The demand for livestock feedlot operations is expected to increase as a means to support the competitiveness of red meat in the global animal protein market.
Managing animal welfare (particularly heat stress) and economic productivity are the primary goals for this competitive sector. Input and feed costs motivate innovation and solutions that support faster weight gain and reduce days on feed are highly prized.
Charles Sturt University researchers have developed BroMax, a potassium bromide solution designed to reduce stress in cattle and sheep when transiting through feedlots. The treatment has been trialed successfully in an Australian feedlot as a single oral drench at induction, with interest to scale formulation trials to multiple sites and measure productivity gains as a wet feed additive.
BroMax has the potential to deliver economic benefits to lot feeders and animal transport operators through reduced stress, faster return to feeding and increased speed of weight gain, as well as lower the incidence of stressed-induced Bovine Respiratory Disease. BroMax, when compared to probiotic alternatives, is 2.5-4x cheaper per dose.
Research commissioned by Meat and Livestock Australia indicate the potential for both production and therapeutic claims, subject to scaled trials and regulatory permits.
BROMAX, registered trademark in AU.
Granted Patents in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, United States of America, United Kingdom.
Management in Livestock.
Reducing induction stress in the Australian feedlot sector (Charles Sturt University, 2021)
