Central Texas cattlemen review advantages for monitoring fed cattle performance

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Dr. Davey Griffin talks to two of the participants who attended the Brazos Valley Cattleman's Clinic and Trade Show, which was held May 2 in Bryan. -- Photo by Mandy Spikes

May 15, 2003 -- Central Texas cattlemen got a chance to review the benefits and performance capabilities when feeding calves to a finished weight during a recent cattlemen's conference held in Bryan. The virtues of the Brazos Valley beef cattle feeding program were described during the Brazos Valley Cattleman's Clinic and Trade Show held May 2.

According to Jack Hunter, Brazos County agriculture Extension agent, a large number of producers who are in the cow/calf business, market their calves at weaning weight and never know anything from that point on about the performance of their calves.

"Without this information, producers don't know if they are producing the kind of cattle that are demanded in today's beef cattle industry. In most cases, each producer had only one or two calves in the program and from the beginning, we informed producers that a breeding program should not and cannot be based on the performance of only one calf. To make such an experience a more valuable one, a producer would need to feed more calves to get a greater feel of the overall performance capabilities of the cattle. At any rate, we thought feeding even one calf would offer information of value to the producer."

Hunter explained that from the beginning producers were asked to provide the program with calves born in Dec. 2001 or Jan. 2002. They wanted calves to be somewhat uniform in age and weight from the beginning. A real uniform set of calves were not given, but the program went with what they had.

"Those calves entered into the program were delivered to the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission Company auction barn on May 3, 2002 which was the date for the Brazos Valley Cattleman's Clinic and Trade Show last year. We used these calves as part of the program. The calves weighed from 255 to 670 pounds, which was a 415-pound difference. We placed a dollar value on the calves at that time and the value ranged from $.75 to $1.20 per pound, a $.45 difference. At that time we provided the calves with proper vaccinations. Calves were taken back home and put back to pasture with their mother.

"These calves were then weaned and delivered on July 25, 2002 to a location where we would background them for 45 days. On this date we gave them a booster shot of the proper vaccinations. Calves were weighed and weighed from 385 to 905 lbs., a 520-pound difference. They were provided with grass and feed for the next 40 days.

He stated that these calves were then delivered on September 13 to the Texas A&M University Beef Cattle Center where they were fed under feedlot conditions until they reached harvest weight. At the time the calves were delivered to the beef center, their weight ranged from 486 to 1056 lbs., a 570-pound difference.

"When we received the cattle that we were going to use at the center, it became an opportunity for the students to learn about cattle," explained Dr. Davey Griffin, associate professor and Extension meats specialist with Texas A&M University.

Griffin stated that it was exciting to have the animals using the feeding bunker at the station. "We had the feed in front of the cattle instead of feeding them two or three times a day. What we found that was really good was there no real illness with these cows."

While at the center, calves were provided full feed until harvest weight. He explained that the cattle were used for various programs, such as the Beef 706 program. "There were a group of cows used for the program, just on different days. With the different cattle, we were able to use the carcass data to find out information on these animals. We also took pictures so that we could use the various information for the future."

He said some cattle were low in weight so they left these cattle on the feedlot. "We had the opportunity to harvest cattle in the classroom setting. Some of the cattle grew very well and some never grew much.

"Overall, I think it was a good experience for the students to learn more about the cattle and the program, as well as work with the cattle."