Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
4/27/00
Contacts:
Gary Fike, Iowa Beef Center, (712) 263-4697, x1fike@exnet.iastate.edu
Tracy S. Petersen, Iowa Beef Center, (514) 294-5672,
tracyp@iastate.edu
Beef Specialist Says Producers Can't Ignore Implants
AMES, Iowa -- With several beef hormone implants on the market, and hundreds of implant strategies and product combinations, it wouldn't come as a surprise if most producers avoided implants altogether.
That would be a mistake, according to Gary Fike, Iowa State University Extension beef field specialist.
"No matter what, use an implant," Fike said. "Whatever it is, use it, unless you are providing for an organic or 'all-natural' market. Implants increase average daily gains by 10 to 15 percent and improve feed efficiency 5 to 10 percent."
Fike, who serves northwest Iowa and is a member of the Iowa Beef Center at ISU, recently conducted studies on various implant strategies as well as Encore, a new long-term implant made by Ivy Labs and distributed by Vet Life.
Fike recommended that all beef producers ask their local beef field specialists to prescribe implants.
TBA (trenbolone acetate) implants are testosterone analogues and tend to make an animal put on more lean than fat, he said. Other implants contain estrogen or estrogen-like products that act on the anterior pituitary to release more growth hormone, making the animal grow faster and convert feed more efficiently. Some implants contain a combination of the two.
"Look at your cattle's' frame size and age," he said. "If the cattle have large frames and are heavily muscled and lean, a combination of TBA and estrogen may be a better choice than a straight TBA implant."
Fike also suggested considering carcass results when selecting implants.
Once an implant has been selected, producers need to consider strategy. For example, if producers use a TBA implant, the cattle may not grade well if the implant is less than 100 days prior to slaughter.
"Sometimes a TBA implant too close to harvest can negatively affect grade," Fike said. "However, to say that implants have a negative effect on quality grades in general is a false statement."
Encore, the new long-term implant, is a 400-day dose, which means cattle only need to be implanted once, two months of age or later. Fike said his research showed Encore to be effective as a single implant strategy on 700-pound steers fed for slaughter. More research needs to be done on the administration of a single dose of Encore to calves at 2 months of age or at weaning, compared with conventional implanting strategies.
Finally, beef producers need to use sanitary practices when administering implants. To prevent infection, Fike urged producers to implant only cattle with dry hides and ears and to disinfect needles between animals or use new products that contain an antibiotic to prevent abscesses.
Fike said implants are worth the effort they take: "It's an economic tool cattle producers really can't afford to ignore."
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