RANCHING Business
Pencil Out Calf Preconditioning for Your Budget By Lorie Woodward Cantu
I
N A COW-CALF OPERATION RETAINED OWNERSHIP COVERS THE entire gamut of value-added management practices, ranging from preconditioning and raising replace-
ment heifers, to feeding out your own calves in a feedlot. While each of these activities involves a slightly
different focus, they share 2 common goals. “Retaining ownership allows producers to increase
the value and marketability of their calves through value-added traits such as good health or additional weight,” says Dr. Robert Wells, a livestock consultant with the Noble Foundation. Steve Swigert, an agricultural economist with the
Noble Foundation, adds, “It’s been said, ‘If you have good cattle, the longer you keep them, the more money you tend to make.’ This old industry adage is the prem- ise of retained ownership and it tends to hold true.”
Preconditioning Preconditioning is a vaccination, nutrition and
management program designed to prepare young cattle to withstand the stress associated with weaning and
shipment to a backgrounding yard or feedlot. Wells says, “Preconditioning is an investment of
time and money. For it to be most benefi cial, producers have to start with calves that are genetically strong. Through good health and nutrition practices, precondi- tioning allows the calves to fully express their genetic potential.” Preconditioning generally occurs during the 45 to
60 days after weaning. “The industry standard for preconditioning is 45
days, but we’re seeing a shift toward a 60-day period,” Wells says. The extra 15 days gives calves additional time on
the ranch of origin in order to strengthen their im- mune systems and gain more weight, he says. At 2-plus pounds per day, it’s an additional 30 to 40 pounds of gain, which in today’s market can translate into a $30 to $50 increase in gross revenue per head. Because the long-term drought reduced herd size for many producers, preconditioning is being widely considered at this time.
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh installment in a 12-part series on “The Realized Value of Management Deci- sions” that was developed in conjunction with the advisors in the Producer Relations Program of the Agricultural Division of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. The independent, non-profi t Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., assists farmers and ranchers and conducts plant science research and agricultural programs to enhance agricultural productivity regionally, nationally and internationally.
50 The Cattleman July 2015
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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