South Dakota cattleman Kyle Stern knows every time a calf goes through the chute, it costs him time and money, not to mention the extra stress it puts on the animal itself.
That’s why Stern depends on SYNOVEXÒ ONE GRASS to deliver the added performance he wants in his calves at marketing time.
Stern grows row crops and manages a 500-head cow/calf unit in a family operation that includes his wife, three young daughters and his mom. The family’s red-based commercial cow herd is mated to Charolais and Limousin bulls to produce calves that will perform in the feedlot and make quality herd replacements.
For the Sterns, calving season starts at the end of March and runs for 60 to 70 days. Once the calves are up and going, Stern moves the pairs to pastures that haven’t been grazed since the previous spring. The protocol helps set calves up for future success, he says.
Once the steer calves and non-replacement heifers have been weaned, vaccinated and ready for pasture, Stern turns to SYNOVEX ONE GRASS, a long-acting implant that can help boost cattle performance for up to 200 days in grazing steers and heifers.
“It just gives them a pop,” Stern explains. “We have a buckskin-cross calf, and it seems like as soon as we get them on feed, they just go. It works well.”
When marketing time rolls around for him every December, Stern knows he can count on SYNOVEX ONE GRASS to help deliver more pounds. Calves are weaned, weighing 400-500 pounds in early September. The cattleman counts on efficient gains so he can market them weighing close to 700 pounds by the end of December.
“We sell pounds,” he explains. “You’ve got to sell more bang for your buck.”
Stern used another implant before switching to the long-acting technology in SYNOVEX ONE GRASS. He says he likes the quick gain he sees after making the switch.
“We’ve got to get as many pounds on one calf as we can in a short period of time,” he explains. “That’s where the implant comes into effect. We give it right when we give their shots at weaning, and then we wait a few weeks and booster them. Then, the calves are good to sell.”
And when marketing time rolls around, Stern knows he’s delivering a consistent, more uniform product that feedlot operators can appreciate.
“I have talked to our buyers, and a lot of them are repeats,” he says. “They say when our calves get to the feedyard, they’re ready to eat. And they see a good weight per day of age on them as soon as they hit the yards. They like them.”
