Supplementation of encapsulated cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil on pre- and postweaning growth performance of beef cattle fed warm-season forages

Two experiments evaluated the effects of cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil on performance of grazing (Exp. 1) and drylot beef cattle (Exp. 2). Treatments in both experiments consisted of daily supplement fortification with (CNG) or without (CON) cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil (300 mg/d). In Exp. 1, 24 cow-calf pairs were allocated into limpograss (Hemarthria altissima; n = 4) or bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum; n = 4) pastures, which were randomly assigned to treatments (4 pastures per treatment) until weaning. Thereafter, 24 weaned heifers were allocated into bahiagrass pastures (4 pastures per treatment) for 72 d. In Exp. 2, 20 Brangus steers were fed bahiagrass hay ad libitum and concentrate DM supplementation at 1% of BW for 30 d. Effects of forage type, treatment, and interactions were not detected for growth, fecal egg counts, and plasma glucose and urea nitrogen of heifers and cows (P ≥ 0.11). The fly counts of CNG heifers on limpograss was less at weaning than for CON heifers (P = 0.03) but did not differ between CNG and CON heifers grazing bahiagrass (P = 0.66). Effects of treatment and treatment × day were not detected for postweaning growth, fecal egg counts, and plasma haptoglobin (P ≥ 0.43). In Exp. 2, effects of treatment and treatment × day were not detected for growth and total fly counts (P ≥ 0.34). Hence, daily supplementation of cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil did not affect growth and fecal egg counts of grazing or drylot cattle. Cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil reduced fly counts of heifers grazing limpograss but not heifers grazing bahiagrass.