Calf Talk

January, 2008

Volume 14, No. 1

IMMUNOBOOST IMPROVES AVERAGE DAILY GAIN

By Russ Schnepper, D.V.M.

We have used Immunoboost in a wide variety of situations. Immunoboost has proven to be extremely beneficial in the majority of the ways we have used it. I will point out its cost effective uses and also the few cases that I feel it may not be beneficial.

Immunoboost fires up the calf’s own immune system to optimize the development of both active and passive immunity through stimulation of the non-specific immune defenses. An Immunoboost injection significantly increases the activated T-lymphocytes in the blood of the newborn calf. The entire range of leucocytes are increased and interferon is produced within a couple hours. The high levels of interferon are present for seven days. The Immunoboost can be repeated if the effect is desired beyond seven days. Immunoboost works in the presence of high cortisol levels that are found in the newborn, and at stressful times in the calf’s life.

Day one into the barn - either prior to shipping or immediately upon arrival. Immunoboost does well at controlling E coli, Salmonella, Pasteurella, Rota and Corona virus. If calf is not stressed and is picked up the day it is born, the Immunoboost may be delayed until the first sign of disease, or given a day ahead of the usual problem in the facility. I do not think Immunoboost alone is very effective against Clostridia or Cryptosporidiosis. However, in baby beef calves, I believe the Immunoboost takes care of everything else and the calf can handle the Crypto, without all the secondaries.

Heifer raisers are successful with Immunoboost every seven days for three or four doses. Immunoboost works well for the early Pasteurella pneumonia that develops at approximately three weeks.

Immunoboost prevents disease and improves Average Daily Gain. In one study, day old calves were fed for 38 days. The calves with Immunoboost + Modified Live Vaccine were compared with Modified Live Vaccine only. The Immunoboost + MLV calves weighed 10 pounds more than the MLV calves at the end of the 38 days.

A group of 480 Holstein steers weighing 243 pounds, were split into a control group

and a group given Immunoboost. After a 102 day feeding period, the Immunoboost group had 62% fewer sick calves, treatment costs were 66% lower and the Average Daily Gain was 0.11 pounds per day higher than in the control group.

In conclusion: Immunoboost prevents disease, lowers death loss and medication costs, improves average daily gain and feed efficiency. Immunoboost is effective against both viral and bacterial diseases. Immunoboost makes feeding calves more fun.

A calf that gets a good start is a more profitable calf to feed!

The calf’s immune system has to have adequate selenium and Vitamin E to function.

Contact information for ordering information and questions about our products:

Schnepper International, Inc.

3210 County B, Platteville, WI 53818

608-348-6141, Fax: 608-348-6146