While all feedyards report total feeding-period death loss, few evaluate the death-loss rate between terminal processing and harvest. After terminal processing, death loss becomes even more costly to the feedyard, so it's a crucial period for ensuring a positive return on investments.
 
LactiproNXT®, a lactic acid utilizer that supports healthy rumen function, is a management tool feedyards use following the stress of reimplanting and the reestablishment of social order that occurs when cattle are sorted.  Mark Corrigan, MS Biotec technical director, said, “When our commercial studies indicated reduced death loss with the use of Lactipro following terminal processing, we wanted to further evaluate the correlation.”
 
MS Biotec recently conducted six, large-pen feedyard studies to examine the use of LactiproNXT at terminal processing. The data represented 142 pens and 14,551 head of cattle. The studies measured live and carcass performance and evaluated post-terminal processing mortality.
  
Terminal processing trial results
The pooled analysis of the six trials indicated that the mortality rate of cattle given LactiproNXT at terminal processing was 30 percent less than control cattle. This difference was statistically significant. With a late-day dead cost of $1,790 per animal that dies, LactiproNXT administered at terminal processing provides a positive return on investment after 55 days on feed post-terminal processing. (See charts below)