02/15/06 Nursemate

Nursemate Every now and then a product comes along that really helps. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to tell you about one good product. Calving time always seems to have calves that need a little extra attention to get them on their feet and nursing their mothers. We all know how important the cow's colostrum is to jump start the calf's immune system and give it the energy needed to face all but the most severe storms. But, rarely do all newborn calves nurse quickly on their own. Reasons our calves don't nurse quickly can include a difficult birth, colder weather that chills a newborn, a distraction to the cow, or what seems like a hundred other reasons. These calves usually need a little help. A lot of the supplements on the market require mixing with water and trying to get the calf to nurse this mixture or drenching the calf with a stomach tube. Carrying water and equipment can be about as inconvenient as corralling a range cow and helping the calf nurse. A few years ago we tried a new product called Nursemate ASAP and it really seems to work. Nursemate is a colostrum supplement paste that contains condensed whey, biotin, folic acid, and vitamin B-12 in a convenient syringe you just squirt in the calf's mouth. Sterling Technology, Brookings, South Dakota, manufactures Nursemate ASAP. Anytime we question whether a calf will nurse quickly we use Nursemate. It gives calves a boost of power and fires up their instinct to nurse. I just bought some Nursemate the other day and my brother said just buy a case. It's good insurance. I'm Jeff Keane.