How a feed additive makes cows grow leaner faster
Effect of ractopamine hydrochloride (Optaflexx) dose and duration on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing steers.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Final body weight didn’t change despite improved feed efficiency and muscle growth.
People assume better feed efficiency means heavier animals, but here, cows got leaner and more efficient without gaining more total weight.
Practical Takeaways
Feedlot operators can use 200 mg/day of ractopamine for 28 days to maximize feed efficiency and lean muscle without extending feeding time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Final body weight didn’t change despite improved feed efficiency and muscle growth.
People assume better feed efficiency means heavier animals, but here, cows got leaner and more efficient without gaining more total weight.
Practical Takeaways
Feedlot operators can use 200 mg/day of ractopamine for 28 days to maximize feed efficiency and lean muscle without extending feeding time.
Publication
Journal
Journal of animal science
Year
2016
Authors
C. J. Bittner, G. Crawford, L. L. Berger, S. Holt, R. Pritchard, W. Platter, M. V. van Koevering, N. Pyatt, G. Erickson
Related Content
Claims (6)
Giving steers the same growth-promoting feed additive for two extra weeks—42 days instead of 28—doesn’t make them grow faster or change their meat quality in any meaningful way.
When farmers give steers (male cattle) more of a special feed additive called ractopamine, the cows eat less food—but they grow faster and turn the food they do eat into muscle more efficiently.
Giving steers a special feed additive called ractopamine for 28 days helps them grow leaner meat faster without making them heavier overall—basically, they turn their food into muscle more efficiently, like a better fuel economy in a car.
Ractopamine is a drug given to pigs and cattle that tricks their bodies into building more muscle and less fat, so they grow faster and need less food to gain weight.
Giving cattle a special feed additive called ractopamine helps them grow faster and use their food better, so they end up bigger and leaner with less fat marbling in their meat.