Kentucky Beef Network

from Cow Country News - July 2022

by The Kentucky Cattlemen's Association

NCBA Legislative Update

What are we learning from PVAP-Precondition?

Kevin Laurent Extension Specialist, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky

Above Average Returns vs Below Average Returns

PVAP-Precondition 2019-22, Data from 33 closeouts

Number of Head Days Fed Wean Weight Wean Value Feeding Program Gain Sale Weight Sale Value ADG Feed $/ton Feed COG Net $/Head

Above Avg 298 74 514 $140.86 10.7 lb 14.9% 191 704 $140.53 2.58 $236 $0.62 $119.42

Below Avg 479 67 484 $138.99 10.5 lb 14.0% 141 626 $135.68 2.12 $228 $0.68 $58.67

Average 777 70 497 $139.78 10.6 lb 14.4% 162 659 $137.74 2.32 $232 $0.66 $84.44

The Post Weaning Value-Added Program (PVAP)-Precondition was started in 2019 to encourage cow-calf producers to wean and precondition calves prior to marketing. This program targets producers who traditionally sell bawling, un-weaned calves and walks them through the management process of preconditioning calves. Participants are required to weigh the calves at weaning, record all feed and health expenses, sell in a featured preconditioned sale, and provide a copy of their sale check stub. Upon submission of these records, a one-page closeout is calculated that analyzes the estimated returns to the preconditioning enterprise. After completion of the program, participants receive an incentive payment of $50/head, up to a maximum of $1000. Producers may participate a second time in the program and are eligible for a $500 maximum incentive payment. This program is funded by the Ag Development Fund as part of a grant to the KY Beef Network. Summary data for the 33 closeouts from 27 producers who have participated in PVAP-Precondition since its inception are in the table above. Net added returns above preconditioning expenses ranged from $24.64 to $158.16 per head with an average return of $84.44 per head on 777 calves. Average net returns from the top 14 closeouts averaged $119.42 per head, while the 19 below average closeouts averaged $58.67 per head. Average daily gain (ADG), total weight gain, and days fed were all higher for the above average group, and although feed price per ton was slightly higher, feed cost of gain (COG) was lower due to higher performance. Yet another difference between the above and below average groups was the wean value/sale value price ratio or discount. Above average closeouts had a -$0.33/cwt discount, whereas the below average group had a -$3.31 cwt discount. This relationship of wean/sale value combined with the overall price being slightly higher, made the value of gain more favorable for the above average group. So, what have we learned? Although market conditions can always derail the best laid plans, the best hedge against market swings from a feeding standpoint is weight gain. Anything we can do prior to and at weaning to promote feed intake and weight gain should pay dividends. Some of these strategies are as follows: 1. Castrate calves early in life, not at weaning. This will avoid weight gain depression which can last up to 3 weeks in late castrated calves. 2. Familiarize calves to dry feed prior to weaning. This can simply be pouring out

feed on the ground in the pasture several times, a week or two before weaning. 3. Feed good quality soft, leafy square hay or unroll quality hay for calves the first week post weaning. Second cutting orchard grass is ideal for this transition period. 4. Feed at least 2% of bodyweight of a 1416% protein concentrate. It usually takes a 500 lb. calf a week or so to get to 10 lbs of intake post weaning. Remember to increase this level of concentrate as the calf grows. That means a calf gaining 2.5 lbs. per day will need to receive about 12 lbs of concentrate 30-40 days into the preconditioning period. 5. Feed for at least 60 days. Most preconditioned programs require a 60-day weaning period and more days on feed takes advantage of the feed efficiency of young calves. 6. Lastly, work with your sale barn and make sure they have a program to feature weaned preconditioned calves.

Don’t just show up on regular sale day with small group of preconditioned calves and expect favorable results. For more information on the PVAPPrecondition Program, contact your local county Extension agent or KBN facilitator.

Eden Shale Update

Dan Miller Industry Coordinator, Kentucky Beef Network

This year during the month of June we continued our work with the heifers in the paddocks. As you recall, our replacement heifers are part of a two year trial that is taking place in partnership with USDA and UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. We are working with Brittany Harlow (USDA-ARS) and Dr. Les Anderson (UK Animal Science) to manage the project. The purpose of this trial is to determine if pulverized clover, fed in free choice mineral, can have a positive impact on the heat stress in cattle due to toxic fescue. This study will take into consideration heat stress of the animals, hair coat and body condition scores, pregnancy rates, and average daily gains. The heifers have also been tagged with Cow Manager ear tags which will collect data about the animals, such as how much time is spent grazing, herd activity, and body temperature. Readers have been placed on the shade structures which capture the data when the heifers get within 110 feet, then shoot it to a laptop receiver which is located in an upstairs window of the farm house facing the paddocks. Not only does this collect tons of data, but Harlow and Anderson can watch the data in real time on their smart phones. It is certainly a powerful tool for accurate data collection. Per usual, the heifers were synchronized and exposed to one round of AI. The heifers were bred the first round of AI on May 20th. For this first breeding, the heifers were bred using semen that was sexed with 80% steer and 20% heifer semen. Then 19 days later Dr. Anderson pregnancy checked the heifers and anything that was open received another CIDR to be resynchronized for a second round of AI service. The second round of AI occurred on June 20th. Every trip through the chute the heifers get weighted, body condition scored, hair coat scored, blood sample collected, and ultra sounded for blood vessel dilation (effects of toxic fescue). After pre-breeding shots and two rounds of AI synchronization and breeding, these heifers have been through the chute more times at 18 months old than most cows will do in a lifetime. Brittan Harlow and Tracy Hamilton (USDA-ARS) are also measuring mineral intake every week, and conducting vegetation counts in all the paddocks for each group of heifers. There are two control groups that are not on the clover mineral and two treatment groups that are on the clover mineral. The heifers will be pregnancy checked at the end of the breeding season to determine conception rates, and all the data will be analyzed to determine if the clover had an effect on reducing heat stress in the animals. This is the second year conducting this study to collect more iterations of data. As the two year project wraps up I will share the findings in future articles. Until then, you can follow along at www. edenshalefarm.com

Ben Lloyd

Whitesville, KY (270) 993-1074 benlloyd0223@gmail.com