Mike Dettmann, a fourth-generation dairy producer from Johnson Creek, WI, has won 60 days of BaciFlex-Calf Clostridial Defense supplement in a nationwide promotion from Papillon Agricultural Company, according to company officials.
“We’re very pleased to award the grand prize to Mr. Dettmann. With some of the challenges they have experienced at their dairy, we think BaciFlex-Calf will be a beneficial nutritional tool to their operation,” said Papillon President David Briggs.
Today, Dettmann and his family milk more than 500 Holsteins near the original homestead founded by his great-grandfather. Last summer, Dettmann noticed a number of digestive upsets with his calves on milk and suspected a strain of Clostridium perfringens. When he visited the Papillon booth at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, and heard about the opportunity to win free BaciFlex-Calf, he jumped at the chance to enter.
BaciFlex-Calf is a non-antibiotic, direct-fed microbial that uses natural Bacillus technology to defend against Clostridium and reduce negative effects such as diarrhea, calves off feed, depression and weight loss. Regular use can improve pre- and post-weaning calf health and performance and is deliverable through milk, milk replacer and milk supplements.
Dettmann, whose name was randomly selected from approximately 100 entries, learned he’d won the contest before Christmas last year. He plans to run his own trial and monitor gains while feeding BaciFlex-Calf to some of his youngest calves. Winning the contest was a welcome conclusion to a challenging year and helped reinforce Dettmann’s enthusiasm for the dairying way of life.
“I am so blessed to have a job that allows me to work outside every day with animals and nature,” he said. “I can’t think of a more satisfying way to earn a living.”
Founded in 1983, Papillon Agricultural Company is a division of Inter-Rock that develops and produces premium nutritional products for dairy consultants, feed suppliers and dairy producers with the goal of maximizing feed efficiency at the farm level. In addition to BaciFlex-Calf, signature products include Dairyman’s Edge® PRO, Gemini Bypass Protein, Papillon Performance Proteins and MIN-AD® Mineral Supplement. For more information, call (800) 888-5688 or visit Papillon-Ag.com.
