New Products
Smaller supplement tub
BioZyme is now offering its VitaFerm® brand Concept•Aid® mineral supplement in a lighter-weight, easy-to-manage 50-pound (lb.) cooked molasses tub.
The supplement, which was previously only available in a 200-lb. size, contains 20% natural protein fortified with a bag of Concept•Aid mineral. By regulating the surface area per cow, the tub provides a consistent supply of supplemental protein and energy when forage quality is low. In addition to its balanced levels of necessary vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals, the supplement also contains the company’s proprietary Amaferm®, a natural feed additive that acts as a prebiotic to increase digestibility and maximize the energy value of feed. The new, smaller 50-lb. tub is easier to handle and convenient for smaller herds.
The supplement can be used at any stage of production and is ideally suited for cattle on mature forages, crop residues or low-quality hay where additional protein and energy are needed to maximize reproductive performance and herd health. Energy is one of the most important nutritional considerations in beef cattle production. Cows need energy to maintain milk production, as well as to initiate and maintain pregnancy. Energy requirements increase significantly during the last third of pregnancy and while the cow is producing milk. Protein is the second limiting nutrient in most rations. Without adequate amounts of protein in the diet, daily feed consumption drops off, feed passage rates decrease and overall digestive efficiency declines.
For more information visit www.biozymeinc.com.
Early pregnancy detection
BioTracking Inc. has introduced the BioPRYNhfr-25 blood pregnancy test. At 25 days postbreeding, BioPRYNhfr-25 is an early, accurate open detection tool for heifers.
The new tool provides information to make timely, critical heifer reproductive management decisions. The test can be used on dairy or beef cattle. Adding a blood pregnancy test to reproduction protocols will help determine if a heifer is open earlier.
Research in commercial settings confirms the test is 99.9% accurate when a heifer is identified as open 25 days postbreeding or after. The test is designed to detect pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) in heifers as a result of their accelerated physiological response in initial development of placental tissues.
To learn more visit www.biopryn.com.
Fetal development
BioZyme Inc. brand VitaFerm has created a unique Fetal Development Wheel designed to help producers successfully manage their herd’s nutritional needs during breeding and conception and throughout the various stages of bovine fetal development.
The free wheel is based on the work of Kim Vonnahme, an associate professor at North Dakota State University who has expertise in reproductive physiology, nutritional impacts on fetal and placental growth, and fetal vascularization.
Producers use the wheel by first dialing in a cow’s estimated date of ovulation and breeding. Once that date is locked in, the wheel tells the producer what is happening with the fetus during the days and months following conception. The wheel also tells the producer the optimum time to schedule ultrasounds for calf sexing and due date, and which of the company’s nutritional supplement formulas is recommended during breeding and the various stages of fetal development to achieve maximum growth potential.
Despite a long-held myth in cattle production that marbling occurred only during the feedlot phase of an animal's life, research by Vonnahme indicates that marbling actually starts in the fetus 80 days following conception, while brown fat starts to form at Day 190 around the fetus’s internal organs for insulation and quick energy after birth. Research by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) supports the fact that marbling actually begins during early fetal development when cells begin to differentiate into muscle or fat, and at birth, these cells continue to specialize based on nutritional and environmental factors.
To receive a free wheel call 1-800-821-3070.
Water conservation agent
Cardinal Agriculture Services, the agronomy/risk management division of Brookside Agra, is reporting higher feed quality in alfalfa treated with all-natural H2OExcel™ water conservation agent in a recent Illinois field trial.
According to the company’s soil and plant nutrition specialist, alfalfa treated with H2OExcel during the field trial exhibited the following results compared to the untreated alfalfa:
- An increased yield of 2.2 tons and an additional cutting;
- a 6.5% decrease in the acid detergent fiber (ADF), resulting in increased palatability for the animal;
- an 8.5% increase in the neutral detergent fiber (NDF), generally resulting in a decrease in dry-matter intake;
- an 11% increase in the relative feed value (RFV); and
- a 15% increase in protein levels.
The 2015 field trial was conducted in Washington County, Ill., on a 40-acre (20 acres treated, 20 acres not treated) alfalfa dryland production area. One quart of the product was applied to the treated alfalfa per acre at greenup, then 1 pint per acre after each cutting. The study results were compared to the production area’s 2014 yield, which was not treated with the product.
Developed by Brookside Agra, the product is a proprietary blend of desert plant extracts and high-quality, humic-acid-containing biologicals and other all-natural, non-plant-derived nutrient enhancers. The treatment is highly efficient and can change the polarity of water and soil, increase biological activity, interact with soil capillarity pressure and defend against dehydration of both the soil and the plants by keeping water available deeper in the soil profile. The product has been scientifically proven in university studies to reduce water usage by 30%-50%, lower costs to maintain vegetation, increase plant strength and reduce crop failure.
Listed on the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) list approved by the FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the product will not harm plants, animals or humans and is safe to blend with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The product can be used as a spray mixture or used in an injection/irrigation system on plants, crops or turf.
Visit www.brookside-agra.com/products/ for more information.
Cellular machine guidance
John Deere has introduced John Deere Mobile RTK Signal, an innovation in machine guidance and telematics that delivers repeatable RTK accuracy to a machine via a cellular connection to accurately and reliably guide precise field operations.
As part of the John Deere Mobile RTK Network, which is supported by Leica Geosystems, the cellular RTK Signal correction eliminates the line-of-sight requirement to a single base station. For operators in the field, this means improved operational accuracy and connection reliability when working in hilly or mountainous terrain or in areas with significant tree cover, which can interrupt radio RTK signal connections.
According to the release, to complete a John Deere Mobile RTK system, customers need an RTK-activated StarFire 3000 receiver, JDLink Connect-enabled Modular Telematics Gateway (MTG 3G), and a John Deere Mobile RTK Signal subscription. For customers currently running John Deere AutoTrac™ with an active JDLink Connect subscription, there is no additional hardware or data plan that has to be purchased, just the Mobile RTK Signal subscription.
The John Deere Mobile RTK Network is available in certain areas of the United States and Canada. The company plans to continue to expand the mobile RTK network coverage. John Deere Mobile RTK Signal is a supplemental offering to the vast John Deere radio-based RTK coverage many John Deere dealers offer today.
To learn more, visit my.jdmrtk.com or see your local dealer.
Free video instruction
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Beef Council have partnered to launch a new, comprehensive online website that offers video instruction and materials for livestock producers and ranchers, as well as 4-H’ers and high school agriculture students.
Dan Hale, AgriLife Extension meat specialist in College Station and website coordinator, says the courses and videos offered on the site are free through the generous support of the Texas Beef Council.
Livestock producers can receive Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification, as well as select from a number of courses to gain a better understanding of beef cattle production management and production systems, he said.
Courses offered include cattle nutrition and feeding, creating value through low-stress handling and market cow management. Those who visit the site can also view more than 400 individual videos on various beef cattle and meat science production topics. The majority of videos are 2-6 minutes long.
For more information, go to http://ranchtv.org/.
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