Alpharma

Comparative Effects of Bovatec® and Rumensin®
on Performance of Growing Cattle Fed High-Roughage Rations

Summary

Results of twelve trials show that Bovatec (lasalocid) produced these improvements in performance of growing cattle fed high-roughage rations compared to Rumensin:

increased average daily gain by 4.4%
improved feed conversion by 6.2%

Introduction

Many cattle feeders feed high-roughage rations for a period of time to light-weight cattle. This allows the animals to utilize roughages produced on the farm and to increase in frame size before they are fed a high-grain finishing ration.

Bovatec is a feed additive that increases average daily gain and improves feed conversion in growing and finishing cattle. Bovatec improves performance by enhancing the efficiency of energy utilization. It enables growing cattle to use the low-energy content of high-roughage rations and finishing cattle to use the high-energy content of high-grain rations more efficiently, reducing cost of gain.

FIGURE 1: Comparative effects of Bovatec and Rumensin onperformance of growing cattle fed high-roughagerations; pooled summary of twelve trials.

FIGURE 1: Comparative effects of Bovatec and Rumensin onperformance of growing cattle fed high-roughagerations; pooled summary of twelve trials.

FIGURE 2: Comparative adaptation of cattle to Bovatec orRumensin during first 28 days; pooled summaryof twelve trials.

Cattle adapt quickly and easily to Bovatec. They start consuming Bovatec-medicated feed immediately after ration adaptation. In addition, Bovatec has a wide margin of safety in cattle.

This Technical Bulletin compares the effects of (Bovatec and Rumensin on performance of growing cattle fed high- roughage rations in twelve trials.

In addition, trial data on adaptation of cattle to Bovatec and Rumensin and observations of the safety of Bovatec in cattle are also included.

Results of Trials Comparing Bovatec to Rumensin in High-Roughage Rations

Each trial is described in Table 1. The duration of the trials averaged 103 days, and cattle starting weights averaged 535 lb. Bovatec and Rumensin were fed either at 30 g/ton (15 mg/lb) of feed or at 150 to 300 mg/head/day. Silage or haylage was fed as the roughage source in eleven trials, and cottonseed hulls were fed in the twelfth trial. Grain sources included corn, sorghum or barley. Whole, cracked or steam-flaked processed grains were used.

Results of each trial are shown in Table 2, and a pooled summary of the results appears in Figure 1. The pooled summary shows that Bovatec increased average daily gain by 4.4% (P < 0.05) and improved feed conversion by 6.2% (P < 0.05) over Rumensin in growing cattle fed high- roughage rations. Bovatec produced improvements in performance over Rumensin when fed on either a "g/ton" or "mg/head/day" basis.

Adaptation of Feedlot Cattle to Bovatec or Rumensin

A pooled summary of the results of twelve trials show that cattle fed Bovatec at 30 g/ton joined weight 7.3% faster (P < 0.05) and converted feed 8.8% more efficiently (P < 0.05) than those receiving Rumensin of 30 g/ton (Figure 2).

TABLE 1. Description of twelve trials comparing effects of Bovatec and Rumensin on performance of growing cattle fed high-
roughage rations.

TABLE 1. Description of twelve trials comparing effects of Bovatec and Rumensin on performance of growing cattle fed high-
roughage rations.

TABLE 2. Results of twelve trials comparing effects of Bovatec and Rumensin on performance of growing cattle fed high-
roughage rations.

Bovatec Safety in Cattle

Feedlot trial observations attest to the wide margin of safety of Bovatec in cattle. Bovatec was fed to cattle at levels of up to 150 g/ton, which is five times the highest recommended level of 30 g/ton, for 252 days. Only slight diarrhea was observed at 150 g/ton for 3 days (Table 3 ).

TABLE 3. Summary of Bovatec safety data from 252-day feedlot trial.

TABLE 3. Summary of Bovatec safety data from 252-day feedlot trial.