22 Mar Opti-Gut delivers promising results for this Wagyu beef producer
The breeding of Wagyu beef cattle can be rewarding. Bred for hundreds of years in Japan, Wagyu beef is valued for its superior flavour and tenderness. Consequently, it attracts a premium price. For this reason, Australian breeders have looked to enter this lucrative export market.
But like most farming endeavours, creating opportunities for a profitable and sustainable farming enterprise requires a combination of factors.
Unlike Japan, Australia has a very limited genetic base to draw on in its Wagyu beef breeding program.
Wagyu heifers are lighter animals to join (for mating) because of their breed type. This means that animals fed on pasture and grain are less productive compared to other breeds as they take longer to reach the right weight (between 260 and 280kgs is about right when they’re ready for joining with the bull).
This creates a real challenge for local breeders.
Any incremental improvement in the health of breeding stock has the potential to improve the viability of a breeder’s bottom line.
The Opti-Gut trial
Niu River Pastoral Company Pty Ltd is based in Glenfyne, Southwestern Victoria. With over 50 bulls and 500 potential female donors contributing to their embryo program, the company describes itself as a regenerative farm. The company’s primary markets are overseas – China, Japan, and Taiwan.
In late 2022, Biolink arranged a trial with the company’s Property Manager Lynton Smith.
The aim of the trial was to see whether the introduction of a probiotic feed supplement could improve the nutrition and feed efficiency of its breeding heifers.
The question was: could adding Biolink’s OPTI-GUT pelletised probiotic supplement increase the efficiency of the feeding regime by improving the animals’ digestion and helping them to achieve their joining weight earlier.
How was the Opti-Gut trial conducted?
The trial ran for 28 days from 17 October 2022 through to 14 November 2022.
- 88 mature heifers were involved in the trial. The group was divided into two groups and each animal was weighed before the trial began.
- Half the herd had their feed supplemented with OPTI-GUT at a 30 gram feed rate per head.
- OPTI-GUT was added to the feed of this group every 3 to 4 days as it was refilled.
- The other 44 heifers, the control group, were not given the supplement.
The Opti-Gut Trial Results
By the end of the 28-day trial period, though they had consumed 11.5% less pasture and 33.8% less grain concentrate, there was an overall 34.47% increase in the weight of the animals who had their feed supplemented with OPTI-GUT compared to the control group.
Overall, there was also 82.93% more weight gain per tonne of feed.
What’s next for this Wagyu beef producer?
According to Lynton Smith, “I’m always looking at trying to get the best result out of my animals. Any improvement in their health and performance is a bonus. Every 1% improvement makes a difference.”
“Wagyu are a challenging breed. Due to the small genetic pool, the mothers don’t produce a lot of milk. So, we’re always trying to find ways to get them as healthy as we can.”
“We’re aiming to do another trial. I mean, so far, using OPTI-GUT looks promising. In the meantime, I’ve put all our calves on a full ration of OPTI-GUT in their calf mix. The end result is they’re the healthiest calves I’ve ever had since the Spring!”
The Niu River Pastoral Company has also been using Biolink Ignition organic microbial-based fertiliser on its pastures.
The Opti-Gut Trial results in a nutshell
- the supplemented group ate less, yet gained more weight over the same period
- there was an increase in the number of animals ready for joining by 16. This led to an increase in the number of animals bred