Preconditioning calf health programs prepare calves for better performance as they move through the system. That improved performance is measured in lower death loss, fewer health issues and better gain.
Are you measuring the impact of your current calf management decisions? And assessing the potential added value of implementing management practices that you currently don’t employ?
Does castrating bulls pencil out? Research shows discounts for bulls sold in feeder calf markets. Oklahoma data indicates bulls are consistently discounted relative to steers when comparing cattle of similar weight, quality, breed and other physical and management attributes.
“Reputation cattle” is a term you’ll hear often when cattle prices are discussed. What is “reputation” in the cattle market? How do you build it? And what is it worth?
Research indicates multiple animal performance benefits linked to earlier castration (birth to 3 months), including shorter initial weight loss periods, lower disease susceptibility, and higher post-weaning ADGs.
Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged. Here’s a look at why this practice is important from a health, animal welfare, beef quality and cow-calf producer’s perspective.
If you haven’t recently contemplated how your breeding and calving seasons contribute to the value of your cattle operation, take some time to consider whether there are incentives to change it.
The best market outlet for your cattle depends on multiple things, but much of it is determined by the attributes that you’ve built into your calves through your management.
