Stress tubs for cattle are a convenient and effective way to deliver essential minerals and nutrients to the herd, especially during periods of stress or nutritional deficiencies. At BioZyme®, we specialize in making stress tubs in our VitaFerm® line of nutritional supplements for beef cattle that maximize energy and forage utilization for successful production.
Let’s examine the benefits of stress tubs for cattle, review the variety of tubs BioZyme offers and even discuss the best times to feed stress tubs vs. free choice mineral.
Benefits of Stress Tubs for Cattle
There are several reasons why stress tubs are beneficial in the beef industry.
Convenience
Stress tubs provide a convenient way to deliver minerals and nutrients to cattle without the need for daily handling or individual supplementation. Once the tubs are placed in the pasture or feeding area, cattle can access them freely as needed.
VitaFerm® Stress Tubs with the Vita Charge® technology come in two convenient sizes – 200 pounds and 50 pounds. Once the tubs are distributed in the pasture or pen, there is no need to lug heavy bags of mineral out to the fill mineral feeders. They are simply convenient to use.
Continuous Access
Stress tubs allow cattle to self-regulate their intake of minerals and nutrients by providing continuous access to the supplement. This ensures that cattle can consume the necessary minerals according to their individual nutritional requirements.
Most cattle on the VitaFerm tubs will consume .25 to .50 pounds per head per day. Due to the fact that many cattle are nutritionally deficient, some might seem like they are over consuming until they level out. If you feel this is the case, keep free choice salt near your stress tub.
Nutritional Balance
Stress tubs are formulated to provide a balanced blend of essential minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that may be lacking in the cattle’s diet or during times of stress. This helps to prevent deficiencies and maintain optimal health and productivity in the herd.
Stress Management
During periods of stress, such as weaning, transportation, or changes in diet or environment, cattle may experience nutritional imbalances that can impact their health and performance. Stress tubs help to mitigate the effects of stress by providing the necessary nutrients to support immune function, digestion and overall well-being.
Weather Resistance
Many stress tubs are designed to withstand adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow and wind, to maintain their integrity and effectiveness in the pasture or feeding area.
The VitaFerm stress tubs come in an orange plastic tub that won’t degrade in the snow or rain, and the mineral within the tub doesn’t either.
Reduced Labor and Costs
Using stress tubs for mineral supplementation can help reduce labor and feed costs. Conversely, traditional methods of mineral delivery, such as hand feeding or adding minerals to feed rations, can increase labor. Stress tubs save time when dispersing minerals, and we all know that time is a precious commodity.
Overall, stress tubs offer a practical and efficient way to deliver essential minerals and nutrients to cattle, promoting optimal health, productivity, and performance in the herd. However, it’s important to select the appropriate type of stress tub and monitor cattle intake to ensure that nutritional requirements are being met effectively.
That is how the VitaFerm Stress Tubs for cattle can make a significant impact on your cattle operation.
More About VitaFerm Stress Tubs
Some of you readers might be thinking the writer of this blog is slightly confused. For years, you have heard and read about and probably fed Vita Charge Stress Tubs. However, in January of this year, BioZyme made a big transition. All Vita Charge products are now part of either the Sure Champ® or VitaFerm product lines and Stress Tubs moved to the VitaFerm line.
There are two stress tubs for cattle in the VitaFerm line. They share several similar benefits like those outlined above in the fact that they are convenient, provide continuous access, provide nutritional balance and help eliminate stress. They are also weather-resistant and reduce the amount of labor needed to distribute minerals to pastures.
Let’s examine the other key similarities and differences between the two VitaFerm stress tubs for cattle.
VitaFerm® Stress Tub
The VitaFerm Stress Tub comes in both a 200- and 50-pound size, depending on your management scenario and operation best practices. Formerly the Vita Charge Stress Tub, the VitaFerm Stress Tub is a tub designed to support digestive health and intake.
In addition to chelated minerals and vitamins, VitaFerm Stress Tubs contain:
- AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility.
- MOS (mannan oligosaccharide) helps normalize gut microflora and support the immune system.
- A probiotic to help restore the gut microbiome.
VitaFerm® HEAT Stress Tub
VitaFerm HEAT Stress Tub is a tub for cattle designed to support digestive health and intake when temperatures are above 70 degrees. Formerly, the Vita Charge HEAT Stress Tub, this tub comes in a 50-pound size. It also contains the same key ingredients in addition to a fourth component:
- AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility.
- MOS (mannan oligosaccharide) helps normalize gut microflora and support the immune system.
- A probiotic to help restore the gut microbiome.
- HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, supports animals when heat and insects are a challenge.
Feeding VitaFerm Stress Tubs
Regardless of if you choose to feed the VitaFerm Stress Tub or the HEAT Stress Tub, both are part of the Gain Smart® 3-step approach to weaning.
As the second step, we recommend putting a VitaFerm Stress Tub with fresh-weaned or just-received calves for the first 7 to 21 days. The Stress Tub supports digestive health and intake.
The Stress Tubs are a great way to ensure calves get daily amounts of Amaferm in their diets to enhance digestibility. Additionally, the tubs contain MOS to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system and a probiotic to help restore the gut microbiome.
Available in two sizes, both 50- and 200-pound, the Stress Tubs are the most convenient way to deliver Amaferm to your calves for maximum digestion daily. If calves are also experiencing heat stress, the VitaFerm HEAT Stress Tub is a great option for all-around support.
Heat Stress Tubs
The HEAT Stress Tub supports digestive health and intake when temperatures are hotter than 70 degrees. HEAT technology includes a combination of essential oils, and garlic to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge.
“The HEAT technology works to keep those calves cool internally, helping drive their appetite and water intake. Think about it. When we are hot, we don’t feel like eating big meals. The same can be said with cattle, but with the combination of HEAT technology and Amaferm, cattle will get out in the middle of the day and eat smaller meals more frequently, helping maximize their gain,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme Director of Beef Technical Sales.
In addition to feeding at receiving and weaning, stress tubs also make a great nutritional supplement for calves at sale time, show season or any time cattle are stressed or go off feed.
“The Vita Charge Stress Tubs at weaning have helped get calves eating quicker and stay healthy throughout the entire process,” says Angus producer Jason Jagels, located in the Nebraska Sandhills.
Loose Mineral is Also Important to Weaning
Although the VitaFerm Stress Tubs are an important part of the Gain Smart weaning approach, the Gain Smart mineral is just as vital. After you settle the cattle into a new environment or routine, you will want to start them on 1 of the 4 Gain Smart mineral formulas.
Gain Smart is a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for stocker cattle that promotes healthy, economical pounds. Because every operation is different, there are 4 options for the Gain Smart mineral. To determine which of the following is best for your calves, take the Gain Smart Product Quiz.
- Gain Smart Stocker is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for stocker cattle designed to maximize efficient gain.
- Gain Smart Stocker HEAT® is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for stocker cattle designed to maximize efficient gain when temperatures are above 70 degrees.
- Gain Smart Wheat is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for stocker cattle designed to maximize efficient gain on wheat or small grain pasture.
- Gain Smart Balancer RU is a vitamin and mineral supplement for stocker cattle with rumensin designed to maximize efficient gain and balance high-grain diets when mixing TMR rations.
Gain Smart Produces Healthy, Economical Pounds
Research shows that including Amaferm in the animal’s diet increases gain by up to one-quarter of a pound per day. The faster gain equals more dollars in your pocket. This is why the combination of the VitaFerm Stress Tubs for cattle and the Gain Smart mineral is such a wise investment.
“We have a lot of fescue. I mean a lot; we grow it professionally. When we started using Gain Smart, we did a little trial. One pasture I fed the Gain Smart, and in another pasture, we just kept on with what I was originally using. When we pulled those cattle off, the cattle that were on the Gain Smart mineral were about 25-30 pounds heavier than the rest,” said Michael Smiley, owner of T&M Cattle Co. in Virginia.
“They all went in at the same time and all came out of the sale barn. They were the same cattle, just the Gain Smart did make them grow better,” Smiley said.
Start the Gain Smart Program Today
Intrigued about the Gain Smart program and how stress tubs can help your calves get that healthy jump start they need? Especially when they contain Amaferm?
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Are you ready to make a healthy investment in your herd’s health with VitaFerm Stress Tubs and Gain Smart? Locate your closest dealer to add these products to your feeding routine.
