Be Sure Implants Pay Off
By Randy Rosenboom, M.S., Ruminant Specialist
Implanting. This is a topic we seem to talk about at least once a year. Few practices are so simple and low cost, yet return such large dividends – if done correctly. Most agree implanting will return about $20 per head. By the same token, that same $20 is what we can lose if the procedure is done incorrectly. There are many reasons implants may fail, including:
- abscesses
- walling off
- falling out
- never getting in the ear
The more cattle we implant, the more likely we are to think we are doing it correctly. This is only natural. After all, nobody wants to think that if they implanted 10,000 head of cattle they could have lost out on $200,000.
Implanting is a little like golfing. Just because you play a lot of golf doesn’t mean you are a good golfer. The single most important thing that would probably benefit most everyone’s implanting technique is simply using a disinfectant between critters.
To do this, all you need is a paint tray with a big sponge soaked with iodine. A simple swipe of the needle through the sponge between implants will do wonders for reducing infection and abscesses.
The other way to get the most from your implant dollar is to feed adequate protein. The more aggressive the implant program, the more important it is to feed adequate protein. We have seen research that shows increasing protein from 11.5% up to 13% will give the same response as using an implant. We also have seen that feeding a 13-14% protein diet in conjunction with an aggressive implant such as Revalor® will give you an additional .2-.3 lb per day.
Kent Feeds offers a variety of protein supplement products that can be matched to any feeding program. Whether you are feeding conventional diets or using by-products such as gluten feed or distillers grains, Kent has a product to fit your system.
See your Kent Feeds dealer for more information on what would be best for your operation.
Revalor® is a registered trademarks of Intervet.