Bacteria-fed livestock could lead to less antibiotic use

Apr 11, 2016

Iowa State University is conducting research on the subject

By Diego Flammini
Assitant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Researchers at Iowa State University are trying to determine if feeding livestock the same bacteria found in some grocery store products can reduce the need for antibiotics in feed.

"There are alternatives to antibiotics in feed," Stephanie Hansen, professor at ISU said in an interview Monday with Iowa Public Radio. "And that's going to be a broad area of research here in the next 10 to 15 years."

As antibiotics are introduced into livestock’s diet and eventually the human diet, some bacteria can become resistant, spread and can leave doctors puzzled when trying to assess some patients.

Cattle eating

Researchers are testing different formulas and have zeroed in on Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is commonly found in dairy products and can help rid the body of harmful bacteria.

“Acidophilus would have the same impact in a production livestock animal as it would in humans,” Hansen said. “Maybe it’s able to outcompete a bad bacteria for attachment in the gastrointestinal tract in the intestine, so that would be a good thing.”

Essentially, if the bacteria can help keep the livestock healthy, there may be less of a need for antibiotics.

Diamond V, an Iowa-based manufacturer of animal nutrition products, said it has developed a pig feed supplement from Lactobacillus acidophilus and improvements in weight gain, feed conversion and overall health have been seen.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.