Implant Strategies

1. Implant Strategies ANS 426

2. Implants • Perhaps the most studied beef management tool on the planet • Effects on performance well understood • Carcass quality effects are a byproduct of performance studies

3. Implants Now Available for Cattle • EB20/PROG200 Synovex-S, Component E-S • EB20/TEST200 Synovex-H, Component E-H • E 25.7 Compudose, E 45 Encore • TBA 140 Component T-S, Finaplix-S ; TBA 200 Finaplix-H, Component T-H • E24/TBA120 Revalor-S, Component TE-S, Synovex T120 • E14/TBA140 Revalor-H, Component TE-H • E28/TBA200 Synovex Plus • E20/TBA200 Revalor-200, Component TE-200 • Z36 Ralgro, Z72 Magnum • EB10/PROG 100 Synovex-C, Component E-C • E8/TBA 40 Revalor-G, Component TE-G, Synovex T40 • E16/TBA80 Revalor-IS, Component TE-IS, Synovex T80 • E8/TBA80 Revalor-IH, Component TE-IH • E10/TBA100 Synovex Choice • E40/TBA200 Revalor-XS

4. 32 Implants differing in: • Delivery system - payout duration • Active ingredient • Potency

5. How Implants Work Pituitary ESTROGENS ANDROGENS Growth hormone Protein synthesis Beta agonists MUSCLE X Protein breakdown

6. Implants by active ingredient and potency • Low potency estrogen • Ralgro, Synovex-C, Component E-C • Low potency combination • Revalor-G, Component TE-G, • Moderate potency estrogen • Magnum, Synovex-S, Synovex-H, Component E-S, Component E-H, Compudose, Encore

7. Implants by active ingredient and potency • Moderate potency androgen • Finaplix-H, Component T-H, Component T-S, Finaplix-S • Moderate potency combination • Revalor-IS, Revalor-IH, Synovex Choice, Component TE-IS, Component TE-IH, • High potency combination • Revalor-S, Revalor-H, Component TE-S, Component TE-H, Revalor-200, Component TE-200 , Synovex Plus, Revalor-XS

8. Implants • Improve rate and efficiency of weight gain • Have greater response in animals that have genetic potential and proper nutrition • CP of diet important • Will not compensate for poor management

9. Implanting • Implanting castrated calves recovers the weight gain lost from castrating • Hormone replacement therapy • Bull calves are often discounted at the sale barn • Therefore implanting adds value while avoiding discounts for intact males

12. Designing an implant strategy • The last implant before you market the cattle is the most important • Market at weaning • calfhood implant will add 20-30 lb. to weaning weight (low dose estrogen) • Market after backgrounding • weaning implant will improve ADG 10-12%, F/G 7-8% (mod dose estrogen) • Stocker cattle • moderate dose estrogen or low dose combination

13. Are there ever reasons not to implant stocker and feeder calves? • If gains are low(<1 lb/d) • 10% of 0.5 lbs is 0.05 lbs/d • Niche marketing strategy such as "natural" beef • When calves are sold based on carcass quality grade

14. Strategies • Thumb rule: The most important implant is the one used the last 100 days of ownership • Cow-calf -- calfhood implant • Background --weaning implant • Stocker -- turnout implant • Feedlot -- terminal or reimplant

15. Implanted replacement heifers • Will have reduced reproductive performance? • Depend on many factors • age at implanting • plane of nutrition after implanting • type of implant used • Implanted at or near birth have been reduced pregnancy rates by as much as 40 percent. • Estrogen and progesterone caused their uterus at 15 months of age to be lighter, less muscular, and to have a thinner lining (endometrium).

16. Implanted replacement heifers • Implanting older heifer calves has not necessarily resulted in the same severe decrease in fertility as those implanted at or near birth. • Heifers implanted once between 1 and 14 months • no decrease in pregnancy percentages if they were fed to gain 1.1 to 1.25 pounds per day. • if the nutrition is not adequate to support this moderate rate of growth, pregnancy rates have been decreased by as much as 42 percent. • Some studies have shown that implanting heifers may delay the occurrence of their first heat by one or two 21-day cycles.

17. Is implanting economically justified in heifers? • Example • 100-cow herd • 85 calves are weaned • 42 are heifers • 22 to be kept as replacements • How much extra income would you receive if you implanted all the heifers? • Extra gain15 lbs per heifer ($1.00 per lb) • Implant cost $1.25 per hd

18. Bottom line on implanting replacement heifers • If replacement heifers are selected before implanting, implant only the ones to be sold as feeders at weaning. • If backgrounding all calves then just implant at weaning and only implant those to be sold as feeders • If replacement heifers are not selected before implanting • Make sure heifers are implanted only if old enough (45 days of age for Synovex C; 30 days of age for Ralgro). • Do not re-implant replacement heifers since this will reduce their fertility. • Insure nutrition is adequate to support growth rates of at least 1.2 lb/d. • Never implant breeding bulls. This can cause permanent damage to their testicles.

19. Are there ever problems with implanting and re-implanting feeder heifers? • If heifers are implanted with an estrogenic hormone shortly before weaning, and re-implanted with an estrogenic implant shortly after weaning, "estrogen stacking" may occur. • Incidence of "bullers" may rise. • "Bullers" are calves which are continually ridden by their pen or pasture mates, resulting in injury and even death. • Using androgenic implant will can avoid the buller effect

20. Implanting strategies for the feedlot The implant should be payed out by the time they go to the packer. Never re-implant animals before the previous implant is payed out

21. Response to Implants(Younger Steers) • Comparison of Estrogen reimplant (E/E), Combination reimplant (ET/ET) and delayed implant (C/ET) vs Controls • Equally treated comparisons as part of a 7-trial ISU summary

22. Response to Implants (Yearling Steers) • Comparison of Estrogen (E), Estrogen Reimplant (E/E), Combination (ET) and Combination reimplant(ET/ET) vs controls • Equally treated comparisons as part of a 7-trial ISU summary How much gain is 20% if gaining 3.5lbs/d for 100 days?

23. Return for feedlot producers • $5 return above the cost of the implant can be expected for each $1 price of a bushel of corn. • Adding androgen to an estrogen implant system will return an additional $2 above the cost of the implant for each $1 price of a bushel of corn. • If corn cost $5/bu • An estrogenic implant return would =$25 • Combination would return would =$35

24. The Normal Growth Curve Management for more rapid growth changes the shape

25. Muscle Growth

26. Fat Growth

27. Weight at 28% Body Fat

28. Implants as a Growth Management Tool • Importance will increase with “Value-based” Marketing • Aggressive Implant Programs for: • Early-maturing, small ribeye, small carcasses • Calf-fed British, heifers • No implant for: • Super-large, older cattle • Potential over 900# carcasses • Implant timing may be the most important decision

29. Effect of Implants on Performance and Marbling (50+ Trial Summary) DiCostanzo, U. of Minn

30. Cost of Gain with Low Feed ($85/T) and High Feed ($240/T)

31. Select Discount ($ per head)

32. Return to Implants with Variable Feed Prices and Select Discounts