There’s no better time of year than spring when the grass is turning green, and you are getting ready to turn out cattle. Regardless of if you are weaning your own calves or buying stockers to turn out, you will want to make their transition away from a milk-based diet and onto a forage-based diet as seamless as possible. Set them up for success with BioZyme®’s 3-3-1 approach: three products, three steps, one profitable result.
Three Products, Three Steps
Start by processing all calves, either at weaning or on delivery with the Vita Charge® Cattle Drench. Cattle Drench is designed to support digestive health before, during and after challenges. With one easy dose, as they are going through the chute, Cattle Drench provides AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility, MOS to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system, and enzymes to generate a more rapid digestive response. Vita Charge Cattle Drench is available in a 5-liter jug that you can hang chute-side for easy application of large groups or a smaller 32-ounce bottle for smaller groups of cattle.
Next, you will want to provide your group of calves with a Vita Charge® Stress Tub or Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT®, depending on your climate or if you are grazing on fescue. The Stress Tub is designed to support digestive health and intake, and the Stress Tub HEAT is ideal when temperatures are above 70 degrees. It contains BioZyme’s HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge. Both tubs contain Amaferm, MOS, and probiotics and should be fed for 14-21 days. The final step is feeding Gain Smart®, a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for stocker cattle that promotes healthy, economical pounds by maximizing the energy and protein available in the diet. Available in four formulas, there is an option for you if you are grazing grass, wheat, feeding a grain diet, or dealing with summer heat. In addition to Amaferm to increase digestibility, Gain Smart also includes organic copper, iodine and zinc for maximum bioavailability and hoof health. It provides nutritional support for a healthy immune system.
One Profitable Result
Research has shown that including Amaferm in the diet of feeder calves will increase average daily gain by a quarter pound per day. Our customers say they have witnessed that to be true, in addition to having fewer sick calves to treat. More efficient gain with less time and money invested in treatments equals more profits.
“After our third grazing season using the Gain Smart® Wheat mineral, it seemed to me our gains were probably up between a quarter to a third pound a day compared to the past, since switching to the Gain Smart. We’ve run the same style of high-risk cattle the past 10 years. Our health seems to be substantially better. It seems like our sickness and death loss has been significantly less the last three years. The Gain Smart increases digestibility. If they are eating, they stay healthier,” said loyal Gain Smart customer Gregg Pickens, Oklahoma.
Another customer found similar results with grazing his calves on the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT mineral in Virginia.
“I believe in minerals. I believe the most problems you have with cattle is with mineral deficiency. I saw the Gain Smart Program on The American Rancher one night, and I thought I could use that. Since I started feeding Gain Smart, I’ve had less than 1% death loss. I have virtually no foot rot or pinkeye problems at all. I love the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT that has the garlic in it. It has good fly control, and Stocker HEAT does help with the fescue because we have a lot of fescue down here. The cattle are healthy, look good, and I think they are getting a premium,” said customer Tom Carter.
From Virginia to Oklahoma and places in between, there the combination of Vita Charge and Gain Smart products to help your calves gain healthy, efficient pounds. Set your calves up for grazing success with BioZyme’s 3-3-1 approach today! To learn more about these products or to locate a dealer near you, visit www.gainsmart.com.
