Achieving weight gains ahead of winter is an important goal for Stuart Robbie and the team of Otapawa Station in the Tararua Region. Farming approximately 26,000 stock units, the Poll Hereford stud trialled the rain resistant Turbo® Pour On by New Zealand owned, Alleva Animal Health on their cattle last season and they were more than impressed with the results. “It was very effective at controlling the worm burden and we achieved the weight gains we needed to shift cattle ahead of the winter” Stuart explains. They were recommended the product by Niki Keinzley of Keinzley AgVet Ltd as part of their overall animal health plan and have found it an excellent alternative to their current abamectin and levamisole combination Pour On. “When it comes to animal health, effectiveness is our number one priority and Turbo® performed well. The fact that it’s rain resistant was also a bonus.” They also used the Turbo® Pour On their R2 bulls this year ahead of the annual bull sale and believe it was a contributing factor to the sales success. “It was the best line of Hereford bulls we’ve ever presented and our highest average on record. With slick coats and no sign of parasites you could say the drench had something to do with it.”
Turbo® Pour On is a world-first combination for internal parasite control with the added protection against lice. It’s a product offered in the third stage of the Turbo® 3-stage parasite control programme for growing cattle and uses the DMI-Sorb™ rain resistant technology created by Alleva to meet New Zealand’s unruly weather conditions. Developed specifically for NZ conditions each Turbo® product has been formulated to improve administration convenience and address the critical parasite challenges through the early growth period of an animal’s life. It is over this time that undiagnosed or poorly treated parasite infections can mean both a failure to attain target weight and reduced whole-of-life productivity. The program breaks the early growth period down into 3 treatment stages commencing at weaning, with Turbo® products specifically developed for each stage. Stage one of the programme is an oral combination called Turbo® Initial which is designed specifically for weaned calves. It’s difference is the world-first anthelmintic-coccidiocide combination containing Eprinomectin, Levamisole and Diclazuril. The second stage is also an oral drench Turbo® Advance, which targets cattle in that second stage of growth where coccidiosis immunity has developed and it’s suitable to use on cattle under 120kg. The third stage offers two treatment options including Turbo® Pour On and Turbo® Injection. Stuart believes the Pour On is well worth considering for growing cattle, and in their experience, has helped facilitate a fantastic season in regards to growth rates and overall cattle condition.
