Using Hormone Growth Promotants to Increase Beef Production
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Using hormone growth promotants to increase beef production Contact: Meat & Livestock Australia Ph: 1800 023 100 This publication is based on the following MLA reports: B.NBP.0397 Hormonal Growth Promotant (HGP) Use in the Australian beef industry by R.A. Hunter (2009) B.NBP.0506 Economic evaluation of hormonal growth promotants (HGPs) by B. L. Davies (2008) A.MFS.0118 HGP Literature Review by Evan Sergeant (2007) Editor: Ian Partridge Published by: Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN: 39 081 678 364 November 2010 © Meat & Livestock Australia Limited, 2010 ISBN: 1 74036 785 5 To be replaced This publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). Care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in the publication; however, MLA and the contributors to this publication cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained in the publication. Readers should rely on their own enquiries in making decisions concerning their interests. The inclusion of trade or company names in this publication does not imply endorsement of any product or company by MLA or any contributor to this publication. MLA and the contributors to this publication are not liable to you or any third party for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from any use or misuse of the information contained in this publication. Meat & Livestock Australia acknowledges the matching funds provided by the Australian Government to support the research and development detailed in this report. Using HGPs to increase beef production i This publication has arisen from requests from the Regional Beef Research Committees for clear and unbiased information on best practice use of HGPs. Acknowledgments The editor thanks Andrew and Renee Richardson, Bill Knowles, Brad Snow, Lauchie and Carlie Ward, Cam and Lisa Hughes, Ian and Kate McCamley, and Ben Maher for providing the information and photographs used in the case studies. He also acknowledges the assistance of Elanco in providing some illustrations and procedures used in this publication and Rachel Djamaludin for the line drawings of implanting technique. ii Using HGPs to increase beef production Introduction iii Key messages for the use of HGPs iv 1. Why use HGPs? 1 2. The hormones 3 3. The implants 4 4. Effects of HGPs on cattle 6 5. Implant strategies 12 6. Purchasing and implanting HGPs 18 7. Effects on human health 22 8. Economics of using HGPs 24 9. Case studies From backgrounding to feedlot on HGPs 27 HGPs for grassfed beef 29 HGPs for all fattening stock 30 HGPs in the farm feedlot 31 Backgrounding on buffel with HGPs 32 Eating quality premiums versus HGP weight gain 33 HGPs in the large-scale feedlot 34 Contents Appendix 1. HGPs registered for use in Australia 36 Using HGPs to increase beef production iii Key messages for the use of HGPs Some general principles can be applied to the use of hormone growth promotant (HGP) implants and to the design of programs using them. • Daily weight gain can be increased by 10–30%, feed conversion efficiency by 5–15% and carcase leanness by 5–8%. This can represent an economic benefit of $30–80 per head over untreated animals. • Cattle need good feed to maximise the benefits from HGPs. • Cattle maintaining or losing weight will not respond but will not lose extra weight because of the HGP. • Once an HGP implant program has started, it should be continued through until slaughter if growth response is to be maintained. • Long payout HGPs are most suitable when cattle cannot be easily yarded for re-implantation. • Growth can be promoted continuously through repeated implants with oestrogenic hormones or by alternately implanting an oestrogen and a combination implant of oestrogen plus androgen. • Repeated implanting with an androgenic HGP will reduce carcase fatness and marbling, and may result in downgrading of carcases at slaughter. • Implanting with an oestrogen, even repeatedly, does not affect carcase composition at full maturity, but cattle at commercial slaughter weight will be leaner. • Repeated implantation, especially with a combination implant, will result in a reduction in eating quality. • HGP-treated cattle are eligible for MSA grading but will be penalised to reflect the reduction in meat eating quality. • The European Union market will not take HGP-treated animals. • Meat from animals implanted with HGPs is safe for human consumption. iv Using HGPs to increase beef production 1. Why use HGPs? Why use HGPs? Hormone growth promotants (HGPs), by faster under these seasonal patterns of definition, promote growth. Cattle implanted pasture growth. The choice of HGP program with a HGP grow faster than non-implanted will be determined by how long there is likely animals when provided with good feed. to be good quality feed, which breeds of cattle Actual improvements in weight gain and feed are being fattened, the market for which they conversion will depend on many factors, but are being prepared and how often the cattle average daily weight gain can be improved are normally mustered. by 10–30%, feed conversion efficiency by 5–15% and carcase leanness by 5–8%. This can represent an economic advantage of $35–80 per head over untreated animals. Grassfed cattle Grassfed cattle reliably gain about an extra 0.1kg/day while they are on good feed but the response is less during the dry season. This faster growth is especially important in northern Australia where pasture quality declines with the onset of the dry season. Faster growth and earlier turnoff on pasture The additional liveweight gain from using In southern Australia, fewer cattle have been HGPs may mean the difference between implanted with HGPs since the European steers meeting the specifications for a higher Union (EU) banned the use of HGPs in beef value market or being consigned to lower it sources from overseas suppliers. Many value products such as grinding beef. This producers have preferred to keep their is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1.1 market options open by not using HGPs. which shows annual growth rates and their This facilitates access to Australia’s existing effect on animals being suitable for various 7,150 tonne EU high-quality beef quota, markets. as well as to the new (2010) 20,000 tonne Extended or whole-of-life implant programs grainfed beef quota established by the EU have been developed to keep cattle growing 800 Japanese 700 600 EU ) g Stores/feeder k 500 ( t h Korean USA manufacturing g i 400 /prime e Domestic w e SE Asia, N. Africa & v i 300 Middle East live export Annual LWG L 220 200 180 150 100 135 100 0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 Age (months) Figure 1.1. Seasonal growth curves for various annual liveweight gains (100, 135, 150, 180 and 220 kg/year) for grazing cattle in northern Australia in relation to live export and meat market specifications. Using HGPs to increase beef production 1 1. Why use HGPs? and available to eligible supplying countries— Benefits of using HGPs including Australia. Also, in many southern • Faster growth with good feed regions, their temperate pastures are of better quality and seasonal rainfall is less variable; • More efficient feed conversion thus, many cattle can meet the age and • Cattle reach target weight earlier weight specifications for premium markets • Cattle are heavier at the same age without using HGPs. Indeed, the Tasmanian • Access to higher-value markets Government has legislated that HGPs not • Northern cattle can be sold earlier in be used in the Tasmanian beef industry— autumn so fewer store cattle are held over presumably to create a niche market for the dry season Tasmanian beef. • Good return on cost of HGP Feedlot cattle • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions per In the feedlot industry, HGPs improve the kg beef produced. efficiency of feed conversion resulting directly in lower feed costs per unit of liveweight gain. However, Implanting a 400kg steer being fattened for • Implanting is an extra procedure 200 days will save about 100kg of feed as fed. • Cost of implant The benefits from implanting steers in the • Increased feed intake per head due to feedlot range from about $25 per steer in the heavier weights shortfed domestic market to $65 per steer • Cost and logistics of mustering for any in the longfed market. These markets would repeat implants need to offer the feedlot premiums of between • Reduced market options 5 and 13¢/kg live weight for non-implanted steers to break even with HGP-treatment. • Less suitable for some breeds These sorts of returns from implanting HGPs • Changes in carcase composition at same have led to about 70 per cent of feedlot cattle weight and 30 per cent of grassfed cattle now being • Reduced marbling, especially with implanted. androgenic implants The beef industry • Meat less tender and downgraded under The 6.5 million doses implanted in 2006/07 MSA were estimated to have contributed a total of • Some feedlots do not take implanted $210 million to the Australian beef industry. Of animals this, $130 million came from earlier turn-off of • Some bull-like behaviour grassfed animals while $80 million additional • Some prepuce prolapse value to the feedlot sector was associated • Some consumer preferences against mainly with lower feed costs per unit of added hormones in meat. liveweight gain. In 2007/08, the Australian national herd was 28 million head of cattle; of these, 8 million head were slaughtered to produce 2.15 million tonnes of carcase beef. If growth rate and carcase weight of implanted cattle are increased by an average of 15 per cent, use of HGPs could be responsible for 100,000 tonnes of the national beef production (4–5 per cent).