The Key Role of Dextran Iron in Cattle and Sheep Farming Industry

In the cattle and sheep farming industry, whether it is beef cattle, dairy cattle, or meat sheep, their growth, reproductive performance, and health status all rely on the support of iron. However, due to factors such as the farming environment (e.g., lack of soil iron intake in barn feeding), feed structure (low iron content and poor absorption in roughage), and physiological stages (surging demand during lactation and fattening periods), iron deficiency in cattle and sheep is widespread. Dextran iron, with its advantages of efficient iron supplementation, easy absorption, and strong adaptability, has become a key formulation to solve the iron deficiency problem in cattle and sheep farming, playing an irreplaceable role in disease prevention, growth improvement, and reproductive capacity assurance.

Prevent iron deficiency anemia in young cattle and sheep, reduce early mortality

Young cattle and sheep (calves and lambs) are high-risk groups for iron deficiency. On one hand, the iron reserves obtained from the mother can only meet the needs for 1-2 weeks after birth; on the other hand, the iron content in milk is extremely low (about 2-4mg per liter in colostrum, only 1-2mg in regular milk, far below the daily requirement of 15-20mg for calves), and in barn feeding environments, natural iron cannot be supplemented by soil ingestion, making iron deficiency anemia likely to occur within 2-4 weeks after birth.

"Previously, around one month after birth, calves often showed poor spirit, unsteady walking, and pale mucous membranes, with up to 12% of newborn calves culled annually due to anemia," admitted Zhang Zhiqiang, head of a beef cattle farm in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. Since using dextran iron injection, the situation has significantly improved: "Now, within 7 days of birth, we inject 5ml of 10% dextran iron into the neck muscle of calves, and give a second injection 20 days later. The incidence of anemia in calves has dropped to below 2%, and survival rates have increased from 88% to 97%."

Research from the Animal Nutrition Research Institute of China Agricultural University shows that iron deficiency leads to decreased hemoglobin content in young cattle and sheep, reducing the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity and causing metabolic disorders—manifested as growth stagnation (daily weight gain 30%-40% lower than healthy individuals), weakened immunity (susceptible to pneumonia, diarrhea, and other diseases), and in severe cases, death. Dextran iron, as a large-molecule organic iron, can slowly release iron in the body after injection, continuously supplementing iron reserves and promoting hemoglobin synthesis, fundamentally preventing early growth crises caused by iron deficiency in young cattle and sheep.

Improve growth performance of cattle and sheep during fattening, shorten the finishing cycle

For fattening beef cattle and meat sheep, iron is an "accelerator" for energy metabolism and muscle growth. Iron participates in the synthesis of various enzymes such as cytochromes and peroxidases, which are key substances for carbohydrate and fat breakdown to supply energy; meanwhile, iron also promotes protein synthesis, providing the foundation for muscle development. Iron deficiency during fattening leads to reduced feed intake, low feed conversion efficiency, and slow growth, directly extending the finishing cycle and increasing farming costs.

Comparative data from a meat sheep fattening farm in Wuzhong, Ningxia shows: fattening sheep supplemented with dextran iron achieve an average daily gain of 220g, with a feed-to-meat ratio of 4.8:1, reaching finishing weight (50kg) in 4 months; the control group without supplementation only gains 160g daily, with a feed-to-meat ratio as high as 5.5:1, requiring an additional month to finish. Ma Xiaojun, the farm's technical supervisor, explained: "After supplementing dextran iron, the digestive enzyme activity of the sheep improved, allowing better conversion of feed into meat, and they are less prone to illness. During fattening, less medication is needed, reducing overall costs by nearly 15%."

For beef cattle, the effect of dextran iron is even more significant. Data from a large-scale beef cattle fattening enterprise shows that injecting dextran iron during the early fattening period (1-3 months) can increase daily weight gain by 18%-22% throughout the fattening process, increase finishing weight by 20-30kg, and raise farming profits per head by 800-1200 yuan. Additionally, sufficient iron improves beef quality—reducing the occurrence of "dark spots" in muscles, enhancing meat color scores, making the beef better meet market demands for high-quality meat.

Ensure health of breeding females, improve reproductive efficiency

The iron nutritional status of breeding females (cows and ewes) directly affects their health and offspring quality. Pregnant females need to store iron for fetal growth, and during lactation, iron must be transferred to the young through milk. Insufficient iron intake not only causes anemia in the females themselves (manifested as decreased milk production and irregular estrous cycles) but also affects fetal development (such as insufficient iron reserves in newborns and increased weak offspring rates).

Practical experience from a dairy cooperative in Daqing, Heilongjiang shows that injecting dextran iron (10ml each time) into pregnant cows 2 months before calving and 1 month after calving reduced postpartum anemia incidence from 25% to 6%, increased daily milk yield by 1.5-2kg, and increased average birth weight of calves by 0.8kg, while reducing weak offspring rates by 9%. "Previously, postpartum cows often suffered from 'postpartum paralysis' and 'anestrus'. After supplementing dextran iron, these problems have greatly decreased, and the reproductive cycle shortened from 15 months to 13 months, allowing for more milk and calves," said Li Hongmei, the cooperative leader.

For ewes, dextran iron is also a "good helper" for reproduction. Studies show that supplementing dextran iron during pregnancy can increase lamb survival rates by 10%-15%, significantly accelerate early growth, and reduce the occurrence of "stiff lambs." Meanwhile, lactation periods in ewes can be extended by 15-20 days, with milk yield increased by 8%-12%, providing more abundant maternal nutrition for lambs.