-Preconditioning Calves –Making Calves Make More $$$
Twig Marston Ph.D.
Extension Beef Specialist
Role of a Consultant
A consultant is one who looks at your watch and tells you what time it is.
Harry LaToush
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
Making Decisions
• Know the Rules• Interrupt the Situation• Make an Educated
Decision
Define a Preconditioning Program
• Nutrition
• Health
• Behavior
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
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
Simple Starting Ration
• Long stem grass hay – ad libitum
• Concentrate - .5 to .75% of Body Weight– Highly Palatable– Nutrient Rich– Properly Balanced– Additive Carrier
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
Loneragan, et al (2003) – unpublished data
7,200,000 x (8 + 34)/2 = 151,200,000 lb x .10 = 15,120,000 lb/yr
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
What You Need to Know to Decide What to Do
• Purchase Price
• Production (i.e. ADG, death loss)
• Costs
• Selling Price
Two Sides of Preconditioning
• Cow-calf
• Cattle Feeder
• Partial Budget
• Compare Additional Returns & Costs
• Annual Cow Cost is Immaterial
Cow/calf Perspective
• Cost – avg. about $15 to 25/head
• Benefit – Minimum of $3 to 5/cwt Premium
• Marketing – Marketing – Marketing
Rewards
More Rewards
Not All Weight Gain is $ Gain
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
Alliances & New Adventures
• Expanding over different segments of the industry– Preconditioning– Reducing stress– Setting up cattle for next phase
The difference between a rut and a grave is only the depth.
Ronald L. Miller
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