Added value can be captured by marketing preconditioned weaned calves or retaining ownership past weaning. Along with weaning for 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 with 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 percent and decreased chronics by over 70 percent.
Castrated steers bring $5-10/cwt more than bulls, and as they get bigger, discounts for bulls increase. Intact bull calves are 1.5-2.5 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 percent. 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. The weaning weights of implanted steers are often much heavier than intact bull calves.
Requirements to enroll calves in the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) marketing program are as follows. All calves must be:
• Raised from the ranch of origin.
• Castrated and healed (for bull calves).
• Dehorned and healed.
• Weaned a minimum of 45 days.
• Vaccinated with two doses of a five-way respiratory vaccine.
• Vaccinated with two doses of at least a seven-way clostridial (blackleg) vaccine.
• Vaccinated with one dose of a pasteurella/haemolytica (shipping fever) vaccine.
• Identified with an OQBN program ear tag.
• Third-party verified by Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension personnel.
Additionally, they must follow one of three vaccination protocols (options found on health protocol sheet), and producers must be Beef Quality Assurance certified.
For spring calving herds, now is the time to castrate, dehorn, implant and get the first round of vaccinations into calves while they are 2-4 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. — Mark Z. Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle breeding specialist
