Extension

Alternative methods to reduce the use of synthetic products in cattle production, as well as reduction in feeding antibiotics to cattle, have been a growing preference in consumer opinions. Essential oils/spices have been found to alter rumen microbial population¹ and replace feed antibiotics in feedlot diets², all of which may increase cattle gains. Ionophores are antibiotics that alter rumen microbial populations to increase efficiency in cattle production systems. Studies have shown that the ionophores, monensin and lasalocid improve stocker cattle gains.

 

Recent Kansas State University research evaluated an alternative to antibiotics for growth performance in grazing stocker steers.³ The objective of their study was to determine if essential oils produce the same performance for stocker steers as consuming an ionophore. In this study, 281 predominantly black-hided steers (641 lbs) were assigned to one of two free-choice mineral treatments and grazed on tallgrass native range on eight pastures. The base mineral contained ~16% calcium, 3.4% phosphorus, and 22.5% salt. The positive-control mineral was a stocker mineral that contained 3.6 lb/ton (~1633 grams/ton) of lasalocid (ionophore; Bovatec 91; Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI). The treatment mineral was the same base mineral with 3 lb/ton of garlic oil and 6 lb/ton of Solace (essential oil; Wildcat Feeds LLC, Topeka, KS). Steers were weighed at the beginning and end of the 92-day grazing period. Pasture biomass production and mineral intake were monitored weekly.

 

The effects of mineral types on growth performance, average daily gain, average daily mineral intake, and pasture biomass are shown in Table 1. There were no differences in total gains (P = 0.92) nor average daily gain (P = 0.92) between the two treatments. Kansas State University research from 2020 - 2024 comparing the same essential oil blend used in this study to non-additive mineral, found on average a 0.10 lb/day increase in average daily gain with essential oils.^{4, 5, 6 ,7, 8}

 

Mineral intake was the same for both treatments (P = 0.58) and was higher than formulated intake (5.41 oz/head/day as compared to 4.0 oz/head/day). The average intake of the mineral containing lasalocid was 5.18 oz/head/day which would have provided 264 mg of lasalocid. Lasalocid is labeled for increased weight gain in pasture cattle when fed at level of 60 to 300 mg/day. In addition, there were no differences in available forage between the two treatments (P = 067) and both averaged 1,205 lb dry matter/acre.

 

¹Ionophore mineral (Bovatec 91 included at 18 lb/ton to provide 3.6 lb/ton lasalocid or 1633 grams/ton; Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI).

²Essential oil mineral (3 lb/ton garlic oil and 6 lb/ton Solace; Wildcat Feeds LLC,

Topeka, KS).

 

These researchers concluded that these “data demonstrate that offering an essential oil mineral ad libitum has similar effects to feeding an ionophore mineral. The results of this study could provide operations that implement natural marketing systems an option to have cattle gains equivalent to traditional systems and may reduce cost of gain for a more profitable feeding system.

 

¹ Elcoso, G., B. Zweifel, and A. Bach. 2019. Effects of a blend of essential oils on milk yield and feed efficiency of lactating dairy cows. Appl. Anim. Sci. 35:304–311. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2018-01825.

 

² Araujo. R.C., D.R. Daley, S.R. Goodall, S. Jalali, O.A. Guimarães Bisneto, A.M. Budde, J.J. Wagner, and T.E. Engle. 2019. Effects of a microencapsulated blend of essential oils supplemented alone or in combination with monensin on performance and carcass characteristics of growing and finishing beef steers. Appl. Anim. Sci. 35:177-184. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2018-01822.

 

³ Jones, T. M. and J.K. Farney. 2025. Effects on stocker steer performance while consuming essential oil or Ionophore minerals. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 11(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8672.

 

⁴ Farney, J. K., K. Rash, H. Gillespie, E. Black, and N. Collins. 2024. Stocker steer gains and fly numbers as impacted by burn date and type of mineral on tallgrass native range - Year 5. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 10(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8574.

 

⁵ Farney, J.K., H. Allen, and L. Muniz. 2023. Stocker steer gains and fly numbers as impacted by burn date and type of mineral on tallgrass native range - Year 4, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 9(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8434.

 

⁶ Farney, J.K. and M. Frahm. 2022. Stocker steer gains and fly numbers as impacted by burn date and type of mineral on tallgrass native range - Year 3. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 8(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8289.

 

⁷ Farney, J.K., and M.E. Reeb. 2021. Stocker steer gains and fly numbers as impacted by burn date and type of mineral on tallgrass native range. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 7(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8043.

 

⁸ Farney, J.K. 2020. Evaluating stocker steer gains on tallgrass native range with two burn dates and spices in mineral, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 6(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7885.