 d in
Chlortetracycline, 350 mg/hd/d the presence of
or Aureo-S700� respiratory disease
(shipping fever);
discontinue 7-d
prior to slaughter
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Virginiamycin or Vmax� 70 - 340 mg/hd/d None
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* Time between last treatment and slaughter.
** Can be fed with lasalocid (see table 4).
Table 2. Antibacterial compounds for use to reduce the incidence of
liver abscesses in feedlot cattle.
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Withdrawal
Compound Recommend use Time*
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Bacitracin Methylene 70 mg/hd/d None
Disalicylate continuously or
250 mg/hd/d for 5 d
followed by 25 d
without medication
and repeat every 30 d
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Chlortetracycline, CTC� 70 mg/hd/d None
or Aureomycin�
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Oxytetracycline, OTC� 75 mg/hd/d None
or Terramycin�**
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Tylosin or Tylan�*** 60-90 mg/hd/d None
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Virginiamycin or Vmax� 85-240 mg/hd/d None
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* Time between last treatment and slaughter.
** Can be fed with lasalocid (see table 4).
*** Can be fed with either monensin, monensin in combination
with melengesterol acetate (MGA), or lasalocid in
combination with MGA (see table 4).
Table 3. Antibacterial compounds for use as an aid in reducing the incidence of
other disease conditions in feedlot cattle.
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Claim and
Compound Recommend use Withdrawal Time*
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Chlortetracycline, 350 mg/hd/d Bacterial pneumonia,
CTC� or shipping fever. Withdraw
Aureomycin�** 48 hr prior to slaughter.
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10 mg/lb BW/d. Bacterial enteritis and
Feed for not more bacterial pneumonia.
than 5 d. Withdraw 48 hr prior to
slaughter.
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350 mg/hd/d for beef Anaplasmosis. Withdraw
cattle under 700 lb; 48 hr prior to slaughter.
0.5-2.0 mg/lb BW/d Anaplasmosis. Withdraw
for beef cattle over 48 hr prior to slaughter.
700 lb
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Oxytetracycline, 0.5-2.0 g/lb BW/d. Early stages of shipping
OTC� or Feed for 3-5 d fever.
Terramycin� before and after
feedlot arrival.
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10 mg/lb BW/d. Feed Bacterial enteritis,
continuously for shipping fever. Withdraw
7-14 d. 5-d before slaughter.
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* Time between last treatment and slaughter. Actual times may vary with
manufacturer. See label description for specific withdraw times.
** Can be fed with sulfamethazine (see table 1).
Ionophores
Ionophores (Table 4) are a unique class of antibiotics that selectively affect certain microorganisms by altering the passage of ions through "pores" on their outer cell membrane, thus the name "ionophores". Ionophores were originally used as a coccidiostat in the poultry industry. Later, they were shown to enhance feed efficiency in cattle by altering the microbial fermentation of feed in the rumen.
Table 4. Ionophores for use as feed additives in feedlot cattle.
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Withdrawal
Compound Recommend use Time*
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Laidlomycin propionate 5-10 g/ton of None
or Cattlyst� complete feed; do
not feed more than
150 mg/hd/d
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Lasalocid or Bovatec�** 10-30 g/ton of None
complete feed; do
not feed more than
360 mg/hd/d
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Monensin or Rumensin�*** 5-30 g/ton of None
complete feed; do
not feed more than
360 mg/hd/d
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* Time between last treatment and slaughter.
** Can be fed with oxytetracycline, melengesterol acetate (MGA),
and in combination with MGA and tylosin (see tables 1 and 2).
*** Can be fed with tylosin (see table 2) and/or melengesterol
acetate (MGA).
Changes in microbial fermentation result in an increase in propionate production and a
reduction in ruminal protein degradation. Propionate tends to enhance the energetic
efficiency of growth, while reduced protein degradation increases the amount of feed
protein that "bypasses" the rumen to the lower digestive tract.
Improvements in feed efficiency due to ionophore use increase as the level of roughage in the diet increases. In higher concentrate diets, there are other subtle benefits from ionophore use. Primarily, feed intake of high grain diets is less variable when ionophores are used. This in turn can lead to a reduction in the potential for acidosis and bloat. Ionophores can improve the potential return to cattle feeders up to $12 per head.
Use of ionophores in higher than approved levels can be toxic to cattle. Horses are especially susceptible to ionophore toxicity. Horses should not be allowed to eat feed or supplements containing ionophores.
Coccidiostats
Coccidia are protozoal organisms that can invade and destroy the intestinal mucosa of cattle. They are generally present in most animals at subclinical numbers and do not affect the performance and health of cattle. At certain times, however, their numbers increase to the point that production efficiency is decreased and irritation of the digestive tract becomes so severe that bloody feces and scouring can result. Certain factors (e.g. stress during transportation, abrupt diet changes, severe weather changes) can cause an episode of clinical coccidiosis.
Interpretation of fecal coccidia is difficult, since a clinical problem can be present even with low coccidia counts. Preventive measures are recommended when there is concern or a history of coccidiosis. Four additives (Table 5) are approved for the prevention and/or treatment of coccidiosis in feedlot cattle.
Table 5. Coccidiostats for use as feed additives in feedlot cattle.
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Compound Recommend use Withdrawal Time*
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Amprolium or Corrid� Prevention: 2.27 mg/lb Withdraw 24 hr
BW/d for 21 d; before slaughter
Treatment: 4.54 mg/lb Withdraw 24 hr
BW/d for 5 d before slaughter
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Decoquinate or Deccox� Prevention: 0.227 mg/lb None
BW/d for at least 28 d
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Lasalocid or Bovatec� Control: 1 mg/2.2 lb None
BW/d up to a maximum of
360 mg/hd/d
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Monensin or Rumensin� Control: 10-30 g/ton None
up to a maximum of
360 mg/hd/d
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* Time between last treatment and slaughter.
Estrous suppression
Melengesterol acetate (MGA) is a steroidal feed additive that is used to suppress estrus (cyclic sexual activity or heat) and to improve the growth rate and feed efficiency in feedlot heifers. The recommended level is 0.25 to 0.50 mg of MGA per head daily. Melengesterol acetate is approved for use with lasalocid or monensin (see table 4).
Other Additives
Additives are available for the alleviation of other problems in feedlot cattle. These include bloat, flies (e.g. face, horn and stable) and internal parasites (e.g. stomach, intestinal and lung worms). The cattle feeder using feed additives for these specific purposes should read and follow all label instructions and manufacturers' recommendations. Currently, the products available include:
Bloat
- Poloxalene or Bloat Guard� (used primarily for pasture rather than feedlot bloat). 10-20 mg/lb BW/d.
Flies
- Methoprene or Altosid�. 0.227-0.454 mg/lb BW/month.
- Rabon. 0.68 mg/lb BW/d.
Footrot
- Older products/techniques using feed additives are not currently listed in Feed Additive Compendium (FAC, 1998).
Internal Parasites (worms)
- Fenbendazol or Safe-Guard�. Two treatment regimes available: 2.27 mg/lb BW for one day or 2.27 mg/lb BW given over a 3 to 6 day period. 13-day withdraw period prior to slaughter.
- Levamisole or Tramisol�. 3.6 mg/lb BW/d. 48-hr withdraw period prior to slaughter.
- Morantel Tartrate or Rumatel�. 4.4 mg/lb BW/d. 14-day withdraw period prior to slaughter.
- Thiabendazole or TBZ�. 30-50 mg/lb BW/d. 3-day withdraw period prior to slaughter.
Summary
When used properly, feed additives pose little risk to cattle, producer and consumer. Approved additives have been thoroughly researched and their safety is assured when used in ways approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The responsibility of proper use rests with the cattle feeder. All additives have complete instructions that must be read and followed. Levels to be used, time of administration and withdrawal periods, if required, must be followed. Proper use of additives is a must if the consumer is going to continue to purchase beef with complete confidence in its wholesomeness.
Sources of Information
FAC. 1998. Feed Additive Compendium. Sarah Muirhead, Editor. The Miller Publishing Co., Minnetonka, MN.
Herman, T., S. Baker and G.L. Stokka. 1995. Medicated feed additives for beef cattle and calves. Cooperative Extension Service. Kansas State University. Publ. MF-2043.
Preston, R. L. 1997. Feed additives and regulations. In: R.C. Albin and G.B. Thompson (ed.) Cattle feeding: A guide to management. Trafton Printing, Inc., Amarillo, TX.
AS-1177, July 1999
