Limousin365 July 2022 | Page 56

More Pounds More Profit

Add Value To Weaned Calves

by Mark Z . Johnson Oklahoma State University Extension
Master BRUN Onyx 3873G ( pictured ) BW WW YW MK SC DC RE MB $ MI
P . DB . PB EPD 2.1 89 144 20 1.25 9 1.73 -. 26 54
S : R & R Beefmaker 116D Rank 70 1 1 75 4 80 1 80 20
D : Lady BRUN 2459A Semen Available Through Cattle Visions
P . B . PB S : R & R Beefmaker 116D
D : Lady BRUN 3014D
HP . HB . PB S : CELL Envision 7023E
D : Lady BRUN 2492A
P . B . PB S : CELL Envision 7023E
D : Lady BRUN 3181D
P . B . PB S : CELL Envision 7023E
D : Lady BRUN 2298Z
Master BRUN Hallelujah 4048H
BW
WW
YW
MK
SC
DC
RE
MB
$ MI
EPD
1.5
93
150
26
1.8
12
1.53
-. 22
56
Rank
55
10
15
15
1
65
1
70
10
Master BRUN Gunrunner 4334J
BW
WW
YW
MK
SC
DC
RE
MB
$ MI
EPD
2.8
96
152
23
1.8
18
1.09
0.13
68
Rank
85
1
1
40
1
3
55
3
1
Master BRUN Otis 4311J
BW
WW
YW
MK
SC
DC
RE
MB
$ MI
EPD
-0.5
90
142
23
1.8
20
1.34
0.0
61
Rank
20
1
1
40
1
1
10
10
2
Master BRUN Dilligaf 4308J
BW
WW
YW
MK
SC
DC
RE
MB
$ MI
EPD
4.7
100
161
22
1.6
19
0.96
0.01
64
Rank
95
1
1
35
3
1
35
65
20
Semen $ 25 / Unit on All Bulls , Min . Order 5 Units , Contact Owners
“ We didn ’ t come to take part , we came to take over ”

BRUNER

LIMOUSIN E . JOHN BRUNER & FAMILY 605.482.8202 ( o ) 22289 442nd Ave . • Winfred , SD 57076 brunerlimousin @ yahoo . com

Added value can be captured through marketing preconditioned weaned calves or retained ownership past weaning . Along with weaning at least 45 days , preconditioning includes several practices that add value to cattle for the buyer and seller . Beyond this , additional weight gain can be added by growth implants , adding further value to your calves .

Bovine respiratory disease is the biggest issue for stocker operators and feedlots . Fully vaccinated and preconditioned calves have been shown to have reduced sick pulls in the receiving pens by 90 % and decrease chronics by more than 70 %.
Castrated steers bring $ 5-10 / cwt . more than bulls , and as they get bigger discounts for bulls increase . Intact bull calves are 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to get sick , and total gain during receiving is reduced , affecting total performance for the entire ownership period .
Dehorning adds value to horned cattle . Often discounts for horned cattle can match or exceed discounts for bull calves .
Discounts for horned bulls can reach up to $ 25 / cwt compared to dehorned or polled steer calves .
Implants can increase gains by 10 to 20 %. For the cost of $ 2 or less , the 18 pounds of added weight at sale can be worth over $ 25 .
Producers often think they can leave bull calves intact and increase weaning weights due to natural testosterone . Testosterone production is very low until puberty , so weaning weights are not heavier for intact bulls compared to steers . Weaning weights of implanted steers is often much heavier than intact bull calves .
Requirements to enroll calves in the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network marketing program are as follows . Many states have similar programs with similar requirements .
All calves must be :
• Raised from the ranch of origin
• Bull calves must be castrated and healed
• Dehorned and healed
• Weaned a minimum of 45 days
• Vaccinated with 2 doses of a 5-way respiratory vaccine
• Vaccinated with 2 doses of at least a 7-way clostridial vaccine ( blackleg )
• Vaccinated with 1 dose of Pasteurella / Haemolytica ( shipping fever )
• Identified with an OQBN program ear tag
• Must follow one of three vaccination protocols
• Producers must be Beef Quality Assurance ( BQA ) certified
• Third-party verified by OSU Extension personnel
For spring calving herds , now is the time to castrate , dehorn , implant and get the first round vaccinations into calves when they are two to four months of age . The second round of vaccinations can be given at , or prior to , weaning . Act now to add value at weaning and beyond .
54 • JULY 2022