Weaning Marketing Options

Weaning Marketing Options

Often when examining a ranch's bottomline, producers focus on the expense side of things and look for ways to reduce costs, Performix Nutrition Systems Animal Nutritional Consultant Dr. Boone Carter says ranchers should consider the income side of the equation at weaning time.

Carter: "By managing our calves differently after weaning, there is an opportunity to background calves and keeping them for 45 days versus selling them off the cow. It does involved some risk of losing calves during the weaning process but the numbers would say keeping your calves for 45 days past weaning probably earns you about $50 in the current market. Part of that is from increased premiums that buyers are willing to pay for weaned calves. Then part of that is for the increased gain that the calf gets you get to keep because you own the calf when he is gaining. There are opportunities there for people to think about ways that they can improve the income side of the equation."

Carter concludes

Carter: "Keeping your calves and backgrounding them for at least 45 days is better for the producer, it is better for the feedlot and ultimately it is better for the calf as well."

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