Preconditioning Calves – Making Calves Make More $$$

1. Preconditioning Calves –Making Calves Make More $$$ Twig Marston Ph.D. Extension Beef Specialist

2. Role of a Consultant A consultant is one who looks at your watch and tells you what time it is. Harry LaToush

3. Where I Come From • 7.2 Million head slaughtered/year • 5.3 Million head fed/year • 2.5 Million head feedlot capacity • 1.5 Million head of beef cows

4. Making Decisions • Know the Rules • Interrupt the Situation • Make an Educated Decision

5. Define a Preconditioning Program • Nutrition • Health • Behavior

6. Feed Intake of Newly Arrived Calves Days After Feed Intake, % body wt Arrival Healthy Morbid 1-7 1.6% 0.9% 1-28 2.7% 1.8% 1-56 3.0% 2.7% Beef Magazine, 1996

7. SDSU – 3 Year Control Precondition ADG, lb 2.89 3.13 DDMI, lb 11.71 13.46 F/G 4.05 4.30 Prichard et al., 1987

8. Simple Starting Ration • Long stem grass hay – ad libitum • Concentrate - .5 to .75% of Body Weight • Highly Palatable • Nutrient Rich • Properly Balanced • Additive Carrier

9. Receiving or Weaning Ration – first 45 days • 50 to 70 Concentrate • 50 if destined for high roughage program • 70 if destined for a high grain diet • Crude Protein ≈ 14% • Meet Requirement • Adjusted for variable intake • Minerals and Vitamins

10. Effect of Concentration Level 40% Conc. 60% Conc. Initial wt, lb 484 486 ADG, lb 2.82 2.90 DDMI, lb 12.09 13.84 F/G 4.62 5.18 Prichard et al., 1987

11. Effect of Concentration Level 60% Conc. 75% Conc. ADG, lb 2.53 2.27 DDMI, lb 10.40 10.00 F/G 3.91 4.42 Loy (1987)

12. Castration and Dehorning • Castration and dehorning at the feedlot  performance by 11% for up to 90 days – Smith (1966) • Weaning prior to feedlot entry  sickness 17% - Cole (1985) • Prior vaccination  immunity response

13. KSU Pastuerella Trial Ctrl SQ wc924, titer .278 .320 wc1016, titer .369 .636 lkt924, titer .156 .178 lkt1016, titer .220 .485 Marston et al., 2003

14. Kentucky/Garden City Trial KY Comingle KS % Morbidity 27.0 32.9 37.1 No. dead 1 1 1 DDMI, lb 16.7 16.6 17.2 ADG, lb 2.73 2.71 2.85 F/G 6.15 6.19 6.07 Kreikemeier et al., 1996

15. Lung Lesions at Harvest None Moderate Severe <20% >20% In Wt, lb 553 552 552 Final Wt, lb 1333 1321 1280 HCW, lb 863 855 829 7,200,000 x (8 + 34)/2 = 151,200,000 lb x .10 = 15,120,000 lb/yr Loneragan, et al (2003) – unpublished data

16. Behavior is a Learning Experience After Weaning • Removal from their dams – crying time • Learn to eat • Learn to socialize • Time heals all wounds – 45 days

18. What You Need to Know to Decide What to Do • Purchase Price • Production (i.e. ADG, death loss) • Costs • Selling Price

19. Two Sides of Preconditioning • Cow-calf • Cattle Feeder • Partial Budget • Compare Additional Returns & Costs • Annual Cow Cost is Immaterial

20. Cow/calf Perspective • Cost – avg. about $15 to 25/head • Benefit – Minimum of $3 to 5/cwt Premium • Marketing – Marketing – Marketing

21. Rewards

22. More Rewards

23. Not All Weight Gain is $ Gain

24. Expected Results of Preconditioning • Improved Performance (ADG, F/G, Death loss) • Decrease Medical Costs & Costs of Gain • Increase Carcass Quality • $40 to $60 of Benefits • Don’t Expect to Give it All Back

25. Alliances & New Adventures • Expanding over different segments of the industry • Preconditioning • Reducing stress • Setting up cattle for next phase

26. The difference between a rut and a grave is only the depth. Ronald L. Miller