Managing the mineral nutrition of free-range grazing livestock in Australia can be challenging.
Getting hands on the animals to administer and manage treatments is a demanding practice and takes time, manpower and can have animals off feed for extended periods of time. These are all costs against production, says Terry Phillips from Pacific Biologics.
“We know the importance of trace elements and the negative impacts they can have in production animals. Major tracts of our country are deficient in one or more essential trace elements needed in animal production, placing a requirement on producers to ensure the needs of the animals are met.”
The National Research Council (NRC) established daily trace element requirements of production animals and in 2021 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) has reviewed and updated these requirements.
The latest NASEM guidelines indicate that, in relation to cattle a 500kg animal requires the levels of trace elements indicated in Table 1 on a daily basis to meet its requirements.
Table 1. Daily cattle trace element requirements for a 500kg animal.
“Similar to our New Zealand neighbours, Australia is heavily reliant on free-range grazing of livestock with up to 60% of total beef production (futurebeef.com.au) derived from free-range grazing,” Mr Phillips said.
“To maximise profitability, we need to ensure we continue to meet and maintain the trace element requirements of these animals without the labour intensity and costs associated with short term supplementation options which require regular treatments to meet the animals’ daily demands for an extended period.
“Long-acting ruminal boluses are now used across the world for the benefits of providing trace element supplementation in a single application.
“The use of long-acting bolus products provides a significant advantage against alternative types of trace element supplementation practices such as topdressing pastures, injectables, water-based products, blocks and loose feed additives.
“Whilst all have a fit in various management practices, only a long-acting bolus product provides the peace of mind that every animal is treated with the same dose, every animal is on a level playing field, every animal is covered for 6–12 months with the products they were treated with, with no exceptions.
Mr Phillips said Pacific Biologics now provides a complete range of long-acting bolus products that cover both the beef and sheep sectors in the Australian market.
“All products are registered with the APVMA, providing producers with the confidence that the products perform as required. The All-Trace bolus even carries full organic registration for use in Australian and USDA markets.”
“With a portfolio of six bolus products for both cattle and sheep, Pacific Biologics continues to develop our range of nutritional bolus products for Australian producers,” said Mark Jones, business development manager with Pacific Biologics.
“Our products instil confidence that every animal is treated, every animal is covered for every hour of every day. Long term supplementation balances the ups and downs of trace element requirements and allows producers to focus on maximising production gains without having the need to handle animals all the time.
“It’s our focus to provide producers with products that meet their animal’s production requirements with the minimal interruption to continued grazing practices. Grazing livestock produce when they are in the paddock with their heads down,” Mr Jones said.
“The requirement to yard and handle cattle for regular injections, or the hit and miss nature of free adlib access to supplements can affect overall production goals. Australian producers are in the business of making milk, meat and wool, it’s our job to provide profitable products that support this endeavour.”
