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On Feed
A newsletter of Dakotaland Feeds
Getting the Most Out of Your CTC Treatments
Aureomycin (chlortetracycline) is a very
valuable feed grade antibiotic that we have
available as cattlemen. One of the best programs
for Aureo is pulse dosing the cattle at 1 g/100 lbs
of bodyweight for 5 days to help ward off
respiratory diseases and keep the cattle healthy.
This 5 day pulse controls E.coli infections and
respiratory diseases caused by Pasturella species.
October19, 2015
In a Nutshell:
* Use Aureomycin at 1 g/100 lbs BW for control of BRD
* 10 gram CTC results in a good mix
* Use a proven, guaranteed product like Aureomycin
* CTC targets lung tissue better than OTC
* AS-700 is a 28-d treatment program
* Aureomycin can be fed with Bovatec (not Rumensin)
**Starting January 1, 2017 you will need a VFD
to feed Aureomycin and other feed-grade
antibiotics**
With the different products available, which is the best, and which should you use? CTC is available as 10, 20
or 50 g/lb products. When it comes down to cost per treatment, the more concentrated products end up being
slightly less expensive. On the other side, trying to deliver 0.1 lb of CTC 50-gram to a 500 lb calf can be a definite
challenge. By using the 10-gram product, the chances of every animal getting their recommended dose will be much
greater. If you consider the 10-gram product for a 500 lb calf, you can deliver the medication in 0.5 lb/hd/d, which
will give every calf a better chance to consume what they should be getting. When it comes to controlling
respiratory diseases in cattle of any weight, an ounce of prevention really is better than a pound of cure.
Another key to ensuring that your CTC treatments are successful is to use proven product. The quality of the
CTC product you are using will likely determine if you are satisfied with the result. For example, Zoetis (the CTC
supplier for Dakotaland Feeds) guarantees 100% of its drug level label claim, meaning that if you order a 10 gram/lb
product, there will be 10 grams of CTC in each pound of product. However, the FDA allows a considerable variance
on these products, meaning that if company X markets a 10 gram/lb product, there is a chance it could contain 20%
less than that, which means you are actually getting 8 grams/lb instead of 10 grams. Reputable suppliers, like Zoetis,
recognize the consequences of not supplying the intended concentrations of chlortetracycline or other drugs. Not
getting the amount of drug that you intend to give the calves can result in the drug not working. Furthermore, if you
are not getting a good mix on a product with 20% less drug, the likelihood of the calves receiving the amount of drug
they need to successfully fight off respiratory disease is very small.
Almost anyone can identify the calves that are already sick by the obvious clues- head down, depressed,
anorexic, panting, nasal discharge. But, it takes a keen eye to identify animals that are getting sick because cattle
(and other animals) hide the clues that they are becoming sick. It is an instinct. Research is indicating that
sometimes the calves getting sick with respiratory disease don’t necessarily spike a high temperature or back off
feed. So now how do you identify a sick calf and how do you treat it if you can’t identify it as sick? When it comes to
respiratory disease, if the animal is infected with multiple BRD organisms, it can complicate treatment and reduce
treatment success. CTC can target Pasturella species and if we can reduce that in those weaned calves, we may be
giving ourselves a better shot at success in treating respiratory disease caused by other microorganisms. Even
though a pen of cattle may be getting sick and not noticably back off on intake, we generally still see an increase in
feed intakes after a 5-day treatment with CTC.
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Getting the Most Out of Your CTC Treaments
Why use CTC compared to oxytetracylcine (OTC) or AS-700 (chlortetracylcine and sulfamethazine)? Research
has shown that CTC targets the lung tissue better than OTC and so if we want to control respiratory diseases through
feed grade antibiotics, CTC should be more effective. Injectable OTC (like LA-200 or Biomycin) can be an effective
treatment, but if you are looking for a feed-through antibiotic, CTC is the one to use. AS-700 is labeled for
maintenance of weight gain in the presence of respiratory disease, not specifically control or treatment of respiratory
disease, and it delivers only 350 mg/hd/d of CTC compared to using 5g/hd/d for a 500-lb calf at the pulse dose level .
AS-700 is a 28-day treatment program compared to a 5-day treatment program with CTC. These products get their
label claims based on data on their effectiveness and take into consideration dose and duration. These label claims
would indicate that CTC has greater effectiveness at controlling and treating respiratory disease. Another
consideration is that Aureomycin is allowed in the bunk with Bovatec (but not Rumensin). AS-700 cannot be in the
bunk with any other medicated feed additives, leaving you without a coccidiostat.
The following table is a guide to use when calculating how much CTC you should use to deliver 1 g/100 lbs of
bodyweight to your cattle. The 10 g product is more effectively distributed throughout a mixer and in a feed bunk
than 20 g or 50 g products.
body weight, lbs
300
400
500
600
700
800
CTC is an effective tool to help us
Aureo product
lbs/hd/d
control respiratory disease and prevent
10 g
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60 0.70
0.80
E.coli infections. We also need to be
20 g
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30 0.35
0.40
responsible and use antibiotics in the
manner directed so we get the disease control we expect. With all of the negative publicity animal agriculture has
been faced with in regard to antibiotics and their alleged relationship to antibiotic resistance in humans, as cattle
producers we need to make sure that we are following feeding directions for our feed grade antibiotics as closely as
we can. None of us need any negative attention because of improper feeding of antibiotics or illegal medicated feed
combinations.
Starting in January of 2017, you will need a vet’s permission to use feed-grade antibiotics like Aureomycin
in the bunk to treat your cattle. The Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) process will require you to have a relationship
with a local vet, get a written VFD from the vet, keep VFD records for 2 years, and present feed records to the FDA
should they ask. Your local feed dealer will also have to keep a copy of the VFD in order to sell medicated feed.
Other products affected include AS-700, OTC, Pulmotil, and Tylan. Products like Rumensin, Bovatec, and Deccox will
not be affected by the VFD rule. While this process will require more effort, we can make it work with a little
communication. If you have questions on the VFD process, please give us a call. In the meantime, we can keep using
these products because we know how effective they can be.
Roxanne Knock, PhD
What do you need to be thinking about this time of year?
* Get your forages tested for quality and have your Livestock Production Specialist set up starting/growing rations
* Make plans to get in your starter supplement and a grower supplement
* Inspect pens and working facilities prior to weaning and make any necessary repairs
* Set up a herd health plan for vaccinations, de-worming program, and treatment protocols with your veterinarian
* Clean water tanks
* Get 30-13 tubs for grazing corn stalk residue
* Inventory your projected feed resources and project your winter feed needs so you can plan accordingly
**If you would like to receive this newsletter via email, send an e-mail to [email protected].
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