Implants

[ANAZAZI]

Seems like one of our well educated posters told us not too long ago, that a heifer carcass had more hormones than an implanted steer carcass. That made sense to me. Absence of testicles would equal decreased hormone levels.

Also, beef from dairy breeds have more growth hormone than beef from beef breeds.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have paid for implants before but I prefer the all natural ones best
Some implants make them larger while some just seem to fill them up and make them fuller
I guess it all depends on what outcome you want as to what implant you use but for as expensive as they are I just can't justify the cost

 

[M-5]

Implants do well while they are young. When they get old not so much.

 

[Hook]

We implant any of the calves going to auction. Any that we finish out are for people looking for the non implanted natural blah blah blah. Broccoli has more hormones in it than the implants add to a calf. And it's money well spent.

 

[Bigfoot]

There a shade over a dollar a dose. If they add 20 pounds per calf, it's a good investment. They come on a wheel of 24. I remember an add from years ago, saying its like having an extra calf in every wheel or something like that. People are always talking about expanding, and improving. If they really do work as good as they say, it seems silly not use them.

 

[jerry27150]

around here they ask when you sell them if they are implanted, they pay less if they have been implanted

 

[Hook]

around here they ask when you sell them if they are implanted, they pay less if they have been implanted

Heck they don't even ask about vaccinations here.

 

[bmoore87]

The question I've always had that I've never really gotten an answer to is do they go backwards or stall out once the implant runs out? 

Cant find any studies to support but have always been told that they can stall out some. A guy we sell to most years had asked us not to after we had done some we sold to him one year. He thought that since he doesnt reimplant they had slowed down for a period , but could have been alot of other things that caused it.

Have been told you can do replacements but has to be a lower power implant and needs to payout well before breeding.

 

[BC]

ADG increased 7.9-18.2% in implanted steers, vs nonimplanted.
http://library.ndsu.edu/tools/dspace/lo ... sequence=1

I won't castrate one of my own without implanting - leaves too much $$ on the table not to.
Used to implant heifers with Synovex-C, and have done some, in the past, with Ralgro, but it's been decades since I implanted a heifer - unless she hit the ground as a dink,or I KNEW there was no chance she would be staying here as a replacement.

Most folks don't implant heifers, but there's really no firm scientific evidence that one implant, at an early age, has any adverse effect on later reproductive function.

How about using implants on bulls that are not for breeding purposes? Do bulls gain extra weight with implants?

No. Implanting a bull is a waste of time and money. It pays to do on steers and feeder heifers. You get an extra 15 to 20 lbs if ample forage is available .

 

[kenny thomas]

I have paid for implants before but I prefer the all natural ones best
Some implants make them larger while some just seem to fill them up and make them fuller
I guess it all depends on what outcome you want as to what implant you use but for as expensive as they are I just can't justify the cost

AC, I like the naturals also but the implants sure make them stand up and look good. But you are correct they are expensive. And implanting them and then someone else getting the enjoyment of it sure is a bummer. :hide:

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have paid for implants before but I prefer the all natural ones best
Some implants make them larger while some just seem to fill them up and make them fuller
I guess it all depends on what outcome you want as to what implant you use but for as expensive as they are I just can't justify the cost

AC, I like the naturals also but the implants sure make them stand up and look good. But you are correct they are expensive. And implanting them and then someone else getting the enjoyment of it sure is a bummer. :hide:

Yep

 

[jerry27150]

hey hook, I went to a couple of sales around Lakeland once & they are completely different. cattle down there seem wilder than the hubs of hell, too.