How the Amaferm® Advantage Pays with Program Cattle

Are your customers feeding calves to sell at the local auction market one pound at a time? Or are they feeding cattle in a program to capture the most value? If you are not sure, consider having a discussion to better understand how they market cattle, and educate them on the value of getting Amaferm® into their diets so they can be part of a program that pays.

“Branded programs increase a producers bottom line and help develop the reputation of a quality producer who is working at producing a superior product,” said John Tucker, BioZyme’s Large Beef Account Specialist. “When I think of quality producers, I think of those who feed VitaFerm or Amaferm. I can count on one hand the number of commodity producers, those who just feed a hodge podge of cattle, who feed Amaferm.”

In recent years, producers started receiving premiums by selling Gain Smart® Raised or VitaFerm® Raised program cattle through Superior Livestock. These were the first two nutrition value-added programs that Superior recognized in its suite of value-added programs. Calves must be on a Gain Smart mineral 45 days prior to sale through delivery or raised on a VitaFerm-fed cow or be eating a VitaFerm mineral for the same time period. Buyers recognize that the Amaferm advantage creates healthier calves that will go onto feed faster, and often those calves will meet the criteria for other programs like NHTC and all-natural as well.

Another program where the popularity of Gain Smart is being realized is the Prime Pursuits program. This program was started by 44 Farms, a leading Angus operation based in Texas to supply high-quality Angus-based, all-natural cattle to Wal-Mart. According to Tucker, the calves that Prime Pursuits runs on grass are getting the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT® mineral. These cattle are typically higher performing and stay healthier, meaning they can fit the all-natural requirement for other health-based programs.

“In a program like NHTC, Amaferm provides the ionophores to capture what an implant would do for the cattle,” Tucker said.

He adds that the end results of these cattle that have been harvested through the Prime Pursuits program and marketed as McClaren Farms Beef in Wal-Mart stores in the southeast have offered consumers a high-quality, consistent product every time they go to Wal-Mart, something that has been especially important during the pandemic, as more people are shopping and preparing meals at home. Therefore, the entire beef industry is becoming challenged to become better as more competition is created.

Here’s your challenge: ask your customer if they are ready to sell their cattle on a program. There are many out there, and it is beneficial to find programs that are synergistic that a producer can receive multiple premiums on a load of calves. Programs pay. Programs that include the Amaferm advantage pay. Don’t forget to sell the Amaferm advantage through the Gain Smart program to your customers!

Marketing Gain Smart® as a Program

Weaning is the most stress calves will face up to that current time in their life. Up until then, they have lived a fairly peaceful, carefree life. They’ve had their mama’s milk, some grass and perhaps even some creep feed or a Vita Charge® Stress Tub to lick on. But now, everything is about to change, and it is up to your customers to continue to give them the best life they can with the 1-2-3 approach of the Gain Smart® program.

Here’s a refresher on why it is so important to market all three steps of the program, especially if a customer is trying to keep cattle healthy and on an all-natural program.

Step 1: Vita Charge Cattle Drench within the first 48 hours of weaning or receiving if shipping cattle to:

  • Jump start feed and energy intake
  • Stimulate the cattle’s immune system
  • Allows maximum effectiveness of weaning time vaccinations

“When we wean, and we go right to Vita Charge Drench, I’ll go 45 days without any issues, usually. Those calves seem to come out of the drench, hit the stress tubs, and go straight to the bunk. I’ve had no issues the last three years that we’ve used the products.” – Kevin Evans, Thaler Land & Livestock, Wyoming

Step 2: Vita Charge Stress Tubs for the first week to three weeks to:

  • Promote feed and water intake
  • MOS to help trap bad bacteria, limiting their ability to do harm
  • Increase digestibility to maximize the energy value of feed for more gains
  • Prebiotic and probiotic approach provides synergy for a 1 + 1 = 3 effect on cattle health and performance.

“It is a big part to have a healthy calf and not have pulls since we are selling our calves on an all-natural program. We’ve had really good success putting Vita Charge® Stress Tubs in front of the calves immediately at weaning. An ounce or two of stress tubs versus an ounce or two of medication is pretty reasonable if you were able to compare it by ounce.” – Tim Ree, Montana

Step 3: Gain Smart Mineral for 45 to 100 days:

  • Promote calf vigor and health
  • Stimulate digestion and increases nutrient uptake for optimum gain
  • Support hoof health and immunity
  • Accurately supplement minerals lacking in pastures and rectify mineral imbalances.

“I believe in minerals. I believe the most problems you have with cattle is with mineral deficiency. I saw the VitaFerm® Gain Smart® Program on The American Rancher one night, and I thought I could use that. Since I started feeding Gain Smart, I’ve had less than 1% death loss. I have virtually no foot rot or pinkeye problems at all. I love the VitaFerm Gain Smart Stocker HEAT® that has the garlic in it. It has good fly control; Stocker HEAT does help with the fescue because we have a lot of fescue down here. The cattle are healthy, look good, and I think they are getting a premium.” – Tom Carter, Virginia

Effective Action: No Reason for Summer Slump

Alan Jackson might have claimed “there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues,” but that is probably because the VitaFerm® HEAT® mineral didn’t yet exist when he sang that number one hit back in 1994. With ingredients like Capsaicin, Amaferm® and garlic, the HEAT package found in many BioZyme products is the perfect solution to your company’s and your customers’ summertime blues.

The full line of HEAT products will help your customers’ animals thrive during the summer temperatures and while grazing on fescue. With the Amaferm advantage and Capsaicin, both research-proven to lower body temperature, which can improve conception rates by maintaining pregnancy, HEAT is an ideal supplement for both cows and ewes during the summer months. The included garlic helps deter insects. In addition, the HEAT package is available in Gain Smart® Stocker HEAT. It is also readily accessible for show livestock of all species during the summer months in products like Sure Champ® Extreme, Vita Charge® Climate Control Gel and the Vita Charge® Stress Tub with HEAT.

Often times, the results that others see with their BioZyme® products will help sell them to others. Like this testimonial from Steve Olson in New York:

“I’ve seen some great results since starting to use the BioZyme® products. The product I really like is the VitaFerm HEAT mineral. When Jack [Oattes] told me about the product with chili powder and garlic in it, I’m half-Italian, so I knew it would help repel insects. The HEAT definitely helps with fly control. I can go out and see my cows in the pasture and tell which ones are eating it based on the lack of flies on them compared to the cows that haven’t eaten it that are bunched up and have flies landing on them.”

Or this one from Carter Ward in Missouri:

“Prior to using Sure Champ® EXTREME, we exclusively used Climate Control Paste (transitioned to Vita Charge® Climate Control Gel July 2019) on our cattle to keep them cool through the summer. While at Hereford Junior Nationals, I got a bucket of Extreme to try out. I put our Angus cattle on it just prior to the Junior Nationals a week later and saw a HUGE difference before even leaving for the show. Despite the heat, our cattle were eating more, consuming more water and even their hair coat really came on in the last few days. We were huge advocates for Climate Control Paste and now even fans of Extreme. It’s a new staple in our feeding program.”

However, if you are looking for other ways to help promote the HEAT package to your customers, the Marketing Team is always prepared to help you. One very effective way to promote products seasonally is through the mailers that BioZyme sends each quarter. In Q2, the mailer will have a HEAT message to remind your customers to prepare for summer stressors and contact you for your mineral needs.

The quarterly mailer program is available to all dealers. You can simply opt-in by contacting Ashley Fitzsimmons, Regional Marketing Coordinator, and providing her with your most current customer mailing list. The deadline for the Q2 HEAT postcard is 5 p.m., CST on Friday, May 7. Fitzsimmons reminds dealers that there is no limit to the number of times you update your mailing list, and there is no limit to the number of quarters a dealer participates in the mailer program.

Other ways that you can promote HEAT products to your current and potential customers is with Promoboxx. The Marketing Team will have a plethora of campaign material on Promoboxx that you can add to your own social platforms, saving you the time of creating content. Of course, if you are looking for a unique advertisement, billboard or mailer, the Marketing Team has the creative talents to help you. Contact your ASM for more details.

With a little bit of marketing effort and some word-of-mouth success stories, the HEAT line up of products can help take away your summertime blues and get you over that summer slump!

Position Concept•Aid as a Mineral Program Not Just a Product

When it comes to nutrition, you don’t want your customers to cut any corners. Sure, everyone is trying to cut costs and reduce their inputs, but a quality nutrition program is an investment in health, and healthy animals lead to increased conception rates, more pounds of gain and more dollars at sale time.

Maximizing nutrition within the herd will maximize your customers’ bottom line. That is why it is important for you to market VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® as a program, not just a breeding time mineral.

You already know the benefits that Concept•Aid offers in addition to Amaferm®, which impacts intakes, feed digestibility and nutrient absorption for optimum health and performance:

  • 2.5X NRC for quicker impact
  • High levels of Vitamin E for reproductive tract repair
  • Organic trace minerals for more stability and higher bioavailability.

With nutritional advantages like those and a variety of formulas to meet a multitude of management styles and feed resources, it only makes sense to encourage VitaFerm Concept•Aid be part of a year-round mineral program.

Enter VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT® and VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT® with ClariFly®. Now, cattle producers can get the same high-quality mineral package they have come to know and expect during breeding season during the heat of the summer. There is no more trying to “guess” when they should switch from Concept•Aid to HEAT, especially for those breeding for spring calving herds.

“I was so excited when they came out with VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S HEAT® because for us in the upper Midwest, you wanted to feed Concept•Aid and get your cows bred back up, so you couldn’t feed the HEAT mineral. It was like tugging strings, which one was going to be better for you? So, by being able to have the two in one, it really helped us out up here because we breed our cows in the heat in the summer. It is a very beneficial product. Concept•Aid 5/S is our staple mineral. I was pretty excited about the 5/S with the HEAT. We spent most of the summer months on the 5/S HEAT. You’re still going to have some flies, but it does reduce them drastically. It helps keep the cows spread out more and grazing more,” said Justin Maus, Maus Angus Ranch, North Dakota.

As Maus said, the primary advantages of the VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT and the new product with ClariFly is that producers will be confident that they are getting the best vitamins and minerals for their herds as a critical production time and still benefitting from the HEAT package. The new VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT with ClariFly should keep even more flies away from the cattle, with a four-fly claim, and keep those cattle more comfortable than ever before.

Take your marketing mindset from a product to a program. With the variety of Concept•Aid formulas including those with HEAT, your producers will be glad that they don’t have to make choices anymore when it comes to a summer grazing mineral. Sell them the mineral that helps get their cows bred, keeps them bred and keeps them cool while out in the summer heat. Then, watch your business grow.

Break Into the Market with a Conservative Price Point

The cattle market isn’t painting a pretty picture right now. Markets, environmental challenges and a pandemic are making producers reevaluate their spending. Producers are pinching pennies, but the one area we don’t want them to sacrifice is the health of their herd. That’s why BioZyme® created the VitaFerm® Conserve™ line of mineral products.

VitaFerm Conserve was created as an economical vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle that supports the health and condition of the whole herd. This supplement is the ideal way for your customers’ cattle to receive the nutrients they need along with the Amaferm® advantage.

“I encourage my dealers to position the VitaFerm Conserve as a price-point mineral or a way to get their foot in the door with a new customer,” said Brett Tostenson, Area Sales Manager for South Dakota and Eastern North Dakota. “In my area, producers want to know their per head per day cost, and with roughly 11 cents per cow per day to feed Conserve with Amaferm in it, it is easy to market that.”

Tostenson said he’s been marketing and seeing his dealers sell quite a bit of the VitaFerm Conserve Garlic. He encourages that formula, especially for new customers because they see results fast.

“People want a quick reaction. Within a week to 10 days, the producers can see the garlic is helping control flies in their herd all while getting some baseline nutrients,” he said.

With a price point comparable to other nutrition programs, he is encouraged by the reaction he and his dealers have seen since the product’s launch. He sees the potential for selling even more once temperatures cool and end-users stop using the VitaFerm HEAT® mineral and before they move into their premium mineral option ofVitaFerm Concept•Aid®.

“For about 120 days or so, between HEAT season and late spring calving, ranchers will be able to feed the Conserve mineral. They can cut their supplement costs while still having their cows on a good plane of nutrition,” Tostenson said.

He also said he’s seen some new, younger customers order multiple pallets of Conserve because they realize the value of a good nutrition program but have to watch their expenses. He hopes these customers will see the value of Amaferm in the mineral, and when calving time comes, ask their dealer about a premium product.

Finally, Tostenson suggests that dealers use their own knowledge of their existing customer base to determine the right customers to position VitaFerm Conserve to. He said most seedstock producers are hooked on the Concept•Aid and HEAT program, so marketing the Conserve line to commercial producers and new customers is often a good step. Building on current relationships and knowing your customers’ needs is key because at the end of the day, “people want to buy from people,” he said.

Saving money during uncertain times is often the key to survival. Position the VitaFerm Conserve as a way for your customers to conserve spending without sacrificing health and performance in their herd. Help your customers save some money and watch your business grow.

3 Steps to Effectively Market Conserve

BioZyme® rolled out several new products this spring in an effort to help you help your customers. VitaFerm® Conserve™ was developed as a way to keep your customers’ cattle healthy and performing at a competitive price point. We’ve launched the product. You’ve got the customers who are looking to save money, so it’s time to spread the word on this great new product.

Ashley Fitzsimmons, BioZyme Regional Marketing Coordinator, offers some timely advice to dealers.

1. Get the word out to all your customers.

If your customers aren’t aware of a new product, they are not going to buy it. And with the cost savings that VitaFerm Conserve offers during these economic times, they need to know specifically about this product. Do you advertise on your local radio station or with the local newspaper? Do you have a social media platform you use to connect to your customers?

“Let our marketing team help you with the resources we currently have available: sell sheets and literature, both digital and printed; or let us help you come up with a custom mailer, print ad, radio spot or social post. However, your audience likes to be communicated with, get in that space about the benefits of this product,” Fitzsimmons said.

2. Put together a target list and go after those individuals.

Everyone has customers that understand and know they want the Amaferm® advantage. But maybe they just haven’t made that buying decision yet, or price is currently keeping them out of that space. This is the mineral option for them; they just need you to tell them about it. Make that target list and give them a call or go visit them with your ASM. Make those sales calls and use Conserve to get in the door to their business!

3. Just stock it.

That might sound pretty basic, but you can’t sell what you don’t have. Fitzsimmons suggests that with this product packing the added punch of that recognizable and reputable VitaFerm logo on the side and then also being an economical option, it’s going to sell if it’s on your floor.

“Set it right next to your other VitaFerm products and this mineral will do half the marketing and selling for you.”

Communicate. Use your BioZyme Marketing Team and ASM. Keep the VitaFerm Conserve in stock. Follow these three simple steps to help you help your customers and their herds stay healthy.

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.