New study shows long-duration implants pack on the pounds

Use this implant option for improved gain and increased labor efficiency

When every dollar and pound count, make sure you are using every tool to help optimize your operation — particularly an implant program that helps increase grazing results, allowing cattle to pack on more pounds. Dr. Bryan Bernhard, a nutritionist on the Zoetis Beef Strategic Technical Services team, says “The value is really there for producers to use implants, because that technology is proven through decades of research and field use to deliver a high return on investment.”

According to Dr. Bernhard, duration makes a difference when choosing between implants. Traditional implants are only effective for 140 days or less after administration, which could mean lost days of performance throughout longer grazing periods. However, long-duration implants offer uninterrupted growth through extended release, making them an ideal choice to help maximize your operation’s profitability.


Greater gains and higher profits

A recent study found that Synovex® One Grass offered a weight and gain advantage over conventional-duration implants and nonimplanted animals.1

The study included 600 lb. stockers in three treatment groups that grazed on nonirrigated native range in west central California. One group received a conventional-duration implant, Revalor®-G; another received a long-duration implant, Synovex One Grass; and the control group did not receive implants.

After 192 days of grazing, cattle on Synovex One Grass gained an average of 11 pounds more than cattle in the conventional-duration implant group and 62 pounds more than nonimplanted cattle.1 The long-duration group also had a higher average daily gain (ADG) — 1.83 pounds ADG compared with 1.78 pounds ADG and 1.5 pounds ADG for the conventional-duration implant and nonimplanted groups, respectively.1

“Synovex One Grass has been a great fit for stockers and backgrounders,” says Dr. Bernhard. “Really, any producer who utilizes forage as part of their management system and owns the cattle for 140 or more days should consider long-duration implants as an option.”

The long-term gains observed in the new study align with previous findings from a study conducted on cattle grazing in Oklahoma. Stocker cattle that were implanted with Synovex One Grass had an ADG of 2.22 pounds compared with an ADG of 2.11 pounds in cattle implanted with Revalor-G and Encore®.2 Overall, implanting steers with Synovex One Grass resulted in a 20-pound per head advantage compared with cattle receiving competitive implants.2

“Whether it’s when they’re weighing or shipping cattle, producers see the added pounds cattle implanted with Synovex One Grass are putting on and, ultimately, that adds more dollars to their pocket,” says Dr. Bernhard.


Flexibility to fit every operation

According to Dr. Bernhard, if producers may end up extending the length of time their cattle are grazing, then a long-duration implant provides clear profit advantages and greater marketing flexibility. He challenges producers to think about the number of days they will own the cattle.

“I work with many customers who gather cattle in the fall of the year, putting groups together that will ultimately be turned out on some winter forage,” says Dr. Bernhard. “They can use Synovex One Grass as their implant and have peace of mind that they’ll see performance all the way through March, and, even if they graze into May, they're still covered.”

Synovex One Grass and Synovex One Feedlot, an implant for feedlot operations, offer both steers and heifers up to 200 days of improved weight gain and increased feed efficiency. Find the right implant for your operation by visiting Nostresssynovex.com or talking to your Zoetis representative. 

Do not use SYNOVEX products in veal calves. Refer to label for complete directions for use, precautions, and warnings.

About Zoetis

Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, which are complemented by genetic tests, biodevices and a range of services. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2018, the company generated annual revenue of $5.8 billion with approximately 10,000 employees. For more information, visit https://www.zoetisus.com.