Gizmos & Gadgets

Products for use on farms and ranches.

Compiled by Shauna Hermel, editor

In this month’s edition we highlight a wool calf warmer, a new round baler, a feeder-calf program and BRD treatment.

Wool calf warmer
Woolover Ltd. of Christchurch, New Zealand, introduces to U.S. livestock producers woollen animal covers designed to ensure survival of newborn lambs, calves and kid goats. Doing business in the United States as Woolover Direct, the company has supplied Woolover animal covers to the U.S. dairy industry since 1996. MWI Animal Health, Boise, Idaho, distributes the covers nationwide.

Woolover Ltd. introduces a wool calf cover, called Fit N Forget™, specially designed to fit newborn beef calves. Made from wool needle punched to a hessian substrate, the biodegradable covers are designed to stretch as the calf grows and to fall off after three to four weeks, totally biodegrading within a year. The wool is absorbent, breathable and comfortable to wear. Ideal for calves born at 85 pounds (lb.), the covers will fit calves much smaller.

Fit N Forget Beef Cattle Covers are available from bbajackets@gmail.com or by calling Busse Acres at 715-296-7596.

Krone round baler with belts
The VariPack round baler from Krone is designed for hay growers looking for a high-quality round baler — with belts — that can bale faster while building dense, uniform bales.

The baler features four endless belts with a smooth surface to deliver uniform, high-density bales. Rollers are spaced close together for dependable power transfer to the belts, making for reliable bale starts and consistency as the chamber fills.

A quick-close rear door opens and closes in less than five seconds, reducing time spent waiting for the bale to eject.

From the cab the operator can select variable densities for the inner, middle and outer sections of each bale. Select a softer core that can breathe, while maintaining denser middle and outer sections.

The VariPack net-wrapping system is reliable, simple and easy to operate. The net threads easily and consistently through the rigid net feeder and starts automatically when the chamber is filled.

Long-lasting, high-flotation tires are designed for North American field conditions. Enjoy smooth, high-performance baling in any terrain.

This baler’s electronic system makes for easier work and faster baling. The system is compatible with the ISOBUS tractor terminal, and offers clear, user-friendly interfaces.

The clean, modern and uncluttered design provides easy and fast access to all service points. An automatic chain lubricator minimizes service time.

Krone’s exclusive EasyFlow camless pick-up delivers maximum crop to the bale chamber and starts each bale out right. It’s a durable and long-lasting pick-up, thanks to minimal moving parts. A pivoting, spring-loaded design follows any terrain, eliminating crop loss. A 7-foot (ft.) pick-up width handles wide windrows. The exclusive large auger creates more consistent crop flow from pick-up to feed roller.

The days of getting off your tractor to clear a plug are over. A wide feed rotor, which increases crop flow, and hydraulically engaged drop floor are standard, enabling faster baling, while making quick work of the occasional plug.

Choose 4x5 or 4x6 bale models. Both allow you change bale diameter on the go.

New feeder-calf program
Purina Animal Nutrition introduces Purina^® Plus, a feeder-calf program that aims to help cattle producers supply high-value, low-risk feeder calves to the marketplace. Program calves receive quality nutrition, vaccinations and dewormers — indicators of a well-raised, healthy calf with strong potential to perform through to the feedlot.

Purina worked with other industry leaders, including Zinpro, Elanco, Merck, Zoetis and Boehringer Ingelheim, to establish the requirements for the program. The end goal was to set parameters that add value to cattle while giving cow-calf producers the flexibility to use strategies that best fit their operation. The result is a program built around a portfolio of products that work to optimize weaning performance and help create a sale-day advantage for the calves in it.

Program calves must be:

• fed Purina starters at weaning initiation;
• transitioned to a balanced nutrition program after starter feed;
• weaned and on feed for a minimum of 45 days prior to sale;
• fed the appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals through starters or supplements;
• vaccinated and appropriately boosted for (1) strains of Clostridium chauvoei, C. septicum, C. novyi, C. sordellii, C. perfringens (Types C & D); (2) strains of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza-3 (PI₃), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Types 1 and 2 through a modified-live vaccine; and (3) Mannheimia haemolytica/Pasteurella multocida;
• dewormed of internal and external parasites with program-approved products; and
• all males must be castrated, and all horned cattle must be dehorned. Calves must be healed from management procedures at the time of sale.

“With basic nutrition needs met, health protocols and other management strategies are primed to be most effective,” says Brady Klatt, beef cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “The Purina Plus program is rounded out with a strong health protocol, which helps give calves the best chance for success as they transition to the next feeding phase.”

The companies involved are creating new marketing opportunities through networking, specialized sale events, advertising and more. Local Purina dealers are collaborating with regional livestock auction markets to establish a reputation for Purina Plus and facilitate calf sales. There is no enrollment fee.

For more information, contact your local Purina dealer.

Viable option to support responsible use of antibiotics
Elanco Animal Health announces the U.S. launch of Increxxa™ (tulathromycin injection) for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Increxxa quickly targets the site of infection in the lungs for fast-acting performance combined with a long half-life, giving cattle more time to bolster an effective defense against BRD. The launch marks a new option for producers to complement the company’s already extensive portfolio of BRD solutions.

“Studies consistently show tulathromycin, the active ingredient in Increxxa, helps decrease the negative effects of BRD, such as morbidity and mortality, when used metaphylactically,” notes Bill Platter, executive director of U.S. beef at Elanco. “This can lead to more profits by avoiding return trips to the hospital pen and getting cattle back to the feedbunk.”

With the availability of Increxxa, producers have another viable option to help support the responsible use of antibiotics in their herds.