When Jim McDade started his Boer goat operation eight years ago, he knew what kind of mineral he wanted to feed his does. It was the same mineral he fed 200 ewes for years. And before that, as a cattle rancher in Nebraska for 35 years, it was the same mineral he had used on his cattle.
“I’m a lifetime believer in the BioZyme® products,” said McDade of Greenville, Ohio.
He started feeding DuraFerm® when he moved to Ohio and made the transition from cattle to sheep. He was having challenges with the ewes retaining their placentas and with conception rates. He knew how well the VitaFerm® products worked, so he decided if the products worked so well for one species to try it on the next.
“I’ve fed VitaFerm since the beginning of time,” McDade laughs. “It worked super well with the sheep. My conception rates were phenomenal, and consumption was great.”
Once his flock peaked at about 200 ewes, McDade dispersed his ewes. However, it didn’t take long for him and his daughter to get back into business, this time raising Boer goats. Their primary market is for 4-H families. He was glad to see BioZyme introduce goat products that contain AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a research-proven prebiotic that enhances digestibility.
DuraFerm is a line of nutritional supplements for sheep and goats that supports optimal digestion and nutrition for maximized performance at every stage of production. DuraFerm currently makes two goat products, a loose mineral, DuraFerm® Goat Concept•Aid® and the DuraFerm® Goat Concept•Aid® Protein Tub that McDade generally feeds his goats. Both products contain Amaferm and support embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals and high levels of vitamin E. As well, the DuraFerm Goat Concept•Aid Protein Tub adds 20% natural protein.
“My conception rates are better. That’s a fact. We definitely saw increased conception rates last year, using DuraFerm Goat Concept•Aid and the protein tubs, which resulted in 57 out of 59 of our does bred, with one of those a donor. That’s where we really saw the difference with feeding the products and using Amaferm in our feed,” McDade said.
When a lifetime believer in one family of brands can find value in an ingredient like Amaferm that helps his cattle, sheep and goats perform at their optimum, that speaks volumes. At BioZyme we appreciate customers like McDade who know that a quality product brings value, regardless of what species they are feeding.
Providing DuraFerm for your sheep and goats will help you strengthen your stock, increase conception rates and wean off more kids. But don’t take our word for it. You can ask a “lifetime believer” like Jim McDade.
To learn more about DuraFerm goat products or to locate where to buy them, visit www.duraferm.com.
