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Thinking About Weaning and The Midwest Cattleman · October 22, 2020 · P9

Preconditioning Calves to Add

Value?KNOW THE “LINGO”

By Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Traditionally, many KY beef following list is meant to bridge the University
producers with winter/spring the communication gap between of Kentucky.
born feeder calves market industry and health program re- (“BI” stands
through Special Graded Feed- quirements. The examples listed for Boehringer
er Calf Sales held in the fall. are in no order and are not to be continued on
At these sales, feeder cattle are considered as endorsements by page 20
graded according to the USDA
Feeder Cattle Grading Stan-
dards, are weighed and sorted
into groups (load lots of 48,000- ®
50,000 lbs) and are then sold. Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls
Buyers take advantage of these
sales to buy larger groups of The smart way to add to your bottom line!
feeder cattle with similar traits.
Most of these calves are weaned
“on the truck” on the way to the
sale, unvaccinated, and the bull
calves are still bulls. With this
marketing strategy, producers
who work to improve genetics
or have an effective herd health
program do not earn premiums
for their extra effort because
calves are sold based on the av-
erage weight and grade of the
group.
Preconditioning of feeder cat-
tle has been recognized by indus-
try experts as a way for cow-calf
operators to add value to their
annual calf crops. Most precon-
ditioning programs specify two
rounds of viral and Clostridi-
al vaccinations, a Mannheimia
haemolytica toxoid, deworming,
castration of bull calves and
healed, heifers guaranteed not Smart. Reliable. Profitable.
pregnant, and a minimum of
45 days weaned. Some require Genetics to meet the demands of commercial cattleman.
producers to use one pharma-
ceutical company’s products. • Easy Disposition • Increased Efficiency
In addition, weaned calves are
usually expected to know how to • Calving Ease • More Pounds of Calf Weaned
eat from a feed bunk and drink • Lower Birth Weights • Higher Percent Retail Yield
from a fountain or tank. Buyers
prefer weaned calves that have
been properly fed and vaccinat-
ed compared to similar non-vac- For a list of Gelbvieh breeders in your area, go to
cinated and non-weaned calves,
which can translate to price pre- www.MissouriGelbvieh.com and click on Member List.
miums of $10 to $15 per cwt de-
pending on the market that day.
However, to capture this added
value, this information must
be communicated to the poten- 2020/21
2020/21
tial buyers prior to the sale. BREEDERS To request a FREE
BREEDERS
DIRECTORY
When reading through the DIRECTORY 2020/21 HAGA Breeders Directory
list of requirements for a precon- Trenton, MO 64683 Trenton, MO 64683 237 SW 30th Ave. 237 SW 30th Ave. e-mail gertel@ertelcattle.com
ditioning program, it is obvious HEART or call (660) 234-5265. Please
HEART
OF AMERICA
OF AMERICA
that few of those words are used ASSOCIATION Heart of America
GELBVIEH
GELBVIEH
ASSOCIATION
by the auctioneer to describe the Hybrid Vigor & Profitability include your mailing information. Gelbvieh Association
Gelbvieh & Balancer ® ...
Gelbvieh & Balancer ® ...
The SmartCross ® For
The SmartCross ® For
Hybrid Vigor & Profitability
health program. Instead, the in- PERMIT #3 PERMIT #3 EUDORA, KS EUDORA, KS PAID PAID US POSTAGE US POSTAGE NON-PROFIT ORG. NON-PROFIT ORG.
dustry has developed its own vo- Kevin Ireland, President • 237 SW 30th Ave., Trenton, MO 64683 • 660-635-1433 • ksi1987@grundyec.net
cabulary to describe calves very American Gelbvieh Association | 303-465-2333 | www.gelbvieh.org
quickly prior to the sale. The