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Lighten Workloads, Pack on Pounds

Advice offered from a renowned researcher on increasing feedlot performance.

You go to work well before sunup, and you don’t hang up your hat until after sundown. With so much to get done, hours in the feedyard click by in a hot minute. Cattle are constantly moving — feeder cattle coming in, market cattle shipping out. Your list continues, from processing 100-plus head at the chute to moving and checking on cattle that could be miles from where you’re standing now.

It is more important now than ever for feedlot operators to take advantage of every tool and technology available to increase overall gain and to improve labor efficiencies and operational flexibility.

When it comes to evaluating a feedlot’s performance and average daily gain (ADG) goals, Richard Zinn, renowned researcher and animal science professor at the University of California–Davis, closely examines four things.

“I would first look at the implant program — that’s No. 1,” he says. “No tool has a greater impact on average daily gain and gain efficiency (FE) than the implant, so this is an area that feedlots should pay very close attention to, and then the use of feed additives, feeding management and the effective fiber content of the diet.”

While there are many implant options available, using a long-acting implant can help feeders find more time in the day, improve labor efficiencies and reduce risk of injury by handling cattle less.

“The implant program is extremely important,” Zinn said.

Synovex® One Feedlot provides producers a long-duration implant option that is approved for use with both steers and heifers, offering 200 days of uninterrupted performance — nearly twice the duration of conventional implants. Compared with nonimplanted feeder cattle, steers implanted with the product saw a 15.4% improvement in ADG and 9.8% improvement in FE. Heifers demonstrated a 12% increase in ADG and a 7% improvement in FE.1

Zinn recommends that feedlots experiencing decreased feed intake should also look at current feed-additive programs to help enhance performance and implement changes if needed.

“When I see a feedlot where the intake is off, then we’re going to look at the feed-additive program and try to determine if they’re optimizing the potential of various feed additives to enhance performance,” Zinn said. “The important thing in the feedlot is to maximize average daily gain, and by doing that, they maximize net return.”

Implementing animal health technologies can help your operation run more efficiently, helping guarantee improved performance and profits. For more information on increasing feedlot performance, please contact your Zoetis representative or visit GrowWithSynovex.com and CattleFeedAdditives.com.

Do not use Synovex products in veal calves. Refer to label for complete directions for use, precautions and warnings.

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Editor’s Note: This article is provided by Zoetis.

1 Cleale RM, Bechtol DT, Drouillard JS, et al. Synovex Plus implants coated with a polymeric, porous film improve performance of beef steers and heifers fed in confinement for up to 200 days. J Anim Sci. 2012;90(13):5056-5066.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 





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