Cattle prices have trended higher in recent weeks, amplifying the need for producers to employ a risk management program that captures every dollar while it’s available.
Knowing which production expenses help maximize profitability potential while prioritizing cattle health is crucial to effectively managing risk.
“Without healthy cattle to sell, you can’t take advantage of current market prices, and strong demand exists. Carcasses are bigger, animals are more valuable, and anything you can do to protect value is critical,” said Jose Correia De Simas, executive vice president of Elanco’s farm animal business. “In the cattle business, it’s a yes, no outcome. If it doesn’t go well, you don’t have 90% of what you thought you would have. You have zero. That’s why producers shouldn’t spare efforts to keep their animals well-vaccinated and clean from parasites.”
Feed Additive Investments
Feed supplementation is a costly but necessary production input.
Stock density and the need for feed supplements should be considered when evaluating forage budgets. The goal is to maintain optimum body condition scores of cows to prepare them for backgrounding or feedlots.
Including Rumensin® in feeding programs helps maintain cows’ optimum body condition scores, increases calves’ average daily gain, and manages coccidiosis as young calves transfer to pasture. This is especially important in anticipation of the growth of the coccidiosis load with lush spring pasture.
Rumensin’s unique mode of action works throughout the cow’s digestive system, allowing the animal to get more energy from every mouthful of feed and keep them free of coccidiosis. Rumensin is beneficial year-round for stockers, heifers, and feedlot calves.
“Feeding Rumensin benefits cattle any time of the year. It works all through the gut in all cattle types - old cows, young cows, calves and steers. That’s one of the reasons why it’s been so successful for 50 years,” Correia De Simas says.
Rumensin offers both productivity and health benefits, improving feed efficiency in cows and feedlot cattle and increasing gain in stockers, yearlings, and replacement heifers while providing flexibility.
“Rumensin fits every production system goal – whether a producer’s goal is to reduce feed costs and or feed more cows per acre,” says Katie Cook, vice president of Livestock Sustainability & U.S. Farm Animal Marketing for Elanco Animal Health.
“If you’re supplementing, Rumensin maximizes the value of supplementation. If you’re not supplementing, adding Rumensin justifies the value of supplementation,” Correia De Simas says.
A Trilogy of Support
Maintaining optimum cattle health and ensuring animals are coccidiosis-free takes a team of experts. Cook refers to this as the trilogy approach.
“At Elanco, one of our goals is to help connect veterinarians to customers and help them refine the best cattle health management protocol for them based on their specific production practices and the outcomes they’re driving towards,” she says.
For more information about Rumensin and the entire Elanco portfolio of animal health products, visit Elanco.com or contact your local Elanco representative.
The label contains complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and follow the label and use directions.
CAUTION: Consumption by unapproved species or feeding undiluted may be toxic or fatal. Do not feed to veal calves.
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