Help Please with Implants

[sw]

We have never used implants before with our show calves, I was really considering using them this year on our show steers. But would like to have some other peoples opinions on them. Why should they be used (what will it actually help the calf with)? How do you know that it is the right calf to be given to? If we do use them this year when will it be the right time to give to the calves? And maybe the last question is which brand of implant is the best to be used? These calves are fall borns, our first fat show will be in January of 2009. Thanks alot for any replies 

 

[chambero]

We haven't used anything but Revalor S in the last several years.  You give them about 60 days before your terminal show.  They give you a boost in muscle growth.  Used in conjunction with Optaflexx, they can make a noticeable difference.

Cautions:

Your calf needs to be very sound.  The rapid extra muscle growth makes any existing problems worse.

Your calf needs to be already pretty much finished and fat before you start because most of their food will go to muscle and not fat.

 

[red]

question on giving heifers implants. If given can they be bred afterwards?  ))

Red

 

[Okie Boy]

I don't have experience with show steers. As a commercial breeder we used Synovex C on all calves first time through the shoot and Synovex H or S at weaning depending on sex. We did this to replacement heifers for many years with no noticeable adverse effects. Our steers needed this because we band at birth so they had no natural hormones from gonads. We are raising our own show heifers now but use the same protocol.

 

[ATOZ]

I have used Revalor on steers and it does help rate of gain. I used it about 60 days from last show of the year and will use it again on steers that need that extra gain. Do any of you fell that it effects hair growth or retention of hair?

 

[chambero]

We've always been told never to use implants on heifers.  Actually, we don't implant any of our commercial cattle.  Better market for "natural" beef.

It is my understanding that use of implants on heifers just decreases their probabability of cycling correctly. 

 

[red]

We've always been told never to use implants on heifers.  Actually, we don't implant any of our commercial cattle.  Better market for "natural" beef.

It is my understanding that use of implants on heifers just decreases their probabability of cycling correctly. 

That's what we thought too Chambero. I had sent some heifers to the farm & they were implanted & then someone was interested in them. I told them not a good idea because of the implants.

Red

 

[worthabit]

We've always been told never to use implants on heifers.  Actually, we don't implant any of our commercial cattle.  Better market for "natural" beef.

It is my understanding that use of implants on heifers just decreases their probabability of cycling correctly. 

That's what we thought too Chambero. I had sent some heifers to the farm & they were implanted & then someone was interested in them. I told them not a good idea because of the implants.

Red

We were told that implants also deposit more fat in the udder

 

[Rocky Hill Simmental]

We gave some of our commerical heifers implants one year and they turned out to be fine breeding stock. Just make sure all the heifers are under a year old and make sure the kind you use are approved for heifers.

You should have saw my holstein heifer after she got implanted. She was twice as thick as a regular holstein heifer. She turned out fine. She had her second calf back in January.

 

[4Ts4H]

Here's something to think about with breeding heifers.

I work as a procurement coordinator in a beef plant.  We do a natural program as well as a conventional fat cattle slaughter.  My fear links to the fact that implants tend to burn livers.  I'm not sure that anyone wants a potentially good producing female to develop liver ailments any sooner than normal.

By the way, in the last 4 years feeding a complete vitamin and mineral enhanced show feed, we have only seen gains in performance coming in under 3%.  We have had animals on implants two of the four years, all of which were from the same maternal line with the same bull.

 

[daydreamingacres]

Dont get out o fmy little pnd too often...so is it legal to use implants? I dotn think it is around here but some people still do it everyone knows just no one cares.

 

[simtal]

Of course implants are legal, they're cleared by the FDA!  And they're not harmful, or make meat unfit for consumption! 

 

[daydreamingacres]

I know they are legal to put into animals.....I just didnt know if they were leagal for showing.....like i said I dont get out of my pond much!

 

[chambero]

Most show rules don't try to be more stringent that FDA guidelines concerning use of drugs.

 

[daydreamingacres]

good to know. thanks chambero!