IGR??

[hntwhitetail]

What is everyones experience?? pros?? cons?? how do you feed??  bagged or block??

It is for preventing flies....

 

[CAB]

Along with this question, I've been told that some producers are mixing some sort of a garlic product in their mineral mixes to keep flies off of their cattle and what are some of your thoughts about the Bio-moss products on the market? I was looking @ a Bio-moss mineral that claims a 5oz per day consumption rate. At that rate each cow's mineral bill per year would be $57.03. Any thoughts as to whether these products justify the cost?

 

[firesweepranch]

We had a IGR rep come to our cattlemen's meeting last month. Studies show it works, and the main reason you may not see a difference for awhile is because you start too late. We were told that, ideally, you need to start it 30 days before the last frost so it is in the cattle's system. It works because it prevents larvae, laid in manure, from maturing to an adult fly. So you will not see results until the old adult population dies off. They did state that if your cattle are on IGR, and your neighbors are not, that you will notice the flies leave your cattle alone but the neighbors cattle will have tons of flies on the bellies of the cattle. I guess once the fly feeds on a particular cow, they stay with that cow until death in most cases, thus the flies do not "jump the fence" so to speak. Of course, this is coming from the rep.
Now, do I use it? Not yet. The only way you can find it around here is in a mineral or tub. I really like my Vitaferm Concept-aide, and do not want to change it out just for the fly control. We have never used tubs. So unless I can find a way to mix it in my mineral, or Vitaferm comes out with it in their mineral product, I am not sure I can use it.
I hope that helped a little!
CAB, I have not heard of the Bio Moss. I know I eat a ton of garlic and almost NEVER get bit by mosquitoes!  :

 

[CAB]

We had a IGR rep come to our cattlemen's meeting last month. Studies show it works, and the main reason you may not see a difference for awhile is because you start too late. We were told that, ideally, you need to start it 30 days before the last frost so it is in the cattle's system. It works because it prevents larvae, laid in manure, from maturing to an adult fly. So you will not see results until the old adult population dies off. They did state that if your cattle are on IGR, and your neighbors are not, that you will notice the flies leave your cattle alone but the neighbors cattle will have tons of flies on the bellies of the cattle. I guess once the fly feeds on a particular cow, they stay with that cow until death in most cases, thus the flies do not "jump the fence" so to speak. Of course, this is coming from the rep.
Now, do I use it? Not yet. The only way you can find it around here is in a mineral or tub. I really like my Vitaferm Concept-aide, and do not want to change it out just for the fly control. We have never used tubs. So unless I can find a way to mix it in my mineral, or Vitaferm comes out with it in their mineral product, I am not sure I can use it.
I hope that helped a little!
CAB, I have not heard of the Bio Moss. I know I eat a ton of garlic and almost NEVER get bit by mosquitoes!  :

My bad on that in a way. I have been hearing about Bio-Mos for the last few years, but this is the first time that I have looked a little further into what it is. Below is a link to Bio-Mos & what it is suppose to help with.


http://www.bio-mos.com/bio-mos/index.htm

 

[hntwhitetail]

Anymore info on IGR??  Anyone using it this year??

 

[firesweepranch]

Well, we have been using it for about 4 weeks now, and notice a HUGE difference on the amount of flies around the cattle just a few days ago. WAY LESS! Our big group is on it, since we have a mineral feeder out with the large population, and our show heifers and bulls are not (no mineral feeder since we mix all their feed), and the show heifers have more flies bugging them than the group that is on IGR.

We ended up switching our mineral out. Vita Ferm does carry it, but it is VERY high! The mineral we are using now is a high mag with IGR, and is about $20 per fifty pound sack. The Vita Ferm was more than double that.

 

[hntwhitetail]

Well, we have been using it for about 4 weeks now, and notice a HUGE difference on the amount of flies around the cattle just a few days ago. WAY LESS! Our big group is on it, since we have a mineral feeder out with the large population, and our show heifers and bulls are not (no mineral feeder since we mix all their feed), and the show heifers have more flies bugging them than the group that is on IGR.

Are you feeding it loose in a mineral feeder?  Trying to find the best way to mix.  We mix up our own mineral to increase conception and have it in a feeder in part of a pole barn where the cows can come in free range.  Just wondering how you are presenting it and mixing it for them. 

 

[firesweepranch]

Well, we have been using it for about 4 weeks now, and notice a HUGE difference on the amount of flies around the cattle just a few days ago. WAY LESS! Our big group is on it, since we have a mineral feeder out with the large population, and our show heifers and bulls are not (no mineral feeder since we mix all their feed), and the show heifers have more flies bugging them than the group that is on IGR.

Are you feeding it loose in a mineral feeder?  Trying to find the best way to mix.  We mix up our own mineral to increase conception and have it in a feeder in part of a pole barn where the cows can come in free range.  Just wondering how you are presenting it and mixing it for them. 

Opps, edited it while you responded. We buy it as a premix mineral. I will have to get the tag in the morning and tell you how much of what, but it works! It is loose in a mineral feeder. I had a hard time going off the mineral (Vita Ferm), but the flies are just horrid out here this year and wanted some relief for my cows. Glad I made the switch...

 

[rf21970]

Works as part of a total fly control program-tags, back rubs, sprays etc. How well it works also depends on your neighbors fly control program...or lack of.

 

[oakview]

My dad sold Moorman's feed for nearly 25 years, retiring in about 1995.  We used Moorman's IGR fly control product for several years when dad handled it.  It seemed to work pretty well back then, I assume it's the same stuff now.  I know I've got his old literature somewhere.  We fed it loose in Moorman's covered mineral feeders.  I don't like loose mineral in uncovered feeders.  We also hung Moorman's dust bags various places arouind the pasture, put up a back rubber with insecticide on it, and periodically sprayed or dusted the cows for flies.  Moorman's had a power duster that plugged into the cigarette lighter of our pickup.  We'd get the cows in a small pen and drive by slowly, applying the dust.  We'd hang dust bags in the creep feeder and the calves would butt them.  You'd have thought we wouldn't have had a fly. 

 

[firesweepranch]

Works as part of a total fly control program-tags, back rubs, sprays etc. How well it works also depends on your neighbors fly control program...or lack of.

I'll have to disagree with you here, however I am sure that it will help in the long run. We have no fly tags, no back rubs, and for the most part do not spray, unless we bring them in to work them. We have noticed a HUGE difference in our fly population on the general group that is on the IGR mineral. I can guarantee you that our neighbors DO NOT use any type of fly control, nor do they even vaccinate. However, our cows are rarely next to each other. We rotate pastures about every 7 days, so they are next to the fence maybe once every few months.
Now, our group that is in the show pasture, has a major issue with flies. We spray them daily, put down the pink fly killer pellets, and try to keep the population down. I am going to start adding the mineral to their grain, now that I see it works!

The mineral is Double O Cow/Calf Mineral + IGR. It has 72.64g/ton of methoprene (insect growth regulator).

 

[oakview]

According to the ADM (purchaser of Moorman's Feeds) website, Moorman's introduced IGR mineral for horn fly control in the early 70's.  The active ingredient was methoprene, same as today.  Moorman's had exclusive marketing rights for many years, however, other companies have begun marketing IGR mineral for fly control in the past few years.  ADM recommends feeding IGR in the spring before horn flies appear through cold weather when fly activity stops.  No resistance has been noted per the website.  In a very brief search, I only noticed the block form, though I seem to remember feeding loose, also.  It could be most people used blocks to limit consumption.  Several methods were listed on the website to encourage or discourage consumption from the recommended rate.  I thought this stuff was long gone.  It's been at least 30 years since I heard of it's use. 

 

[kanshow]

We've used it before and had success in areas where the livestock were fairly isolated from other animals.    There is truth to the neighbor's fly control being a factor if you have adjoining pastures and the cattle congregate nearby.   

 

[firesweepranch]

We've used it before and had success in areas where the livestock were fairly isolated from other animals.    There is truth to the neighbor's fly control being a factor if you have adjoining pastures and the cattle congregate nearby.   

Maybe that is why it working so well with our main population. They are pretty isolated most of the time. The speaker that came to our cattleman's meeting to get us to try their product said it worked even if your neighbor did not use it, because a fly will feed off of just one animal in most cases. So if they are on your neighbors cows, they will stay on your neighbors cows... not sure how true that is since I have never watched a fly buzz around feeding(I am always on the flyswatter end!). He might have been just trying to sell a product! But, it is working in our case. It is nice to see the cows not fighting flies so bad!!!