Recognizing a Problem and an Opportunity
According to Robert Botts of VetLife, the companies that were marketing implants found that many implants were not in the ear at either re-implanting time or slaughter time. The companies began an education program with feedlots to improve the methods of implanting. The goal was to improve implant retention and improve the performance. VetLife and other companies began to assist feedlots and pasture operations to evaluate their procedures. They found that there was a big variation in retention.

More Consistent Results with Better Techniques
Feedlot operators began to see that proper implanting resulted in more consistent performance of a pen of cattle when the implant procedures were done correctly.

Botts said that in one case after dipping a pen of cattle, the retention of the implants was very poor. Other observations at that time indicated that not only were implants missing from failure to implant properly, but in some cases the implants were abscessed and also some were walled off.

Solving the Problem of Abscessed Implants
The first step was the industry began to use better techniques and more sanitary procedures for implanting. This helped to a great extent in my opinion.

Then in 1999, according to Drs. Pete Anderson and Robert Botts, VetLife received a clearance to use tylosin tartrate (Tylan) as an antibacterial on the surface of the implants to help overcome the abscesses of the implant site. They state, "This proactive approach was taken since cattle are never implanted under sterile conditions."

We have recommended to our clients to use the implants with the Tylan coating when the weather is wet and the conditions of the pens are less than ideal. Yet, we felt that the Tylan coating may help with retention even under ideal conditions.

Tylan Coating Worked
(Opportunity for improving economic performance.)

Here is a direct quote from their report to the industry of the results of three studies involving 102,230 head of cattle (a letter from Anderson and Botts, Vet Life. May 2002.):

"The overall quality of implanting in the industry is high. However, 12.5 percent of the pens have defect rates greater than 10 percent. Defects occur at a higher rate for the terminal implant than the initial implant. Implant defects can be dramatically decreased by the use of Component (the brand name of their implants) with Tylan.

"Decreasing defects represents an opportunity for improving the economic performance of the pen due to the high return provided by growth promotant implants. The ability to predict which months are going to experience high defect rates is difficult. Component with Tylan implants are effective in reducing month-to-month variation in high defect rates."

For more information I suggest you contact Anderson or Botts at 888-462-3493. ©