Deficiencies of trace elements have a long history in New Zealand, with names like white muscle disease, bush sickness and peat scours part of farming folklore.
While we've traditionally focused on improving growth rates and milk production through supplementation, the focus is now on the less obvious (but equally important) gains in fertility and immunity that can be achieved.
There are times when the requirements for trace elements rapidly increase, often coinciding with reduced feed intake. When this occurs even well-supplemented herds can temporarily dip into a slight deficiency.
These periods of high demand often lead to higher levels of disease, and sometimes short-term drops in production, growth or fertility. Calving, mating, weaning, transport or early life are all good examples of high-stress periods where demand increases.
Injectable trace elements provide rapid, targeted and sustained increases in animal levels, so are more suitable for use prior to a high demand period.
A UNIQUE 4-IN-1 INJECTION
MULTIMIN® is a unique concept of trace element supplementation for New Zealand dairy, beef and deer farmers. Containing copper, selenium, zinc and manganese, it is designed to be administered to stock prior to high periods of demand, such as calving, weaning and mating.
Trace elements are critical for immunity, and are used in large quantities when the body is under stress and the immune system is working harder.
Recent research on New Zealand farms has shown the potential immune effects of supplementing trace elements prior to a high demand period1. In this study calves from fully supplemented herds were injected with MULTIMIN®^ at birth, and/or day 35, and/or day 70.
The greatest benefit was seen from treating at birth, as the highest levels of disease occur in the first few weeks of life. Disease was reduced by 52%, and death rates dropped by 58% in calves treated with MULTIMIN®.
The reproductive system also uses many trace elements, with some of the roles only recently being discovered.
For example, manganese protects the developing egg within the ovary, zinc helps to produce a healthy uterine lining and selenium is important for protecting a growing embryo.
A New Zealand study2 has shown the benefit of supplementing with MULTIMIN® prior to calving and mating, even where blood and liver testing has not identified a deficiency.
Treated cows got in calf 3.4 days earlier on average and had a 3.3% higher final in-calf rate.
MULTIMIN® is administered as a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection at 1 ml/50 kg in young cattle (up to 12 months) and 1 ml/75 kg in yearlings (1–2 years) and 1 ml/100 kg in adult cattle (>2 years).
| CALVES | up to 1 year | 1 ml/50 kg |
| CATTLE | 1 - 2 years | 1 ml/75 kg |
| CATTLE | over 2 years | 1 ml/100 kg |
| DEER | – | 1 ml/100 kg |
| MEAT | Nil | MILK | Nil |
MULTIMIN® can be administered at birth and four weeks before ‘high demand’ periods to allow antioxidant levels to peak. MULTIMIN® should be administered to herds four weeks before mating and calving, and to bulls 12 weeks before joining the herd.
MULTIMIN® should be used as a strategic intervention in a supplementation programme, rather than a replacement, as part of an integrated nutrition and animal health program.
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