BSF2012: Rumenco supporting Beef Stockman of the Future 2012

In the beef suckler herd, the best stockmen recognise that the two most critical periods that drive profitability are pre-calving and bulling. Get your management and nutrition right here and you should exceed the target of a 95% calf crop with a 365-day calving interval, and achieve a compact calving period as a more than useful by-product.

For spring calving herds, cow nutrition in the 6-8 week pre-calving period and immediately after calving is absolutely crucial.

To promote easier calvings and improved calf vitality, pre-calving cows and their unborn calf need vitamin E and essential minerals such as magnesium, copper, selenium and zinc to balance deficiencies in forages. And it is also important to boost cow colostrum quality through effective pre-calving feeding so that the calf can receive the antibodies it needs to fight disease and get the right start in life.

Cow nutrition in the first few weeks after calving is also critical because egg viability and embryo survival can be harmed by any loss of body condition during this period.

Don’t forget that the newly calved cow has to recover from birth, produce plentiful milk for a growing calf, gain body condition score and become fertile again. Ensuring cows have an adequate mineral status at this point has also been shown to be a critical success factor in the most profitable suckler herds.

The Lifeline Pre-Calver supplement from Rumenco has been formulated to meet these crucial nutritional needs. Its aims are to boost cow colostrum quality, improve the mineral and vitamin status of both the cow and her unborn calf, and promote easier calvings and more vigorous calves at birth.

Lifeline Pre-Calver delivers these key benefits through the inclusion of a carefully formulated, patented blend of protected proteins, lactose and mannan oligosaccharides (MOS). And its ability to boost colostrum quality is proven on many commercial farms.