Elanco Grow Stay Dry Products

Firstly, if you haven’t caught up in the news – Bayer Animal Health has sold to Elanco Animal Health. Existing Bayer products will be brought over to Elanco (except for Bayer’s Drontal, Profender and Droncit pet worming brands, and Bayer’s Avenge+Fly sheep lice as required by the ACCC).

So, StayDry products. What are they, where did they come from?

StayDry products are a range of specially made nutritional loose lick supplements for sheep and cattle from a partnership between DSM and Bayer Animal Health. They’re unique because they feed animals the right amount of nutrients when they need them most, which maximise nutrient absorption and increase optimal physiological function. Or, in simpler words, the animal gets exactly what it needs when it needs it so that it can maximise health and growth. Plus, all StayDry products have a set feeding rate, making it easy to calculate what you need.

Why do they work?

As mentioned, StayDry products provide your flock with the nutrients they need. They’re designed to fix deficiencies and imbalances of macro minerals, trace minerals, as well as key vitamins and carotenoids when an animal needs them most.

In our areas there are three StayDry products which will work well in our systems; StayDry Beta Breed (to improve fertility), StayDry Pre Drop (to improve lambing) and StayDry Hy-VitMin (to improve health on deficient pastures).

A key feature of these products is that you only have to feed out a certain amount per head for a precise amount of time. This means you will know the entire program costs from the start. Also, the products do not need to be fed in enclosed feeders, as the “StayDry” part of the product means that it can handle rain without being ruined, unlike other loose lick supplements.

In a nutshell: you get set costs, fixed rates, perfect nutrition, and no waste.

Which should I use?

This time of year, StayDry Beta Breed will be your go-to supplement and is perfect for ewes and rams prior to joining. They recommend starting supplementing the 300g per head rate a minimum of 30 days before joining and run until the product is consumed.
(For example, one bag will feed 66 head of sheep, so for a flock of 400 you’ll need 120kg or six bags. The label recommends feeding over a 40 to 60 day period, but if they consume all product within 20 to 30 days, the product will still be effective, and there’s no need to add more.)
This product aims to improve fertility in the lead up to joining. The key ingredients include Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Beta Carotene which play an important role in embryo quality and conception, as well as trace minerals such as selenium, copper and zinc to optimise reproductive functions.

When you are not far off lambing, use StayDry Pre-Drop, which is also fed out at 300g per head over a 40 to 60 day period (or until product is consumed). The supplementation should start a minimum of 30 days before lambing. It provides ewes with a perfect blend of macro-minerals, trace minerals as well as key vitamins and carotenoids, to improve the quality of colostrum, reduce lambing difficulty in maidens, and increase survival and growth rates in lambs.

Finally, use StayDry Hy-VitMin once your animals have been on dry feed for a three month period. Once again it is recommended to supplement 300g per head over a 40 to 60 day period or until the allocated product is consumed. We all know that supplementing sources of energy and protein with cereal grains and hay can be an effective way to improve production. However, these supplements don’t always address the animals’ underlying requirements for vitamins and minerals. Animals on dry feed may adapt to vitamin and mineral deficiencies by slowing down development, reducing weight gain or delaying reproduction, which could then lead to reduced parasite tolerance, greater risk of disease, and lower fertility. The nutrients in StayDry Hy-VitMin will allow the animals to continue peak performance even in deficient conditions.

For more information on any of these products come in and see how guys today and grab a pamphlet.