New Feed Supplement Helps Newborn Calves Cope with Scours

ST. JOSEPH, Mo., March 7, 2008 -- AgriLabs has introduced First Arrival(R) with Encrypt(R), a feed supplement that enhances the natural immunity of calves, helping them cope with scours. Specially formulated for newborn calves, First Arrival is built around targeted egg-yolk proteins to help combat 11 scour-causing pathogens. It also features Encrypt, an innovative formulation of organic, non-charcoal carbon sources to help improve gut health.

"In addition, Encrypt provides two unmistakable cues to know whether animals have been treated," says Bill Vaughn, business unit manager, AgriLabs. "Milk and milk replacer become black when adding First Arrival, and calves' manure becomes a characteristic dark-gray color. This unique confirmation reassures producers that calves have received this supplement, which is specially designed for both natural and conventional calf-raising programs."

Preventing an immunity gap

Calves are born with naïve immune systems, into environments that commonly are filled with disease-causing pathogens. They only are able to fight these pathogens because of the passive transfer they receive from maternal antibodies in colostrum. But, this passive transfer must happen within 24 hours of birth. After that, they no longer can absorb large proteins like immunoglobulins (antibodies), even though it takes weeks for their own immune systems to fully develop. Unless a calf gets enough high-quality colostrum at the right time, it likely will have a gap in immunity.

"Calf scours (diarrhea) are the leading cause of sickness in newborn calves,(1) and can be caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites," says Travis Thayer, technical services veterinarian, AgriLabs. "Maternal colostrum is the ideal source of antibodies to combat these pathogens, but the reality is that not all colostrum is of high quality and not every calf gets enough. There's just no way to know before it's too late and that's why scours are such a threat."

Staying a step ahead of scours

Since successful treatment is never a certainty and it's not clear that treated calves ever truly catch up with their healthy counterparts, staying a step ahead of scours is key. First Arrival does just that by helping bolster a calf's developing immune system during the first 14 days of life. Its targeted egg-yolk proteins and Encrypt help create a gut environment that's unfriendly to pathogens. And, the dried whey and other ingredients in First Arrival provide additional nutrients that crowd out harmful bacteria in the gut while fostering the growth of beneficial bacteria.

"In fact, veterinarians and producers have reported seeing benefits in addition to helping calves cope with scours," says Vaughn. "For example, herds feeding First Arrival as recommended say they have been able to decrease antibiotic therapy in calves by as much as 60 percent."(2)

First Arrival mixes completely and quickly, and does not change the palatability of milk replacer or whole milk. Using the five-gram scoop included in every package, calf feeders easily can include 10 grams of First Arrival in each feeding for the first two days of life, then five grams per feeding for the next 12 days.

First Arrival comes in convenient 800-gram, 4,000-gram and 8,000-gram containers that will feed five, 25 and 50 calves, respectively, for two weeks. It maintains effectiveness even when stored for a long period of time, and does not require a withdrawal period.

For more information about First Arrival, visit www.AgriLabs.com, call this toll-free number: (800) 542-8916 or contact your local AgriLabs representative.

First Arrival, a feed supplement that helps newborn calves cope with scours naturally, features targeted egg-yolk proteins to help combat 11 scour-causing pathogens. The characteristic black milk color after mixing and dark-gray manure confirm that calves have received First Arrival with Encrypt -- an innovative formulation of organic carbon sources that helps improve gut health. This highly palatable, quick-mixing formula is a good fit for both natural and conventional calf-raising programs.

AgriLabs is an animal-health sales-and-marketing organization with distribution throughout the United States. The company's partnership structure and philosophy, together with a commitment to expeditious product development, provides a smooth, efficient system for manufacturers to transfer technology from research laboratories to the marketplace. Through technology transfer and cooperative development agreements, AgriLabs has introduced a number of state-of-the-art products to the beef and dairy industries.

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(1) Source: National Animal Health Monitoring System
(2) Data on file
 First Arrival is a registered trademark of DBC Agricultural Products