521 - Late-Breaking: Oral Mineral Drench to Reduce Morbidity and Increace Performance on Remore Summer Pastures

Economic losses due to morbidity and mortality associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD), foot rot, pinkeye, and other health issues in yearling beef cattle are consistently over $2 billion annually. This trial was designed to test the hypothesis that yearling beef cattle individually treated with an oral micromineral drench would be associated with decreased BRD, foot rot, pinkeye, and other issues in the first 60 days with improved weight gains while grazing remote summer pastures. This trial utilized 1150 head of steers, spayed heifers, and intact heifers in areas of Idaho and Montana. Trial cattle had unknown background and nutritional history, with no metaphylaxis treatment upon arrival. Treatment data for BRD, pinkeye, and foot rot, and other abnormalities showed decreased morbidity (from 37.5-61%) in different groups P < 0.234 during the first 60 days of the trial compared to the untreated cattle. Weight gains on treatment steers showed an increase 0f 18.89 lbs. in group 2 and 12.34 lbs. in group 3 (salt only) in 100 days grazing in the treatment cattle compared to the controls. The bred heifer group 1 showed showed slight weight gains of 1% and an increase pregnancy rate of 2% compared to the controls after 100 days grazing. Further trials need to be completed to determine the desired dosage using an oral mineral drench on yearling beef cattle with unknown vaccination and nutritional history.