K-State Research and Extension

“Are You Marketing or Are You Selling?”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

You’ve made the investments: time, labor, genetics, risk, snow storms, and summer heat. Now it’s time to make sure you get back MORE than you’ve put in.

But there’s a huge difference between marketing and selling; between being a price taker and a price maker; between just putting your calves up for sale and actually finding the best marketing outlet and buyer for your calves.

The first rule of marketing is: “You can’t market something that’s not different.” So, are your calves any different than what I can pick up anywhere for the market average? What have you done to add value? If you’ve got value-added genetics, for either growth or carcass merit, you’ll need the data to demonstrate that added performance.

There’s tremendous value and interest in truly preconditioned calves. But to glean that value from the marketplace, you’ll need to find the market and buyers who place that value in preconditioning and are willing to pay for it. Some feedyards make a living adding value to calves by buying low and upgrading them by turning them into fed cattle. This often takes a great deal of time and labor to get these calves started, keep them alive, and performing. Other feedyards would rather simply deliver feed—that’s what they do best. THESE are the yards that value a calf that will walk up to the bunk and eat. Your job is to find these buyers and find the markets where they shop.

The analogy is the expensive grocery store vs. the bargain store. Everybody knows which is which. You make an agreement when you walk into the expensive store, that you are willing to pay more, but you expect top quality. The same is true with marketing your preconditioned calves. Provide true value, find the right market, and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

“Early Weaning: Feedlot Issues”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

Early weaned calves come to the feedlot with some baggage. Their light weight makes them an odd duck from the standpoint of facilities and feeding management. But the primary concern is immune function.

If calves come in having previously had access to some supplemental feed source, beyond what the cow and pasture may have provided, and they are carrying acceptable condition, immune function is normally not of any greater concern than normal-aged calves. In fact, if calves haven’t been stressed nutritionally, 90-120 day old calves often have better health status than normal-aged calves. And given the light weight of the calves, they should have tremendous feed efficiency.

However, if the calves have been nutritionally stressed, waiting for a rain, their immune function is likely stretched pretty thin. If weather during weaning, transport, and upon arrival are not extreme (hot, dusty, etc.), the disease risk is manageable. However, health challenges in calves received during hot, dusty conditions can be at least as severe as those encountered during a cold, rainy fall. Previous nutritional state is likely key to the outcome.

Upon arrival, treat early weaned calves like other extremely high-risk calves. Prior to processing, give them a period of time to rest, bed down, and find hay and water. One rule of thumb is 1 hour of rest for every hour on the truck. However, if calves are local and won’t require a great deal of time to process, they may be processed either immediately off the truck or after a short rest. Have the receiving pen bedded with light colored material, such as corn stalks or wheat straw. The surface temperature of these materials is much lower than dirt or manure pack during the heat of the day, and either on a hot day or following a rain this area will be a welcome area for tired calves.

After they’ve rested, process the calves as you would other high-risk calves. But during the summer months, avoid processing after about 9 or 10 a.m., depending on the temperature forecast. The heat accumulated during handling, standing, mingling, and processing, will add to the heat accumulated during the heat of the day, adding to stressful conditions, and reducing the animals’ ability to fight disease. Cloudy days are less critical than sunny, and humidity always makes the rising temperature more challenging.

After processing, make sure the animals have access to abundant, fresh, clean water. Have you checked the water tanks in your receiving pens lately? Scum and algae probably don’t make the water tank appealing and a few minutes may improve your outcomes.

Good quality hay, long-stemmed, spread out in the bunk is vital, provided at about 1 ½ to 2% of body weight, top-dressed with about ¼ to ½ % of body weight of a nutrient-dense receiving ration. Based on feeding behavior and degree of health challenges, begin to back down the available hay supply and increase the amount of ration. This is highly variable and you should let the calves drive this part of the program. However, one rule of thumb here is that if calves are not eating 1 ½ % of their body weight (6 lbs of dry matter for a 400 lb calf) by 10 days on feed, there is something wrong—likely a severe respiratory disease outbreak, either viral or bacterial. Take all necessary precautions as prescribed by your veterinarian.

Finally, shade can provide a welcome area during heat stress, especially for newly received, high risk calves. The shade may encourage more laying and resting, which should improve response to vaccines and ability to resist disease. Make sure to place shade over or near feed bunks and water tanks, to encourage consumption in addition to rest.

Early weaned calves will likely present challenges to the cattle feeder, but they also can be a source of affordable, efficient, and hopefully profitable feeder cattle.

“Early Weaning: Crunch Time”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

This topic may be the most difficult to come to grips with as a beef rancher. But this year has been tremendously taxing in the western plains region, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Early weaning means lighter weights, a change in management, extra planning, perhaps additional facilities, feedstuffs, health concerns, etc. The calf is drawing nutrients from the cow, and drawing down her body condition during a time when the range is incapable of providing nutrients to replace body condition, and supplemental feed is expensive to use to replace those stores. Conversely, pulling the calf off early will allow the cow to dry off and use what little nutrition is available through range and supplement to replace precious lost stores. There is abundant time to re-gain body condition prior to spring calving, and supplementation can be adjusted based on range conditions and winter weather.

If calves are at least 90 days of age, they can be removed from the cow and survive—even thrive—in a feedlot environment. If facilities and feedstuffs are available, three scenarios are available: calves can be cost-effectively grown to a similar weight this fall as would be expected during a “normal” weaning situation; the calves can be retained through the fall and sold as feeders in the spring; or the calves can even be retained through finish.

One common concern is that of immune function of the calves. The health of early-weaned calves is at least equal to their normal-weaned counterparts, and in some cases may actually be improved due to residual circulating maternal antibodies from colostrum and improved weather conditions during summer vs. during a cold, wet, fall. Granted, weaning during extremely hot, dusty conditions can also contribute to stress and health challenges as well, but the risk is no greater than during normal fall weaning. Proper preparation of the calves 2-3 weeks prior to weaning can minimize some of the risk. These procedures may include:

1. Creep feeding in order to shore up areas of potential under-nutrition, including energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
2. Pre-conditioning vaccination.

“Soft” weaning may also be considered, which can be accomplished by either (1) use of nose clips which prevent the calf from nursing, or (2) by fence line weaning where cows and calves may continue nose-to-nose contact but the calf cannot nurse. This removes the nutrient drain on the cow by the nursing calf, but eliminates the added stress of abrupt and complete separation.

If there ever was a situation where “business as usual” needed to be cancelled and “outside the box” thinking was required, it is the summer of 2011. Above all, TAKE ACTION!, in order to salvage the most from a very challenging situation.

“Heat Stress Abatement: Prevention IS the cure” 

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

This summer has already given us July-like temperatures and heat conditions all across Kansas, and we’re just coming into the time of greatest concern for heat stress. As beef producers and those of us who support the beef industry, it’s our duty to prepare for all the possible contingencies that Kansas weather can bring. So, that being said, what are the tools we have in our toolbox to be better prepared to deal with the heat?

1. Pasture cattle fare better than confined cattle during heat events, provided that they can find adequate shade, elevated areas to catch more breeze, and water sources to alleviate heat stress during the hottest times of the day.
2. Black-hided cattle sustain the greatest challenge due to absorption of more solar radiation compared to light-hided cattle, and the problem is exacerbated in heavy, long-fed cattle.
3. Shade works. Keeping solar radiation to a minimum during extreme heat events may eliminate the need for emergency intervention. Even some kind of temporary or portable shade structures which can be placed in pens prior to extreme heat events will give cattle relief and get you through the worst heat episodes.
4. Wind breaks contribute to heat stress. Even if no extreme heat stress may be evident, reducing potentially cooling breezes can make cattle less likely to consume and perform up to their full potential. If wind breaks are needed for the winter, consider some form of temporary wind break which can be removed for the summer months.
5. Extra drinking water space may provide comfort and alleviate the demand on the water system during peak heat hours. Remember: cattle cool themselves through evaporative cooling from their lungs and this can move a tremendous volume of water which needs to be replaced. Extra water space can be in the form of steel tanks or even feed bunks with tarps and sand bags on the ends to convert part of the bunk to an extended water tank. Space is critical as dominant cattle may simply stand at the water trough to breathe the cooler air over the water, and prevent others from getting needed water.
6. Bedding the pen with straw or light-colored hay provides a lighter-colored, reflective surface to provide cattle a (relatively) cooler place to lie down and rest, thus reducing their activity and comfort during already stressful conditions.
7. Sprinkling cattle may be essential. Spraying cattle is costly, time-consuming, and can contribute to increased humidity within the pen, but it also may be the difference between life and death for extremely heat-stressed cattle. Be hyper-vigilant for signs of extreme heat distress: open mouthed, labored, unabated, panting. Both cattle surface temperature and soil surface temperature are reduced as a result of spraying water which then evaporates, taking heat out of the surface. Have a full water truck on hand when the forecast calls for elevated temps.

As a very challenging summer winds to a close, we all need to make sure we maximize the value of some very difficult and costly lessons.

“Calfhood Vaccination” 

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

There are many things that we do in the beef industry that we can be proud of that we continually improve upon. However, there are a handful of practices that can still be made better. One of these is improving immunity prior to shipment to the feedlot.

Respiratory disease continues to be the costliest disease in the beef industry. The costs of medication, lost performance, unrealized quality grade, and mortality drain the industry of resources which could be invested elsewhere.

One practice which has repeatedly demonstrated success at reducing disease is vaccinating calves prior to weaning. This practice has shown value in research studies as well as commercial production situations.

Studies have shown that whether you vaccinate at branding time or shortly before weaning, calves have reduced incidence of respiratory disease. Debate still exists as to the value of and ideal length of a pre-shipment weaning period. However, little question exists that calves which are vaccinated for respiratory pathogens prior to exposure to the numerous, intense, unpredictable stressors of the weaning, marketing, and transportation process are much better prepared to defend themselves against respiratory disease.

It’s time to get busy. Ranchers should be developing a plan to vaccinate their calves. This can be done either at weaning time (at 2-3 months of age), when many ranchers castrate, dehorn, and/or implant their calves already, or shortly (2-3 weeks) before weaning. Many ranchers give a clostridial vaccine at branding time but have been told a respiratory viral vaccine does no good—this is not accurate. Pre-weaning vaccination adds real performance potential to calves, and ranchers do not need to look very long to find buyers or special sales which will pay a premium for healthier, better performing calves. But ranchers DO need to seek and find that value-added outlet, instead of going to the labor and expense of vaccinating and then marketing through a commodity sale.

The beef industry has made great strides in performance and genetics; however, there is still room for improvement in disease prevention and health management. Healthy calves perform better, have higher and more predictable quality grade, and require less labor and logistics to manage at the feedlot. Commercial feedyards are paying premiums for these calves to capture these efficiencies. It is time NOW to develop your vaccination plan, find a value-added market, help make the beef industry better, and get paid for it in the process.

“Grain Processing Matters” 

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

As the cost of grain rises, looking for our new “normal”, the livestock feeder is held hostage by the vagaries of the rest of the global economy. But there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting the most out of your substantial investment.

Making sure you have an active implant with less than 100 days working in the cattle at all times is one idea. Another is ensuring adequate extent of grain processing to get thorough digestion and efficient utilization of the grain.

For decades, Midwestern feedlot nutritionists have recommended that “a coarse crack” is sufficient to get acceptable levels of digestion without risking bloat and acidosis. Interestingly, however, in the high plains, away from the corn belt, the feedlot industry felt the need for extensive grain processing 40 years ago when we all lived in a kinder, gentler, grain market. Now that grain prices have risen to stratospheric levels, we need a new paradigm. Some research data suggests we can improve the efficiency of corn utilization by 4-5%—$20/head in today’s corn market—by fine grinding (1,000-2,000 microns) instead of coarse cracking the grain.

The other factor which can help us change our paradigm is our ubiquitous use of wet corn milling byproducts. These products are routinely priced at a value to corn, and are often included from 20-60% of the ration dry matter. This makes the diet a completely different beast than what nutritionists had to work with in the ‘70’s, ‘80’s, and ‘90’s. If all the ingredients are dry, finer particles will tend to sift through the diet mixture and fall to the bottom of the bunk. If these fine particles contain mostly rapidly fermentable starch, there’s a good risk of bloat.

Although the particle size of distillers grains is very fine, due to their fibrous nature, distillers grains fines do not present nearly as great of risk for causing bloat as corn fines. And the high moisture content improves the positional stability of the total mixture such that the fine particles remain mixed as opposed to settling to the bottom of the bunk. Those fines which do settle out will be a blend of corn fines and distillers grains, with a reduced risk of bloat.

Grinding corn to hog-feed consistency flies in the face of convention. But if you are using at least 20% (dry matter basis) of a wet milling byproduct ingredient, consider grinding the grain to a finer particle size to ensure maximum utilization of your sizable investment.

“Feed Efficiency Matters”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

If you’ve been feeding your calves since last fall, or all your life, you’ve probably gotten the routine of feeding and doctoring the cattle figured out fairly well. But one added consideration as you approach the end of the feeding period is maintaining feed efficiency. This is especially true in a year where grain costs have risen dramatically.

You may have administered a growth-promoting implant at the time of weaning or shortly after the calves were weaned, but most feedlot implants deliver effective growth promotion over about 120 days, with the daily amount of active compound which is delivered decreasing over time.

So as calves grow in size their metabolic demand for growth promoting hormone increases, while the amount being delivered each day decreases. For this reason, it is common to re-implant finishing cattle between 70-100 days prior to their anticipated marketing date.

If you are feeding for a high-quality program, you may wish to select an intermediate dosage implant. This will preserve quality grade, although it will also reduce the potential growth and efficiency of the animal. But even if quality is your target, it is important to continue to deliver the animal active growth promotion. This ensures that calves are gaining efficiently, and giving you the greatest return on your investment of grain, right up until they are sent to harvest.

“Phosphorus Needs”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

Phosphorus is a critical, essential nutrient in the diet of all livestock. And like any other essential nutrient, meeting the animal’s requirement is an investment, while supplying beyond the requirement is a wasted cost.

We’ve learned an expensive lesson about excess phosphorus in confinement feeding. We need to find an approved home for any phosphorus we feed beyond the animals’ needs because it winds up on the pen surface and needs to be captured and managed. For many decades, we formulated beyond the animals’ requirements, either out of ignorance or ‘cheap insurance’. It’s just not ‘cheap’ anymore—either as a feed nutrient or a waste nutrient.

Also, modern cattle diets contain a great deal more non-supplemental phosphorus than in decades past, mainly from feed byproducts from the corn milling industries. This has greatly reduced the amount of supplemental phosphorus we include in cattle diets. And even so, we are still oftentimes feeding in excess of the animals’ needs, simply because the energy and protein content dictate feeding levels the force phosphorus levels upward.

Beef cows are not immune from this same situation. The difference between a cow and a feedlot animal is that the cow’s requirement varies much more widely due to gestation and lactation. If we match the nutrient supply in our feed resources (pasture plus supplemental feed) to the rising needs of the cow, there may be limited need for supplemental phosphorus. But we won’t know how much phosphorus we’ll need until we know what we have. If a rancher is feeding distillers byproducts, it is likely extra supplemental phosphorus will not be needed.

As always, know what you have, learn what the cow needs, and do your best to make the two fit together. This will ensure maximum productivity and minimum wasted inputs and cost.

“The Decision”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

If you’ve been growing your calves since fall weaning, you’ve likely been considering the next steps: sell them as feeders or finish them out.

The markets need to be considered in that decision process, as well as your access to feed resources and facilities. Depending on how you’ve managed your calves will also weigh into the decision. If you’ve used an accelerated growing program, with a target gain of 2.75-3.0 lbs/day, you may be able to step up and finish at least a portion of the cattle ahead of the normal May-June volume of finished calves. Performance, both past and future, will drive your ability to get the calves finished on time.

On the other hand, if you’ve grown the calves at a more moderate pace, they may work well in the marketplace as feeders. And if you’ve grown them at a very conservative pace, the lighter end may work for someone as stockers. Regardless, be sure to know your target market prior to selling, and group the calves according to your intended market. Analysis repeatedly shows that the 2 biggest drivers of feeder calf value in the auction marketplace are size and uniformity of lots.

If you decide to finish the calves, and you are determined to hit the April and May markets, it is critical to begin stepping up the grain fraction of the diet. Process the grain thoroughly to improve efficiency of utilization. In order to maintain a good mix of otherwise dry, fine, particles, it is helpful to include a moist ingredient, such as silage or wet byproducts.

Most importantly, consider all factors (grain, feeder, and fed cattle markets, forage supply, byproduct cost and availability, time and labor going into calving and planting seasons) when making this critical decision. Finishing cattle requires focus and attention to detail and should not be taken lightly. However, given sufficient planning and coordination, seeing your calf crop through to finish can be a rewarding experience.

“Genetics for Growth”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

If you’ve decided to wean your calves and feed them at home, at least through the growing phase, and you’ve gotten the calves successfully through the stressful weaning and transition phase, you’re well on your way to success. However, you’ve still got one big decision in front of you: How much should they gain?

If you haven’t retained your calves for a few years (or decades), here’s a shocker: Genetics Have Changed! And cattle genetics haven’t changed coincidentally, they’ve changed because WE have changed them. We’ve selected for heavier weaning weights, which (usually) means we get higher gaining calves and heavier yearling and carcass weights. Dr. Justin Waggoner’s research at Kansas State University suggests that finished weights of cattle have increased by over 100 lbs over the past 20 years. This agrees with data from other sources suggesting increases in weaning weights of calves and mature weights of brood cows over the same time period.

If you have the genetics for heavy weaning weights and large mature size, you may also have the genetics for accelerated growth post-weaning. If you have large, muscular cows and calves, the calves can probably handle a greater rate of gain post-weaning without depositing excess flesh. The lean growth potential of your calf crop is something that may take several seasons to fully capture. However, whereas in 1990 we would have suggested that 2.0 lbs per day was the upper limit to growth rate for calves to develop frame and muscle without depositing excess fat, there are many herds which can sustain a much higher growth rate (2.5 to 2.9 lbs per day) and still not deposit excessive flesh. This higher growth rate, depending on genetics and feed costs, may be a much more economically rewarding program.

Buyers still do not want to buy overly fleshy feeders and will discount them heavily. Always start your calves slowly and conservatively. But if you’ve invested in superior genetics for lean growth, you should be able to benefit from those genetics and enhance your bottom line.