Introduction to Livestock Products

Ramaekers Nutrition

Written by: Dr. Bob McClung

From time to time, an advancement or technology comes along that changes how we think about a problem. In the cattle business, this technology is immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a relatively new, rapidly developing science in human and veterinary medicine. This science allows us to educate the immune system of the host to help in the fight against viral and bacterial pathogens. The new technology is both financially rewarding and reasonable to utilize.

Despite our considerable knowledge of antibiotic therapeutic agents and targeted vaccination programs, it is acknowledged that we still have “disease wrecks.” An internationally patented advancement developed by Dr. Joe Ramaekers, Immune Primer, available in non-ruminating and ruminating forms, when used adjunctively with sound husbandry and vaccination protocols, will enhance health and profit margins in almost all cattle operations. In the last eight years, studies that have been done in dairy cows, dairy heifers, bull calf rearing, veal operations, cow-calf, goat, sheep enterprises back-grounding operations, and feedlot businesses have shown Immune Primer markedly reduces morbidity (sickness), mortality (death loss), improves performance and profit margins.

When added adjunctively to sound management practice, Adult Immune Primer or Newborn Immune Primer have increased margins because improved health results in better performance. Savings from decreased illness, less antibiotic use, less labor to treat cattle, more effective antibiotic response, increased gain rate, and reduced feed time make the Immune Primer formulas even more critical in times of high feed costs to the producer. A tremendous reduction in illness and death loss also provides income that was not available in the past to the producer. As a practicing veterinarian who has used these products on my own cattle and sheep and in my clients’ agribusinesses with excellent results for 10 years, I am very pleased with these products. “I strongly feel these products have the greatest potential for improved profit of any new product introduced into animal production in the last 40 years.”

Method of Action

Immune Primer's patented technologies of using the top chemical messengers of the immune system are able to convert slowly reactive immune systems into very rapid response systems. These messengers are very specific to the variety of microbial agents they are coded and produced for. The Immune Primer molecules educate the “natural killer cells” to apprehend these pathogens and initiate a wide variety of cytokines (chemical messengers) and cellular lines that control the activity of the immune system response. It, in fact, increases the immune response by over 400% above baseline. When used appropriately, these responses help prevent damage by bacterial, viral, and fungal agents and enhance response to antibiotics and vaccines. This is a perfect adjunct to management protocols in place today. These ingredients are derived from natural products, a plus in marketing “all-natural” animal products.

Each category of cattle enterprise has its own set of disease problems. For example:

DAIRY COWS- transition cow problems

-mastitis problems

- breeding problems, reproductive efficiency

- high somatic cell problems

- calf problems

CALF REARERS

  • respiratory disease
  • scour problems~ viral, bacterial, protozoan

STOCKER-FEEDER

  • bovine respiratory disease

COW-CALF

-breeding efficiency

-increased conception rate

-calf health problems

-ET production enhancement increased # of eggs

 

SMALL RUMINANTS

-newborn health, adjunctive treatment, CL prevention

-improved conception, egg, and semen quality

All of the above areas have been or are being investigated. In all cases strengthening the immune system has shown significant benefits in production to the producer.