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Parasites
in cattle
Over
the past several months, we have discussed several issues that hopefully
assisted producers as they made feeding decisions for their cattle herd.
With spring just around the corner, I hope that each of you can now see
light at the end of the tunnel and are preparing for what will hopefully
be a good growing season.
With
the lack of hay this past winter, I am seeing some cattle that are in
fair body condition that will need extra nutrition to breed back this
spring. There is a direct correlation between body condition scores and
breed back time for brood cows. With this in mind, I would like to
encourage you to consider an external and internal parasite control
program for early spring.
Several
University studies have indicated that cattle carrying a high count of
internal parasites will have lower body condition scores and will have
longer breed back times than cows that have been maintained on a regular
scheduled parasite control program. It is even more imperative this
spring due to the circumstances from the last few months.
First
of all, I have talked to several producers who did not work their cattle
last fall due to cost factors. These producers were preparing to spend
money for extra feed and hay and did not spend it on parasite control.
Another
reason to expect a high worm count is due to cattle grazing very close
to the ground as producers were stretching forages, along with the fact
that the early winter was mild and wet. Internal parasites are found
close to the ground and not in the top of taller grasses.
A
third reason for a spring parasite program is to improve body condition
scores on cattle. A high internal parasite count will rob cattle of
needed nutrition for improving body condition and allowing breeding back
in a timely fashion.
A
final reason is external parasites. I have had more calls and seen more
severe cases of lice than I have in the past 10 years. While external
parasites may not rob the cow of needed nutrition, it will stress the
animal to the point that it will not want to graze.
Now
that we have established a need for a parasite control program, let’s
look at the kind of program we should implement. Over the past few
years, a large number of generic parasite control products have come on
the market. These products are priced reasonably and a lot of producers
are using them in place of branded products such as Eprinex, Dectomax
and Ivomec. While this market has grown, let’s consider some facts
before deciding to use a generic product.
For
the most part generic products can be made at a variety of places around
the world with no quality control standards in place. These products can
be mixed in a variety of ways with different active ingredient carriers
and all they have to guarantee is that the active ingredient is in the
product. These manufacturers have conducted very little, if any,
research as to the effectiveness of their product against a branded
product. I can also document several large producers in Alabama that
used the generic products and have gone back to branded products because
of the ineffectiveness of the generic products.
Another
factor against the use of generics is the inconsistency of the product.
Several producers have mentioned the fact that the product will be
inconsistent in color and odor. This is due directly to the fact that
these manufactures do not guarantee a specific carrier for the active
product. In most cases, it’s a type of alcohol that will be adversely
affected by temperature and other environmental conditions.
A
third concern is that you, as a producer, have little recourse if a
problem arises. Nationally recognized drug companies such as Merial,
Pfizer, and Intervet have veterinarians and field staff on board to
assist you if a problem arises. These companies will send a
representative to your farm and will make sure that there is not a
problem with their product. If a problem arises on the generic side, you
are pretty much on your own when it comes to deciding a course of
action.
A
final reason that I would recommend a branded product is because of
their support of the cattle industry. It is imperative that we help
industries that are dedicated to helping our industry. These companies
will support us through research, national advertising, and marketing of
our cattle. I recently had the opportunity to visit the National
Cattleman’s Associations Trade Show. As I looked at the different
companies that were giving support to the cattle industry, it was pretty
obvious that it was the national companies that we hear about each day.
I
realize that it is easy to use a generic product based on cost. I would
encourage you to look at it in another way. Would you trust your car to
gas and oil that you knew little about? Would you consider taking a drug
that had little research and recourse if a problem arose? Cattle are our
business and we need to do the very best possible job in assuring that
they operate at their most productive level.
A
branded product such as Eprinex will cost you an additional $2.00 per
head to utilize. For this $2.00 you will get a product that is
pharmaceutical grade with years of research and financial backing to
guarantee you a consistent product with consistent results. You will
also get a company that will stand behind its products and will support
our industry as we continue to make sure that beef is the product of
choice. While I realize that it is more costly, I will gladly pay an
additional $2.00 per head to make sure that I am giving my cattle the
very best product to control parasites this spring. Plus, how much are
you saving if you have to retreat to control the parasites and the loss
of production due to missing your breed back time?
If
you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel
free to contact me at me at jimmyh@alafarm.com.
Jimmy
Hughes is AFC’s animal nutritionist.
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