Dealer Uses and Promotes the “Total Package”

Steve Groves is a self-proclaimed Amaferm® guru. His passion for the prebiotic found in the BioZyme products and understanding of the benefits of absorption is why he said it is important to him to make sure it is in his herd’s diet year-round.

Groves owns River Bend Cattle at Garland City, Arkansas. At just 300-feet elevation, in the southwest corner of the state, the cow-calf producer and BioZyme dealer said that Amaferm is one of the main reasons he switched his mineral to the BioZyme products. And he feeds the entire program.

“I can’t stress enough what Amaferm does for a cow. Increasing absorption of what you are feeding them, it is just helping them do a better job,” Groves said.

Groves has shortened his calving window to 60 days since using the VitaFerm® products. He calves in January and February, so his cows start on the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid ® 5/S in December and are on that mineral until late April or early May, when they switch to VitaFerm HEAT® . They consume HEAT until mid-October, and then eat Cattlemen’s Blend until December when they start back on the Concept•Aid 5/S.

Groves said he initially started solely using the Cattlemen’s Blend mineral, and he experienced a slight increase in his conception rates. He decided to try the VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S to see if he could take it up one more notch. He said it did. In addition to his commercial cow herd, Groves puts embryos in about 60 cows each year, and he knows how easy it is for those cows to lose a calf, and if they lose a calf, they are out everything.

“I will do anything I can to hold that embryo. We’ve had great results with the VitaFerm Concept•Aid,” he said.

Weaning Program Just as he’s a believer in the VitaFerm program for his cows, he’s a firm proponent for the 3-step Gain Smart® program when he weans his calves. He gives them all a dose of Vita Charge® Cattle Drench at weaning time, and then starts them on the Vita Charge Stress Tubs and Gain Smart mineral.

“Gain Smart is really economical on my calves. I have had awfully good results. No sickness. Their health is right where it should be. I don’t worry about consumption for the first 30 days. They will usually slow down,” Groves said.

If he feels his calves are over consuming their Gain Smart, he will put salt at the bottom of their feeder, so they have to eat the mineral first, then eat some salt for a few days before he refills the feeder with mineral. He always felt like different types of grass made them crave salt.

Groves will ship his calves in early July when they reach about 800 pounds. Since they are getting fleshy, he switches them to Gain Smart Stocker HEAT® around May 1. He said the cattle continue to eat well and gain well for those last two months, even at heavier weights.

Selling the Program Groves does not run eared cattle, but instead settles for a mix of Red Angus and Simmentals, but he does cull for heat tolerance since the heat and humidity do take a toll on the cattle in his climate. He said he would hate to think about running cattle – both cows and stockers without the HEAT minerals he uses.

With 47 years in the cattle business, he said it just made sense that he started selling the BioZyme products, especially when he could talk about Amaferm. Groves said there are two general audiences. One of less progressive producers who “look over the fence” at what he’s doing and then ask questions. Another group of progressive producers much like he is that once they’ve tried the products, “don’t know how they got by without them for so long.”

“I have people always asking me how I can calve in a 60-day window? To me, it is the most economical thing about raising cows is to keep the calving window short, so I can feed all my cows the same. If I have one dry cow and I have to feed her with the wet cows for four or five months, that costs money and she gets too fat,” he said.

Amaferm’s absorption benefit is the tie that binds all the BioZyme products together to deliver the whole package to Groves and his customers. From breeding to calving and weaning and beyond, he is a believer in products from VitaFerm to Vita Charge and Gain Smart. He knows his cattle are healthier and higher performing because of a program, and he’s glad to share that with those who will listen.

Letters From Lisa – October 2021

Synergistic Programs/Products

The word synergy is derived from the Greek word synergos, which means “working together.”

Most leaders feel they ought to be creating synergy inside their company. However, the pursuit of synergy pervades most companies. Meetings and retreats are held to brainstorm about ways to work together more effectively. Teams are set up to develop key customer plans, coordinate product development and share best practices. Incentives for sharing knowledge, leads and customers are built into complex compensation schemes. Processes and procedures are standardized. What emerges from all this activity????

Many times, not much that matters and certainly not synergy. However, if we take synergy over into the product side of business, it has a better chance of making a difference. Synergy happens in product sales when the collaboration of two or more stock-keeping units (SKUs) creates an outcome that is greater than their combined separate efforts. I like to make this a bit simpler and say that synergy means selling a program not a product.

A program is a set of related activities or items, managed in a coordinated fashion that allows for the delivery of outcomes and benefits allowing one to reach his or her goal.

For the past several years, BioZyme® has worked to educate our team on programs and how they can help people obtain their goals or maximize the benefits to their animal (results). No matter the brand, there is a program that optimizes the connection of daily maintenance with the occasional challenges that pop up their ugly head, no matter how hard we try to keep them at bay. This combo truly supports care that comes full circle where people and animals win!

October 2021 Changes

We have lots of changes happening this month. Be sure to check them out below.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • In November and December, the Vitalize® Horse Treats will be packaged in Christmas packaging for the holiday selling season.
  • On September 1, the Vitalize® Equine Recovery Gel and Vitalize® Dog Recovery Gel were renamed to Vitalize® Equine Gel and Vitalize® Dog Gel. This change was made In order to be in compliance with new state AAFCO and NASC regulations, and in line with BioZyme®’s commitment to producing quality products through a quality process that are represented and registered accurately.

CUSTOMER PICK-UPS

  • EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Customers picking up with a livestock trailer must provide a wash out ticket before we will load product. We will not be able to load the trailer if the wash out ticket is not provided.

LOGISTICS UPDATES

  • At BioZyme, we are continuing to experience logistics challenges for our ingredients and materials, such as our packaging, which are resulting in both shortages and increased costs. We are working tirelessly to overcome these challenges to keep pricing under control and continue to deliver quality products quickly.

January 2022 Changes

FULFILLMENT UPDATES

  • Starting January 1, 2022, BioZyme® will require a minimum order of 2.5 tons. This change is being implemented due to the ongoing challenges we are experiencing with reliability and availability of LTL shipping. Distribution partners are available for smaller orders with coverage in over 30 states. If you need help working through these partners, please contact your Area Sales Manager or the Outreach Support Center.

Are Your Customers Ready for Weaning?

Now is the time to have the conversation about how to WEAN STRONG with a combination of Vita Charge® & Gain Smart®.

STEP 1

Receive with Vita Charge® Cattle Drench
Once within 48 hours

  • Jumpstart feed and water intake
  • Stimulate cattle’s immune system
  • Allow maximum effectiveness of vaccinations

STEP 2

Start with the Vita Charge® Stress Tub
First 7-14 days

  • 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
  • Option available with HEAT® to help combat heat stress at 70 degrees and above

STEP 3

Grow with Gain Smart® Stocker HEAT®
Minimum of 45 days, 100 days is recommended

  • Promote calf health and vigor
  • HEAT to help combat heat stress at 70 degrees and above
  • Stimulate digestion and increase nutrient uptake for optimum gain
  • Support hoof health and immunity
  • Accurately supplement those minerals lacking in the pasture and rectify mineral imbalances

*Other available minerals are Gain Smart Stocker, Gain Smart Wheat, Gain Smart Balancer RU1600

Selling Tools

The new Gain Smart Money Saving Minute Series and other great videos featuring Gain Smart and Vita Charge are available on the media page of our Gain Smart site.

Check them out now:

Share with your Customers

There are some great educational pieces and resources to help you sell Gain Smart available on the website at www.gainsmart.com. Be sure to check them out, including:

Dealer Spotlight: Lamoure Feed & Seed

It’s not always what you know, but who you know. That held true for some North Dakota teens with a show heifer that went off feed at their county fair, but they knew the late Dorothy Orts, BioZyme® Area Sales Manager extraordinaire. Dorothy introduced a young Trevor Wendel to a product called Amaferm®, and his heifer started eating, and that is a lesson he never forgot. Years later when he returned to his family’s feed store, LaMoure Feed & Seed, he knew that Amaferm and the BioZyme products needed to be part of their offering.

“Amaferm is the one thing that sets us apart from all of the other mineral companies out there. It’s a magical powder that once our customers try, they don’t want to go without,” said Wendel, feed manager at the store, which is owned by his brothers.

Wendel relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing for the success of the business. He looks to larger scale, successful cattle producers who take pride in their operations to try the products with the Amaferm advantage. Those producers are happy with the results and in turn share the information with friends and neighbors, who then also want to try the products as well.

The Gain Smart® mineral is by far his most popular product, although he said it isn’t always used on strictly stockers. He said many of the cow-calf operators will mix Gain Smart Balancer in to their TMRs to give their cows the vitamins, minerals and Amaferm they need through the winter months.

Another popular product is the VitaFerm Concept•Aid® 5/S. He makes a custom blend with that and rumensin for producers to use during calving season and prior to breeding.

LaMoure Feed & Seed hosts a producer meeting each fall prior to weaning time to show appreciation to its customers and educate customers on anything new. Otherwise, they take a no-frills approach to conducting business and rely on the quality of products to sell themselves. He advises newer dealers to lean on their ASMs as a resource and always find those good customers.

“Customers that have good cattle are proud of their cattle and will spread the word about the products they use. They will also pay the bills, and that is important,” he said.

Thankfully Dorothy ran across that struggling 4-H member all those years ago with her magical Amaferm! That young 4-H member remembered Amaferm and has evolved into a long-time, multi-year VIP BioZyme dealer. That is care that comes full circle!

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

Hay Testing is a Service Your Customers Need

The adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is also true for the nutrient quality of hay. Just because a particular cutting of hay looks superior to another doesn’t mean it has the nutrients that a cow herd needs to thrive. That’s why it’s important to BioZyme ® Inc. to provide forage testing to its customers – to make sure proper nutrients are getting to the cattle when they are most needed.

“Forage testing is an extremely important service we offer as part of the BioZyme services so we can align nutritional programs to our customers’ specific needs,” said Jack Oattes, BioZyme’s Regional Business Manager in Canada, on a recent Facebook Dealer Training.

Forage testing is a management practice that helps you plan ahead to make the best nutritional decisions for your herd. Testing in the early fall will help your customers know which forages to feed during which stages of production and the proper amounts of protein and energy they need to supplement.

Before collecting forage samples, be sure each lot of hay is identified by field and cutting number so the producer will know which sample came from which lot. For example, nutrient needs peak at lactation as the cow is trying to maintain her own condition, raise a calf and prepare for breed-back, so producers will want to make sure their highest quality hay is kept from that lot for that period of the production cycle.

Once you collect the samples, work with your Area Sales Manager to get them sent in and analyzed. The results are typically generated within a week, indicating any deficiencies in energy or protein. In addition to knowing the nutrient content of your forages, it is also important to know the amount of each lot of hay the customer has and the number of cows to feed when working with the BioZyme Nutrition Team to plan the next steps.

“If we don’t know the analysis, it’s hard to know what to do,” said Dan Shike, Associate Professor of Animal Science, University of Illinois, during the dealer training.

In addition to forages, Shike said producers might consider other feed alternatives like crop residues, bakery or grocery store wastes. Regardless of the feedstuffs, the nutritional value needs to be known so proper supplementation can take place. Shike also reminds that feeding must consider the cost per unit of energy or cost per unit of protein, and those calculations need to factor in more than just the feed and supplements.

“Not one size fits all. We need to think about equipment and labor,” he said.

After the tests are analyzed and interpreted and the protein and energy needs are determined, there are five ways to supplement proteins using the Amaferm ® advantage.

Feed mineral with Amaferm. Get the most out of what your cows are consuming by increasing intake and digestibility. This is the least expensive option as the added cost of Amaferm is less than 5 cents per cow, per day.

Feed VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal. This is a granular, free-choice mineral. In addition to the mineral, supplemental protein is provided. Feed VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Tub. The tub provides the same nutrition as the protein meal but adds the convenience of the tub form.

Feed VitaFerm 30-13% Protein Tub. This VitaFerm product offers the highest level of protein, but vitamin and mineral levels for maintenance during times of year when nutrient requirements are not as high.

Feed VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Tub. This economical vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle that supports the health and condition of the whole herd with 20% protein.

Letters From Lisa – September 2021

The food an average American family wastes translates into about $2,500 per year. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), beef is one of the least wasted foods, with only 20% spoiled or not eaten. If beef waste were cut in half, the sustainability of the whole industry could be improved by 10%.

Not only is beef delicious and nutritious, but the beef industry continues to implement numerous proven sustainability practices throughout each step of the “pasture-to-plate” process. Though the path to sustainability is never complete, it is a continuous journey.

To the beef community, sustainability comprises much more than environmental considerations. Today, a sustainable food supply balances efficient production with environmental, social and economic impacts.

BioZyme’s Gain Smart ® line was developed for stockers to help them enhance what they do best; turn grass into the beef we all love to eat. Throughout the beef cycle, each sector makes efforts to improve sustainability. Stockers are no exception. So please help us by helping them and remember to include Gain Smart in your conversations with those raising sustainable beef.

A sustainable beef herd is like a sustainable company – one whose purpose and actions are equally grounded in financial, environmental and social concerns. I am not very experienced in beef sustainability but in a company, I feel like I can offer a few ideas. Below you will find five ways to help you shape a more sustainable future for your company.

  1. Do not stand still, embrace change When you change and act fast, you can be the biggest, boldest and brightest unicorn, but if you remain still and don’t change and adapt to a situation quickly, you are closer to extinction than sustainability.

For instance, in the 80s, IBM got close to extinction. In fact, they were featured on the Forbes and Fortune magazine covers along with dinosaurs. So, the idea is there’s no standing still, or you will petrify just like the dinosaur. One may have a great idea that works, but it doesn’t matter how big the idea is, if you can’t find ways to take it to the market quickly you aren’t driving sustainability.

  1. Focus on creating the customer’s value proposition, not yours Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day the business purpose is to drive value for the customer. Focus on creating high value, high capabilities that are useful for your customer base. This doesn’t mean that you need to be an expert at everything; it’s about creating value on the top end with existing resources.
  1. Remember growth and comfort don’t co-exist We are no longer in the 50s, 60s, and 70s era. For example, if you are a banker, your new competitors are completely different. If you are in retail, now everybody is a retailer. Similarly, if you have been in the mobile business, then you can see that it’s no longer an industry; it’s a platform, it’s a capability. This is uncomfortable. But growth comes from businesses that focus on delivering value in innovative ways for their customers, even when it is uncomfortable.
  1. Focus on excelling in an area It’s no longer about one company delivering value to every client at every place; it’s about being a part of an ecosystem. If you are not part of the ecosystem, then you are limiting yourself. You might have a successful start, but eventually it starts becoming difficult. Further in the bigger ecosystem, you are going to become a part of many ecosystems. In some, you might be a significant player and in others, you might be a small player. But in the end, it’s all about the contributions you are making in each of those ecosystems. So don’t try to be a big player in every ecosystem, rather look at how things work to drive incremental value in your ecosystem.
  2. Focus on constant reinvention When you are part of a company, then it’s all about constantly reinventing what you do, it’s about reimaging how you do it and at the same time retaining your above core belief system because you want your employees, your clients, and your partners to work with you and for you.

Sustainability – believe you can make a difference and keep pushing.

September 2021 Changes

We have lots of changes happening this month. Be sure to check them out below.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • On September 1, the Vitalize® Equine Recovery Gel and Vitalize® Dog Recovery Gel will be renamed to Vitalize® Equine Gel and Vitalize® Dog Gel. This change is being made In order to be in compliance with new state AAFCO and NASC regulations, and in line with BioZyme®’s commitment to producing quality products through a quality process that are represented and registered accurately.
  • Temporary Tub Packaging Update: Over the course of the next 4-6 weeks, Consumers will potentially be updating their top plastic slips on all tubs from clear plastic to white plastic due to supply issues. No other changes are being made to the tub products. This change will be temporary lasting between 4-6 weeks.
  • We have increased the mold inhibitor in our pelleted Sure Champ® products. This will help our products stay fresh smelling and mold-free while maintaining the quality of nutrients in the product.

CUSTOMER PICK-UPS

  • EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Customers picking up with a livestock trailer must provide a wash out ticket before we will load product. We will not be able to load the trailer if the wash out ticket is not provided.

SHIPPING UPDATES

  • EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Due to consistent service delays, high damage rates and a change to their freight claim reimbursement policy, BioZyme, Inc. is no longer shipping products with Holland Transfer Company. Customers and Area Sales Managers [ASM] can still choose to use Holland Transfer Company for shipping LTL orders. However, both the Customer and the ASM must sign a Release of Liability for each order for which Holland Transfer Company will be used.

PRICING UPDATES

  • At BioZyme, we are experiencing price hikes due to shortages in both ingredients and materials like packaging. As we always do, we are trying to do everything we can to keep pricing under control.