Growth-Promoting Implants for Beef Cattle
Growth-Promoting Implants Offer Beef Cattle Producers a Safe and Effective Way to Increase Calf Weight Gains. Implants Increase Production of Muscle Tissue and...
Growth-promoting implants offer beef cattle producers a safe and effective way to increase calf weight gains. Implants increase production of muscle tissue and often reduce body fat production. This results in significant improvements in both growth rate and feed efficiency. Despite the proven benefits of implant use, only 11.9 percent of beef cattle operations surveyed by the National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS) implanted calves before or at weaning.
When used properly, growth-stimulating implants can enhance average daily gain in suckling calves by 4 to 8 percent, in growing calves by 10 to 20 percent, and in finishing cattle by 15 percent. In addition, feed efficiency is expected to improve by 6 to 8 percent in growing cattle and by 8 to 10 percent in finishing cattle.
Adequate nutrition is needed for an implant to enhance calf growth performance. Implants will not make up for poor nutrition. Calf gains must be at least 1.3 pounds per day for implants to be effective at improving growth. Expected return on investment for implant use under proper management is often 10 to 1.
Implants are available for sucking, stockering, and finishing phases of beef cattle production. While implanting may be beneficial for an individual production phase, it is important to consider implant impacts on later production phases, particularly with respect to marketing and retained ownership. Implant effects on quality grade and palatability of the end product must be considered. In some instances, aggressive implanting protocols can reduce quality grade of beef end products. Responsible and strategic implanting programs can make best use of implants while maintaining acceptable end-product quality. For instance, altering the timing of implant administration in relation to harvest can reduce the effects of implanting on quality grade.
Available Implants
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves and regulates the use of growth-promoting implants for beef cattle. Implants should be administered only in the FDA-approved location in beef cattle, which is between the skin and cartilage in the middle one-third of the backside of the ear.
Implants are typically small pellets impregnated with specific growth promotants. Some implants also contain an antimicrobial, such as oxytetracycline or tylosin tartrate, to provide a local antibacterial effect. Implants are designed for sustained, slow release of the active ingredients and are administered under the skin (subcutaneously) on the backside of the ear midway between the ear tip and base.
Implants can be classified as either estrogenic (hormones affecting female characteristics) or androgenic (hormones affecting male characteristics), based on the specific growth promotants contained in the implants. Estradiol, progesterone, and zeranol are estrogenic. Androgenic implants often contain trenbolate acetate (TBA), which is chemically related to testosterone, alone or in combination with other active ingredients. Using only TBA in the final implant in feedlot cattle may reduce risk of animal health or carcass problems. When more than one implant was used, feedlots surveyed by NAHMS administered an androgenic implant as their final implant to most feedlot cattle.
|
Commercial Product Name |
Marketer |
Active Ingredient(s) |
Target Animal(s) |
Claim |
|
SYNOVEX C |
Pfizer Animal Health |
100 mg progesterone 10 mg estradiol benzoate |
Suckling beef calves up to 400 pounds; steers weighing more than 400 pounds and fed in confinement for slaughter when used as part of a re-implant program in which an initial Synovex C implant is followed at approximately 70 days by Synovex S; not for use in veal calves, calves less than 45 days old, or bull calves intended for reproduction |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
SYNOVEX S |
Pfizer Animal Health |
200 mg progesterone 20 mg estradiol benzoate |
Steers weighing 400 pounds or more; for use in steers only; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
SYNOVEX H |
Pfizer Animal Health |
200 mg testosterone priopionate 20 mg estradiol benzoate |
Nonreplacement heifers weighing 400 pounds or more; for use in heifers only; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
SYNOVEX CHOICE |
Pfizer Animal Health |
100 mg trenbolate acetate 14 mg estradiol benzoate |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; for use in calf-fed and yearling feeding programs; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
SYNOVEX Plus |
Pfizer Animal Health |
200 mg trenbolate acetate 28 mg estradiol benzoate |
Steers and heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency in steers; increase rate of weight gain in heifers |
|
RALGRO |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
36 mg zeranol |
Suckling beef calves, including replacement heifers between 1 month of age and weaning, weaned beef calves, growing beef cattle, feedlot steers, and feedlot heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
RALGRO MAGNUM |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
72 mg zeranol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
REVALOR-200 |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
200 mg trenbolate acetate 20 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
REVALOR-G |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
40 mg trenbolate acetate 8 mg estradiol |
Pasture cattle, including slaughter, stocker, and feeder steers and heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
REVALOR-H |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
140 mg trenbolate acetate 14 mg estradiol |
Heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
REVALOR-IH |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
80 mg trenbolate acetate 8 mg estradiol |
Heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
REVALOR-IS |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
80 mg trenbolate acetate 16 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
REVALOR-S |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
120 trenbolate acetate 24 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
REVALOR-XS |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
200 trenbolate acetate 40 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency for up to 200 days |
|
FINAPLIX-H |
Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health |
200 mg trenbolone |
Heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or lactating dairy cattle; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPUDOSE |
Elanco Animal Health |
25.7 mg estradiol 0.5 mg oxytetracycline |
Suckling and pastured growing steers; finishing steers and heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain in suckling and pastured growing steers; increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency in confined steers and heifers; effective daily dose of estradiol for at least 200 days |
|
ENCORE |
Elanco Animal Health |
43.9 mg estradiol 0.5 mg oxytetracycline |
Suckling and pastured growing steers; finishing steers and heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain in suckling and pastured growing steers; increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency in confined steers and heifers; effective daily dose of estradiol for at least 400 days |
|
COMPONENT E-C2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
100 mg progesterone USP 10 mg estradiol benzoate |
Suckling beef calves up to 400 pounds; not for use in breeding herd replacements; not for use in veal calves, calves less than 45 days old, or bull calves intended for reproduction |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
COMPONENT E-H2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
200 mg testosterone propionate USP 20 mg estradiol benzoate |
Heifers weighing 400 pounds or more; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT E-S2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
200 mg progesterone USP 20 mg estradiol benzoate |
Steers weighing 400 pounds or more; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT TE-G2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
40 mg trenbolate acetate 8 mg estradiol USP |
Pasture cattle including slaughter, stocker, and feeder steers and heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
COMPONENT TE-H2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
140 mg trenbolate acetate 14 mg estradiol USP |
Heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT TE-IH2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
80 mg trenbolate acetate 8 mg estradiol |
Heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain |
|
COMPONENT TE-S2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
120 mg trenbolate acetate 24 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT TE-IS2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
80 mg trenbolate acetate 16 mg estradiol |
Steers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT T-H2 |
Elanco Animal Health |
200 mg trenbolate acetate |
Feedlot heifers; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
|
COMPONENT TE-2002 |
Elanco Animal Health |
200 mg trenbolate acetate 20 mg estradiol |
Steers and heifers fed in confinement for slaughter; not for use in breeding herd replacements or dairy animals; not for use in veal calves |
Increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency |
1U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved as of April 2011.
2Available with 29 mg Tylan, tylosin tartrate, as a local antibacterial.
Situations Where Implant Use Is Not Appropriate
As a general rule, do not implant breeding cattle, including bull and replacement heifer calves. Implanting bulls can result in problems in reproductive organ development and sterility. Implanting does not improve growth rate or efficiency in bulls. While some implants are labeled for use in replacement heifers, heifers can develop adequately without implants. It is advisable to implant only heifers to be marketed as feeders or stockers.
Side effects from implant use may include bulling, vaginal and rectal prolapses, udder development, and raised tailheads. Side effects are rare, of little economic significance in most cases, and not a reason to avoid implant use. These situations are often the result of improper implanting technique. Crushed implants may contribute to these conditions.
Some marketing programs specify that no implants be used on cattle in order for cattle to qualify for the programs. For example, “natural” programs may include such implant restrictions. Know the specifics of the targeted marketing program before using implants.
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