Friday, March 29, 2024

Vet LSD shows promise for cattle

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Farmers who have enjoyed improved flock performance using Vet LSD (Livestock Survival Drench) mineral supplement will welcome early trial results on its use in cattle. Developed by respected Marlborough veterinarian Peter Anderson, Vet LSD is now recognised as the benchmark for quality mineral supplementation, providing a valuable boost to vitamin and trace element deficiencies. 
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Its success as a quality mineral supplement for sheep has made it a mainstay for farmers using it pre-mating to lift fertility performance and again at pre-lambing to boost lamb survivability.

Trials have also shown promising results for the use of Vet LSD in cattle. 

One trial repeated over two consecutive years on the same property found cows supplemented monthly on Vet LSD from before calving until mating experienced a 14% increase in their final in-calf rate. The treated cows had a 92.6% in-calf rate compared to 80.8% in the non-treated group. The treated cows also conceived a week earlier taking on average 19 days after the start of mating compared to 26 days for the control group.

Anderson said improvements were also recorded in the health and growth rate of bobby calves administered Vet LSD every two weeks in their milk. As well, lambs and calves treated with LSD had improved antibody responses to clostridial vaccines.

Anderson’s experience with vitamin and mineral deficiencies affecting livestock health and reproduction stemmed from years spent consulting to hill-country farmers in the Marlborough region. 

Bobby calves given Vet LSD every two weeks in their milk have shown improved growth rates.

His early observations of young stock losses prompted him to look harder at the role iodine and vitamins A, D, and E played in these areas.

From these observations 20 years ago he started manufacturing Vet LSD, initially in a powdered form.

“But we could soon see that we needed to develop a more stable liquid formulation that would not degrade over time or be susceptible to moisture levels.

 “It seemed an easy requirement but took three years for veterinary developers to perfect,” Anderson said.

Vitamin E is a key component of Vet LSD. It plays a key role as an antioxidant preventing the movement of free radicals through tissue. Free radicals are molecules tasked with bacteria defence – however, too many present can cause tissue damage. 

In its quality liquid form Vet LSD delivers vitamins A, D, E and C along with vital minerals iodine, selenium and chromium.

“Farmers using it on their ewes report highly positive results both for ewe health and lamb vitality.” 

The fact sheep are ruminants like cattle prompted Anderson to start trials on cattle to observe the benefits to conception and calving that may result. 

Farmers using Vet LSD with their ewes have reported reductions of up to 8% in lamb losses recorded between scanning and tailing. 

Stressful situations increase the need for vitamin E to counter higher free radical levels. However, feed type also plays a role. Feeding livestock on fast growing brassica crops increases their intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids that along with higher nitrate levels will also increase vitamin E demand. 

In addition, winter pastures and all stored supplements can also be low in vitamin E while at the same time late-pregnancy foetal demand places greater pressure on the animal’s vitamin E needs.

Anderson said trials currently under way are delivering promising results about the application of Vet LSD in
cattle systems.

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