1MG FlippingBooks
Pacific Biologics’ boluses boost cattle farmers’ production gains
Across Australia there is increasing demand for boluses, which aid in the prevention of trace element deficiencies in cattle and can in turn boost growth rates, fertility and milk production.
A healthy cow is a high-producing cow — and that equals a happy farmer. Adding trace elements to a cattle nutrition program can heighten an animal’s performance and the overall health of the herd.
Mark Jones from Pacific Biologics, a market leader in bolus technology and the national distributor for Agrimin Bolus products including All-Trace, says boluses are the most reliable way to deliver a variety of trace elements including but not limited to copper, zinc, selenium and even calcium.
“Boluses are a guaranteed way of delivering a product to an animal and you know every animal’s got it. They are the future,” he says.
Pacific Biologics provides boluses to support fertility, weight gain and milk production, those approved for use in organic systems, and products for sheep. The capsules settle in the reticulum and dissolve over a controlled timeframe, releasing a continuous supply of supplements.
“It’s as if you were giving the animal a tablet every day, like a daily multivitamin,” Mr Jones says.
One dose can last several months, which Mr Jones says gives boluses an advantage over injectable products that “generally provide sufficient trace elements for a couple of weeks”.
“We have copper capsules that last 12 months. We have All-Trace boluses [1] which deliver seven trace elements and three vitamins over eight months,” he says.
A cattle farmer himself, Mr Jones says boluses free farmers from the guesswork of mixed ration delivery and offer more certainty than ad-libitum feeding, where bullies often get too much as shy feeders miss out.
While the oral delivery system can spark hesitation, particularly for farmers with larger herds, Mr Jones says application[2] is easy with good yards and a crush.
“Crush technology and design is far superior to what it used to be. Animal flow is better. You have significantly more restraint over an animal’s head,” Mr Jones says.
“Once somebody uses boluses, they tend to use them every year. Our largest single client uses 10,000 doses, but like most they started off buying 100 or 200 doses.”
Pacific Biologics expanded into the rural sector in 2005 as a subsidiary of Clarke, a family-owned company that has been at the forefront of disease vector control in the public health sector.
“Clarke saves thousands of peoples’ lives every year from vector-borne diseases. Knowing the company you work for is making a difference is very satisfying” Mr Jones says.
He is proud of the company’s commitment to sustainability, and the way profits are utilised for philanthropy; a few years ago Burrumbuttock Hay Runners received a $26,000 donation.
Pacific Biologics is currently registering a number of new bolus products with their partners Agrimin, a costly process that takes around two years but ultimately makes an invaluable difference in the paddock.
“Our job isn’t just to sell something for the sake of it. Australian producers are in the business of making meat, milk and wool, it’s our job to provide profitable products that support this endeavor for the long-term viability of our industry,” Mr Jones says.
Company email address: markjones@pacificbiologics.com.au
Company website: http://www.pacificbiologics.com.au/rural/
Product catalogue: http://www.pacificbiologics.com.au/rural/index.php/nutritional-products/cattle
NEWS
Prodoz, a Proudly Australian and family-owned agribusiness, based in Melbourne, is strengthening its positions as national/international leader in advanced crop – science solutions through a growing portfolio of global innovation partners and a distribution footprint supported by all major distributors - includes Nutrien Ag, Elders, Lindsay Rural and Independent Rural stores.
Australia’s climate is tougher than ever. Heat spikes, dry periods, salinity, waterlogging and sudden frost events are becoming an everyday part of farmers lives.
Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
Find out why the first summer drench can be so important in protecting your flock’s health, plus what to look for in your summer drench of choice.
A NSW-based innovator has developed a patent-pending, front-mounted firefighting and utility system for tractors, giving farmers instant, in-cab-controlled fire suppression, water and fuel on hand, and safer solo operations.
Barko Security is bringing drone technology to agriculture while building on a decade of security and a lifetime of agricultural know-how.
