Whether in a feedlot or a stocker operation, incoming sale barn calves are stressed. Pull rates are typically high, calves are sometimes slow to eat, and medicine costs can escalate rapidly.

To support health and performance, you need to get these animals started on feed as quickly as possible," says Craig Belknap, technical service associate with Diamond V Mills. Jim Simpson of Simpson Nutrition Services in Canyon, Texas, agrees that getting a calf to eat is key in keeping pull rates down.

To encourage intake, some of Simpson's clients are top-dressing incoming rations with Diamond V Mill's Yeast Culture. "If he won't eat anything else, typically he'll take a bite of this stuff," Simpson says. "One bite is better than nothing. Then maybe tomorrow he will take two or three bites."

The mill operator is checking the consistency of flakes.

The yeast culture works by increasing microflora populations (bacteria, protozoa and fungi) in the rumen, according to Belknap. The yeast culture feeds the rumen microflora, both the fiber and starch digesters. As the microflora flourish, ruminants more effectively and efficiently digest the forage, feed ingredients and concentrates they consume.

"We don't claim that Diamond V Yeast Culture has any medical benefits," says Belknap. "However, by stimulating the appetite and supporting the digestability of feed ingredients, yeast culture encourages cattle to eat more. They have more energy and more nutrients available to help fight sickness and disease."

Simpson recommends the yeast culture for incoming stressed cattle as well as cattle in the hospital and convalescent pens. "Yeast products increase retention of key trace minerals, including zinc and copper that are involved with immune response," he says.

This immune response was illustrated in tests conducted by Diamond V, says Simpson. Feeding the yeast culture to incoming stressed calves cut morbidity by 50 percent. "That's pretty important when medicine bills on these calves often run between $20 and $40 per head," says Simpson.

Simpson says he lets the feedyards use their judgement in determining how long to feed the yeast culture. "Different yards handle it differently. I educate them about it, and let them make the call," he says. "If I can get intake near two to 2 1/2 percent, then calves are coming to feed good."

Big feedyards are not designed to take in a large number of fresh, sale barn calves, says Simpson. "To compensate, we try to come up with ways to make things easier, get cattle started quicker and reduce sickness. We do all we can, and at the end of the day, sometimes we haven't done enough.

"If I can get calves eating good, then it's a step in the right direction. The rest will hopefully fall into place." ©