Category: Business Topics

Keep Nutrition Program in the Herd

Care that comes full circle is the BioZyme® company motto, and those are the words that our staff and employees live by every day. One of the best ways we can offer care to the livestock that our customers raise is to make sure those animals are receiving the daily nutrition they need to survive and thrive now and in years to come.

Nutrition is vital to a herd’s success. VitaFerm® Conserve™ was formulated as an economical vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle that supports the health and condition of the whole herd. Though many producers might think cutting their mineral program is one way to save money during uncertain times, cutting a mineral program can negatively impact the herd now and in the future.

Eliminating a mineral program can have detrimental effects, including decreased reproduction efficiency, decreased utilization of forages and an increase in potential health challenges. Cutting out mineral can potentially lead to poor conception rates, more open cows and an extended calving window. It can also lead to poor pasture management and performance. Additionally, vaccines often lose their effectiveness without the assistance of a mineral program.

“We are excited to offer VitaFerm Conserve to our customers who want to conserve costs without giving up the benefits of a balanced and fortified mineral package along with the Amaferm® advantage, 365 days out of the year,” said Jack Oattes, BioZyme Regional Business Manager.

VitaFerm Conserve is a way to provide an adequate nutrition program to the herd when reproductive success is not the key focus. Although it doesn’t contain the organic trace minerals and the additional nutrients, it is a balanced vitamin and mineral program that contains adequate nutrients to maintain the herd. In addition to the vitamin and mineral package, Conserve contains Amaferm. Amaferm is a precision prebiotic that impacts intake, digestion and absorption of available feedstuffs, ensuring the most energy from your feed and forage. The balanced nutrients combined with the Amaferm helps keep your cattle healthy, performing and gaining.

Getting Amaferm into your cattle’s diets is one of the best ways you can care for them. Although many producers have researched and heard about Amaferm, some of them considered the extra-fortification of premium mineral programs with Amaferm out of their price range.

“VitaFerm Conserve was purposefully crafted with the producer in mind as an economical line of vitamin and mineral supplements for the beef cattle herd that complements our existing products during the times of year when reproduction isn’t the primary focus,” Oattes said.

All animals deserve a mineral program. An adequate nutrition source like the VitaFerm Conserve will help support overall herd health and immune function while improving reproductive efficiency. In addition, vitamin and mineral programs help bolster growth and performance and mitigate side effects of mineral deficiencies.

If producers go without mineral, they are losing out on health improvements, performance improvements & reproductive improvements. Keep your customers’ herds healthy and thriving with a program that supplies sufficient nutrients and Amaferm.

Vita Charge for Stress Relief

Vita Charge® is the ideal product for stress relief. And when do livestock feel the most stress? When they undergo abrupt changes to their routines. Think weaning. Think shipping/receiving. Think all aspects of showing them.

West Texas Area Sales Manager Sam Silvers said promoting the Vita Charge line to his dealers and customers comes to him with ease due to the type of people he typically is around, even when not on the sales road.

“With a background in show livestock, I am around those people quite a bit and they see the importance of keeping their animals on feed and water in all situations. The Vita Charge products do that, and they work quickly. I’m also around several people who run stockers and their challenges come up in general conversation. It’s easy to suggest a product from the Vita Charge line,” Silvers said.

One of the best customers and dealers Silvers has found in his area are veterinarians. He said they understand the need to get those animals that have been stressed and treated back on the road to recovery as quick as possible and that boost from the Vita Charge helps.

Click here to see what our customers have to say about these products and more.

Conserve Spending, Increase Performance

BioZyme® Inc. is always looking for ways to help our end-users raise livestock in the most economic efficiently way possible, while keeping the animals safe and healthy. In keeping with the company motto, “care that comes full circle,” we know the best way to help producers help their animals is to develop new and cutting-edge products. Since our last VISION, we’ve launched three new products to help the producer save money and help keep animals performing their best.

Cattle producers are always looking for ways to reduce their input costs without surrendering their herds’ performance. Now, they can do both successfully. BioZyme® Inc., has introduced VitaFerm Conserve ™ to its product family.

VitaFerm Conserve is an economical vitamin and mineral supplement line that like all BioZyme products, comes with the Amaferm® advantage to maximize nutrient digestion and absorption. Although it contains a balanced vitamin and mineral package and Amaferm, Conserve does not contain organic trace minerals. Rather than formulating to optimum nutrient levels like the VitaFerm Concept•Aid® line, VitaFerm Conserve is formulated at sufficient nutrient levels to maintain performance. Therefore, the savings can be passed on to the producer without sacrificing the health or performance of the cow herd.

Available in five formulations tailored to different operational challenges:

Vita Charge Is Vital To A Program

Nutrition is important during all phases of production and throughout an animal’s life. Yes, there are times like breeding, lactation and weaning when nutrition plays a bigger role in the animal’s life than others, but it is still important to have them receiving quality nutrition year-round, which is why it is important to get Amaferm® in their diets 365 days a year.

Programs like the Vita Charge® Weaning Program and the Gain Smart® Stocker Program are available to help animals get the boost they need during more stressful times of life. And, when stress is involved, Vita Charge is the answer.

Weaning is stressful for both the mother and the offspring, but especially the young animal, regardless of species that is accustomed to receiving its mother’s milk as a source of nutrition and now is being forced to adapt to grain, grass, or hay and water. Vita Charge is the ideal supplement to mitigate stress with products like Vita Charge Gel and Liquid Boost® for all species. Specifically, for cattle, you can add in the Cattle Drench and Stress Tubs to help give those digestive systems a boost, keep calves eating and drinking and keep them healthy. For pigs, Vita Charge HydraBoost™ is a great way to convert those weaned pigs from nursing to the feeder.

The Gain Smart Stocker Program is structured to get weaned calves and stockers off to a good, healthy start in three simple steps, using two of the Vita Charge products.

  1. Wean or receive with Vita Charge Cattle Drench
    Weaning and receiving calves brings about several abrupt changes: nutritional intake, environment, herd groups and separation from mama. Producers shouldn’t stress because their calves are stressing when they have a product like Vita Charge Cattle Drench to keep cattle healthy, eating and gaining.

    Keeping cattle healthy is key to their wellbeing, and it helps increase rate of gain. Additionally, it can also reduce medical expenses and cost of labor to treat sick calves. Use the Vita Charge Cattle Drench within the first 48 hours of weaning or receiving calves to stimulate the calves’ immune system, spur feed and water intake and maximize the effectiveness of vaccines.
  2. Jumpstart with the Vita Charge Stress Tub or Stress Tub HEAT®
    These cooked tubs support digestive health and promote feed and water intake during the stress of transition. Use the Stress Tub or Stress Tub with HEAT, depending on the temperature, during the first two to three weeks after weaning or receiving to encourage feed and water intake, increase digestibility to maximize gains by maximizing the energy value of feed and to help trap any bad bacteria with the MOS included in the Tubs.
  1. Step three is your customer’s choice of the Gain Smart mineral that best fits his or her feeding scenario.

Encourage your producers to find a program that best works for them, to keep their livestock healthy and performing year-round. Good nutrition starts with reduced stress and increased feed and water intake. The way to achieve those goals is with the Vita Charge products.

Selling products give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of helping your customer reach his or her goals. The only thing better than making a sale is making a sale of multiple products and that is why you’re encouraged as dealers to sell the programs that BioZyme® offers. Sell the program. See that care come full circle. And watch your sales grow.

Quick Response Products Become A Sales Aid

Seeing is believing. That’s why the quick response that the Vita Charge® products offer help sell this line of products, and subsequently help promote the Amaferm® advantage in other product lines.

2020 has been nothing short of bizarre. With so many uncertainties, last-minute cancellations and changed plans, Nebraska’s Area Sales Manager Meghan Bochanski has taken these challenges and turned them into opportunities to share and promote the Vita Charge line.

“With a lack of shows in our area or shows not scheduled in advance, I have been able to offer the Vita Charge products to that customer base. I had one customer who had his steer on a good feeding program, but after hauling it to a show from Western Nebraska to Oklahoma and back home, the steer went off feed and water. With the help of some Vita Charge Liquid Boost and Vita Charge Climate Control Gel, the steer went back on feed and water, and the customer was sold on the Vita Charge line,” Bochanski said.

She said the Vita Charge products have been extremely popular in other similar situations where shows have popped up last minute in the summer heat or where people have had to travel long distances to even participate in a show. Once the show livestock customers try it on an animal in need, they can see the benefits of using it to be proactive prior to those stressful situations.

John Jeffrey, ASM in Oklahoma and Southern Missouri, agrees that the customer that have an animal that really needs the stress relief are willing to try the Vita Charge line, either a sick calf in the weaning pen or a show animal that’s gone off feed. But, once they see how fast and effective the Vita Charge products work, they like it and will continue to use it.

“Especially at a cattle operation, I tell them if they don’t want to use the Cattle Drench at receiving or at weaning, just wait and use it in the sick pen and they will see a difference in how fast that sick calf recovers. They just need to see it work on a sick animal that is not eating, drinking or is stressed before they will take a proactive approach,” Jeffrey said.

And once they see those quick results, they will respond. Bochanski said she has been working with some producers who have tried the Cattle Drench and call it a “miracle.” Once they see how it works, they want to get the Stress Tubs out to their calves to get the Vita Charge into them every day.

Seeing is believing. Make sure that your customers have a way to showcase the rapid responsiveness of the Vita Charge line. One quick response product could lead to pallets of VitaFerm® mineral for the cowherd, and that is how you use something small to make a big difference in your business.

Vita Charge Products Offer Something For All Livestock

One size doesn’t always fit all situations. However, with a product line like Vita Charge®, your customers can get the benefits of a supplement that help with protection and recovery from stressful situations in a variety of forms and applications.

The Vita Charge line comes in various forms from liquids to gels to tubs, and its versatility makes it easy to administer to all species and in a variety of situations. From weaning lambs and pigs to starting stockers and transporting show livestock, the Vita Charge line offers must-have products for any producer or livestock show enthusiast.

Gels: Three gel products are available for use on beef cattle, swine sheep and goats. The gels are easy to administer and can even be topdressed on feed for challenging animals.

Vita Charge Gel is the most versatile, and can be used for mother animals after parturition, at weaning time, any time stress is involved like treating for sickness, transporting, starting calves, showing livestock, sale preparation, general stomach upset or any other reason your animals might go off feed.

Vita Charge Climate Control Gel offers the same relief from stress and extreme temperatures by helping maintain the animal’s normal body temperature. Climate Control Gel contains capsaicin to help maintain circulation to support animal performance in heat stress situations. Capsaicin is research-proven to support animals’ ability to maintain normal body temperature.

Vita Charge Clench Gel is ideal for use during diarrhea and scours treatments to support recovery, hydration and nutrient absorption. Added electrolytes help replenish the losses animals experience through constant defecation. It is all natural and can be safely used during shows with no withdrawal period.

Liquids: Several liquid products in the Vita Charge line offer convenience to the producer, feeder or showman. Liquids can be administered via an applicator like a drench gun or syringe, through the water, mixed in with feed or top dressed on feed. Always make sure to encourage your customers to read and follow label instructions.

Vita Charge Cattle Drench is specifically formulated for beef and dairy cattle. Designed for processing large groups of cattle, its ideal for weaning or receiving calves, it can also be used on show cattle to jump start to the digestive system to protect cattle during stress. It is formulated to help cattle recover quickly and does not interfere with antibiotics. Cattle Drench is part of the 3-step Gain Smart ® Stocker Program.

Vita Charge Hydraboost ™ is a unique, nutrient rich liquid supplement for commercial swine that increases water and feed intake and maintains gut immunity, thereby increasing overall health and rapidly restoring digestive balance. Hydraboost contains two ingredients to support the animal’s ability to fight off stress; Amaferm® to ensure that feed intake stays consistent and MOS to trap bad bacteria limiting their ability to do harm. It also contains electrolytes, organic Zinc, the antioxidant Vitamin E and b vitamins.

Vita Charge Liquid Boost® is the most versatile liquid supplement in the line and is designed for animals of all species that supports digestive health and promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery. Administer Liquid Boot via a medicator, mixed with water, use as a drench or top-dress on feed. It is also a valuable tool in the VitaFerm Weaning Program.

Tubs: Tubs are a convenient way for beef cattle to get their daily dose of Vita Charge without extra handling. Although the tubs contain all the benefits of the Vita Charge line when it comes to protecting and recovering your cattle during times of stress, they are not intended to be the sole source of vitamins and minerals for your cattle.

Vita Charge Stress Tub MOS comes in both 50-pound and 200-pound tubs for added versatility and convenience. This cooked tub for beef cattle supports digestive health and promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery. It is ideal to put with weaned calves, stockers, growers, and to keep in your show pens. Stress Tubs are the second step of the Gain Smart Stocker Program.

Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT® is a cooked tub for beef cattle that supports digestive health and promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery that conveniently allows beef cattle to get their daily dose of Vita Charge without additional handling. It also contains HEAT® to help prevent heat stress during temperatures of 70 degrees and above. Capsaicin, the key ingredient in HEAT is research-proven to support animals’ ability to maintain normal body temperature. HEAT also includes garlic to deter insects, also helping reduce stress.

One size doesn’t fit all, but with one line of great products like Vita Charge, you’ll be able to reach a broader customer base. The Vita Charge line has something for every livestock producer and all products above offer Amaferm®. Amaferm, a precision-based prebiotic, is designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is research-proven to combat stress by supporting the animal’s own immune system, significantly increasing intake and nutrient utilization, and it is research-proven to combat stress and maintain performance during heat stress by supporting the animal’s own immune system.

New Products Help You Grow Market Shares

Product launches are an exciting time. New products mean new ways to help current customers and grow your customer base. But use caution, don’t simply move your current customers from an existing product to a new product. Position the new products so current customers will find value in using it as part of their year-round program. Additionally, leverage the new products to grow your market share and gain new customers that you’ve never had before.

“I always tell dealers, we’re not looking to swap business, we are looking to grow business,” said Justin O’Flaherty, ASM who represents Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas. “When it’s time to grow market share with new products, it is time to think outside of the box.”

O’Flaherty likes to have a list of scenarios ready to go before she sees her dealers-in person so they can collaborate the best way to market the new products. She said being prepared saves time and assists the dealers when it comes to ways to growing market share.

Britney Creamer, ASM who serves Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, said that VitaFerm® ConserveTM will open doors for a lot of growth for producers who have seen the benefits of including Amaferm® in their herds’ diets, but didn’t always think they could afford a high-quality mineral program. She is excited about the potential growth of customers who will now be able to get Amaferm and a complete mineral program at a price point they feel comfortable with.

“Often, producers think, ‘can we feed our family, or can we feed our cows mineral?’ We are now making Amaferm available to a larger crowd of people. I think people will be surprised. There are a lot of producers who have watched the VitaFerm line and what it has done over the years and wanted to be a part of it but didn’t think they could make it work, so I think now we are going to gain a lot of new business,” she said.

Creamer said the great thing about introducing Conserve, while already having a premium product, is that progressive end-users that are proponents of A.I. and E.T. are not very likely to switch products and will continue to use VitaFerm Concept•Aid®.

Get Out of Your Zone

Another way to grow market share is to look for ways to introduce products to customers you might not have originally thought of. For instance, O’Flaherty recently visited a cow-calf operation to discuss the VitaFerm and Vita Charge® lines with the producer. While she was there, she also saw a barn full of opportunities.

“I’m not a horse person. I went and met with an Angus breeder earlier in the week, but he had a barn full of horses. I’d much rather talk about cows, but I saw an opportunity. The more you talk about things you’re uncomfortable with, the more you become familiar. The same thing with HydraBoost. We have so many pigs and chickens in our area. If you become more comfortable with the uncomfortable, you’ll be more comfortable and be able to grow market share by expanding your product offering and getting out of your comfort zone,” O’Flaherty said.

New products are a great way to grow market share.

Effective Action: Communication is Essential to Education

New product launches call for sharing information about those products long before they become available to the dealer to order and sell. BioZyme® has launched three new products in May and June, meaning much of the education needed to be disseminated while a majority of the country was sheltering in place.

Regardless of their lockdown situation, two Area Sales Managers agree that they would typically communicate about new products with their dealers prior to an in-person meeting. Britney Creamer, ASM for Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, said she likes to start with the customers who the new products will specifically impact and starts reaching out to them over the phone or through email, although she does admit she prefers face-to-face meetings. Then, she makes sure to follow up with everyone else.

“Before I talk to them about a new product, I think about how it will fit their customers they service or want to service,” Creamer said. “VISION and company e-blasts are great tools, but they don’t always get to the person that needs that information the most. Some of my dealers like text messages, some prefer email. I try to put three to four bullet points together for them to highlight products that may be coming down the pipes and how they will be useful for their customers. A face-to-face visit is always useful, but as we know the last few months that hasn’t always been feasible.”

In addition to the bulleted list, ASM Justin O’Flaherty has found that the fliers and visuals are useful resources to share with her dealers and she encourages them to share those with their end-users. O’Flaherty, who represents Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas, uses social and digital media, including texting, email and Snapchat, to communicate with her dealers and said they will always have some new product information from her prior to their in-person meetings.

“One thing I do for new products, is if I think it will fit a particular demographic, I will send those dealers an email. I like to give them a heads up, and they will usually respond. I try to keep open communication lines all the time. I try to stay in constant communication. If we are on a call or get new information, I will take a picture and send it to them. I try to stay in front of them, so they know what is coming,” O’Flaherty said.

O’Flaherty said two-way communication is vital to her because she thrives on collaboration.

“I ask for a lot of feedback, especially if we are thinking about something new or different. I will pick their brain because one of my favorite things to do is collaborate. If I have an idea, I will bounce that idea off of a lot of people,” she said.

Creamer encourages all dealers to share information about the new products with their end-users who would find benefit from the products as soon as they have the information they need. Use the bulleted list or graphic flier that your ASM provides, and if you need more information, reach out to your ASM or the Outreach Support Center.

Additionally, all content in the Master Dealer, years one and two, has been updated to reflect the new products and any discontinued product lines. Be sure to take the time to review those Master Dealer segments for more information.

Although most dealers prefer to host in-person producer meetings, O’Flaherty has conducted some Zoom online training meetings with her dealers to educate them on the new product lines. Reach out to your ASM if you are still social distancing and would like to learn more about any product via this technology.

Most importantly, when reaching out to your customers, remember to mention these new products. Creamer advises that if you do have a store, to post “new product” signage next to your new product. You can even list the key benefits on the sign so the buyer or potential customer can see them.

Promoboxx is another free and simplified tool to use to promote your business. The Marketing Team at BioZyme has created “new product” material that you can share on your own social media or take pieces of to share on your social media.

New products are exciting! Learn about them. Share them. And sell them. Reach out to your ASMs if you have questions and remember we are here to help you succeed!

The Benefits of Introducing New Products

Launching new products is an exciting time for a business. Multiply that times three and we have had big excitement at BioZyme® during the last 60-plus days. New products don’t just happen, but when they are finally ready to launch to the dealers and subsequently the end-users, we know that “care that comes full circle” has been implemented, and the benefits will be numerous.

Let’s explore some of the benefits to the customer and the business when a new product or service is introduced.

Company Growth

Introducing new products is vital to a company’s growth. Without new products, you likely won’t grow market share and your business might turn stagnant. New products demonstrate to customers that a business is not satisfied with the status quo and wants to grow. While the company grows, it often times creates a product that has been missing in the marketplace or can provide a solution to a common challenge in a particular industry segment.

Fulfill Customers’ Needs Developing and marketing new products shows that we care about our customers and are continually working to meet their needs.

“VitaFerm® Conserve™ was purposefully crafted with the producer in mind as an economical line of vitamin and mineral supplements for the beef cattle herd that complements our existing products during the times of year when reproduction isn’t the primary focus,” said Jack Oattes, Area Sales Manager, during an online introductory meeting to dealers about the new product.

VitaFerm Conserve is just one example of how a product will meet the needs of a customer base that we haven’t yet reached. It will allow producers who want to give their cow herd the Amaferm® advantage during a time when they don’t need a breeding mineral.

Stay in Tune with Seasonal Demands

May seemed like an ideal time to launch two new HEAT® products as both cattle and sheep producers were planning matings and getting ready to breed females and keep them bred through the summer temperatures. Timing is everything, and customers definitely notice when companies are strategic in these launches.

Build momentum this summer with selling the new VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® HEAT® and DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT® so your customers will be asking about them again next spring and summer.

Build your Reputation

A company that creates new products or improves products is often looked upon by its peers and its customers as creative and innovative. Stand out from the crowd with your new products and be sure to share with your customers how these products will benefit their animals, and ultimately their own bottom line. We want our customers to know we care. We hear their needs and their concerns and when feasible, we create a product that we think will help them help their animals.

Part of your reputation and ours comes from the feedback we receive from satisfied customers. When possible, get testimonials from your customers that are using these new products, especially the seasonal ones and submit them to your ASM or the Marketing Team so we can use those testimonials next year when it is time to start promoting these products again. Remember, often times customers like to hear the success their peers had with a product.

New products equal big excitement! We’ve supplied the products, the resources you need to sell the products, now go share the benefits of these products to your existing and potential customers. The benefits are there for everyone!

Help Youth Succeed Through Remote Learning

Remote learning. It’s the phrase that students, parents and teachers did not expect to add to their vocabulary this spring when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. However, with each new update and each governor’s recommendation, remote learning became a part of daily lives in households across the country. School districts devised lesson plans, some delivered their students’ packets via the bus route or mailed and emailed lessons to students on a weekly basis.

Youth might have missed out on the chance for building relationships with their peers and mentors, state FFA contests and conventions, spring sports, prom and more activities, but for those in agriculture, it provided an opportunity to work more with their livestock projects, help out with calving and lambing and perhaps even help prepare for spring planting. Remote learning and sheltering-in-place has allowed many families to spend more time together, learning and working ahead on junior national contests or county fair projects – both livestock and nonlivestock related.

When schools started closing their buildings this spring, online learning and virtual tours seemed to pop up almost instantly. Farm Bureau organizations, breed associations and other ag companies shared content that ranged from simple coloring sheets and word-searches to online judging contests and virtual ag tours.

What did we do?

We were ready. Before the chaos ensued, the Sure Champ® in the Classroom program existed. This online resource offers a variety of learning ideas for educators and parents.

Sure Champ in the Classroom offers various information about cattle, pigs, goats and lambs. Educational information ranges from selection, feeding and nutrition, caring for and preparing for shows and showmanship. General nutrition information is also available as well as quizzes with answer keys for assistance to learning. Educational videos are online for cattle and pigs that detail showmanship, feeding, animal care and reading pig notches.

In addition to the Sure Champ in the Classroom resources, a regular feature of the Sure Champ digital efforts includes an online judging tool, Mark that Card, complete with judging classes and official placings with cuts and reasons. These have been very popular on the Sure Champ social platforms and are all archived at www.surechamp.com.

Local Resources

What can you as a dealer do to help provide some information and resources to your customers in this time of remote learning? Maybe you had a spring livestock clinic planned; don’t let social distancing spoil your plans. With today’s technology on phones and handheld devices like tablets and iPads, it would be efficient and effective to record something from your local store or barn to post to your website or social media to help educate your young customers.

Talk about animal nutrition and break down the various feed ingredients in a ration and describe what they do. Record your own showmanship or clipping clinic. Perhaps you can offer resources for those youth preparing a speech for their junior national or their county club days. Or, you could offer to listen to that speech over the phone or via FaceTime to give some pointers on content or delivery. Offering your time as a resource is a valuable tool to a young person; they won’t forget time that you give them.

Share with us and your fellow dealers what you are doing to serve as a resource and help your young customers #preptowin during this time of social distancing. Post your ideas and your results on the BioZyme Dealer Facebook page so others can learn from you. We are all in this time of uncertainty together. Let’s work collectively to help our young people.