From flies to fungus, livestock producers fight back with Ricochet mineral

Any producer will tell you that fickle weather isn’t the only curveball nature can throw at a livestock operation. Sometimes, it only takes microscopic bacteria carried on a tiny fly to bring down a 1,200-pound cow. 

Bovine anaplasmosis, often shortened to “anaplas” by those in the cattle industry, is caused by Anaplasma marginale, a bacterial blood cell parasite transmitted by ticks or biting flies. It destroys a cow’s red blood cells, causing the animal to become lethargic, weak and stop feeding, which can lead to death, especially in older cows.  

Tony Dameron, who raises beef cattle a few miles outside Vandalia, Mo., is all too familiar with how destructive anaplas can be.

“It started with a neighbor who lost a significant portion of his herd, and he was not feeding any sort of mineral program,” Dameron said. “And then we started losing a few cows, and we got concerned that the death loss was too much.” 

A seventh-generation Missouri farmer, Dameron’s operation started with an FFA project. He rented land and grew crops, borrowing the equipment from his father, and started a cattle herd and sow operation. After high school graduation, he made the natural transition to become a full-time producer.

With so many years invested in agriculture, Dameron has weathered his fair share of setbacks. He was determined to find answers and stop losing cows. He brought in a veterinarian for a post-mortem analysis, and discovered that the culprit was anaplasmosis. 

“Our vet essentially told us it was something we were going to have to manage forever, that we were always going to have it,” Dameron said.

“A mineral program is not a cost. It’s a benefit.”

— Tony Dameron

The veterinarian recommended a consistent intake of CTC, or chlortetracycline antibiotic. Dameron contacted an MFA feed specialist who helped him choose Ricochet Mineral with an additive amount of CTC. Producers must have a veterinary feed directive (VFD) to purchase this medicated version of Ricochet.

“It is common to have multiple conversations a year with producers who have lost cattle to anaplas,” said Erica Gilmore, livestock sales manager with MFA, who now consults with Dameron. “I encourage them to have the vet examine the cow, and typically the next action is CTC to combat the problem on the farm.”

Today, Dameron’s cattle are healthy and peaceful as they graze the pastures unbothered. One common pest is notably scarce—flies. That’s because Ricochet Mineral includes the addition of insect growth regulators, which help lessen the fly population in the area. 

“MFA has two options for fly control that are feed-through: Altosid and Clarifly,” Gilmore explained. “Altosid helps minimize the horn fly population. Clarifly helps minimize another three types of flies along with horn flies.”

IGRs are harmless to cows and pass through their system, ending up in the manure pile where flies like to lay their eggs. The insecticide then prevents the fly larva from molting their exoskeletons and growing into mature flies. 

Gilmore further explains that Ricochet contains one more pungent fly-control weapon—garlic—that deters pesky flies from landing on a cow’s skin.

“The garlic is fed through the mineral, but it is released through the skin of the animal,” she said. “So now we have the capabilities of providing two different modes of action to control flies.”

Keeping the fly population low is essential to a producer’s profits. Anaplasmosis isn’t the only potential adverse effect of flies. Fly bites and the bacteria they carry aren’t simply irritating to cattle but can also reduce weight gains and lower milk production. 

“A mineral program is not a cost. It’s a benefit,” Dameron said.

Fighting fescue toxicity

For Dameron, the benefits of Ricochet Mineral go beyond fly control. It also helps ensure his fescue grazing operation meets nutritional needs and allows his cows to breed successfully, despite another natural Missouri hazard: endophyte fungus in cool-season tall fescue.

“Our fescue pastures have a gift and a challenge all in one package,” Dameron said. “While they’re very resilient to North Missouri’s drought and soil types, the endophyte that allows the fescue to be resilient also creates a challenge for the cattle that consume it.” 

Tall fescue and endophyte fungus have a symbiotic relationship, like bees feeding on pollen while also spreading it to other flowers. The fescue acts as a host for the endophyte fungus, and, in exchange, the endophyte helps the fescue draw more moisture from the soil, which is vital in dry, hot summers. 

However, the additional benefit endophyte provides to fescue, in the form of ergot alkaloids, causes fescue toxicosis that annually costs the Missouri cattle industry $160 million and U.S. livestock producers up to $1 billion.

“Those alkaloids directly clobber animals that chew on the plant,” said Dr. Jim White, MFA Incorporated director of nutrition. “They constrict blood vessels, and what we’ll find is that animals won’t eat as much. From a plant perspective, that’s what the plant wants: ‘If we make you feel a little bit warm and you want to go hide in the trees rather than come out here and chew on me, that’s a good plan.’’’ 

But it’s a nefarious plan for a cow’s health. Other symptoms of fescue toxicosis can be more serious, such as fescue foot in cold months or a failure to shed their winter coat in warm months. In a breeding operation, fescue toxicosis can lower calving rates and reduce the sperm quality of bulls, which hinders reproduction. 

Ricochet Mineral with FesQ Max directly combats these alkaloids by using silicates that bind them together so they can pass through the cow’s system. It also contains vasodilators in the form of essential oils like capsicum pepper that help the cows stay cool and reduce heat stress. 

Given the prevalence of infected fescue in Missouri, Gilmore said FesQ Max is usually included in her mineral program recommendation to producers.

“Most producers feed Ricochet FesQ Max since our cattle typically see fescue year-round,” she said. “Whether grazing fescue pastures in the summer or consuming fescue hay in the winter, it just makes sense to leave them on it.”

Yet even endophyte-free fescue can’t always meet a cow’s nutritional needs, especially when new growth has a low magnesium content. A cow—particularly a wet cow—with a diet low in magnesium may develop grass tetany or low blood magnesium. Grass tetany affects muscle and nerve function, causing a cow to be unable to stand or wobble on her feet. 

Magnesium supplementation is the solution to reducing grass tetany. However, since magnesium may not be the only nutritional deficiency, White recommends feeding a complete mineral product that includes sodium, selenium and calcium. 

“Regardless of whether I have cattle on good pasture or not, I know I need to feed the mineral to cover the requirements,” he said. “Along with the nutrients they need, Ricochet also brings additives for improved immune function and health of the animal and fescue binding.” 

Supporting health, performance

One of those additives is MFA’s Shield Technology, which helps to improve animal immunity and performance, increase colostrum in cows and support overall cow/calf health. Dameron said he has seen these benefits in his own herd and believes Ricochet contributes to his operation’s success. 

“We market our calves on a carcass grid through U.S. Premium Beef (USPB), so we know the results we achieve when we combine the best genetics, high-quality forages, a coordinated animal health program, good nutrition and well-balanced mineral supplementation,” Dameron said. “Our calves consistently rank in the top 25% of cattle marketed on our USPB grid.” 

But profits aren’t the only metric for success. He and his wife, Shera, are committed to proactive stewardship to ensure their operation stays viable and productive, particularly with their family in mind. Their older daughter, Paige, recently graduated from Kansas State University and now farms with her husband, Payton. The younger Dameron daughter, Kylie, is a freshman at Van-Far High School and an FFA member, just like her dad. 

“We’re building something for the next generation,” Dameron said, “so we try to run our farm with sustainability in mind.”

For more information on Ricochet mineral and other MFA animal nutrition products, visit with your MFA livestock specialist or solutions provider.

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