CALF_News_October_November_2020

9 CALF News • October | November 2020 • www.calfnews.net Creative:Clients:Micronutrients:1500-26147 2020 Beef Print Ads:1500-26147 2020 Beef Print Ad_Calf News_7.25 x 4.875_v13.indd.indd May 11, 2020 8:27 AM Still feeding sulfate trace minerals? How distasteful. www.micro.net | (317) 486-5880 1 Wiebusch. 2015. JAM. 2 Caramalac et al. 2017. J. Anim. Sci. 95:1739-1750. 3 Micronutrients trial #2017BC106USCZM. IntelliBond ® is a registered trademark of Micronutrients, a Nutreco company. © 2020 Micronutrients USA, LLC. All rights reserved. Smart minerals, smart nutrition... smart decision Calves prefer the taste of supplements with IntelliBond ® more than 2 to 1 vs. sulfate trace minerals. 1-3 Did you know cattle have 25,000 taste buds? That makes them extra-sensitive to the bad taste of free metals from sulfate trace minerals in the ration, and causes them to consume less feed. But when you feed IntelliBond ® trace minerals instead, calves keep eating. Studies show calves prefer supplements that include IntelliBond ® more than 2 to 1 vs. sulfate trace minerals . 1-3 Ask your nutritionist about the tastier trace mineral option. Learn more at micro.net/species/beef. It took a year or two for producers to get acquainted with the VFD. But many have become better accustomed to work- ing with their veterinarian. “The VFD has certainly changed how we handle feed-grade antibiotics,” Law- rence says.“However, I am unaware of any data that illustrates an improvement or a decline in morbidity or mortality.” “I don’t think the VFD has had any impact on animal health in the feedlot,” Thomson adds.“It has not impeded our ability to use products. We were doing a good job before the VFD, it just provided us a way to document what we were already doing.” Paschal believes the veterinarian-client relationship has helped producers better manage their antibiotic usage. “Because some drugs are no longer available over-the-counter, there has been an increase in veterinary-client/patient relationships to allow antibiotics to be used. I think the VFD has had an impact.” Vaccination Protocols For years, many cow-calf producers were against vaccinating their calves. There were arguments that calves didn’t benefit and even saw a decline in health. Now, with the many value-added calf programs like VAC-45, backgrounders and feedyards seek cattle treated for dis- eases and properly weaned at the ranch. Those calves typically perform better in confined environments and merit a premium for their producers. “More cattlemen are instituting simple vaccine programs, getting calves castrated FAR LEFT: “With less dependence on antibiotics, we improve our stewardship.” – Joe Paschal, Ph.D. P hoto courtesy Texas A&M AgriLife LEFT: “As we learn more about genome and immunology, we will likely see more immune modulators.” – Ty Lawrence, Ph.D. Continued on page 13 