Feeder Calf Marketing
Earn $ 25 or More per head from Preconditioning
By Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
After a string of high prices for calves and feeder cattle , margins are being slashed as cattle supplies increase and feed yards recover from wrecks that cost them $ 400 to $ 600 per head in losses . But with a powerful preconditioning program in place , ranchers can see their calves at the top of the market and worth an extra $ 25 or more per head . 1 , 2
“ A good preconditioned calf is very valuable to the buyer ,” said Dr . Jerry Woodruff , professional services veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica , Inc . ( BIVI ). “ And , as the supply of feeder cattle gets more plentiful with more cow numbers , those calves that have gone through a preconditioning program will be the ones preferred by the buyers .”
The proper preconditioning program should involve quality forage and / or supplemental feed and nutrients and constant access to clean fresh water . It should also include a vaccination program that protects calves against respiratory , digestive and other diseases that attack the immune system , and dewormer program designed to control the types of internal and external parasites that may harm your calves .
Vaccinations start early
The vaccination program starts with making sure cows and heifers are vaccinated 30 to 60 days before breeding to provide protection against common pathogens that contribute to both reproductive and respiratory disease such as bovine viral diarrhea ( BVD ) and other diseases . A pre-breeding vaccination program will better enable the mother to provide the calf with colostrum fortified with protection against diseases the calf may encounter once it hits the ground .
Calf vaccinations should include a clostridial and modified live virus ( MLV ) vaccine at turnout or branding time . “ If we start a MLV program in a young calf , when it ’ s 30 to 60 days old , we can help ‘ start ’ its immune process in preventing BVD Type 1a and 1b , BVD Type 2 and other viral and bacterial respiratory diseases ,” Woodruff said .
In fact , research shows that calves vaccinated with a fiveway MLV plus Mannheimia haemolytica combination product at 62 days old ( branding ) have higher BVD Type
1a antibody levels and greater cell-mediated immunity than those that were first vaccinated at 188 days of age . 3
Different ranches will have different vaccination periods . But a sample calf health protocol is :
• 30 – 90 days ( branding ) – Viral-bacterial combination respiratory vaccine , clostridial vaccine
• 120 – 190 days ( preconditioning / weaning ) – Booster respiratory and clostridial vaccine
Dr . John Davidson , BIVI professional services veterinarian , said cow-calf producers should work with their veterinarian to understand the diseases that threaten the health and performance of their cattle . “ Selecting the proper vaccine product , route of administration and timing are all critical to fully realize the health benefit of a preconditioning program ,” Davidson said . “ Knowledge of the benefits of and limitations of certain vaccines and their routes of administration are essential to achieve the best results .”
Dr . Ted McCollum , Texas A & M University AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist , said preconditioning is the key to a value added calf ( VAC ) program . “ There is value that can be realized by preconditioning calves , but the value depends on the type of preconditioning program that is used .”
In a VAC 24 program , calves are vaccinated while they are on the cow , McCollum said , and for VAC 34 , calves are vaccinated before weaning and at weaning when they are sold .
“ The VAC 45 is the full vaccination program in which calves receive the vaccinations and are held on the ranch 45 days . According to Superior Livestock Auction and other large sales , calves that demand the greatest premiums are those in the VAC 45 program .”
Market Ready™ Quality Feeder Calf Program
With the call for more verification that cattle have been vaccinated in a full preconditioning program , BIVI has developed the MARKET READY Quality Feeder Calf Program . “ The program is a hands-on preconditioning program that provides documentation of vaccinations and other animal health and nutrition programs to buyers
30 | AUGUST 2017