Cattle Bolus

d.colbertait

Hi all!!

I'm currently conducting a research masters in AIT dealing with the development of a new drug/mineral delivery system for cattle. I'm basically looking to get any insight from first hand users (not a farmer myself) as to if you use a bolus on your animals, which bolus you use, why you use it etc.

Any sort of information/guidance/help you can provide would be very welcome as this new system is not aimed towards the pharmaceutical sector but the main objectives of it are to essentially to reduce time costs to the individual farmer themselves.

Thanks once again for any help!

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: Closed pending review.

Buford T. Justice

Buford T. Justice XIX

Thread is open again, folks. This sounds an interesting project and would be of benefit to many if it succeeds.

The man in red and black

As a vet I often recommend boluses if there are problems suspected. I strongly advise blood sampling approx 10% of the animals first to find the most appropriate bolus with the right combination of trace minerals for the people. Most common deficiencies we come across would be selenium, iodine, copper in cattle and cobalt in sheep.

greysides

Perhaps not in the remit of the research but a biodegradable bolus that leaves no residual bits in the rumen once its use is over would be good.
One that can't be regurgitated is an ideal situation too.

49801

Admistering bolts is hard work!!!
Suckler experience mostly for hi-mag to cows.
Guns breaking
Wrestling animal to admin.
Some cows 5% know how to cough them up and takes couple goes which is very slow
Not wild animals but not handled as often as dairy cows

Never wrestle with pigs

I love using them. I give sucker cows two allsure bolus on turn in and two on turn out. They will be getting them next week and calving from late December and January.

I give all cows 30ml of topical iodine on their back every 3 weeks from now to the end of calving (only the ones that haven't calved). They get salt licks over winter as they seem to lack sodium while in the shed.

I find since starting this I get harder calves at birth and cows cleaning after calving. I start breeding again around paddys day and will give the cows a kg of a beef nut a few weeks before hand. Cows come bulling very quick and hold to first serve allot of the time.

Embryo loss is around %1 six weeks post serving so in very happy with that.

What minerals would folk recommend to hardy up feet? It's something that's annoying me, a few cows would get lame easily enough not many but enough to annoy you.

charolais0153

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

I love using them. I give sucker cows two allsure bolus on turn in and two on turn out. They will be getting them next week and calving from late December and January.

I give all cows 30ml of topical iodine on their back every 3 weeks from now to the end of calving (only the ones that haven't calved). They get salt licks over winter as they seem to lack sodium while in the shed.

I find since starting this I get harder calves at birth and cows cleaning after calving. I start breeding again around paddys day and will give the cows a kg of a beef nut a few weeks before hand. Cows come bulling very quick and hold to first serve allot of the time.

Embryo loss is around %1 six weeks post serving so in very happy with that.

What minerals would folk recommend to hardy up feet? It's something that's annoying me, a few cows would get lame easily enough not many but enough to annoy you.

Do u give a black and a green or 2 blacks and 2 greens?

White Clover

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

I love using them. I give sucker cows two allsure bolus on turn in and two on turn out. They will be getting them next week and calving from late December and January.

I give all cows 30ml of topical iodine on their back every 3 weeks from now to the end of calving (only the ones that haven't calved). They get salt licks over winter as they seem to lack sodium while in the shed.

I find since starting this I get harder calves at birth and cows cleaning after calving. I start breeding again around paddys day and will give the cows a kg of a beef nut a few weeks before hand. Cows come bulling very quick and hold to first serve allot of the time.

Embryo loss is around %1 six weeks post serving so in very happy with that.

What minerals would folk recommend to hardy up feet? It's something that's annoying me, a few cows would get lame easily enough not many but enough to annoy you.

Foot bathing would help harden the feet.

Never wrestle with pigs

charolais0153 wrote: »

Do u give a black and a green or 2 blacks and 2 greens?

Two and two, they are working hard to be fair to them. I have a scoop for doing them so it makes the job handy. Every one should have one.

I leave their heads raised for a minute in it while clipping tails and back etc and I don't get any spitting them out that way.

50HX

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Two and two, they are working hard to be fair to them. I have a scoop for doing them so it makes the job handy. Every one should have one.

I leave their heads raised for a minute in it while clipping tails and back etc and I don't get any spitting them out that way.

what make scoop have you??

greysides

Folks, let's try to keep this on-topic.

Expanded mineral discussion can be discussed on another thread.
Feel free to start one.

I'm basically looking to get any insight from first hand users (not a farmer myself) as to if you use a bolus on your animals, which bolus you use, why you use it etc.

Any sort of information/guidance/help you can provide would be very welcome as this new system is not aimed towards the pharmaceutical sector but the main objectives of it are to essentially to reduce time costs to the individual farmer themselves.

charolais0153

d.colbertait wrote: »

Hi all!!

I'm currently conducting a research masters in AIT dealing with the development of a new drug/mineral delivery system for cattle. I'm basically looking to get any insight from first hand users (not a farmer myself) as to if you use a bolus on your animals, which bolus you use, why you use it etc.

Any sort of information/guidance/help you can provide would be very welcome as this new system is not aimed towards the pharmaceutical sector but the main objectives of it are to essentially to reduce time costs to the individual farmer themselves.

Thanks once again for any help!

Animax allsure. For selenium deficiency mainly

d.colbertait

Thats all great info so far guys thanks very much!!
In terms of my specific research (due to patenting the technology I can't discuss it too much) it would aim to:
-reduce/eliminate the rates of regurgitation
-extend the delivery time of minerals/vitamins for a more prolonged time period
-leave no trace residues of the device in the animal
-reduce the time spent administering the bolus

I do have to ask (I don't have a farming background) but would someone mind explaining what the terms "turn in/turn out" mean?

J.O. Farmer

d.colbertait wrote: »

Thats all great info so far guys thanks very much!!
In terms of my specific research (due to patenting the technology I can't discuss it too much) it would aim to:
-reduce/eliminate the rates of regurgitation
-extend the delivery time of minerals/vitamins for a more prolonged time period
-leave no trace residues of the device in the animal
-reduce the time spent administering the bolus

I do have to ask (I don't have a farming background) but would someone mind explaining what the terms "turn in/turn out" mean?

Sounds good and if you manage all that there will be a market for it.

Turn in is putting cattle into sheds for the winter.

Turn out is letting them out to the fields in spring.

d.colbertait

Hi all,
Research is ongoing into this matter with good results for preliminary research. Currently transferring onto a material registered as a feed additive and we are looking into setting up an artificial rumen for testing. I was wondering if any of you would have/know of anywhere that would have cattle with a fistula? We will require rumen content as opposed to trying to create a simulated form.
Thanks for any and all input!
-Declan

Buford T. Justice XIX

d.colbertait wrote: »

Hi all,
Research is ongoing into this matter with good results for preliminary research. Currently transferring onto a material registered as a feed additive and we are looking into setting up an artificial rumen for testing. I was wondering if any of you would have/know of anywhere that would have cattle with a fistula? We will require rumen content as opposed to trying to create a simulated form.
Thanks for any and all input!
-Declan

UCD Ag and Vet colleges would have both cattle and sheep with fistula for trial work.

Simmental.

The Teagasc Moorepark dairy research herd in Cork would have a few cows with them.

d.colbertait

Thanks very much for that guys, actually got onto moorepark there a while ago and they directed me towards contacting UCD as well.

d.colbertait

Hi All,
I hope everyone is keeping safe during these trying times. I know I havent posted in a while so to update;
Research progressed to a sufficient point where I was able to transfer to now being a PhD candidate
A breakdown rate of samples has been achieved up to and beyond 6 months
A mineral (copper) loading content of up to 60% has been achieve which would allow for a reduced bolus size
A sufficiently high density has been achieved using completely biodegradable materials
A consistent and sustained release of the copper from the device has been achieved up to a 1 month timeframe (the release is much longer, the month timepoint was the close of colleges)

The remainder of work will be to fully put all these pieces together, a query we are having is whether the high density is required for the whole 6 month period or just to a certain point to ensure it sinks to the bottom of the rumen. Would anyone have any idea/information regarding or relating to that?

Many thanks for reading and I hope you all stay safe, take care!
-Declan

d.colbertait

Hi all,
I havent posted anything in a while so let me introduce myself, my name is Declan Colbert a final year PhD student in Athlone IT. My 4 years of research have been aiming to develop a new form of supplement bolus. I can share some preliminary research after a while but I wanted to get a farmers straight opinion on this (I may send out a more in-depth survey after a while if that would be ok). My query for now is that essentially every bolus I see advertises it will release consistently for 6 months. Do you use a mineral bolus? If yes which bolus do you use? And do you find the treatment is effective and repeatable across your entire herd for the 6 month period? Thank you in advance to anyone that replies!
Sincerely,
Declan Colbert
d.colbert@research.ait.ie

-Feel free to email me if you have any queries relating to my research

d.colbertait

Hi all,
I havent posted anything in a while so let me introduce myself, my name is Declan Colbert a final year PhD student in Athlone IT. My 4 years of research have been aiming to develop a new form of supplement bolus. I can share some preliminary research after a while but I wanted to get a farmers straight opinion on this (I may send out a more in-depth survey after a while if that would be ok). My query for now is that essentially every bolus I see advertises it will release consistently for 6 months. Do you use a mineral bolus? If yes which bolus do you use? And do you find the treatment is effective and repeatable across your entire herd for the 6 month period? Thank you in advance to anyone that replies!
Sincerely,
Declan Colbert
d.colbert@research.ait.ie

-Feel free to email me if you have any queries relating to my research

d.colbertait

Hi all,
We have achieved a consistent steady release over a period of +9.5 months. This release is not controlled by breakdown like most on the market so the release of minerals is much more controlled. Funding application is going ahead in July to get the products to market. If you would like to help there is a small survey found here, https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5-9v4tcffECFDpv8ujMONQq7xIc018xFhScZFdPeKgRUMlc5VFJXMldCN1A1VVNXRUxVR05USjlCWC4u .