Ramaekers Nutrition Thoughts: Securing the health of Dairy Steers
BY PATTI WILSON
We’ve all seen them. Many of us have fed them, and a few of us have had one in the deep freeze. Dairy steers make up nearly 20% of all fed cattle.
The sale of newborn bull calves may make up only one to two percent of gross sales from dairies. Until recently, there has been little incentive to give them the same care as their heifer mates. High labor costs and time restrictions on large dairies generally have a negative impact on the initial care of dairy bull calves. This is directly translated into inadequate or untimely administration of colostrum after birth. It sets up the calves for a lifetime of greater disease risk, lower growth rates, and unthriftiness.
Given today’s price of cattle, the shortage of numbers, and increased feedlot space, dairy bull calves are gaining importance in the beef industry. This fact alone should prompt dairies to administer first-class care to their bull calves. Calves that, in the past, may have only brought $5 per head may now be worth up to $500 off the farm. Compared to beef calves, dairy bull calves are at higher risk of illness due to how they are managed and raised.
Where does it start: Chuteside Manner
A dairy heifer calf is the princess of the barn. She is administered measured amounts of high-quality colostrum (tested with a colostrometer). She receives these two to three times prior to being moved out of the calving area. A general recommendation for administering colostrum is four quarts of high-quality product at birth. Followed by two quarts at 10 to 12 hours. Some dairies may even feed three times. Bull calves, however, are treated a bit differently. Being a by-product, many may get only one feeding, and some may get none. Many large dairies have calves picked up by “calf jockeys” on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And they often spend a week on the road. They are trailered to calf ranches where they are raised in large groups until they weigh 300 to 350 pounds. At that point, backgrounding lots purchase the calves, and they are moved out.
On a seasonal basis, morbidity on these young calves can reach 15 to 30 percent, and mortality 5 to 15 percent without our health program. Early pulls and death loss due to compromised immune systems are more measurable than events happening later in the lives of calves. A common problem, susceptibility to Mycoplasma pneumonia, can lead to other diseases. Eventually, the value of the drop at harvest from Holsteins is reduced by abscesses on the liver, lungs, and kidneys. Mycoplasma almost guarantees an abscessed liver, resulting in lowered grade percentages. Inadequate immunity affects every factor determining profitability.
What to do: Chuteside Manner
For folks feeding Holsteins, good intervention lies in using transfer factors and probiotics found in the Ramaekers Immune Primer Formulas. Joe Ramaekers, DVM, is a veterinarian from Santa Cruz, California. He is a lifelong student of immunology and is frequently called to consult with livestock producers of all species regarding communicable diseases. Ramaekers is conducting real-world tests and has developed Immune Primer Formulas which can be administered to large groups of cattle, fed to just a few, or even drenched in young stock. It is used to boost the immune system’s performance in healthy and compromised animals. He has long believed in effective preventative medicine using his patented Immune Primer for at-risk or stressed patients.
Cull Rates Cut to less than 1%
Stressed calves arriving from lengthy trips to calf ranches may be dosed with the Immune Primer Formulas on days one, two, and twelve, and spot treated with penicillin G as needed. Cheaper antibiotics appear to have enhanced effectiveness when used in combination with his Immune Primer Formulas. At one ranch, cull rates on calves under Dr. Ramaekers’ care have been cut to less than 1%, and groups of calves “even up” as they stay on the ranch.
For older preconditioned dairy calves, there is the Adult Stress Premix. This formula is indicated for use during stress windows such as transition, weaning, and transport.
Finished dairy steers when managed with Dr. Ramaekers’ immune conditioning program consistently attain improved carcass quality and reduced carcass discounts, resulting in higher profitability for the producer.
Average Return of $10 for Every Dollar Invested
Ramaekers’ hope is that the Adult Immune Primer Formula and Adult Stress Premix can be used in all-natural pens of cattle, replacing implants, hormone therapy, or other regulatory feed additives that may cause side effects such as lowering grade or potential toxicity. His goal is to return at least ten dollars for every dollar invested in his product. His historical data collected on almost 1 million head of cattle over 13 years shows an average return of $10 for every dollar invested.
With new antibiotic regulations coming down the pike, Ramaekers sees an increasing need to turn to a “prophylactic program”. A program that affords 24-hour protection and Primes the animal’s immune system for life. The current political climate is demanding the minimization of antibiotics. It is inconvenient and, to many of us in the livestock industry, unnecessary because we use our medications judiciously according to the label guidelines. The future may demand that we rely more heavily on the use of immune science to raise our production levels. Immune system priming will also help raise the effectiveness of all health products, including vaccines and wormers, and extend the life of Western medicine therapeutics. The use of non-prescription feed additives will end in 2016. Ramaekers Nutrition is being proactive in a market that is demanding an antibiotic and hormone-free product.
RESEARCH: CHUTESIDE MANNER
BOVINE VACCINE TITER ENHANCEMENT OCTOBER 2009
WILLOW CREEK FARMS, TIFFIN, OHIO
KEY POINTS: CHUTESIDE MANNER
- COMPARISON BETWEEN IMMUNE PRIMER & PHASED RELEASE IMMUNE PRIMER
- 320% TO 500% INCREASED VACCINE TITERS
In October of 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 to receive the Adult Immune Primer, twenty heads were tagged with EVEN numbers to receive the Adult Immune Primer Sustained Release with Minerals, and five tagged controls received placebos.
The Adult Immune Primer group got the product on days 1, 2 & 12. The Adult Immune Primer Sustained Release with Minerals group got the product on days 1 &12. The controls were given placebos on days 1, 2 & 12.
On day 1, all cattle received the same worming and vaccine protocols. In addition, all cattle received a porcine, slow-release parvovirus and 5-way leptospirosis vaccine by Solid Tech Bacterin.
All cattle were bled on day 0 for baseline titers for porcine parvovirus and leptospirosis.
On day 12, all cattle received standard vaccine boosters, and the study groups received their second dose of Adult Immune Primer.
On days 21 and 42, all cattle were bled and weighed.
Observations on Chuteside Manner by Dr. McClung:
By the second day, ALL of the Treated calves suddenly stopped bawling and were feeding. On Days 3 & 4, compared to the controls, all the treated cattle had full bellies and appeared much more active.
On day 10, it was observed that some of the groups were visibly depressed and starting to show some respiratory signs. By day 12, 8 of the Adult Immune Primer group and 3 of the Adult Immune Primer Sustained Release with Minerals group had respiratory signs.
On day 16, Dr. McClung decided to mass treat the Adult Immune Primer group with antibiotics and 2 of the Adult Immune Primer Sustained Release with Minerals group.
On day 21, Dr. McClung repeated the Adult Immune Primer group’s antibiotics and re-bled 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 virus mutations. 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.
SUMMARY: Chuteside Manner
- 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. And ranging from a 320% to 500% increase in titers.
- Also discovered was a delayed loss of vaccine immunity, or in other words, a Prolonged Duration of Immunity.
