The content for this blog has kindly been supplied by animal health specialists Animax.
Animax is a pioneering British company which specialises in the research, development and manufacture of highly effective animal health products. Animax is the market leader in trace element supplementation for livestock. Based in Suffolk in the UK, they are best known for a range of leaching boluses which deliver a prolonged release of the key trace elements.
Changing weather conditions can affect trace element availability and the needs of the herd around turnout. Dr Elizabeth Berry commented “For the last few years, the weather in the UK has been unpredictable. It may be sunny before turnout and the complete opposite afterwards. High rainfall can essentially “wash out” certain trace elements or mean that more antagonists are consumed in soil contaminated grass. The unforgettable Beast from the East combined with Storm Emma, covered most of the country with snow, sending temperatures plummeting. It is so important that supplements and forage complement each other to provide the required trace element intake.”
The Tracesure® range also includes a dedicated product for calves. As dairy calves are weaned and become less reliant on milk, their need for trace elements changes. Milk can be a good source of trace elements but, as calves develop their own rumens and become less reliant on milk, a need for trace elements can become more evident in both dairy and beef calves. Young calves can suffer from white muscle disease of the heart muscle, or from striated ‘motor’ muscles – this is due to a combination of low selenium levels and the stresses of more exercise at turnout and unpredictable weather. Tracesure® Cu/I Calf which contains copper, cobalt, selenium and iodine gives calves the optimum levels of these trace elements, as well as helping the farmer to achieve a good return on investment.
A lack of trace elements in a newly calved cow can result in other major issues such as a retained placenta post calving. Bolusing in the period leading up to calving will supplement the cow’s diet at this critical time, while the trace elements will be passed in her milk to her calf.
Dr Elizabeth Berry “While energy, protein and water are essential, trace elements are next on the list with regards to achieving performance from an animal. They are essential for cell metabolism and for many other critical body functions, including energy production, growth, reproduction and the nervous system.
“When sourcing a trace element supplement, the delivery method and composition are important. Buckets and in feed sources for example often contain lower levels. This is mainly because they give a short-term lift. It is also difficult to supplement precisely per animal - we all have a greedy feeder!
‘‘Our leaching boluses for calves and cattle give up to six months supplementation. They are the only products to use leaching technology and they’ll give you peace of mind that each animal is receiving the optimum amount of trace elements for their weight.”
For more information about Animax’s products visit www.animax-vet.com or contact one of StowAg's SQP's on 01451 493 882.
In 2015 Dr. Elizabeth Berry, company veterinary director and research and development scientist joined Animax Ltd., the market leader in trace element supplementation for livestock
Elizabeth uses her extensive experience and expertise to deliver technical support to the Animax sales team and customers. She also manages clinical trials involving existing and new products.
Elizabeth who has published research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented work internationally joined Animax from DairyCo. She qualified at Liverpool University in 1986 and, after graduating, spent five years working in mixed practices and continued to locum in mixed practices while undertaking other roles. She then joined the Milk Marketing Board as it made its transition to Genus. There, she primarily provided technical support on production areas in the dairy sector and ran a mastitis consultancy field service.
In 1998, Elizabeth embarked on a PhD in bovine mastitis at the Institute for Animal Health, Compton then a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) institute. This included registration work for the internal teat sealant, OrbeSeal. After gaining her PhD, she remained at Compton to work in the Contract Research laboratory and run trials for commercial companies. During the same period, she worked for VLA Langford.
Supplement your herd at turnout to make the most from your grass
Turnout will soon be here, and we know that for adult cattle and young stock, how they perform, will very much depend on them making the most from grass. While cattle are housed, many receive some supplementation through their feed, but when they are turned out to grass, this is not always the case. Beef herds and young stock in particular, often receive very little in the way of supplementary feed during the spring and summer months.Getting the right trace element
Getting the right trace element intake is an important part of this, particularly as many cattle may be kept on ground where the trace element status is unknown. Dr Elizabeth Berry, Animax Company Veterinary Director says “Turning cattle and young stock out onto unfamiliar ground can be a worry. Cattle may receive some trace elements from foraging while grazing, but this is hard to quantify and can vary greatly over the summer months. Many farmers are turning to boluses to make sure their herd’s trace element needs have been taken care of. Trace element deficiencies can have a serious effect on the production and profitability of animals. Bolusing before turnout with Tracesure® Cu/I Cattle or Tracesure® Cu/I Calf will give your herd all the trace elements they require for up to six months and give the farmer, much needed peace of mind. (Always check with your vet before supplementing with copper and if copper is not required, please ask for Tracesure I Cattle).
Changing weather conditions can affect trace element availability and the needs of the herd around turnout. Dr Elizabeth Berry commented “For the last few years, the weather in the UK has been unpredictable. It may be sunny before turnout and the complete opposite afterwards. High rainfall can essentially “wash out” certain trace elements or mean that more antagonists are consumed in soil contaminated grass. The unforgettable Beast from the East combined with Storm Emma, covered most of the country with snow, sending temperatures plummeting. It is so important that supplements and forage complement each other to provide the required trace element intake.”
The Tracesure® range also includes a dedicated product for calves. As dairy calves are weaned and become less reliant on milk, their need for trace elements changes. Milk can be a good source of trace elements but, as calves develop their own rumens and become less reliant on milk, a need for trace elements can become more evident in both dairy and beef calves. Young calves can suffer from white muscle disease of the heart muscle, or from striated ‘motor’ muscles – this is due to a combination of low selenium levels and the stresses of more exercise at turnout and unpredictable weather. Tracesure® Cu/I Calf which contains copper, cobalt, selenium and iodine gives calves the optimum levels of these trace elements, as well as helping the farmer to achieve a good return on investment.
A lack of trace elements in a newly calved cow can result in other major issues such as a retained placenta post calving. Bolusing in the period leading up to calving will supplement the cow’s diet at this critical time, while the trace elements will be passed in her milk to her calf.
Dr Elizabeth Berry “While energy, protein and water are essential, trace elements are next on the list with regards to achieving performance from an animal. They are essential for cell metabolism and for many other critical body functions, including energy production, growth, reproduction and the nervous system.
“When sourcing a trace element supplement, the delivery method and composition are important. Buckets and in feed sources for example often contain lower levels. This is mainly because they give a short-term lift. It is also difficult to supplement precisely per animal - we all have a greedy feeder!
‘‘Our leaching boluses for calves and cattle give up to six months supplementation. They are the only products to use leaching technology and they’ll give you peace of mind that each animal is receiving the optimum amount of trace elements for their weight.”
For more information about Animax’s products visit www.animax-vet.com or contact one of StowAg's SQP's on 01451 493 882.
Dr Elizabeth Berry
In 2015 Dr. Elizabeth Berry, company veterinary director and research and development scientist joined Animax Ltd., the market leader in trace element supplementation for livestock
Elizabeth uses her extensive experience and expertise to deliver technical support to the Animax sales team and customers. She also manages clinical trials involving existing and new products.
Elizabeth who has published research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented work internationally joined Animax from DairyCo. She qualified at Liverpool University in 1986 and, after graduating, spent five years working in mixed practices and continued to locum in mixed practices while undertaking other roles. She then joined the Milk Marketing Board as it made its transition to Genus. There, she primarily provided technical support on production areas in the dairy sector and ran a mastitis consultancy field service.
In 1998, Elizabeth embarked on a PhD in bovine mastitis at the Institute for Animal Health, Compton then a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) institute. This included registration work for the internal teat sealant, OrbeSeal. After gaining her PhD, she remained at Compton to work in the Contract Research laboratory and run trials for commercial companies. During the same period, she worked for VLA Langford.