how many here use implants

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how many use implants?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 40.0%
  • No

    Votes: 28 46.7%
  • Sometimes

    Votes: 8 13.3%

  • Total voters
    60
The probability is that under certain circumstances the implants may benefit. The article referenced above is an employee of the implant manufacturer. I have personally witnessed how reports can be made to create results that the writer wants implied. An example.....a manufacturer was bombarded by field reports that a V-belt was failing on a machine they produced. A lab report stated that it was not true. The units in the lab had thousands of hours of use and zero V-belt failures. Truth was the lab test machines got a maintenance routine performed monthly. The manufacturer's instructions for the monthly maintenance included installing a NEW V-Belt.

I did my own implant evaluation. For roughly 6 months, I implanted every other steered calf and then followed their weights as I marketed them. My results for my livestock on my farm did not justify the expense and my time. I stopped. Now, after seeing the pics Dylan Biggs posted of his grass finished animals will share with me that he uses a certain product, I will make an effort to go back to implanting.
 
How does the addition of say a Bovatec block either enhance or hinder the effects of an implant? I don't suppose they would have an opposing affect on gain, but wonder how they might benefit each other?
 
agmantoo":2fex928p said:
The probability is that under certain circumstances the implants may benefit.

I did my own implant evaluation. For roughly 6 months, I implanted every other steered calf and then followed their weights as I marketed them. My results for my livestock on my farm did not justify the expense and my time. I stopped. Now, after seeing the pics Dylan Biggs posted of his grass finished animals will share with me that he uses a certain product, I will make an effort to go back to implanting.

The animal needs to be on high nutrition to see a benefit. So the results on mob grazing mature forage vs. feedlot corn will be very different.

How old were your calves when you implanted?
 
The steered calves were approximately 1 month old when implanted. The product I used was supposed to benefit nursing beef calves as well as weaned animals.
 
I've used Ralgro in just about every situation in the past. The results aren't really measurable. 15lbs on a 5wt steer is basically down in the noise range.
 
Bringing this one back up.
I just got my implant gun and implants.
Yes I have changed my mind on implants, mainly for the direction my operation is going.
I figure $1 implant will make me $50 more at weaning when I sell. Even if the gain is an extra 15 lbs that's 30-40 bucks at today's prices. Worth my time to do it.
 
I use ralgro mainly on my holstiens at weaning 200 pounds and then every 90 days i have them wich is genraly four months after weaning and i feel like i get about an extra 25 pounds and when you are selling 300 a year at 1.20 a pound thats 9.000.00 dollars so i couldn't afford not to. but i have never used it on my beef steers. i don't wean them until 7 months and then feed them for five more and they always gain good without them.
 
hooknline":1xo5ttl4 said:
If at the sale barn, how does one tell if a calf has been been implanted or just a good growthy calf from good stock.
Hook have you figured out how to know if a calf has been implanted or not?
 
That would depend on how long it's been in. Even then you'd have to be in the front row. Looking for a scar also maybe but that's a stretch too.
 
hooknline":vrwrc8xv said:
That would depend on how long it's been in. Even then you'd have to be in the front row. Looking for a scar also maybe but that's a stretch too.
The implant is the same size on day 400 as it was on day 1, and yes you will see the implant or the scar from it's removal if you looked the calves over prior to the sale.
 
I did not know that. I figure they dissolved over time.
Thanks for the education.
 
raising registered cattle I always wanted to know what my cows could do on their own in the environment I gave them.

When I have had commercial cattle I used implants because lbs of beef is what we were selling.

When I was younger and fresh in the business I was all for the latest and greatest and adopting new technology. back then implants were new....
As I have gotten older I have also taken a turn towards doing things in a more natural way.
I will use hormones to synchronize heat, but for my cattle I don't implant for growth.
 
Started out doing implants, however we stopped when we started marketing direct to the consumer. So far so good.
 

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