-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Loneragan, et al (2003) – unpublished data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