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Management
Tips
Key Points About Selling
Cattle on the Grid
Ralgro® implants
is the initial implant of choice in feedlot implant programs. Steers implanted with Ralgro
implants and reimplanted with Revalor®-S at day 75 had
77.23% Choice carcasses, while those implanted with Synovex®-S
and reimplanted with Revalor-S at day 75 had 48.96% Choice carcasses. Reference: "Comparison
of Feedlot Performance and Carcass Traits in Cattle Administered Anabolic
Implants and Anthelmintic Drenches", Current and Future Practices
in Cattle Production, July 1995.
Marbling scores and percent
Choice carcasses were higher for steers that received Ralgro implants
as an initial implant and Revalor-S as a terminal implant, compared to
steers that received a single estradiol-trenbolone acetate implant on
day 1. References: R.
Pritchard, "A Comparison of Estradiol-Trenbolone Acetate Implant
Programs for Yearling Steers of Two Genotypes", Beef Production
Leadership Summit, August 1997; Start With Z to Finish With an A, SPAH-RAL-5.
Ralgro implants continue
to demonstrate why it is the initial implant of choice. In a Texas research center
study, Ralgro implants allowed marbling to develop similar to marbling
in non-implanted steers on feed for 194 or 222 days, and Ralgro implants
have no detrimental effect on quality grade distributions. When considering
production and carcass variables, Ralgro implants on day 1 followed
by Revalor-S on day 70 was the most appropriate implant treatment in
this study. This treatment increased ADG 20% over controls and reduced
feed-to-gain 8.4% from controls without adversely affecting carcass
quality grades. The Ralgro-Revalor strategy produced carcasses of 81%
Choice or better, while controls were 77% Choice or better. Reference: Veterinary
Technical Update – Comparison of Six Implant Strategies in Feedlot
Steers and Their Effect on Live Animal Performance and Carcass Characteristics,
SPAH-RAL-14.
Ralgro implants are an
excellent initial implant for finishing heifers. Optimum performance and highest
quality grade were achieved by using Ralgro implants initially for 63
days followed by Revalor-H. Reference: Start
With Z to Finish With an A, SPAH-RAL-5.
When Ralgro implants are
used as an initial implant, it is not necessary to administer TBA at least
100 days before slaughter. When using Ralgro Magnum™ implants and
Finaplix®-S, reducing the reimplant time to as few as 64
days did not impact quality grade compared to 104 days. This program provides considerable
flexibility for reprocessing as well as shipping of cattle to the packer
without exceeding the effective life of the implants. Reference: Veterinary
Technical Update – Zeranol (Ralgro Magnum) with Trenbolone Acetate
(Finaplix-S) in a Reimplanting Program for Yearling Steers: Optimum
Timing and Relative Effectiveness, SPAH-RAL-16.
Improved quality grade is
not just a matter of more cattle grading Choice. Fewer cattle grading
Select also can be economically important. Ralgro Magnum implants on
day 1 followed by Finaplix-S on day 70 or 90 reduced the number of steers
grading Standard. A 1% decrease in the proportion of cattle grading
Standard will, on average, generate as much additional income as a 1.4%
increase to as high as a 7.1% increase in the proportion of cattle grading
Choice. Reference: Veterinary
Technical Update – Zeranol (Ralgro Magnum) with Trenbolone Acetate
(Finaplix-S) in a Reimplanting Program for Yearling Steers: Optimum
Timing and Relative Effectiveness, SPAH-RAL-16.
Ralgro implants are one
product that can be used for both steers and heifers. Reduce your product inventory
and the inconvenience of administering sex-specific implants.
Ralgro is a registered trademark and Magnum is a trademark of Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation
Revalor and Finaplix are registered
trademarks of Hoechst Roussel Vet. Synovex is a registered trademark
of Fort Dodge Animal Health. | 
