To Implant or Not to Implant?

Some beef producers are asking themselves if they should use growth implants while backgrounding their cattle. North Dakota State University beef specialist Chip Poland thinks they’re asking the wrong question.

"Beef producers need to ask themselves if there is any reason not to implant," Poland says. Return on investment to implanting is rarely less than $5 per $1 invested and typically exceeds a $10 return. "Unless you have a very compelling reason, why wouldn’t you take advantage of that kind of return?"

One compelling reason would be a special marketing arrangement. "If you have a niche market that verifies that you haven’t used growth implants and pays you a premium for not using them, then it makes sense," Poland says. "But you need to make those arrangements up front. If you wait until weaning to try to get those premiums, it’ll be tough."

Some public concern over the use of growth implants and refusal of some export markets to accept U.S. beef grown with implants is causing some producers to question their continued use. "Those are valid concerns that must be addressed by the industry, but individual producers have to look at the economic reality," Poland says.

Growth implants contain hormones or hormone-like compounds that stimulate growth. Aggressive implant strategies have been shown to increase lifetime calf weight gain by 110 pounds. Increased gains of a quarter pound per day with implant use are typical in backgrounding operations, Poland notes.

"Implants vary in active ingredients, concentrations and potency. They need to be used in an orderly coordinated process to maximize efficiency," Poland says. Most backgrounding or grower operations use low to moderate potency implants. High potency implants are generally avoided because they will make the use of subsequent implants in feedlots less effective. One exception is Revalor-G, a combination implant marketed for grazing cattle.

Implants should not be used on potential herd replacement animals before 30 days of age or at or after weaning. Inappropriate use of implants on those animals can interfere with reproductive development and performance, he notes.

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Source: Chip Poland, (701) 483-2078, wpoland@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu