Keeping cattle healthy and gaining are priorities for cattle producers; but when you can keep them healthy and gaining while saving some money at the same time, that is something everyone can get excited about.
CV Ledbetter & Son is a diversified cattle operation located at Okmulgee, Okla. The cow-calf segment includes a Hereford and Red Angus enterprise that focuses on the production of bulls; the commercial cow-calf operation places an emphasis on raising replacement heifers and feeder steers, and post-weaning they background 700-800 calves per year.
Chad Ledbetter said they started using the Gain Smart program last fall, shortly after it was introduced and after some conversations with his ASM, John Jeffrey.
“It is a good, cost effective way to keep our calves on a product that contains Amaferm®,” Ledbetter said.
VitaFerm® has been part of the Ledbetter nutrition program for years, but now there is a supplement with Amaferm designed for their calves at a specific stage of life. Ledbetter said they have followed the entire Gain Smart Stocker Program, starting with the Vita Charge® Drench and Stress Tub. They have, or currently are feeding, all three of the Gain Smart minerals – Gain Smart Stocker, Gain Smart Wheat, and Gain Smart Balancer RU1600.
“I am very thankful that the company developed Gain Smart, a targeted product for weaned calves at their specific stage of production,” Ledbetter said. “We are seeing a cost savings using this product plus the results we’ve come to expect from all other mineral lines that BioZyme manufactures.”
Ledbetter said their calves are receiving the same benefits that they have in the past with the Amaferm advantage, like staying healthy, staying on feed and putting on pounds in an efficient manner, but they are now doing all of this in a more cost effective way.
With the health benefits that Gain Smart offers to the Ledbetter’s calves, along with the savings that it offers his bottom line, he said he will continue to feed Gain Smart in the future.
