Act
NOW to Keep Horn Fly Populations Down
 Horn
flies bite. Not once, but 20 to 40 blood meals
per day. This constant biting makes horn flies an
important vector of disease and causes cattle to
waste energy and graze less. In the southern United
States horn flies may infest cattle all year. It has
been documented that cattle with high infestations
of horn flies have higher heart rates, increased
body temperature, increased respiration rates, require more
water and have a greater protein requirement compared to cattle with
low horn fly
infestations. This equates to stress that result in
lowered gain, efficiency of gain and weaning
weight. The chart below is a summary of research
trials in which horn flies were, or were not
controlled and the subsequent impact of horn fly
control on weaning weight.
This research demonstrates that apart from
the potential effects of horn flies on disease transmission
or the potential impact of horn flies on the
body condition score of the cow, the effect of horn
flies on weaning weight indicates horn fly control
makes economic sense.
Since a horn fly can mature in as few as 10 days,
the population can quickly explode. During that
time, a single female horn fly can lay 500 eggs.
Within just one month a single horn fly has the
potential to generate 250,000 horn flies. Complete
100% control of horn fly populations on cattle is
neither biologically feasible nor necessary to
achieve improvements in weaning weight shown in
the chart below.
One method of achieving
economically feasible levels of horn fly control is by incorporating
Altosid® IGR Cattle Feed-Thru in your Suga-Lik® Fully Fortified® supplement
program. Altosid® IGR Cattle Feed-Thru is unique in that it
focuses on stopping growth of new horn flies. The
insect growth regulator is consumed by cattle, and
then passed with the manure, where horn flies lay
their eggs. The product disrupts the natural growth
pattern of the horn fly pupae so that they never
develop into biting adults.
This spring Suga-Lik® Fully Fortified® supplements
will be available with a new liquid formulation of Altosid® IGR
Cattle Feed-Thru. By feeding Altosid® IGR, you can achieve
economical control of horn flies and reduce labor costs and
minimize the animal stress associated with other
horn fly control methods, such as sprays,
pour-ons, dusts and ear tags.
Approved by the Biopesticide Division of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December
2005, the product causes no residue, runoff or
contamination problems; it is nontoxic to
beneficial insects. For more information about how
to integrate Altosid® IGR in your supplement programs,
contact your Suga-Lik® feed representative,
visit www.altosidigr.com or call 1-800-347-8272.
Authors:
Wellmark International (Starbar): Casey White, MS,
and Dennis Murphy, Entomologists; Mark Taylor,
MS, Business Manager
U.S. Sugar: Chet Fields, PhD, PAS, Nutritionist
Pounds
vs. Percent
Charlie Hofer, PAS
Most times, when discussing
animal nutrition,
the terms ‘percent’ and ‘pound’ come up. A
pound is
a unit of weight measurement and a percent is a
measure of concentration. Sometimes, folks prefer to
use one term or the other, but the two terms should
not be confused with one another. And, of course,
when talking about nutrition, pounds and percentages
both have significance.
A cow (or any animal) does not understand
percentages. She does not really understand pounds,
either. But a cow does know when her rumen full or
empty. She also knows (for the most part) if she is
energy-starved or salt-deprived. Beyond that it is up
to us to be sure she has a complete, alanced diet that
will sustain life, optimize body condition, and foster
disease immunity and reproduction.
In the springtime, your cattle have access to
some of the highest-quality bahiagrass. This springtime
bahiagrass has a high percentage of energy and
protein. So why is it such a challenge to keep cattle in
good body condition in the springtime? That’s right!
There aren’t enough ounds of forage out there to get
the job done. What she eats is ‘good stuff.’ But
without enough pounds of protein, energy, etc., the
cow cannot eet her requirements. This is why it is
important to consider continuing to supplement your
cows during the springtime. Even though the grass
quality is top-notch, the sheer quantity may be
lacking. The opposite can happen in early fall. Your
cows have plenty of grass, but because the quality is
declining they cannot physically fit enough in their
rumen to maintain condition. Pounds of grass
consumed may be sufficient, but the percentages of
nutrients are low in the grass. I realize this is a basic
example, but it sets the stage for all other feeds, too.
Some examples: If you determine your cattle
need 3 pounds of supplemental energy (TDN), you
have several options. You could feed 2 lbs of allow,
3.7 lbs of standard cane molasses, or 8.7 lbs of
cottonseed hulls. Then, if you chose to feed one
pound of supplemental protein, you still ave several
other options. You could feed 0.35 lbs of urea, 8.4 lbs
of hominy, or 14.5 lbs of citrus pulp. As you can see,
there are various ways to reach one certain nutrient
level. However, it is critical that pounds and percentages
of nutrients are taken into consideration. It is
also critical to give our cattle a nutritionally
balanced supplement. Feeding one feed ingredient
commodity alone may reach one nutrient requirement,
but leaves the others out of balance.
Choosing a springtime supplement can be
challenging, as well. Individual cattlemen have
personal feed preferences or management styles that
lend themselves to certain feeding programs. But
remember, your cows’ nutrient requirements remain
the same. To have a successful spring, your cattle
need a properly-balanced supplement to match the
forages your cattle are eating. Quite simply, there is
no single commodity that accomplishes this balance.
Even a premium free-choice mineral cannot get the
job done alone. In addition to water, your cattle have
a daily equirement for protein, energy, vitamins and
minerals that you need to provide. This is why
Suga-Lik® supplements are Fully Fortified® for the
springtime or any other season of the year. Suga-Lik® Fully
Fortified® supplements
are formulated to meet your cattle’s nutrient requirements for
protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. One last thought: Not
only can Suga-Lik® meet your cattle’s nutrient needs,
but we can meet your needs, too, through labor
savings and cost-effective supplementation.
Call the dealer nearest you or 800-940-7253 or
visit www.suga-lik.com
|
