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AU Grazing Study May Put More Beef on the Table
CROSSVILLE, Ala. - What do tall fescue, growth regulators and internal parasites have in common in beef cattle production?
According to Auburn University Researcher David Bransby, they all affect hormones of cattle, and in one way or another, impact on the productivity of Alabama's $500 million cattle industry. Putting the three together, he believes, may provide the best answer for overcoming the well-documented problems associated with fescue toxicity in cattle.
Much of the tall fescue grown in Alabama is infected with an endophyte that causes a toxic response to cattle who consume it. The result is loss of production, costing Alabama producers millions of dollars annually.
Speaking at a recent Beef and Forage Field Day at the Sand Mountain Substation here, Bransby noted that previous work showed that animals grazing fungus infected fescue had a much greater response than those grazing fungus free pastures, when treated with Ivermectin, a popular deworming material for cattle.
"We repeated the research enough to be confident that Ivermectin has a greater response than controlling worms. Even in pastures where worm counts were very low, we still saw the same improved growth on cattle grazing fungus infected fescue. In fungus free pastures with low worm counts, we didn't see much response to Ivermectin," Bransby noted.
Bransby emphasized that he hasn't conducted the research necessary to determine all the parameters of how Ivermectin improves beef cattle production on fungus infected pastures. However, he did stress that results have been dramatic and consistent enough for him to say, "If I raised beef cattle on fungus infected fescue, I would treat my cattle with Ivermectin."
His most recent studies have included the steroid-based growth regulator SynovexS, an implant used to produce added growth for steers. A similar implant, SynovexH, is used to promote growth in heifers.
Using SynovexS and Ivermectin together has produced beef cattle growth on fungus infected pastures similar to growth seen on fungus free pastures in 140-day grazing studies. "Using the two products together, we are seeing gains pushing 700 pounds on fungus infected pastures, and we've never been able to come close to this level of production in the past," Bransby concluded.
The 85 cattlemen attending the meeting saw firsthand the results of Bransby's Ivermectin/Synovex treatment. Cattle grazing extremely hot (highly infected) fescue and treated with the Ivermectin/SynovexS combination were healthy and showed absolutely no signs of fescue toxicity. In an adjacent two-acre paddock, cattle grazing hot fescue and not treated with Ivermectin/SynovexS had rough coats, weight loss and other common symptoms associated with fescue toxicity.
"In the past, animals on this same paddock looked horrible. The only difference is the Ivermectin and SynovexS treatment," Bransby said.
The Auburn researcher, who is a professor of agronomy and soils, says the pour-on formulation of Ivermectin proved more successful than injections. It was applied to 500-600 pound steers every 56 days. The SynovexS implants were applied twice in tests conducted at Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station research sites in Crossville and Camp Hill.
"Many times the first priority a cattle producer has concerning perennial pastures, such as fescue, is: ‘will it die.' We can overcome fescue toxicity with varieties that are resistant to the endophyte that causes the problems. But, resistant varieties are not as hardy, and often the answer to the first priority is: yes, it will die," Bransby concluded.
The Field Day was co-sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University. The 536-acre Sand Mountain Substation is one of 19 outlying research units of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station.
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News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Roy Roberson
