About

Matt Beck is an Assistant Professor specializing in Beef Cattle Nutrition within the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. He is a member of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and other affiliated organizations. His office is located in Kleberg 230C, and he can be contacted via email or phone at 979-822-2457. The department focuses on animal science research and education, and Beck's role involves advancing knowledge in beef cattle nutrition to support the industry and contribute to the university's broader mission of research, extension, and education.

Research topics

• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Ecology
• Agronomy
• Chemistry
• Animal science
• Food science
• Endocrinology

Selected publications

• 57. Expansion or Replenishing–Implications for the U.S. Cow Herd

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract The U.S. Beef industry finds itself in a position of uncertainty, the beef cow-herd population has reached record lows in recent years and beef prices have been at an all-time high. Effectively, supply and demand mechanisms within the industry, amongst other factors, have favored sending more offspring to terminal markets as feedlots compete for the low feeder calf supply, all of which has resulted in heifer placement rate in feedlots hovering around 38% according to recent USDA reports. Accordingly, heifer replacement percentage nationally was below 13% in July of 2025, a near record low, although cow slaughter rates have declined over 2025. Effectively, cow-calf operators have been retaining mature cows and sending more female offspring to market. While this has stabilized the cow-herd decline, it does bring into question whether we are truly undergoing herd expansion or if we are rather replenishing cow numbers while being more selective about retention decisions. The reality that the herd may be replenishing, and not simply expanding for expansions sake, brings into question how producers may need to adapt decision making frameworks to succeed over the next cattle cycle. In essence, beef cow quality over quantity may be the preference of current cow-calf producers. As with many variables of the current beef market, carcass sizes are at record highs and beef producers will need to continue to produce calves with high genetic potential for growth but still need to be cognizant of input costs for their cow herd. Over recent decades mature beef cow size has increased steadily going from 262 kg to 290.7 kg dressed weight from 2000 to 2024. Modern cows require increased resources to maintain in the form of greater quantity and quality pasture resources or more supplemental feed, and similarly modern heifers with greater mature body weights require more resources to develop. Recent advancements in genetics and breeding may also allow producers to take advantage of heterosis to produce a more profitable calf, regardless of cow body weight. However, feedback mechanisms from feeders to cow-calf producers will improve the speed by which producers modify their breeding programs. To make the right decisions for their operation, producers need more and easier access to data which informs what type of cow works best for their system.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 176. Effects of Different Feed Additives on Intake, Nutrient Digestibility, and Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics of Finishing Beef Cattle

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Feed additives such as ionophores and plant-based compounds have been widely studied in ruminant nutrition for their ability to modulate ruminal fermentation and influence dry matter intake (DMI), with the goal of improving feed efficiency and animal health. Nevertheless, the combined use of these additives still warrants further investigation regarding their effects on nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation, especially given the wide variety of commercially available products that differ in composition and mode of action. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of feed additives and their combinations on DMI, apparent total tract nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and rumination time of finishing beef steers. Eight ruminally cannulated steers (average BW = 404 ± 44 kg) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design to evaluate the effects of four treatments: Control (CON): no feed additive in the basal finishing diet; Monensin (MON): dietary supplementation of sodium monensin at 33 mg/kg of dry matter (DM basis; Rumensin 90, Elanco Animal Health); CattIActive (CA): dietary supplementation with CattIActive (a proprietary multi-component feed additive containing orange peel bitters, onion extract, specific fatty acids, and soybean and corn oil; Pro Earth Animal Health) at 10g/head/day; and Monensin + CattlActive (MON+CA): combination of sodium monensin (33 mg/kg of dry matter) + CattIActive (10 g/head/day). Steers were fed a finishing diet containing 10% roughage and 90% concentrate once daily. Each 16-day experimental period included 10 days of adaptation to the experimental diets and 6 days of sample collection. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. DMI tended to be less (P = 0.09) for steers fed MON compared to CON. No other effects were observed on nutrient intake or apparent total tract nutrient digestibility (P ≥ 0.18). Treatments did not affect ruminal pH (P ≥ 0.11). Ruminal proportion of acetate (C2) was less in steers fed CA and CA+MON compared to CON (P ≤ 0.03). Ruminal proportion of propionate (C3) was greater in steers fed CON and MON+CA compared to MON and CA (P ≤ 0.05), and C2:C3 ratio was less for MON+CA compared to MON (P = 0.02). Ruminal proportion of butyric acid was greater for CA and CA+MON compared to MON and CON (P ≤ 0.05). Ruminal ammonia nitrogen was less for CA and MON+CA compared to CON and MON (P ≤ 0.01). Additionally, MON+CA increased rumination time (min/kg DMI; P = 0.02) compared to CON. In summary, these results suggest that CA and the combination of MON+CA may positively alter ruminal fermentation characteristics without affecting the intake and the apparent total tract nutrient digestibility in finishing steers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Providing a supplemental source of water or a trace-mineral-based drinking solution upon feedlot arrival affects intake, growth performance, and health of newly received finishing calves

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of providing a supplemental water source (SWS) or an experimental nutrient repletion solution (NRS) following feedlot arrival on intake, growth performance, health, and immune responses of newly received calves. A total of 270 weaned lightweight British × Continental crossbred heifers (initial body weight [BW] = 236 ± 19 kg) were ranked by shrunk BW and allocated into 18 soil-surfaced pens (12 × 35 m; 15 heifers/pen). Treatments were: 1) Control (CON): water was provided through a standard in-pen automatic waterer only; 2) Supplemental water source (SWS): CON plus water provided with one additional 416-L stock tank/pen; 3) Experimental nutrient repletion solution (NRS): provided with one 416-L stock tank/pen as the only source of drinking solution. The SWS and NRS were provided from days 1 to 4, after which supplemental tanks were removed. From days 5 to 56, all heifers had only access to the standard in-pen automatic waterer. Heifers had ad libitum access to feed and water and the WI was measured daily throughout the experiment. Body weights and blood samples via jugular venipuncture were collected on days 1, 4, 14, 28, and 56. A treatment × day interaction was observed for average BW, ADG, and water intake (P ≤ 0.05). SWS and NRS increased DMI compared to CON during days 5-15 (P < 0.001), and the increase in DMI persisted for SWS compared to CON between days 16 and 29 (P < 0.01). The ADG was lower for NRS compared to CON during days 1 to 4 (P < 0.01), and water intake was greater for SWS and NRS compared to CON between days 1 and 4 (P < 0.001). No differences between treatments were observed for morbidity and mortality rate (P ≥ 0.28). The cumulative incidence of BRD tended to be lower for SWS compared to CON during days 9 to 27 (P ≤ 0.10). No treatment or treatment × day interactions were observed for any of the plasma hormones and metabolites evaluated (P ≥ 0.11), except for plasma glucose, which tended to be lower for NRS compared to CON (P = 0.10), and serum antibody titers against bovine viral diarrhea virus, which were greater for NRS compared to CON (P = 0.02). Providing SWS or NRS to high-risk newly received beef calves for 4 d after arrival to the feedyard may increase water, feed intake and immune response.

  PublisherDOI

• 75. Effects of Different Feed Additives on Intake, Growth Performance, and Carcass Characteristics of Finishing Beef Cattle

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Improving feed efficiency in finishing beef cattle is essential for maximizing feedlot profitability. Ruminal fermentation characteristics and dry matter (DM) intake (DMI) in feedlot cattle can be influenced by feed additives, which ultimately impact feed efficiency. Although monensin is the main additive used to enhance feed efficiency in feedlot diets, the variation in composition and action of commercially available plant-based additives requires further investigation to determine their combined impact on finishing beef cattle growth performance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feed additives on intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing feedlot cattle. A total of fifty-six (n = 56) steers [British × Continental crossbreed; initial body weight (BW) = 356 ± 26.4 kg] were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate four treatments: Control (CON): no feed additive in the basal finishing diet; Monensin (MON): dietary supplementation of sodium monensin at 33 mg/kg of dry matter (Rumensin 90, Elanco Animal Health); CattIActive (CA): dietary supplementation with CattIActive (a proprietary multi-component feed additive containing orange peel bitters, onion extract, specific fatty acids, and soybean and corn oil; Pro Earth Animal Health) at 10 g/head/day; and Monensin + CattlActive (MON+CA): combination of sodium monensin (33 mg/kg of dry matter) + CattIActive (10 g/head/day). Feed additives were incorporated into the mineral and vitamin supplement included at 5% of the dietary DM. The basal finishing diet contained 10% roughage and 90% concentrate. Steers were adapted to the finishing diet during the first 24 days using three step-up diets. The feeding period lasted 168 days. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Treatments did not affect body weight at the end of the adaptation period (P ≥ 0.27) or at the end of the experiment (P ≥ 0.77). No effect of treatments was observed on DMI during either the adaptation or total feeding period (P ≥ 0.26). Steers fed CA gained more weight than MON (P = 0.05) during the adaptation period, but no differences were observed between CA, CON, or MON+CA (P ≥ 0.11). Consequently, feed efficiency was greater for steers fed MON+CA compared with CON and MON (P ≤ 0.03) but not compared to CA (P = 0.40) during the first 24 days on feed. No treatment effects were detected for feed efficiency at the end of the experiment (P ≥ 0.58). Treatments did not affect the final body weight (P ≥ 0.66) or carcass characteristics (P ≥ 0.12). In summary, feeding CA or MON+CA enhanced feed efficiency during the adaptation to high-concentrate diets, but no major differences in growth performance and carcass characteristics were observed among feed additives at the end of the experiment.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Structural and Metabolic Characterization of Ni(I)-inhibitors Provide a Robust Anti-Methanogenicity Scoring System

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-02-27

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Atmospheric methane (CH4) acts as a key contributor to global warming and a short-lived climate forcer. CH4 mitigation represents the most promising means to address short-term climate change. Ruminant enteric CH4 produced by methanogenic archaea represents 27.2% of global CH4 emissions. Only a few of the direct methanogenesis inhibitors identified bear high mitigation potential hence it is important to investigate their underlying modes of action. Here, we elucidated biophysical and thermodynamic interplay between known inhibitors and cofactor F430, to determine their stoichiometric ratios and binding affinities. We leverage this prior in a robust contrastive learning approach to functionally cluster known sixteen inhibitors and 53,959 bovine-linked metabolites. We demonstrate a multi-factor optimization protocol to identify putative inhibitors with: (i) high bacterial membrane permeability, (ii) no adverse effect to ruminal fermentation, (iii) known degradation pathway, and (iv) direct commercial availability. Subsequent in vitro assays and community metabolic modeling with a first set of eight treatment molecules revealed structo-metabolic priors that tie thermodynamic signatures of inhibition to metabolic flux shifts. We established a multi-scale workflow that transforms ostensibly negative compounds into mechanistic insight, linking rumen metabolic flux shifts to MCR–F430-Ni(I) inhibition chemistry as a foundation for rational methane-mitigation design. COVER ABSTRACT

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 84. An Initial Assessment of the SizeR Technology and the Relationships Between Morphometric Measurements and Enteric Methane Emissions from Grazing Heifers

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract The SizeR (Geissler Corp., Plymouth, MN) is a new technology that has been developed for the passive measurement of morphometric data from cattle. To date, this technology has not been assessed in growing cattle in pasture. Accordingly, the objectives of this preliminary investigation was to provide an initial assessment of the SizeR estimated morphological measurements of cattle collected from the SizeR and to also investigate their relationship with body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), heat production (HP), and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Heifers (n = 30; initial BW = 322 ± 19 kg) were adapted to an in-pasture GreenFeed emission monitoring system (GEM) for three weeks in confinement, followed by three weeks in pasture. Cattle grazed in coastal Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pasture with an average forage allowance of 4.68 kg of dry matter/kg of BW. Cattle were weighed and scanned by the SizeR weekly for 56 days. Results show that the log-log slopes of surface area (SA; m2) against volume in L (slope = 0.62, P &amp;lt; 0.01, R² = 0.95), SA against BW (slope = 0.73, P &amp;lt; 0.01, R² = 0.66), HP against BW (slope = 0.83, P &amp;lt; 0.01, R² = 0.56), and HP against SA (slope = 0.63, P &amp;lt; 0.01, R² = 0.27) were not different from expectations, which were 0.67 (P = 0.10), 0.67 (P = 0.55), 0.75 (P = 0.58) and 0.67 (P = 0.85), respectively. Body weight increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01, R2 = 0.35) by 14.0 kg, and ADG increased (P = 0.05, R2 = 0.13) by 0.11 kg/d per 1 unit increase in SizeR estimated frame score (FS). Body weight by itself explained 25% of the variation in CH4, as expected, and as BW increased, CH4 emissions increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Including both BW and FS as predictor variables explained 31% of the variation in enteric CH4. Enteric CH4 was determined to increase (P &amp;lt; 0.01) by 0.49 g/d per kg of BW and was reduced (P = 0.05) by -6.27 g/d per 1 unit increase in FS. We conclude that morphological measurements using the SizeR technology are promising and reveal relationships that are consistent with expectations based on previous understandings. Further, these results suggest that morphological traits of cattle are related to enteric CH4 emissions of grazing cattle.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 130. Effects of Including High-moisture Rolled Sorghum Grain Partially Replacing Steam-flaked Corn on Dry Matter Intake and Total Tract Nutrient Digestibility in Finishing Beef Steers

  Journal of Animal Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of partially replacing steam-flaked corn (SFC) with high-moisture rolled sorghum grain (HMRS) on dry matter intake (DMI) and apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and ether extract (EE) in finishing diets for beef steers. High-moisture sorghum grain was harvested in the Texas Panhandle at 28% moisture, processed with a roller mill bagger (Richiger R990MXPlus) equipped with four rollers set at 1 mm, and stored in a 2.7-m-diameter bag for 10.3 months. The average kernel processing score, expressed as the percentage of starch passing a 2.36-mm sieve, was 47%. Twelve ruminally cannulated Angus steers (774 ± 63 kg BW) were used in a quadruplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design to evaluate three dietary treatments: 1) HMRS0, control diet containing 63.3% SFC, 20% Sweet Bran, 11% corn stalks, 3% mineral–vitamin premix, 2% corn oil, and 0.7% urea; 2) HMRS25, with 25% of SFC replaced by HMRS; and 3) HMRS50, with 50% replacement. Steers were fed once daily ad libitum, and feed refusals were collected and weighed before morning feeding to determine DMI. Fecal samples were collected three times daily, and chromium oxide (Cr2O3; 15 g/day delivered as two capsules) was administered into the rumen beginning 10 days before the sampling period and continued through the end of collection. Fecal chromium concentrations were analyzed spectrophotometrically at the North Dakota State University Nutrition Laboratory. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with treatment as the fixed effect and Latin square, period (within square), and steer (within square) as random effects. Replacing SFC with HMRS did not affect (P = 0.46) DMI among treatments. However, total tract digestibility of DM, OM, and EE decreased as HMRS inclusion increased. Digestibility of DM was 77.2, 73.4, and 71.8% for HMRS0, HMRS25, and HMRS50, respectively (P = 0.004; linear P = 0.001), with both HMRS25 and HMRS50 lower than HMRS0. Digestibility of OM was 77.7, 74.0, and 72.8% (P &amp;lt; 0.001; linear P &amp;lt; 0.001), and both HMRS levels differed from the control. For EE, digestibility values were 72.3, 69.0, and 65.6% (P = 0.025; linear P = 0.008), with a significant reduction observed between HMRS0 and HMRS50. No significant differences were detected for CP (74.4, 73.0, and 72.1%) or NDF (40.7, 36.5, and 39.5%). In summary, partial replacement of steam-flaked corn with high-moisture rolled sorghum grain did not affect feed intake but reduced total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and ether extract in finishing diets.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 15 Effects of replacing steam-flaked corn with high-moisture rolled sorghum on in situ dry matter digestibility of finishing diets

  Journal of Animal Science · 2025-06-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Water-efficient grains used as energy sources are crucial for sustainable cattle production. One alternative to corn is sorghum grain; combining harvest time at high moisture with kernel processing and adequate ensiling time could improve sorghum digestibility. Five ruminally cannulated Angus crossbred steers (body weight [BW] = 816 ± 85 kg) were used to determine the effects of replacing steam-flaked corn (SFC) with high-moisture rolled sorghum (HMRS; harvested at physiological maturity with 28% humidity, processed through a roller mill bagger, and stored for 300 days), on the in situ dry matter (DM) digestibility (DMD) of finishing feedlot diets. Steers were pen-fed at 2% of BW twice daily during the experiment. The basal finishing diet contained 11% corn stalks and 89% concentrate (63.3% of SFC, 20% of wet corn gluten feed, 0.7% of urea, 2% of corn oil, and 3% of a mineral and vitamin premix) and was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of finishing steers. Treatment diets consisted of five levels, either 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of HMRS grain replacing SFC corn in the basal diet (0, 15.8%, 31.7%, 47.5, and 63.3% of HMRS respectively). Each dietary ingredient was individually dried at 55 °C and ground to pass a 2 mm screen, and approximately 1 kg of each experimental total mixed ration (TMR) was produced. Bags (5 × 10 cm, 50-µm pores) containing 5.0 g of each TMR were heated sealed and placed in duplicate in the ventral sac of the rumen of each steer and incubated for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. 0-hour bags were incubated for 10 seconds and retrieved. After incubation, bags were immediately immersed in cold water, rinsed 5 times using a washing machine, and dried to determine the in-situ DM disappearance. The kinetics of rumen degradability, the soluble fraction (a), potentially degradable fraction (b), and the degradation rate of the b fraction (c; %/hour), were estimated by a first-order asymptotic model using the NLIM procedure of SAS. The effective degradability (isRD) was determined considering a 6%/hour ruminal passage rate. Data was analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Increasing levels of HMRS linearly decreased the soluble fraction (P &amp;lt; 0.001), linearly increased the potentially degradable fraction (P &amp;lt; 0.001), and linearly decreased the degradation rate (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Increasing levels of HMRS did not affect the a+b fraction (P ≥ 0.20) but linearly decreased the isRD (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Dunnett’s multiple comparisons showed that levels ≥ 50% of HMRS differed from the basal diet (0% HMRS) for most of the parameters estimated. In summary, replacing SFC with increasing levels of HMRS decreases isRD of diet DM which might affect the growth performance of finishing beef cattle.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparison of Contemporary Grazing Cattle and Bison Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Southern Great Plains

  Ruminants · 2025-07-28

  articleOpen access

  The objective of this analysis was to compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from contemporary grazing cattle production with bison grazing, both modern and historical. The data sets used in this analysis were derived from existing research and conservation properties located outside of Manhattan, KS (USA), which are home to stocker cattle, cow–calf production (CCS), and grazing bison. For stocker cattle, 10 years of animal production data (2007–2016) from season-long stocking (SLS, grazing 156 d) and intensive early stocking systems (IES; 76 grazing d and 2× stocking density) were used for GHG calculations. Enteric CH4, manure CH4, and direct nitrous oxide emissions were estimated using the IPCC tier 2 methodology. Historic bison (HGB) enteric CH4 estimates were calculated using a stocking density of 0.15 ha/animal and assuming that only 13% of grassland was used by bison each year. Within contemporary systems, IES had the lowest emissions (463.3 kg CO2-eq./ha/yr), while SLS, CCS, and MGB had the highest estimates (494.7, 493.9, and 595.9 kg CO2-eq./ha/yr, respectively). HGB had the lowest estimated annual emissions at 295.7 kg CO2-eq./ha/yr. These results imply that the historic grazing baseline of this grassland system is lower but similar to that of contemporary grazing cattle in the Great Plains region.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• PSIX-22 Use of programmed gain on backgrounding beef steers.

  Journal of Animal Science · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The objective of this study was to examine how a short-term programmed gain feeding protocol influences backgrounding steer performance and efficiency. Fifty beef steers (330.1 ± 22 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design. Prior to the study, steers were acclimated to a Roughage Intake System (Hokofarm Group, Emmeloord, the Netherlands) for 21 days in a single feedlot pen, blocked by body weight and assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) ad libitum intake (CON), or 2) Programed compensatory gain (PGG). The PGG treatment was fed ad libitum for 14 d, followed by a restricted feeding period from d 14 to 42 to achieve a target gain of 0.91 kg/steer/daily, and then returned to ad libitum intake through d 64 All steers were fed a common backgrounding diet containing (DM Basis) 45% corn silage, 17.5% cracked corn and 30% dry distillers grains (1.12 NEg Mcal/kg). Over the 64 d backgrounding period, there was no difference (P &amp;gt; 0.15) between the CON and PGG for initial body weight, ADG (1.81 vs. 1.73 ± 0.05 kg/d, for CON and PGG), or final body weight (441 vs. 438 ± 4.53 kg, for CON and PGG, respectively). During the restricted intake period, ADG was significantly different (P &amp;lt; 0.01) between the two treatments, as expected, however the PGG steers outgained their programmed gain at 1.27 kg/d compared to 1.65 kg/d for the CON steers, and dry matter intake (DMI) during this period for PGG steers was approximately 53% of that of the CON steers. Over the 64 d feeding period, gain to feed (GF) was significantly greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for the PGG steers compared to the CON steers at 0.19 and 0.16, respectively. This was driven by significantly greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) GF for the PGG steers during the restricted period (0.18 compared to 0.13 for CON) and the ad libitum period after the programmed feeding (P &amp;lt; 0.01; 0.18 and 0.15 for PGG and CON, respectively). Similarly, total DMI was significantly reduced by 25% (P &amp;lt; 0.01) over the 64 d feeding period for the PGG steers (569 ± 18.85 kg/hd) compared to the CON steers (755 ± 18.85 kg/hd). The results of this study suggest that short periods of nutrient restriction when backgrounding steers can improve feed efficiency without sacrificing weight gain or body weight when transitioning to the finishing phase.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jacek A. Koziel

  United States Department of Agriculture

  40 shared

• P. Gregorini

  Lincoln University

  37 shared

• K. Garrett

  Lincoln University

  30 shared

• S. A. Gunter

  Agricultural Research Service

  28 shared

• Jarret A Proctor

  Texas A&M University

  26 shared

• C.J. Marshall

  Lincoln University

  24 shared

• Angel Frazier

  United States Department of Agriculture

  22 shared

• Nathan S Long

  Mitchell Institute

  22 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Animal Science

  Texas A&M University

  2015

• M.S., Animal Science

  Texas A&M University

  2011

• B.S., Animal Science

  Texas A&M University

  2009