Nutritional imbalances, infectious disease and parasites are the key animal health threats affecting the health and productivity of Australian cattle. Cattle farmers want preventative health programs that are effective at protecting health and productivity; convenient to implement and deliver a sound return on investment. Target Beef was developed by Virbac to meet these expectations. Let’s examine the key animal health threats to Australian cattle and available solutions. 

KEY POINTS

• Nutritional imbalances will directly lead to suboptimal growth and fertility.
• Multimin^® Evolution has been shown to increase productivity by improving fertility and immunity.
• Infectious diseases can have a direct impact on productivity. Vaccine use at key times alongside Multimin can improve the immunity of your herd.
• Parasites can lead to productivity loss by suppressing appetite or taking blood or nutrients.
• Cydectin^® Platinum, and Cydectin Long Acting are trusted solutions, highly effective against resistant worms, and with persistent activity to reduce pasture contamination. 
• The Target Beef Program, developed by Virbac involves the strategic and concurrent use of Multimin Evolution, Websters vaccines and the Cydectin drench range to address all the above key threats.

Nutrition

Nutritional imbalances are common in grazing livestock and can include suboptimal levels of energy, protein, macro-minerals (e.g Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus), trace minerals (e.g Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Manganese) and/or vitamins (e.g Vit A, D, E, and Vit B12).  Nutritional imbalances will directly lead to suboptimal growth and fertility because cattle lack the ‘building blocks’ to grow and reproduce. Nutritional imbalances will also increase the risk of cattle being more prone to both infectious diseases and parasites.

Multimin Evolution is a unique trace mineral injection for cattle containing Zinc, Copper, Selenium and Manganese, and has been shown to increase productivity by improving fertility and immunity^1-10.  

Infectious Diseases

 Infectious disease involves a wide range of germs which can cause scours, pneumonia, lameness, abortions and/or death.  Cattle are more likely to succumb to these illnesses when exposed to stressful environmental and physiological conditions (e.g. poor nutrition, transport, drought, flood, high stocking rate), and when they are under periods of high metabolic demand (e.g around weaning, joining and calving).  

 Infectious diseases can have a direct impact on productivity due to sickness or death.  Productivity is also lost because cattle exposed to infectious germs are forced to use energy and protein in their immune response rather than for growth and fertility.  In this way infectious diseases can have a significant, indirect impact on productivity.  Clostridial diseases (e.g tetanus, pulpy kidney, botulism, black leg and black disease) occur too rapidly for cattle to protect themselves and vaccination is essential.  

 Websters^® 5 in 1 B12 and Websters 7 in 1 are trusted solutions to prevent economic losses due to infectious diseases such as clostridial diseases and leptospirosis. 

Parasites

Parasites are found inside cattle (e.g worms, fluke) and on the skin of cattle (e.g ticks, lice and flies). Young and adult cattle with infectious diseases and/or nutritional imbalances are more prone to parasites. Parasites directly lead to productivity loss by suppressing appetite, and taking blood or nutrients. This can lead to a nutrient imbalance.  Importantly they also affect productivity because uncontrolled parasite burdens force cattle to use their immune system against the parasites at a loss to potential growth and productivity. Unfortunately, many parasites of cattle are difficult to control due to both chemical resistance and constant re-exposure to new parasite burdens from the paddock.
  

Cydectin Platinum, a dual active combination drench and Cydectin Long Acting, a high concentration injection, are trusted solutions, highly effective against resistant worms with persistent activity to reduce pasture contamination.

Target Beef - The Key Program to Improve Productivity 

 Nutritional imbalances, infectious diseases and parasites are interconnected threats to the health and productivity of cattle.  It is not surprising, therefore, that the best preventative health programs address all these key threats at once.  

The Target Beef Program, developed by Virbac includes the concurrent use of Multimin Evolution, Websters vaccines and the Cydectin drench range.  For example, a southern weaning treatment would include:

• Multimin Evolution
• Websters 7 in 1 or Websters 5 in 1 B12
• Cydectin Platinum or Cydectin Long Acting 

Multimin Evolution optimises immunity & fertility. Multimin has been shown to improve first cycle conception rates by up to 19.4% and increase pregnancy rates by up to 12%^11-15 .  

Websters vaccines fast track protection to infectious diseases the immune system cannot protect against fast enough. Producers can choose between Websters 7 in 1 for breeders and Websters 5 in 1 B12 for non-breeding stock.  When Multimin Evolution is given on the same day as any vaccine, cattle develop enhanced protection to the diseases covered by the vaccine and improves their general health to help fight off any infection.
 

The use of Cydectin Platinum ensures 99-100% removal of worms at time of treatment and prevents pasture contamination for up to 35 days^16-17.  Cydectin Long Acting for Cattle can provide season-long protection against key worms of Ostertagia (112 days) and Barbers Pole Worm (120 days), and at least 65 days prevention of cattle tick eggs, breaking the cattle tick life cycle and keeping the pastures cleaner for longer¹⁸.   These treatments allow the immune system to have a ‘break’ from fighting parasites and cattle can focus on growing and staying healthy and fertile.  Producers can choose between these treatments based on preferred ESI and application method.

It makes sense to give these animal health treatments concurrently on the same day, offering the following benefits:

• Reduced mustering - allowing more time for grazing for growth, saves on labour costs and improves welfare.
• Additive effect by optimising protection against infectious disease, parasites and nutritional imbalance all at once. 
• It results in healthier animals that grow better and are more fertile.

Many farmers ask ‘Can I administer a drench and vaccine on the same day?’.  While different products should not be mixed together prior to administration, all Target Beef products can be given separately on the same day*.  By administering Multimin, a drench and vaccine on the same day, each product will help each other to work even better leading to healthier and more productive animals.

 To learn more about the Target Beef Program from Virbac and its current promotion, please visit au.virbac.com/targetbeefpromo

*Good injection practice recommends that multiple injections be given on opposite side of neck or at least one hand width apart. Multimin Evolution can be administered concurrently with other animal health products. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian. DO NOT MIX products with Multimin Evolution in the same syringe prior to administration. Do not use concurrently with drenches, boluses or other animal health products containing Se or Cu.

References

1. Palomares, R. et al. (2016). Effects of injectable trace minerals on humoral and cell-mediated

immune responses to Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Bovine Herpes Virus 1 and Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus following administration of a modified-live virus vaccine in dairy calves. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 178:88-98. 

2. Bates A, et al. (2019). Reduction in morbidity and mortality of dairy calves from an injectable trace mineral supplement. Vet Rec. 184(22):680*.
3. Bates, A., et al (2020). Effect of an injectable trace mineral supplement on the immune response of dairy calves. Res. Vet. Sci., 130, 1-10*. 
4. Berry et al. (2000). Efficacy of Multimin in Improving Performance and Health in Receiving Cattle. Oklahoma State University Animal Science Report, 980:61-64. 
5. Hoyos-Jaramillo A., et al. (2019) Health status and endoscopic evaluation of the upper respiratory tract of dairy bull calves inoculated with BVDV2 and BHV1 after vaccination and trace minerals injection. Proc. 35. Steeve Giguère Science of Veterinary Medicine Symposium October 10, 2019 University of Georgia. 
6. Arthington, J. D., & Havenga, L. J. (2012). Effect of injectable trace minerals on the humoral immune response to multivalent vaccine administration in beef calves. J. Anim. Sci., 90(6), 1966-1971. 
7. Ball, M. (2016). Trace mineral injection enhances antibody response to botulism vaccination. AVA Proceedings, Adelaide*. 
8. Bittar, J. H. et al (2020). Immune response and onset of protection from Bovine viral diarrhea virus 2 infection induced by modified-live virus vaccination concurrent with injectable trace minerals administration in newly received beef calves. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol, 110055. 
9. Bittar, J. H. J. et al (2018). Effects of injectable trace minerals administered concurrently with a modified live virus vaccine on long-term protection against bovine viral diarrhea virus acute infection in dairy calves. Res. Vet. Sci., 119, 250-258. 
10. Bittar, J. H. et al (2018). Effects of injectable trace minerals on the immune response to Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida following vaccination of dairy calves with a commercial attenuated-live bacterin vaccine. Prof. Anim. Sci., 34(1), 59-66.
12. Mundell, L. et al. (2012). Effects of prepartum and postpartum bolus injections of trace minerals on performance of beef cows and calves grazing native range, Prof. Anim. Sci., 28:82- 88. 
13. Virbac (2015) Trial protocol 578/15*. 
14. Sales, J. et al. (2011). Effect of injectable copper, selenium, zinc and manganese on the pregnancy rate of crossbred heifers (Bos indicus x Bos taurus) synchronised for timed embryo transfer. Livest. Sci., 142:59-62. 
15. Hawkins D. (2007). The effect of injectable trace elements (Multimin®) on health and reproduction parameters in NZ dairy herds, NZ Dairy Cattle Veterinarians Newsletter, 24(3):12-16*. 
16. Mitchell. K. et al. (2008). Injectable trace elements increase reproduction efficiency in dairy cows, in Trace Elements in Animal Production Systems, 296-299*. 
17. Refer to registered label, Cydectin Platinum APVMA No. 88072
18. Ball & Gibbison (2021) Resistance patterns of Avermectins and Milbemycins in nematodes of Australian cattle, Australian Cattle Veterinarians Journal, Vol 100: 20-25.
19. Refer to Cydectin Long Acting for Cattle Label 60116

The benefits outlined in the above scientific studies may not necessarily be registered label claims. *The Multimin® formulation in this study contained lower levels of minerals compared to Multimin® Evolution.

Multimin® Cydectin®, Websters®, Singvac®  are registered trademarks of Virbac.