A new era of calf prices begs the question: What’s one more worth? An extra weaned calf can be a result of improved reproductive success in conjunction with reducing morbidity and death loss. Herd health is the commonality between these variables, and we tend to put all our faith in vaccination programs. Vaccinations are effective in providing adaptive immunity.
However, this is the second line of defense when pathogens are present. It’s important to focus on the innate immunity of cattle, which not only includes cells such as phagocytes, but more importantly the barrier function of the gut. The gut is home to 70% of the immune system. Therefore, a combination of gut health-enhancing technologies in conjunction with acquired immunity can be the most effective means of producing more marketable calves year in and out.
When an animal is sick, the clinical signs we see are a result of an activated immune system. Keep in mind, cattle are prey animals, and because of their natural instincts, subclinical disease may sometimes go undetected. Regardless, an active immune system redirects all nutrient partitioning toward fighting the disease.
The immune system requires a substantial amount of energy to function properly. Consequently, all potential sources of energy in the body from tissue glycogen, fat stores and muscle are broken down for fuel when cattle feed intake is suppressed. In lay terms, they go off feed, their nutrient requirements are sky-high, and performance suffers. Even death can occur in severe cases. Knowing the value of a live calf and the profitability of extra pay weight in the current market, every pound lost can be detrimental to the bottom line. Consider a proactive approach to herd health by investing in research-proven prebiotics.
The constant pressure of antibiotic regulation has shifted the focus of health toward the microbiome. It makes sense because the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the only means of protection between ingested pathogens and the vital organs of the animal. It also contains the good bacteria that are instrumental in fermentation and energy production for the cow or growing calf. Improving the growth rates of good bacteria not only crowds out any ingested pathogen but can eliminate their ability to enter the bloodstream via competitive exclusion. Basically, we need to multiply the army (good bacteria) and fortify the wall (gut barrier) to maximize the innate immune system the animal was born with. Luckily, there are prebiotic products research-proven to do both. These prebiotic tools improve the growth rate of energy-harvesting bacteria, reducing the availability for a pathogen and thus improving competitive exclusion.
High-quality prebiotics also encourage the growth of lactate-utilizing bacteria, which help to buffer the pH in the gut naturally, keeping gut epithelial tissue healthy and functioning properly. Prebiotics can be easily included in daily mineral supplements, protein cubes, creep feeds and more. If a daily prebiotic saves just one $1,500 calf this year, that revenue alone covers the annual cost of incorporating it for 102 head.
These preventative measures are huge in reducing death loss and morbidity, but not every animal is immune to disease challenges. Antibiotic use is incredibly effective at controlling many diseases. While a potent extinguisher of bad bacteria in the system, antibiotics wipe out a lot of the beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation, volatile fatty acid (energy) production, microbial protein and more. A way to help mitigate this problem and help regenerate the microbiome is the use of prebiotics.
Essentially, if you’re dosing your animals each day with the technologies that are research-proven to stimulate microbial growth, you can theoretically get their innate immune system up to speed more quickly. This can help with faster recovery, as well as a quicker return to intake and partitioning nutrients toward what we care about: herd performance.
Nobody denies that herd health is paramount to success in the cattle business. We tend to focus on providing tools that equip our animals with acquired immunity through vaccines and so on. While it’s foolish to suggest cutting out vaccination protocols, it’s important to keep in mind adaptive immunity is the second line of defense and is much slower in its response to pathogen exposure.
Most of the immune function resides in the gut, and with increasing concerns on metaphylactic antibiotic use, it’s worth considering investing in technologies that strengthen the microbiome and barrier function.
It’s not an extra cost in the long run. Saving thousands on medicine and capitalizing on healthy, efficient cattle is a way to get ahead in this era of calf prices. Again, it begs the question: What’s one more live calf worth?
