Beef Bacteria Solutions

Bacterial direct-fed microbial products contain live (viable) microorganisms (bacteria).  They are specifically adapted for intensive beef feedlots using specialized delivery equipment to ensure stability and accurate feeding rate.  Direct-fed microbial products are fed for a variety of reasons including: enhanced rumen health, total digestive tract health, increased digestibility, and improved feed efficiency.

Bacteria and yeast must be alive in order to exert their metabolic influence on the animal.  To maintain viability, most bacteria fed to cattle must be kept under refrigeration and dry prior to use.  Delivery of bacteria is generally restricted to direct addition (hand or micro ingredient machine) into a finished feed, which should be consumed in a relatively short (hours) period of time.  Mixing into dry supplements is not a suitable means of delivery due to a rapid loss of viability.

Because of these vast differences in bacterial strains even within the same species, strain specificity is very important when selecting beneficial bacteria for direct-fed microbials.  Three strains that have been proven to be beneficial in ruminants through extensive research are:

Lactobacillus acidophilus strain BT1386

Propionibacterium freudenreichii strain P63

Lactobacillus buchneri strain 40788