We have been blessed with extraordinarily high cattle prices over the last 2 years as the cow herd has continued to contract. These high prices have not been isolated to feeder calves and fat cattle; cull cows and bulls have hit record highs in the past year. With these prices, no excuses should be made for low producing, high maintenance, or poor tempered cows as we go into the fall. As you trade in your trouble cows for younger females be sure to use all the tools at hand to INVEST in the most profitable females that can help move your herd forward.
Heterosis; “the improved performance of crossbred offspring compared to that of their purebred parents.” In simple terms; 1 + 1 = 3. The idea of “heterosis” or “hybrid vigor” has been around since the early 1900’s; yet current NCBA surveys show that less the 45% of the commercial cow herd is made up of crossbred cows. While it may not be the “sexiest” technology out there, it’s one that has been shown to work consistently.
University of Nebraska (Gregory, Cundiff 1999) research showed highly heritable traits like weaning weights tend to be less affected by heterosis, roughly 4% (20 extra lbs. on a 500 lb. calf). Lowly heritable traits (fertility and longevity) are where heterosis really takes off. Crossbred cows have been shown to have 25% or greater improvement in fertility, longevity, and health. This same research concluded that the average crossbred cow weans off one more calf in its lifetime than its purebred counterpart Considering the average cow in the U.S. weans 6 calves in her lifetime (disappointing I know), this extra calf has a huge impact. A little “cowboy math” breaks down these numbers.
HETEROSISAFFECT ON WEANING WEIGHT
*Assuming a 4% increas
*Heavier weight reflected in prices slide
N ew to the MBCC
Fall Bull & Female Sale
M5 Ag Services, LLC. will be assuming management of the fall sale.
Mark will remain heavliy involved but plans to spend more time traveling and enjoying “retirement” with Denise, their children, and grandchildren.
If you have questios about the fall sale please contact:
Chris Muegge : 317-460-6618
Jordan Muegge: 317-509-8712
John Hinton: 317-409-0404
m5agservicesllc@gmail.com
These are just the numbers that are easy to calculate. Other advantages that come with heterosis include increased calf vigor, feedlot performance, cow fertility, and health.
Moderate Frame/Low Input: According to (Lalman, 2019) continued selection for performance, milk, and growth has led increase in cow size; roughly 320 lbs. since 1980. While weaning weights (WW) have increased 50 lbs. between 1980 and 2006, WW’s have remained stagnant since.
Bigger cows do “tend” to produce a heavier calf at weaning; we also see a 20 – 30% increase in feed intake for a 1300 lb. cow compared to a 1600 lb. cow. Data suggests a 5-10% reduction in pregnancy rates for this jump. For every extra LB of milk produced, a cow consumes 0.4 lbs. more feed. Now let us look at the numbers.
An 8 lb. (9.4 lbs. AF) increase in dry matter consumption on 800 lb. round bales at $65 bale for a 150-day winter feeding period is roughly $115/cow x 100 cows $11,500. Now figure a 92% conception rate for moderate-framed 1300 lb. cows weaning off 500 lbs. at $3.75/lb. That’s $172,500 gross. Compared to a 1600 lb. cow at 87% conception weaning off 550 lbs. at $3.71. That’s $177,524 gross. The difference of $5,024 does not pay the $11,000 feed bill.
Moral of the story; moderate frame cows have lower input cost while allowing you to run more cows on the same acreage and increase longevity/fertility of your cow herd.
“Building a Forage Efficient Cow; The Continued Search for the Elusive Optimum Cow”
| Thursday October 23 | 7 PM |
Mark your calendar for OCTOBER 23rd. We will be hosting a webinar with Dr. David Lalman of Oklahoma State University. Dr. Lalman serves as the OSU Extension Program Coordinator & Supervisor for the Range Cow Research Center. His work centers around beef cattle nutrition, management & reproductive interactions.
His latest research looked at a multi-year study on the impact of cow size on calf production, fertility, efficiency, & maintenance cost We look forward to you joining us for an in depth look at cow profitability.
DNA Technology: DNA testing is rather new to the commercial industry but is quickly gaining adoption in beef herds. To this point, heifer selection has been limited to identifying structural correctness, docility, and dam/sire performance. While these are important to look at, we have been unable to predict what parental genes have actually passed down to the female. DNA testing accomplishes this while giving us a set of “EPD’s” on a 1-10 scale.
Pulling DNA is as simple as pulling a tissue sample from the ear with a special gun and vial at weaning or preweaning vaccinations and submitting the DNA to Neogen for an IgentityBeef® profile. This profile will give you a report back on Calving-Ease, Weaning and Yearling Weights, Carcass Quality, and several different indexes. For our operation we have chosen to select heifers based on high Maternal Index and Stayablity metrics. This focuses on a balance of milk production, growth, calving-ease, and stayability. For our 2025 heifers, a Heterosis test was added to see breed makeup in our commercial heifers trying to maximize hybrid vigor.
DNA is a quick way to take a get a snapshot of the genetic potential of your heifer crop. This allows to quickly cut out heifers in the bottom end of your group. From their heifers can be sorted based on docility, feet, size, and structure. All commercial females going through the Fall Midwest Beef Cattle Consultants Bull and Female Sale will be DNA tested with IgentityBeef®
| Frey Family Farms | Crawfordsville, IN |
Frey Family Farms is a row crop, cow-calf, and feedlot operation in Crawfordsville, IN. Primarily a corn, soybean and a swine operation, a small cow herd was maintained to take advantage of some of the rougher ground west central Indiana has to offer. When son, Jack, looked to come back to the farm after graduating college in 2014, he focused on growing the cattle herd diversify the operation.
In 2015 Jack began purchasing small groups of cows to build the herd. The majority of these cows were Angus-based coming from Illinois and Missouri. At the same time, a feedlot and backgrounding lot were renovated to handle larger groups. After hearing about the Midwest Beef Cattle Consultants online, Jack purchased his first balancer bull in the Spring 2020. The following spring the advantage of heterosis was seen quickly with the increased calf vigor at birth. At weaning, calves were heavier, in the feedlot calves outperformed past groups, and graded consistently better.
Since then, Jack has purchased 3 more MBCC bulls, while still running the first bull he purchased in 2020 (78G). This year he has calved out several heifers going back to 78G and continues to keep more back while growing the herd. The maternal advantage of Gelbvieh continues to stand out in the females, while steer calves demand a premium in the feedlot.
Today Frey Family Farm’s cow-calf herd has grown to 60+ cows with plans on continuing to expand. The Balancer
Why Composite Genetics:
The F1 generation from two purebred offspring may still be the gold standard for heterosis however, maintaining that heterosis to future offspring can be a challenge. This is where composite cattle take the cake.
One purebred cow crossed with a purebred bull of another breed results in the F1 crossbred animal, however when you breed that F1 animal back to a sire of either parental breed, the resulting offspring heavily favors one breed.
EXAMPLE:
50% Angus x 50% Hereford F1 Heifer bred to a Purebred Angus = 75% Angus x 25% Hereford Calf
In order to maintain the same level of heterosis as the F1 Generation, a third breed has to be introduced. This also means a third breeding group and complicated rotation of animals from season to season.
A composite animal consists of 2 or more breeds. A Balancer (Gelb X Angus) or SimAngus (Sim x Angus) are prime examples. Their advantage is sustained heterosis. When their offspring are bred back to another composite animal,
lbvieh x Angus Cow + 50:50 Angus x Simmental Bull = 25% x 25% x 50% Gelbvieh x Simmental x
That offspring bred back to a balancer 50% Angus) results in a 50% Angus x 37.5% Gelbvieh x 12.5%
ds, keeping our cows no more than 60% one breed is our goal. Utilizing Gelbvieh, Angus, and Simmental composite has helped to balance production with cow fertility and
Over $400/hd Additional Profit for Preconditioning Calves in 2025
Last year, for our fall newsletter I wrote that in over 35 years of analyzing the profitability of preconditioning calves, 2024 was the highest profit potential I had ever seen. The handwriting was on the wall for 2025 to be even better yet, and the overwhelming chance is that it will be. Compared to 2024, feed prices are down, and calf prices are up. Those two factors, along with improved health, are the main drivers of profitability when preconditioning calves.
Preconditioning means we are getting our calves ready for a healthy and productive life in the feedlot. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of sickness and death in feedlot calves, and preconditioning is all about preventing BRD. Vaccinations are a part of the equation and using a modified live vaccine that helps protect against the major viral causes of BRD – IBR-BVD-PI3-BRSV – along with the major bacterial cause – Mannheimiahaemolyticawould be considered by most veterinarians as ‘core’ vaccinations. Ask your herd health veterinarian about Titanium 5. It is very easy on calves and works well.
Deworming with an injectable and/or oral product is also critical, as these young calves are almost sure to carry a significant worm burden. A pour-on for fly control is also recommended.
Calves need to be castrated and dehorned before marketing. Both procedures should have been done soon after birth. If this did not happen, be sure these surgeries are done at least 3 weeks before weaning. As with all health recommendations, talk to your herd health veterinarian.
The other critical step is weaning the calves on your farm and starting them on feed. Weaning day is the most stressful day of the calf’s life. Don’t compound the stress by shipping calves the same day. (Don’t stop reading now if you generally ship calves the day you wean. There are some tips upcoming.) Preconditioned calves also know how to eat from a bunk and drink from a water tank.
Please contact your nutritionist, feed supplier, extension educator, or veterinarian to help develop a preconditioning ration for your calves well ahead of weaning. Chris and I (Mark) are also available to help formulate rations for you. If you have only a handful of calves and don’t have any mixing equipment, you can still do this. Nearly every feed supplier has a preconditioning feed that you can buy in bags. If you have a large group of calves, purchasing commodities like DDGs and soyhulls to build a ration may make sense.
Chris said that wheat mids are currently at a very competitive price. Mids are the base in many complete, pelleted rations made by the feed companies, and these convenient products that you feed with hay may be cheaper than a ration of DDGs, soyhulls, etc. Call your nutrition company to check prices.
MBCC FALL SALE CONTACTS
CHRIS MUEGGE
317-460-6618
JORDAN MUEGGE
317-509-8712
JOHN HINTON
317-409-0404
DR. MARK HILTON
765-714-1092
Are you ready to trade in your mature bull?
If it is time to trade in your mature bull, be sure to give MBCC a call. We breed, select, and develop our bulls for the long haul. It is not uncommon for customers to call and tell us how well their 7 or 8year-old bull looks.
If you are keeping back heifers, having a bull around this long can be a challenge. We continue to have customers looking for proven mature bulls to use in larger herds, if your 4–6-year-old MBCC bull passes a BSE, Trich test, is in good condition with solid feed and structure, he can be consigned to our Spring or Fall sale.
Over the last 3 sales we have had mature bulls bring more than what the customer originally paid for him as a yearling. Call us if you have any interest.
And we can’t forget the ladies! Demand for MBCC sired females continues to grow. If you would like to consign heifers in the fall of 2026, please let us know.
The base of nearly every PC ration is high-quality grass or grass-legume hay. The day before weaning, the calf’s diet is a small amount of milk and a lot of grass. Don’t confuse the calf’s rumen bacteria and protozoa (bugs), and feed a high corn (starch) ration. I know corn is cheap, but we need to feed little to no corn the first week or two after weaning. Please do not guess at a ration. You have trusted advisors who are there to help you.
The price prediction for 550# feeder calves is $310.50/cwt for September-October. That is a value of $1707.75/calf, and I have talked to numerous producers who have said, “Why would I take any chance preconditioning when I can get that for a weaned calf and have essentially no work in it?” I get it. I believe the following calculations will help explain the risks and rewards of preconditioning calves in 2025.
I formulated a ration of high-quality grass hay, DDGs, soyhulls, and a vitamin-mineral mix with Rumensin for a producer recently, and the feed cost of gain was $0.53/pound of gain. Last year it was $0.65/pound. The weight gain alone gives the owner a return to his labor and management of $292/calf!
Preconditioned calves shrink about 3 % from farm to auction market, while unweaned calves shrink about 7%. This added another $61 of profit. I made a very conservative estimate for the health price advantage (preconditioning bonus) of $8.00/cwt because I anticipate that every producer that reads this will PC their calves, and the price/cwt will decrease slightly due to supply and demand The $8/cwt. bonus adds an additional $56 of profit. All calves destined for the feedlot should receive a medium-dose implant like Component TE-G. This will add an additional $42.
When we combine weight gain, less shrink, a price advantage, and the value of an implant, the total return to labor and management is $451/calf. The ration I formulated is for a herd that will be selling 70 head of calves this fall, and they should add an additional $31,570 to their beef business. (In fact, they will precondition for 90 days instead of 60 and make even more profit.)
Let’s look at some potential hurdles to preconditioning your calves.
1. I don’t have bunks to feed the calves. This is the year to invest in some bunks. Talk to producers who already have bunks and purchase good ones. Some cheap ones out there don’t last.
2. My fence will not keep cows and calves apart at weaning. Look into using a nose flap to use the “Quiet Wean” method. Our herd owners who use flaps leave them in for only 5 days. Remove them on day 5 and put the cows on one side of a 1-2 wire electric fence and the calves on the other. No bawling and pacing the fence.
3. My feeder auction does not have a special preconditioned sale. Call the owner to see if you can help organize a few PC sales during the fall/winter. Call buyers in your area and let them know about your PC calves Even better yet, call us and let us know about your calves you will be selling. We have a list of feeders that want to buy calves sire by MBCC bulls
Preconditioning calves in 2025 is as close to a no-brainer as I have ever seen in my career. It is a “triple win” strategy. Better health and welfare for the calf, improved profit for the owner and feeder, and superior product for the consumer.
If you always precondition your calves, congratulations on producing a high-health calf for the feeder and getting rewarded for doing so. If you preconditioned calves in the past but stopped for some reason, this is the year to resume the process. If you have never preconditioned calves, call your herd health veterinarian to set up a vaccination program specific for your calves Also, contact your feed supplier, nutritionist, extension educator or herd health veterinarian to formulate a ration. Also remember that Chris and I are here to help you with any health and nutrition questions. We want your beef business to be a tremendous success!
What are you really getting for your calves?
I (Chris) visited with a few of our cow-calf customers. With weaning just around the corner, I was curious about their marketing strategy. With several farmer-feeders in the area, I was surprised to hear that they were planning on hauling these calves over 100 miles away to a livestock auction where they could get 10 – 15 cent premiums. First and foremost; I work with cow-calf producers, stockers, feeders, livestock auctions, and video marketing groups. We need all of them at a competitive level to maximize profit in our beef business. This article is not to favor one or the other but is to shed light on some of the hidden costs that can be associated with marketing cattle. I often hear of premiums that when commission and shrink are applied, the local buyers come in at an advantage. Vice versa, I work with feeders whose bid can be substantially under a livestock auction. To start, here are a few of the pros and cons of each option.
Private Treaty
Pros: Local sale, ability to get feedback on performance, building a relationship for future groups, minimal to no shipping costs, can take smaller groups
Cons: Reduced competition/bids, will often buy on a shrunk weight, may have limitations on number, size, sex etc.
Livestock Auction
Pros: Several bidders, can take multiple group sizes and sex, less based on performance of calves, may have value-added specialty sales, base prices off a larger region
Cons: limited to what they are bidding that day at that location, industry trends (black hide vs red), transportation fees and commission, no feedback on performance
Video Market
Pros: Exposed to large number of bidders, exposure to better regional market, representative working to sell your cattle, feedback on performance
Cons: limited to truckload lots, will want sex sorted, commission, shrink, and delayed pickup.
For example, let’s take a look at 600 lb. calves that have been weaned and backgrounded. Mark has already discussed the advantage of this. I’ll compare selling them through a livestock auction 50 miles away, a local feeder, and on online video market. The following table gives you a breakdown of different bids based on a local feeder, sale barn, and video auction and the fees associated with each option. I started with bids I am hearing from each option in our region. Sale barn commissions vary greatly, I see anything from a 3% - 7% commission to a $25 - $50 flat fee at livestock barns. I used a conservative number of $30/hd. I did not include any overnight fees or beef checkoff dollars.
As you can see, we started with a $0.25/LB spread between marketing options. By the time fees, expenses, and commissions were deducted, this spread was almost cut in half. We are fortunate as producers to have several options to market our cattle unlike other species of livestock, but we still need to be proactive. Have a marketing strategy in place before weaning. Have a local feeder or auction buyer come to look at your calves in the summer. Ask them what they are looking for when buying calves. Be sure to call us before selling your cattle. We have feeders looking for calves from MBCC genetics that we can connect you with.
Ifyouareplanning to AIcowsthisfallorspring,besuretostockuponMBCCSemen.Semenwillbe available on saleday, November 8th
MBCC Reward 4F – Balancer - top 2% calving ease, 10% marbling, 10% stayability and 15% $Cow. Makes low maintenance females.
MBCC No Risk 8F – Balancer - tremendous growth and marbling sire. Top 5% YW, 4% marbling, 1% Feeder Profit Index. Bulls have been top sellers.
MBCC Maverick 25J – Balancer - high selling bull in spring 2022 sale. Tremendous combination of growth, marbling, and moderate frame. Daughters will be fertile and low maintenance.
MBCC Edey 55L – High percentage Gelbvieh – Top 10% WW and YW, Top 15% MARB, Top 2% $COW, FPI and STAY. Super performance numbers in a moderate frame with the ability to make great daughters.
MBCC Red Oak 43M – Red Balancer- top 25% WW and YW, Top 15% MARB and $COW, Top 10% FPI and STAY. Extremely balanced all around bull
MUEG Sparticus Time 38M – Red Balancer - Heifer safe, Top 45% YW and WW, Top 35% MARB and FPI, Top 1% STAY and $COW. Outstanding maternal bull with adequate growth.
MAGA Tehama-Lean 32M – Calving ease Balancer- Top 20% or better CED, WW, YW, STAY, CW, MARB, $COW and FPI. About as complete as it gets to improve any type of cow.
MSCM Tahoe E118 52K – Calving ease Balancer – Top 40% WW and YW, Top 25% CED and MARB, Top 15% or better FPI, STAY, $COW. Another complete package Tahoe son topping the 2023 Sale
“FARM TO FORK AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN”
Looking to improve, expand, or start a butcher beef business? This year we will be joined by 3 panelists representing the farm to table, beef processing, and retail front sectors of the butcher beef business. Take the opportunity to hear from their first-hand experience and ask questions to get a jump start with your butcher beef business.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8th at 10 AM; MIDWEST BEEF CATTLE CONSULTANT’S FALL BULL & FEMALE SALE AND SEMINAR.
9:00 AM: BARN IS OPEN FOR VIEWING 10:30 AM: “FARM TO FORK AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN” 12:00 PM: LUNCH SERVED
1:00 PM: SALE BEGINS; BULLS FOLLOWED BY FEMALES
***LOAD OUT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SALE | ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME*** SALE LOCATION
M5 FAMILY FARMS
3824 S BINFORD RD CARTHAGE, IN 46115
Please join us on Wednesday, November 5th at 7 PM. We will be hosting an online walk through of the bulls and females that will be offered in the MBCC Fall sale that weekend. We will go through EPD’s and numbers of each animal. This will be a great opportunity to narrow down your selection or ask questions if you cannot make the sale
