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Improving profitability with Compudose |
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Cattle treated with implants are accepted for slaughter in nearly every domestic and export market for Australian beef and live export cattle. The use of implants is not banned in Australia, nor in any of Australia's major boxed beef markets, such as the USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan or Korea. Likewise, cattle treated with implants are accepted in all of Australia's major live export markets, including Japan, Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, China and the Philippines. The EU does not accept beef from implanted cattle. However, the EU only accounts for about for 7,000 tonnes of beef or about 0.35% of Australian beef production.1 All meat contains low levels of natural hormones, including "organic" beef. Hormones are found in all mammals, including humans and cattle. Hormones regulate physiological processes in the body, such as growth, metabolism and reproduction. All meat, including beef, contains extremely low levels of hormones. There is no such thing as "hormone-free" beef. The castration of young male calves to facilitate livestock management is standard practice in southern Australia. However, this process removes a major source of hormones in the developing animal, preventing it from reaching its full genetic and growth potential. Implants have been safely used to improve growth rates, feed conversion efficiency and carcase quality in beef cattle since the 1950s.
Compudose stimulates the animal's pituitary gland to release its own natural growth hormones. Compudose contains oestradiol-17B, a naturally-occurring oestrogen found in all mammals, including cattle and humans. Oestrogens are female sex hormones that stimulate the animal's endocrine system via the pituitary gland to release the animal's own natural growth hormones, resulting in increased cell production and proliferation. 2 Compudose slowly releases a controlled amount of oestradiol-17B for 100-400 days (depending on which Compudose product is used). The residues of oestradiol in a 500 gram piece of meat from treated steers is seven times less than those found in ovulating cows and 61 times less than those in pregnant cows. Oestradiol-17B is rapidly broken down by the animal's enzyme system. This high margin of safety is reflected by the nil withholding period for all Compudose implants.
Compudose is ideal for use in young and growing cattle, "backgrounding", and in extensive or intensive finishing programs. Compudose 400 is by far the most popular implant used in extensive beef operations in Australia, primarily because it is the only product that maximises growth rates in steers and speyed heifers for 400 days in all pasture situations. This extended duration of activity means it can be applied at any time of the year. By comparison, Compudose 200 should be administered in those situations where up to 200 days of improved growth is desired. Compudose 100 is ideal for short-term use on native pastures, improved pastures or in lot feeding situations. Compudose 100 (20 mg oestradiol-17B Ideal for intensive finishing programs, (100 days), eg improved pastures or lot feeding. Compudose 200 (24 mg oestradiol-17B Ideal for medium-term performance (200 days), eg backgrounding. Compudose 400 (45 mg oestradiol-17B Ideal for long-term performance (400 days), eg young or growing stock. FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Implants deliver less than 1% of the lowest daily synthesis of hormones in humans. Humans are exposed to varying amounts of oestrogens and other hormones throughout their life from synthesis in their own bodies, various medications (eg contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy) and many common foodstuffs. For example, a non-pregnant woman produces daily about 54,000 times the amount of oestrogen found in a 500 gram steak from an implanted steer. Likewise, an adult man produces daily about 13,500 times the amount of oestrogen found in a 500 gram steak from an implanted steer.3 The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has determined that an incremental increase of hormones in beef muscle tissue of less than 1% of the lowest daily human production rate is deemed to be safe for human consumption.4 Comprehensive research has demonstrated that the levels of oestradiol supplied by Compudose are well within these limits. The use of implants has been declared safe by a number of groups including the EEC Scientific Working Group on Anabolic Agents in Animal Production (1987)5, FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (1999)6, and the Sub Group of the Veterinary Products Committee from the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries And Food (1999)7. Implants have been approved in approximately 30 countries and are widely used in the USA, Canada, and Australia.8
One of the easiest ways to increase profitability is to increase production. The easiest way to increase beef production is to use Compudose. Compudose is a proven and cost-effective way of improving growth rates in beef cattle. The weighted average of 134 trials conducted by Elanco Animal Health in Australia over the past 20 years shows that cattle treated with Compudose have a 15.8% weight gain advantage compared to non-treated cattle.12 No matter what your target market, the strategic use of Compudose implants can maximise the profitability of your beef operation by increasing growth rates and allowing your cattle to achieve critical market specifications sooner. These benefits can easily add up to $50-100 per head in extra income once improved weight gain and market premiums are taken into account. Numerous trials have clearly demonstrated Compudose can deliver a 600-1,900% return on investment depending on the season and pasture conditions, making it one of the most cost-effective inputs available in beef production.
REGISTERED INDICATIONS References: 1MLA, http:/www.mla.com.au/content.cfm?sid=660 & .cfm?sid=28 2 Thomson, D.U. (1996). Effects of steroid implants on the composition of growth in beef cattle. Texas Tech University. BF6715 3AVCA (1995). Cattle growth promotants - The facts. BF1522. 4 Safety of meat from animals treated with naturally occurring and synthetic hormones. (1987) BF558. 5 EEC Scientific Working Group on Anabolic Agents in Animal Production. (1987). Scientific report on anabolic agents in animal production. BF5182 6Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. (1999). Proceedings of 52nd meeting. BF6670 7Sub-Group of Veterinary Products Committee (Hormone Residues). Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Veterinary Medicines Directorate. (1999). Executive summary and critical evaluation of the 1999 opinion of the scientific committee on veterinary measures relating to public health. BF6669 8 Doyle, M.E. (2000). Human safety of hormone implants used to promote growth in cattle: A review of the scientific literature. BF6574 9Preston, R.L (1997). Rationale for the safety of implants. OSU Implant Symposium. Texas Tech University. BF5330. 10AVCA (1986). Cattle growth promotants - Some answers. BF5951. 11 Geiger, B.J. (1991). Implants now and in the coming years. Growth promoting hormones in depth. BF6583. 12Australian Compudose trials - 134 trial summary. BF6000. |
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©Steve Cselka 2006 - 2008 |
IMPLANTS DO NOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO MARKET YOUR CATTLE
