Anpario announced that its oregano
essential oil supplement resulted in a 5% improvement in daily live weight gain
according to a study.
New beef research shows that Anpario's 100% natural oregano essential oil (OEO) supplement, Orego-Stim, resulted in a 5% improvement in daily live weight gain and an ROI of 2.5:1, the company said.
A commercial study was undertaken with an Aberdeen Angus contract beef rearer for a UK retailer. The aim was to evaluate the effect of the feed additive on the performance of growing Aberdeen Angus cross beef cattle.
"Orego-Stim can be seen to be an effective component of forage-based rations for supporting target weight gains in growing beef cattle," said Laura Corbett, product technical manager at Anpario. "Building good frame and maximizing performance on grower forage-based rations will benefit costs of production in the longer term."
A total of 140 housed steers, 260-280 days of age, brought in at around 160kg and reared to around 450kg liveweight, were split into two groups. The control group was fed a forage-based basal total mixed ration (TMR) and the OEO supplemented group was fed the TMR with Orego-Stim included to provide 3g/head/day. The cattle were weighed every four-six weeks throughout the four-and-a-half month study period.
The addition of Orego-Stim to the ration resulted in a 5% improvement in daily liveweight gain and an additional 4.5kg of total live weight gain throughout the study. The cattle fed rations supplemented with Orego-Stim had no notifiable health issues and the additional total liveweight gain resulted in more profit, with a return on investment of 2.5:1.
"With rising feed costs, it has become more important than ever for producers to ensure efficient feed conversion and improved growth rates," added Corbett. "This study demonstrates that Orego-Stim may be included in forage-based beef rations to support improved growth performance of beef cattle and provide a sustainable, natural tool to optimize producer profitability."
The outcome of the commercial trial demonstrates how Orego-Stim can benefit growing cattle performance by aiding ration palatability and intakes, supporting good animal health, and minimizing the impact of any stress during rearing, the company said.