Stress management for Healthier Cattle during the Receiving Period
How we receive cattle at the feedlot will affect performance throughout the feeding phase.
Easing newly received cattle onto full feed, while ensuring excellent health and replacing shrink will ensure efficient rapid gains through the finishing period.
Cattle with greater than 7% transit shrink loss are in a high stress condition and in a high disease risk category.
(Chester-Jones and Di Costanzo, 2012)
B Vitamins are a common preventative and initial treatment used in Feedlots throughout North America. NAMHS data shows that close to 20% of feedlots are injecting B Vitamins.
Main stress factors:
• Weaning
• Vaccination
• Transport
• Weather
• Co-Mingling
• New feeds
• New Environment
• Weather
• Lower Dry Matter Intake
• Energy lost to immune challenges
• Immune Dysfunction
DISEASES | % of sickness
Respiratory
Diseases
Acute Interstitial
Pneumonia
Digestive
Problems
Lameness
Others
Bullers and Central nervous disorders, NAHMS (National Animal Health Monitoring Service) USDA.
Feedlot 2011. Feedlots of 1000 heads and more
B vitamins are essential for the overall metabolism
of beef cattle.
B vitamins act as Metabolic Activators* to produce energy and protein, resulting in less energy loss and fewer health disorders
*B Vitamins are involved in various metabolism as enzymes cofactors (activators)
*B Vitamins are involved in various metabolism as enzymes cofactors (activators)
Discover role of each vitamin
Pantothenic acid is needed as enzyme cofactor for :
- Synthesis of antibodies
- Glucose synthesis
Biotin is an enzyme cofactor in glucose synthesis needed for :
- Muscle growth
- Marbling
- Immunity
- Thiamin is involving in the metabolism of energy
Folic acid is involved in:
- Tissue growth
- Cell division
- Protein metabolism
- Protection of cell from oxidative stress
Pyridoxine is involved in:
- Protein metabolism
- Protection of cell from oxidative stress
Improves Dry Matter Intake
Improving Dry Matter Intake is essential
Weaning, vaccination, co-mingling and transport can create a Tipping Point of Stress Conditions. Combine these with lower feed intake results in poor adaption to receiving cattle diets and higher incidence of health challenges.
Improves Cattle Immunity
B vitamins improve the immune response of stressed cattle infected with virus.
IgG levels doubled after
14 days
Reduces time to recover shrink loss
Days to recover shrink were reduced by 1.3 days for the group of cattle fed the protected B vitamins blend.
Higher total gain at the end of receiving period
Faster Recovery of shrink loss
Improves gain that carries through to finish
Higher total gain after the receiving period.
Extra Gain increases up to shipping
Higher carcass yield
Feeding Jefo Protected B Vitamins at
receiving 4:1 ROI
1 Essai Commercial, Mexique, 2016.
1 Jefo TRR-3, 2018 Evaluation on a Commercial feedlot, Mexico Nueva Leon Feedlot capacity: 50,00 heads. November and December 2016
2931 heads (steers) on test, 13 pens/treatment. Pen data only. Arrival weight was similar between control (228 kg or 502 lbs)
And B vitamins (ontrol:237 kg (522 lbs). Feeding trial period of 14 days. Shrink loss was control: 15.6% and B vitamins (16,5%)
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About Jefo
Jefo is a global leader in high-performance non-medicated nutritional solutions for animals. Founded in 1982 in Canada, Jefo markets its species-specific products worldwide and massively invests in innovation and development to be the supplier of preference for those striving to reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics.
With its Life, made easier commitment in mind, Jefo uses a practical approach to share its results based on complex scientific research. To improve animal health and increase human longevity by feeding growing populations with better protein sources, Jefo proposes different solutions in their programs: Jefo Care – Health & Prevention, Jefo Peak – Performance & Production and Jefo Cycle – Reproduction.