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If you question whether treating heavy cattle for parasites is a sound decision, consider this: Treating yearling cattle on arrival for internal and external parasites significantly improved feedlot performance in a recent large-scale study conducted by Livestock Consulting Services, Jerome, Idaho. Yearling steers treated with a label dose of Dectomax(R) In-jectable showed statistically significant advantages in average daily gain, feed efficiency, average revenue and lower cost of gain compared to counterparts that received only a pour-on lice treatment. Nematode egg counts for the doramectin-treated cattle were significantly lower than for the non-medicated cattle, demonstrating the economic value of arrival parasite control even in heavy animals. Conducted by Dr. Scott MacGregor of Livestock Consulting Services, the study included 6,096 crossbred yearling steers moved from grass pastures in California to a large feedlot in the Pacific Northwest. The yearlings posted an average initial weight of over 800 pounds. MacGregor notes the objective of the research was to study the economics of treating heavier yearling cattle for internal parasites. "If you have a finishing commercial feedyard, depending on the rate of gain out on pasture, placing yearlings over 800 pounds is fairly common," MacGregor points out. "We saw that we achieved positive economic re-turns due to the parasite in nearly every category we studied -- including average daily gain and feed conversion." The research, commissioned by Pfizer Animal Health, is the first large-scale, controlled study of its kind conducted in a commercial feedyard. Performance and cost figures are shown in the accompanying tables. Dor-amectin is the active ingredient in Dectomax. "Many managers question whether they'll see a return on investment if they treat heavy cattle for parasites," says Dr. Rob Rew, managing parasitologist for Pfizer Animal Health. "This study clearly shows the economic benefit of doing so. Parasites suppress an animal's appetite and decrease nutrient absorption. This research shows that treating heavy cattle for parasites results in higher gains through increased feed intake and increased feed efficiency." The research showed that, when compared to cattle treated for lice only, the Dectomax-treated yearlings gained an additional 0.18 pounds per day, consumed 0.49 more pounds of feed/ head/day and added a pound of gain with 0.28 pounds less feed consumed. The improved performance resulted in $17 higher revenue per head, which added up to nearly $4,300 increased income per pen. "Based on the power and randomization of a one-by-one gate sort, I feel comfortable that the statistical power we got from this study is relevant to the product we tested," MacGregor said. "In other words, the improvement in average daily gain and feed conversion was a result of the parasite control provided by the treatment." In the study, treated cattle received a label dose of Dectomax Injectable, while control cattle received Spotton(R) for lice control. The cattle were randomly sorted into 24 pens after being implanted and vaccinated for respiratory disease. Sixty days post-treatment, the cattle were weighed and reimplanted. The yearlings were on feed between 120 and 140 days before being slaughtered. MacGregor notes that prior to this study the economic benefits of worming heavier yearling cattle for internal parasites was a gray area. "There are a number of heavy yearlings each year that, depending on the consulting veterinarian or feedlot manager, are not being wormed for internal parasites," MacGregor said. "We were able to show not only statistically significant differences in feeding performance, but a $17 per head return due to the nematode control of Dectomax." The manager of the feedlot where the data was collected says this research proves treating cattle is cost-effective. "Until this research was done, we were not certain whether it was worthwhile to worm yearling cattle," he says. "Now we are worming all the cattle coming into our feedlot, where before we were worming only those weighing up to 750 pounds." The improved performance in Dectomax-treated yearlings was linked to the control of 36 stages of internal and external parasites by the product's active ingredient, doramectin, as measured by fecal egg counts. Internal parasites suppress appetite and impair digestion, which affects weight gain and performance. "Treating incoming yearlings for parasites has not been a common practice for many feeders. This study documents that treating even heavy yearling cattle with doramectin on arrival more than pays for itself in increased performance," adds John Landon, senior marketing manager, cattle parasiticides, for Pfizer Animal Health. |
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