SOUTH East Queensland beef produce Andy Shay says providing pain relief makes good sense, not just as a way of reinforcing the industry's animal welfare credentials, but also as a way of improving the productivity of growing calves.
Mr Shay said he had started using the popular pain relief product Tri-Solfen last year after reading articles in Queensland Country Life about its effectiveness.
"We've friends at Barcaldine who have always used in, and then we read about it being using at Winton and Cloncurry and by the Drynan's at Esk, so we thought we should try it," Mr Shay said.
"We're using it for castration and dehorning and if ever an animal comes in with a cut or a scratch.
"It has certainly lived up to its reputation. The pain relief Tri-Solfen delivers is obvious. You can can see it working immediately.
It's just good to know that when we do something necessary to an animal, we can also provide pain relief.
- Andy Shay, Gleneagle
"It's just good to know that when we do something necessary to an animal, we can also provide pain relief."
Mr Shay said he was particularly impressed by how easy the blue gel was to apply using the applicator gun, and the shelf life of the product.