Category: Bovine Health

Calf Scours Study, 2002

Fort Bidwell Study Findings:

• 100% reduction in scours
• increased weaning weights
• increased weight post-weaning
• OMRI Listed Product

History:

The Fort Bidwell region encompasses the northeastern corner of California, as well as adjacent areas of Oregon and Nevada. Ranching in the Fort Bidwell area primarily consists of private ranches that utilize Bureau of Land Management ranges for grazing beef cattle.

Severe annual calf illness (up to 100% scours) and death (up to 37%) had been observed annually from 1990 to 2001 in a 1200-head cow-calf operation, and years of treatment with numerous antibiotics in several combinations proved unsuccessful. The ranchers had also worked repeatedly with the University of California, Davis College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Washington State College of Veterinary Medicine to ascertain the source of the severe scours that plagued the area. An autogenous bacterin had been developed from the highly resistant strain of enterohemorrhagic E. Coli isolated from local cattle. The effectiveness of this vaccine diminished over time.

The incidence of scour skyrocketed during times of rain, temperature fluctuations, cold stress, and difficulty calving.

The Study:

In January 2002, fifty cows were assigned to the calving study. At birth, the calves were ear-tagged and randomly assigned to either the Treatment group or the Control group.

On days 1 and 2 after birth, the twenty-seven calves in the treatment group received a dose of Ramaekers NEWBORN IMMUNE PRIMER. The twenty calves in the untreated group served as controls.

All calves were branded and vaccinated at 2 to 3 months of age, and the bull calves were castrated. The Treatment group received another dose of IMMUNE PRIMER, while the Control group received nothing. The study calves with their dams were mixed with other cows with calves and cows still due from multiple herds and turned out onto BLM land around April 15th.

After grazing for 5 months, all the calves were returned to the local ranchland for weaning and vaccines, and the Treatment group received one more dose of ADULT IMMUNE PRIMER.

Results & Discussion:

Within the first week of life, 100% of the control calves develop diarrhea, commonly referred to as scours. NONE of the treatment groups experienced any signs of scours.

After observing the difference between the two groups, the ranch owner DEMANDED that the protocol be broken and that the control calves receive IMMUNE PRIMER. The Control calves were given IMMUNE PRIMER for 3 days, after which the diarrhea stopped. This group became designated the Delayed-Treatment group, and the original treatment was renamed the Immediate-Treatment group.

A neighboring herd with similar genetics, herd management, calving times, branding, and a vaccination schedule was now designated as the Control Herd. The only difference was that the Control herd calved at a higher altitude and had a drier climate than the treatment herd, and did not receive the Ramaekers IMMUNE PRIMER formulas.

All the ranchers noted that the Treated calves were easily identifiable, with an estimated 5% to 7% heavier body weight and a more vibrant coat than the untreated calves.

The calves were hay-fed for 25 days after weaning and then sold. Combined Group weight averages are as follows:

Fort Bidwell Study Summary & Conclusions:

• Starting at birth, the NEWBORN IMMUNE PRIMER formula proved valuable and economical for preventing and treating calf scours.
• Placing the calf’s immune system on a high alert level against impending pathogens proved successful.
• Strategically using immune supplementation to establish a wellness platform early in life is key to overall health and performance.
• IMMUNE PRIMER is efficient and reliable as a new technology in the area of Wellness Management tools.

Learn More about our Bovine Products

• Newborn Original
• Newborn Sustained Bolettes w/Minerals
• Newborn Sustained Paste w/Minerals
• Adult Primer for Livestock
• Adult Sustained Release w/Minerals
• Adult Stress Premix
• Newborn Stress Premix
• Livestock Stress Pack
• Animal Stress Pack

Don Bond Feedlot Study evaluates profit for a sixty-cow herd of black Angus in Vernon, Texas. These calves are in the Coleman natural beef program, with a bonus of 100 plus 35 dollars from the Certified Angus Beef Association for nonuse antibiotics. Don Bond has a history of four years from the exact genetics of his 60-cow herd to evaluate the effect of STOCKER/ADULT IMMUNE PRIMER.

Don Bond Feedlot Study: The product was given at weaning at one ounce daily for three days, along with routine processing, vaccination, castrating, and worming. Calves were back-grounded for roughly six weeks before traveling to the local feedlot for finishing. Don Bond retains ownership and has provided complete records with closeout comparisons for the past four years. I have calculated the financial advantage of using STOCKER/ADULT IMMUNE PRIMER on a per-head basis.

Financial Advantage

Bovine Feedlots

A bovine feedlot is a large, fenced area where cattle are kept and fed a grain-based diet until they are ready for slaughter:

Purpose

Feedlots are used to ensure cattle reach a specific weight and provide consistent meat quality and quantity. 

Location

Feedlots can be outdoor or indoor, depending on the climate: 

Outdoor: These feedlots are standard in drier climates with large expanses of land, such as Texas, Nebraska, and eastern Colorado. 

Indoor: These feedlots are standard in areas with higher rainfall and are typically smaller than outdoor feedlots. They have walls and roofs and often have slatted floors to allow manure and other waste to pass through.

Cattle

Cattle are fed a mix of grain, silage, hay, and protein supplements. Their average daily weight gain is between 2.5 and 4 pounds. 

Length of stay

Depending on their weight, cattle may spend a few months to nearly a year in a feedlot. The typical stay is slightly less than six months. 

Size

Feedlots can contain tens of thousands of animals. 

Labeling

Beef products labeled “grain-fed” come from cattle that have spent an average of 50 to 120 days in a feedlot. 

Feedlots are also known as animal feeding operations (AFOs) or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

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• Newborn Original
• Newborn Sustained Bolettes w/Minerals
• Newborn Sustained Paste w/Minerals
• Adult Primer for Livestock
• Adult Sustained Release w/Minerals
• Adult Stress Premix
• Newborn Stress Premix
• Livestock Stress Pack
• Animal Stress Pack

Calf Mortality Using Ramaekers Livestock Formulas

Study period: Oct. 15, 2002 – Jan. 20, 2003

KEY POINTS:

• 100% reduction in calf mortality
• Improved milk production
• Achieved breeding weight 2 months earlier
• OMRI-listed product

Dairy A

• Used 180 calves (30 died). No Livestock Stress Formula was used during the study period.

Dairy B

• Used 181 calves (only three died). Calves were fed the Livestock Stress Formula during the study period.

Comparison of Dairy A and Dairy B:

• Both dairies are located approximately 5 miles apart in Oakdale, California.
• They share a similar genetic pool and employ the same calf raiser.

Central California Dairy Cattle Trial

This study took place from October 15, 2002, to January 20, 2003, involving two dairy operations near Oakdale, California. Both operations have consistent genetics and similar illness and death rates for calves over many years. Ramaekers Livestock Stress Stable (LSSS) was delivered to both locations on the same day. Dairy A did not use the product, while Dairy B used it as directed.

During the study period, Dairy A transported 180 calves (with 30 fatalities), while Dairy B transported 181 calves (with only three fatalities).

Follow-up to the Central California Dairy Cattle Trial:

After four years of tracking the calves using Dairy Comp 305 software, the dairyman observed several significant results:

• The treated heifers calved at 22 months, compared to 24 months for heifers purchased from external sources.
• The study revealed that these heifers produced, on average, 2,000 pounds more milk per year.
• This increase in production translates to effectively receiving one free year of milk production for every six years.

These remarkable improvements in herd health, observed through immune supplementation, motivated the dairyman to transition to a certified organic dairy.

Summary:

Initiating early immune education, particularly for newborn calves, can significantly reduce illness rates, enhance profits, accelerate growth rates, and improve overall performance.

Learn More about our Bovine Products

• Newborn Original
• Newborn Sustained Bolettes w/Minerals
• Newborn Sustained Paste w/Minerals
• Adult Primer for Livestock
• Adult Sustained Release w/Minerals
• Adult Stress Premix
• Newborn Stress Premix
• Livestock Stress Pack
• Animal Stress Pack

October 2009 Willow Creek Farms, Tiffin, Ohio

KEY POINTS:

• COMPARISON BETWEEN REGULAR (or standard) & SLOW-RELEASE LSSF
• Enhancing the effectiveness of cell-mediated immunity is a necessary supportive therapy for deep abscessation
• 320% TO 500% INCREASED VACCINE TITERS

In October 2009, 45 steers from Zanesville, Ohio, were delivered to Willow Creek Farms in Tiffin, Ohio, owned by Dr. Robert McClung.

The steers were gate-cut into three groups.

• Twenty heads were tagged with ODD numbers. They received the Standard Livestock Stress Stable,
• Twenty heads were tagged with EVEN numbers. They received the SLOW RELEASE Livestock Stress Stable and
• Five tagged controls to receive placebos.

The Standard group received the product on days 1, 2, and 12; the slow-release group received the product on days 1 and 12; and the controls received placebos on days 1, 2, and 12.

• On day 1, all cattle received the same worming and vaccine protocols. In addition, all cattle received a porcine, slow-release parvovirus vaccine and a 5-way leptospirosis vaccine from Solid Tech Bacterin.
• All cattle were bled on day 0 for baseline titers of porcine parvovirus and leptospirosis.
• On day 12, all cattle received standard vaccine boosters, and the study groups received their second dose of RB LSSS.
• On days 21 and 42, all cattle were bled and weighed.

Bovine Vaccine Titer Enhancement Observations by Dr. McClung:

• By the second day, ALL of the treated calves had suddenly stopped bawling and were feeding.
• On days 3 and 4, all the treated cattle had full bellies and appeared much more active than the controls.
• On day 10, some of the groups were visibly depressed and starting to show respiratory signs.
• By day 12, 8 of the Standard RB group and 3 of the Slow Release group had respiratory signs.
• On day 16, Dr. McClung mass-treated the Standard group with antibiotics and 2 of the Slow Release group.
• On day 21, Dr. McClung repeated the antibiotics for the RB group and rebled all cattle in the study.

After suspecting a vaccine failure and consulting with the manufacturer, Dr. McClung sent in titers for IBR, PI3, BVD, and BRSV. The manufacturer also suspected a vaccine failure or mutations in the virus. This was the first time in 5 years that Dr. McClung had problems with immune supplementation and vaccine response.

• On day 42, all cattle were re-bled and weighed.

Bovine Vaccine Titer Enhancement

Summary:

• Essentially, all cattle in the study had zero starting titers for the swine vaccines
• Both viral and bacterial components of the vaccines responded very strongly to Natural Immune Supplementation, ranging from a 320% to 500% increase in titers
• Also discovered was a delayed loss of vaccine immunity or a Prolonged Duration of Immunity.

Learn More about our Bovine Products

• Newborn Original
• Newborn Sustained Bolettes w/Minerals
• Newborn Sustained Paste w/Minerals
• Adult Primer for Livestock
• Adult Sustained Release w/Minerals
• Adult Stress Premix
• Newborn Stress Premix
• Livestock Stress Pack
• Animal Stress Pack