PROGRESSIVE PRODUCER
WHEN DROUGHT PERSISTS SHOULD YOU FEED THEM OR SELL? AND WHEN? by Josh Davy, Ph.D., Jeff Stackhouse, Ph.D., and Larry Forero, Ph.D., farm and natural resource advisors; and Jim Oltjen; Ph.D., beef specialist, University of California Cooperative Extension cull cow price? Be mindful, however, the biggest trick to Many ranches have a general plan that can be implemented when drought occurs. In the last two years this question is what feed the cull cows will be on, at what some of these plans have not been an option. Rice straw cost, and how much weight they will lose; all left out of and other low-cost feed supplements become unavailable or this hypothetical math. When applying the math, figuring cost prohibitive as drought continues, and growing forage it out in the context of local feed/forage sources is critical. is a lost option. The severe drought decision always boils For the sake of this exercise, consider this hypothetical down to: “Feed them or sell them?” Feeding cows preserves example: the genetic base and maintains body condition score (BCS), Low yield culls and high yield culls were separated into but can you afford to keep them? Any cattle kept must be two groups. These two groups are normally separated fed amply to maintain body condition, as this is the most in price received, with the higher yielding (fatter) cows important factor in reproductive success (Figure 1). To put receiving a higher price. The low yield cows were figured to this in perspective remember that reproductive success is 10 be a Body condition score (BCS) of 3 and 4 and the high times more economically important than carcass quality and yielding cow was considered a BCS of 5. Each BCS 5 times more important than growth. Figure 1 clearly demonstrates the importance of body ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 condition score needing to be maintained at the level of five to ensure reproductive success. Photo guides FIGURE 1. Cow body condition scores and correlated pregnancy rates designed to determine BCS, although attempting to be helpful, can be hard to interpret and lead to confusion. The easiest way to check for adequate body condition is to look at the ribs. If the two back ribs are exposed, lacking cover, that cow falls into the bottom of a BCS of 5 and measures need to be considered to maintain that weight. If more than the last two ribs are visible, conception losses are likely. The next step is to assess what feeds are available, what the costs of those feeds are, and what logistics are required to get that feed to the cows (troughs, storage, and delivery to feed grain, etc.). Assuming that the form of feed and logistics are not a problem, they can be plugged into ration calculators to formulate a balanced diet at the least cost. Current commodity FIGURE 2. Gross per head received for cull cows at varying body prices were accessed and least cost rations were condition scores using average categorical prices calculated in a ration balancing program for both a dry and lactating cow. These figures are only valid for the day they are calculated but do provide some kind of current context. The lactating cow ration cost $8.55 a day to maintain her current weight. The dry cow ration cost $2.61 a day, again just for a maintenance ration. A calf on a lactating cow will gain roughly 2 lbs./ day. Even at a value exceeding $2/lb. the cost to feed a lactating cow is difficult to justify. Additionally, in the current market, 400 lb. steers are bringing $800950/ea. (less commission, yardage, freight, etc). The first logical step is to send the calves, but when does it make the most sense to ship them off the cow? The question is, does it pay to keep the calf on the cull cows to capture that $2/lb. calf gain while losing a few pounds off the cull cow at a $0.70 to $1.05/lbs. 30 California Cattleman October 2022