Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1469972
9 Spring/Summer 2022 | Livestock Solutions "The treated animals spread out in the pasture, calmly grazing, more like calves that had been weaned for a month," Bicalho reports. "The untreated group bunched up in the fence corner, looking for their mothers, raising dust and bawling." Researchers have also seen fewer cases of respiratory disease in treated animals, which would be helpful to ranchers who precondition weaned calves. "Treated calves in a preconditioning program are calmer, their dry matter intake is higher, and they're gaining weight after weaning," Bicalho asserts. "When calves are weighed before moving to the next production stage, the rancher receives money for an extra 20 to 50 pounds per head. That's significant." Feedyard calves also benefit from MBAS. The biggest challenge they face is BRD, which affects between 20 and 70 percent of new feedyard arrivals. Research suggests calves treated before being transported to feedyards adapt more quickly to feedyard life in the first 30 to 60 days. Their dry matter intake was higher, with more efficient feed conversion, resulting in more gained weight. "Cattle evolved to identify and escape from predators," Bicalho shares. "They view us as predators; when they feel sick, they try to hide it. The application of MBAS reduces threat perception. Pen riders spot sick calves sooner, providing treatment more quickly, which means animals are more responsive to antimicrobials. We saw both the percentage of steers requiring retreatment and mortality rates reduced." When feedyards ship finished steers for harvest, stress causes an increase of pH levels leading to dark cutters. Treated steers displayed reduced dark cutter carcasses with lower pH values. "It's the last hurdle of being able to provide proper welfare before we slaughter them," Bicalho explains. Reinaldo F. Cooke, Ph.D., Professor with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Animal Science, is one of the scientists who conducted several MBAS research studies. Passionate about animal productivity and welfare, he has been surprised how consistent results have been during the testing phase. He plans to study the effects of this technology on artificial insemination and embryo transfer. "The benefits of this product include production efficiency and increased animal welfare," Cooke reveals. "Consumers want to know they are eating beef from animals raised humanely." Cooke advises ranchers and feedyard managers to keep an open mind. "This product has been used successfully in swine. It's easily applied to the animal's skin. Think about the animals' stress during weaning, castration, vaccination and shipping. The benefits of reducing stress are enormous." The MBAS product does not require a prescription or veterinary feed directive plan. Composed of fatty acids, the producer sprays it on the skin just above the muzzle and back of the head during regular animal husbandry chores. For more information, visit www.feraah.com/ferappease.