2018-099: Butyrate as a novel functional ingredient for feedlot cattle.

Butyrate has shown to better control microbes which create methane and improve growth performance. However, these improvements have only been shown in younger animals. Dr. Penner and his fellow researchers believe that as an animal gets larger, the stomach (or rumen) might eliminate the affects of butyrate. Therefore, Penner will conduct a trial to determine if a rumen-proof dose could reach the small intestine, which could then allow better nutrient uptake, among other possibilities.