Dairy farmer details his nutritional strategy

The Anderson brothers spoke to us about their herd and CoseIcure boluses.

“Our is a high-performing herd so the overall health and condition of each cow is very important to us. Our animals need to be in peak condition to fulfil demand and we place great focus on understanding and addressing any issues that could affect the health, fertility and productivity of the cattle,” they explained.

“Last year, our herd seemed to be struggling slightly with retained placentas, as well as experiencing difficulty getting in calf. This was worrying and we became concerned about the overall health of the cows. We undertook a process of investigation and found that there were trace element deficiencies within the herd, including copper, cobalt, selenium and iodine. Our vet explained that these trace elements have many functions that are essential to overall cow health, including for fertility, productivity and immunity.

“As a result, we embarked on the journey to address these deficiencies and decided to try some trace element boluses. However, the herd still encountered issues with retained placentas and fertility.

“We had assumed that all trace element boluses were more or less the same, and were therefore at a loss as to how to proceed. We decided to talk to a neighbouring farmer, to see if they were encountering the same issues, and that’s when we heard about CoseIcure Cattle boluses. Our neighbour had commented that following on from a similar diagnosis of deficiencies on his farm, he had been guided to these boluses and he had seen great results. After using the boluses, his cows were no longer deficient in cobalt, copper, iodine and selenium and he had seen his herd health and fertility improve.

“After this conversation we made further inquiries about the CoseIcure range; seeking more information from our local SQP in the Fane Valley store nearby. The SQP explained to us that the Coseicure boluses are different to other boluses, and are the only soluble glass boluses in the world. This unique soluble glass formulation means that the Coseicure boluses dissolve at a controlled and constant rate; providing the same levels of copper, cobalt, selenium and iodine every day for up to six months. We were informed that the controlled and even rate of dissolution is critical, as peaks and troughs of supplementation can have a negative effect on fertility and health. This was a complete surprise to us, as we’d always assumed that all boluses were quite similar.

“Armed with this new knowledge, we decided to switch to CoseIcure Cattle Boluses last year, and we have not looked back since. During the winter, we have had fantastic results with calving with no more retained placentas. Overall herd health as improved and there have been no fertility issues. Aside from introducing CoseIcure boluses to our routine, we didn’t change any other aspect of our farming methods, and we were surprised and delighted with the results.”

They added: “Using CoseIcure has given us great peace of mind. Where farmers have used diagnostic methods to identify cobalt, copper, selenium and iodine deficiencies, we would recommend that they introduce CoseIcure Cattle boluses into their regime.”

Any form of trace element supplementation should only be given where a need to do so has been established, and on the advice of a veterinarian, nutritionist or animal health advisor.

If you are interested in learning more about the CoseIcure Cattle boluses, contact Northern Ireland Bimeda representative Kevin McAnenly on 07753 772520.