[00:00:02] Speaker A: Herd health cells, Genetic cell nutrition cells Uniformity cells capturing the most of those feeder calf dollars. Crew, let's ranch it up.
Good day everyone and thanks for riding with us on this all new episode of the Ranch it up radio show. I'm Jeff Tigger Earhart. A big thank you goes out to our partners the American Galvie Association Axiota Animal Health bringing us multi min and Lactopro Circle F farm sell listings on ranchchannel.com Imogene ingredients bringing us Farmitan Isa Beefmasters. Their sale is coming up fast. Saturday October 4th Jorgensen land and cattle livestockmarket.com equinemarket.com auctiontime.com Medora Boot and Western Wear ranchchannel.com RFD TV Superior Livestock Productions and Superior Livestock Auctions the Tri State Livestock News Top Dollar Angus Transova Genetics Westway Feed Products Wrangler Wolf Cattle and this fine radio station Cattle Battle.
Have you pulled the trigger and consigned your calves? Maybe, maybe not. Regardless and regardless of what the market is today, there are a number of factors that could potentially put dollars back into your pocket. But there is a lot to this program.
Genetics, herd health management, nutrition, uniformity of those calves, uniformity drives prices, relationships with buyers. This all comes into play. So let's deep dive into them all today with beef Technical services Veterinarian for Merck Animal Health, Dr. Tim Parks. Tim, it's great to have you back on the program with us. Let's start on the vaccination program.
[00:01:47] Speaker B: First on the pre wean vaccination program. The goal of any of the vaccines we apply is that we're preparing the immune system essentially for the next stage of production which is going to be weaning for us.
So hopefully we started as a at a branding age turnout calf with the respiratory viruses, BRD being a huge focus, we want to try to get on top bovine respiratory disease.
We know the animal is going to come in contact with the pathogens. If we can have them ready to fight it off now, we can lessen the severity and hopefully see better treatment responses. Or we can even just prevent it in general depending on the situation we're up against.
So the IBR, BVD type 1 and 2 PI3s, BRSV, the viruses that we associate with the entire BRD complex. Then we want to also focus on some of the bacteria that we know can play play a role in there. Manhymeia hemolytica, Pasturella multacida. So now at pre wean if we do those types of things at branding at pre weaning if we've done a good job at the branding time frame, we're going to get a nice amnestic or booster response which is really going to start to not only stimulate the immune system, but start to build antibodies and stimulate the other cells of the immune system. So when we come to weaning and we know we, we're going to have stress there, when we take that baby away from mom and away from milk, the stress occurs and we know that we co mingle them with other animals and all of a sudden it's the kindergarten, first day of kindergarten scenario that we're putting them into. So we're just trying to get them ready for that day.
[00:03:39] Speaker C: Sometimes there may be that temptation right now just to strip those calves off and ship them. Right? I mean to absolutely maximize every amount of profit that get that, I understand that, that mentality. But that can be a very, very, very dangerous position to put those calves in for the very reasons that you said.
So now when we actually look to have that conversation with one of your clients, doc, about the actual dollars invested in a vaccine and in an animal health program, let's compare that to actual data from, from superior livestock on calves that are on a particular program. I know you've got that data. I know you're a data guy like me and you like to look at that stuff and say numbers don't lie. This is what buyers have actually paid as a premium or maybe even bumped those calves based on an animal health management program.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: And that's the key. What you just said there in my mind is the animal health management program. It's not just the vaccines, it's yeah, we're going to vaccinate. We want to prepare them for the BRD pathogens and through the viruses and bacteria. We also want to vaccinate for clostridium. But then we want to look at deworming, make sure we have an animal that's been dewormed. Well, make sure we look at growth. I mean if we own the animal, we want to maximize dollars. Let's look at growth. If I own that animal, growth implants can benefit me and we can talk a little bit later.
But I mean we know that that doesn't have a negative impact on, on most sale day prices unless they're selling into a certain program that says we can't do that. But then the nutrition side comes into play. The key driver that we see is a combination of vaccines and cattle that have been weaned for 45 days on the farm because now we have an animal that's been prepared immunologically but also nutritionally knows what the feed bunk is, knows what the waterers are. So now it's able to come in. When it goes to a new location, it goes to a new management system.
They at least know what things to look for when we put them into those pens. So the whole animal management system is key.
That's what the buyers look at and that's when we start to see these premiums that they'll pay on them. The data out of superior and you alluded to Superior and some of that. We've worked with superior livestock in K state over the last several years to analyze their, their data on their calf sales. And when we get right down to what do we see when we think about just in general these things that drive value uniformity is a big one. If we can have calves that, that are just match up really well, that's going to be a big driver in our prices.
But when we look at the herd health protocols and those types of things back 45 protocols, basically what we see is somewhere in the ballpark in what we saw in 2024 was $8.46 a hundred premium over cattle that had not received anything.
So the buyers value that. They see it as being essentially the way to these cattle.
See those cattle being worth 50 bucks more because they know that the cattle that have been prepared when they do get sick, because some of them are going to get sick, hopefully they're going to respond better. Hopefully we are.
We don't lose as many animals to the disease processes when they hit.
And when we're talking about the cattle prices that we have right now and the upfront investment that we're putting into them, buyers want something that that's, they want something that's going to minimize their risk. And preconditioned cattle help do that kind.
[00:07:37] Speaker C: Of almost like an insurance program, you know something a little bit because like you said, the inputs that we have with you know, these six weight steers now that are, that are bringing 2500 up to, you know, 28, $2900. I never thought we'd be having this conversation, Tim, and we would be talking those dollar amounts, darn sure proud that we are. But when we're talking about that amount of walking money on four legs and if we even compare it to like you said, the 2024 data, when you're talking 50 bucks ahead and look at what your investment is in terms of just a fixed cost at that time of branding and Then again, at pre weaning, that's money in your pocket. I mean, that's literally like somebody standing there and saying, here, would you like a couple extra 20s per head? Would you like this?
[00:08:28] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:08:28] Speaker C: I mean, literally, that's what it is.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: It's exactly that. We're just adding value to it. But one thing I think I need to point out too, when we look at this Data set, that $50 is compared to the base animal. Because the way they analyze this data is each one of the things that we look at is individual.
So If I have $50, because I've got a vac 45 calf, and then I have cattle that are extremely uniform and we've done a good job with the uniformity in those calves, we can add more value based just strictly on the uniformity that we can see associated with it. And when we look at weight variation, there was about $25 price differential between cattle that were extremely even and cattle that were uneven.
So now take extremely even VAC 45 cattle.
Now we're talking about $75. And when we get into these VAC 45 cattle, these kind of higher health managed herds, uniformity does come into play. We don't see as many horns. Horns. The lack of horns adds about $18.
So you can start to see that these things start to add up because each one of these traits we look at individually.
So there's some additive things that we see associated with it. And it's just as we see these preconditioned cattle, those cattle just, they're managed in a different manner. And the buyers see that and see the value, not to mention 45 days weaned. Hopefully we're going to see some gain, pound and a half to two pounds a day through that weaning process. We're selling more weight at the end of the as well. So a lot of things that come into play that add value for the buyer, but just increase the profitability for the person selling.
[00:10:23] Speaker A: We have more with Dr. Tim Parks coming up. After the break, we head down the road of genetics, nutrition and buyer relations for those feeder calves. Y' all will love it. You're listening to the Ranch it Up radio show with Tigger and Beck. And we'll be back right after this.
Don't miss the 4th Annual Jorgensen Landon Cattle Angus Motherload Sales. Saturday, November 22nd.
[00:10:45] Speaker C: Ideal, South Dakota.
[00:10:47] Speaker A: For the first time, selling select bulls, plus maternally Angus females backed by 10 plus generations of proven genetics.
[email protected] and jorgensonfarms.com the motherload sale the source for maternal Angus genetics Ranch channel.com.
[00:11:04] Speaker D: Bull Sales Western Events product information right at your fingertips on the ultimate cowboy friendly platform. Want to follow up to date markets ranch channel.com no need to dig for information on all these different websites. It's all right there on ranch channel.com.
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Beefmasters largest one brand sale is here proudly brought to you by the fourth and fifth generations of the very family that founded the Beefmaster breed. Isa Beefmasters join the Lassiter family Saturday October 4th at the Producers Livestock Auction in San Angelo, Texas for the 64th annual ISA Beefmaster Bull Sale. Request the catalog, watch bull videos and find all the sale details now@ranch channel.com Isa Beefmasters where tradition meets performance at the largest one brand Beefmaster bull sale lives.
[00:11:50] Speaker D: We hear from the
[email protected] every week. Bulls, cows, bred heifers open to replacement heifers, cow calf pairs, feeders and stockers, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, showstock, hay and straw and even alpacas all listed on livestockmarket.com.
[00:12:06] Speaker A: Welcome back to the Ranch it up radio show. The most information packed into a 30 minute program that you can find. It's your All Things Ranching newscast. And so glad to be with you. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, rants, it doesn't matter. You can call or text. That number is 707-Ranch 20. That's 707-726-2420. Our email is ranchitupshowmail.com and prowling around social media. RanchitupHow back with Dr. Tim Parks, a beef technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health.
[00:12:39] Speaker C: And we're not just talking a vaccination program now. We're actually dancing with everything right here. We're talking about genetics, we're talking about bull selection, we're talking about knowing what your cow herd is.
Uh, hence I believe in genomically testing your females to find out exactly what they need. Uhm, we're talking about nutrition. I mean we're talking about the whole thing because you're really pushing very hard on the uniformity of those calves.
[00:13:07] Speaker A: I agree with you a hundred percent.
[00:13:08] Speaker C: I come from a cow buying family, a cattle buying family, know exactly what that's like. So when you start putting all of these factors together and, and even the VAC 45 program, just the animal health management side of it, you know, that's only one leg of that three legged stool or one leg of maybe that five legged stool that we're talking about. Of all of these different practices that you said can come back and add value, AKA profit back into my pocket.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: Yeah. One thing I really focus on and try to stress is I go back to, you brought up genomics and that stuff. I go back to the genetic side of it. And, and when we think about the cow calf producer, the cow calf producers making those, those bull selections, they, they have, they have established the, the genetics in their, in their cowherd. When we have that mating take place and we, we have that pregnancy occur, we have established a genetic endpoint for the most part that that calf has the potential to reach.
So when we think about all these animal health programs, herd health programs, nutrition, deworming, all these things, when we put it all together, ultimately our goal is let's do what we can to get that animal to its genetic endpoint so it's created at the cow calf level. So with that being said, there is a lot of temptation that man, these cattle are worth so much. There's risk in weaning.
We know that there can be some things that take place. We have to treat cattle during the weaning process.
They're worth a lot of money. Let's just sell them right off. Well, all we're doing is moving that risk down to the next person.
And as we understand that they have, that person's looking at it from that side of it as well. If that calf's been weaned seven days, they're going to look at that completely different than a calf that maybe just came right off the cow or a calf that's been weaned 45 days. Because they, they know how those animals might respond to them. So, you know, I spent a lot of time in the cow calf sector and I hope that that is cow calf people.
We have a vested interest in the pregnancy we created and the genetic potential we created and how that thing performs as it goes through the production cycles. And I think that information may not come back on a piece of paper, but it'll come back when the buyer says, hey, when are you selling your calves again? Because they know what those calves can do because of the way they were managed. So ultimately for me that's, that would be the goal. We have cattle that just are ready to move through or ready to perform. And everybody, everybody's working together and everybody's seeing the value of it.
[00:15:51] Speaker C: But how important is this to get to know your buyers? And this is the unique thing about the cattle industry is it doesn't have to be cookie cutter and everybody's place is different. Yours is different than mine. My gate might swing this way, your.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: Gate swings that way.
[00:16:07] Speaker C: Right? I mean, that's just how it works. Everybody's place is different. But how important is this to get to know the buyers of your calves or potential buyers of those calves, to create a situation where your product fits, you know, because there are other programs out there that say, nope, we don't want this, we don't want this. We want this. We want this.
There are different areas based on what your management is, what you can. What you can physically do as an operator there too. I think we need to mention that and bring that up that it is so darn important to establish that relationship with those buyers of exactly what they want. Because like you said, if it's just stripping those calves and you go to the sale barn, you know, they just got literally weaned that early that morning and I got put on the trucks and I got hauled to the sale barn versus some that have been weaned for seven days, versus, like you said at the beginning, those have been weaned for 45 days and their bunk broke and all those sorts of things, getting to know what those buyers want. And I think that that's where we fail as cow calf producers, Tim, is, you know, if we're selling bulls, our customers are the buyers, right? We're supplying them with, you know, what they need, if they're even needing, you know, Cavanese bowls, if they're needing, you know, these types of more terminal type sires, if they're needing this, if they're needing this, we're trying to supply that product for them because hopefully we know our customers, our customer is our cattle buyer out there. We really need to know what they're after and establish that relationship.
[00:17:44] Speaker B: Yeah, they. I mean, and that's one thing that I really think this, that the work that's been done between Superior and K State Merck is one of the things that has brought to light because it lets us know, okay, this is what the. This is what the buyers are looking for and how they're reacting on sale day.
And if we have that information as we work with producers and they work with their veterinarians, when they work with their nutritionists and they work with their buyers, then we're able to put together the whole thing, the whole package that they're looking for. But this information just really helps us get there. And you brought up a key point and that being any herd health program is 100% dependent on what type of management the operation can apply to it. So there is nothing that's cookie cutter because there's too much variation, we may be able to extensively manage a herd and have have hands on them three, four times a year, which then allows us to manage them through vaccination protocols, manage them through other programs differently than if we have one chance a year to do something to those cattle. And so management comes into play and I think that probably goes back to your three to five legged stool. It's a big part of how we're able to put everything together. So if we can manage, we can manage a program that allows us to create these high quality calves that buyers are wanting and the value stays stays high in those cattle. They're going to keep buying them. They're going to keep buying them.
[00:19:27] Speaker A: Dr. Tim Parks with Merck Animal Health. Great to have you back on the program and thank you for taking a little extra time to break down all of the numbers and go over how important all of these mentioned practices and how vital they are for optimum feeder calf marketing success. Now to find out more about PrimeVac preconditioning programs for healthier, higher value calves and the VAC 45 protocol, just head to Merck animal-health-usa.com or head to the show Notes for this episode. We have all the links that'll take you right to those programs.
[00:20:02] Speaker E: Crew.
[00:20:02] Speaker A: Stick around. We've got a lot more of the Ranch it Up radio show that's coming up right after this.
[00:20:08] Speaker E: Circle F Farms in Baxley, Georgia is proud to announce the first annual Angus Female Sale happening Friday, October 4th. Selling a powerful set of Angus females designed to add value, maternal strength and performance to your herd. Don't miss this historic first event from one of the southeast fastest growing Angus programs. Sale information available@ranch channel.com and circle ffarms.com Mark your calendar Friday, October 4th in Baxley, Georgia. The Circle F Farm's first annual Angus Female Sale. Circle F Farms genetics. You can trust the best way to.
[00:20:38] Speaker A: Raise beef on pasture, on crop residue.
[00:20:40] Speaker C: Or in a dry lot.
[00:20:41] Speaker A: It's Westway Feed Products. Westway liquid supplements support increased forage utilization, efficiency, convenience and sustainability. Find your nearest rep by calling 800-875-17 or head to westwayfeed.com on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
[00:20:56] Speaker D: If your herd is suffering from scours and has had scour, see immediate results with pharmatan from Imogene ingredients. Get your herd on a farmitan feeding plan now to prevent scours for next calving season. Get your herd back in shape, more breedbacks, healthier calves and eliminating scours with Farmitan. Check out farmitanusa.com and on Facebook Circle.
[00:21:13] Speaker F: F Farms invites you to Baxley, Georgia October 10th and 11th for the 2025 annual production sale. Friday, October 10th elite registered Brahman heifers and 300 top quality commercial F1 heifers Saturday, October 11th bulls Brahman brangas, Ultra Black Charolais, Red Angus, Angus and F1s backed by genetics, Circle F cattle are built for performance, profitability and your future sale Info, videos and online bidding details@ranch channel.com and circle f farms.com Circle F Farms One of the largest Brahman herds in the Southeast.
[00:22:02] Speaker A: Welcome back everyone to the Ranch it up radio show. That time in the program we check in with Kirk Donsbox, Stonex Financial Incorporated. Recap of the markets from last week. So Kirk, what do you got for us? Numbers, details, what's going on?
[00:22:14] Speaker G: Good morning Tigger and all your listeners out there. As of Friday, September 12th, October feeder futures closed the week at 345.60. That's down 1217 and a half. The CME feeder index was down 88 cents at 363.08, leaving the basis at a positive 17.48 versus October futures. But there's a very wide basis that probably needs to come in one way or another. October Live Cattle closed the week at 229.90. That's down 607 and a half on the week with cash trading $2.40 in the south and 238 in the north. That is correct. The south traded $2 higher than the north, obviously tied to the Mexican cattle issue.
All that left the five area weighted average down $3.33 at 239.26 and the basis versus October futures at a positive $9.36. Choice boxes were down $10.72 at $4.04. The $4 level seems to be an important psychological level for boxes. Weekly slaughter was 561,000 head. That's 74,000 head above last week and 63,000 head below the same week last year. Estimated dress weights were up 3 pounds at 871 pounds. That's 8 pounds above the same week last year. The combination left yearly production down 2.10of a percent at 4.3% less than last year. To wrap it up, December Corn closed the week at $4.28. That's up 10 cents on the week. We did get more bullish action on another bearish USDA report that cut yields by only 2 bushels an acre and increased total acres by 1.4 million.
Bullish action on bearish news is usually something paid attention to by brokers and.
[00:23:50] Speaker H: Is usually bullish Want in on a secret from Grocers who Sell Beef? Hey Hey, I'm Shea Wanner and I host the Casual Cattle Conversation podcast. Lamar Steiger broke down what retailers and consumers really want out of beef in a recent podcast episode. Here's a little portion of what we talk about.
[00:24:09] Speaker I: This is really interesting. Grocers know that when somebody buys beef in their grocery store, they also will buy a lot more items. And beef is not a big money maker for grocery stores. Many, many people think that the grocers are making a huge margin on beef. But some grocers do and some grocers have. They're not going for the kind of price point that the two retailers here in Bentonville, Arkansas go for. It's an everyday low price, you know, but some grocers do. But most grocers that I talk to have a very low margin on beef. And what they're doing is they know that when you go into the grocery store and you put beef in your basket, you also buy multiple other items that you wouldn't buy if you didn't buy beef there.
[00:24:51] Speaker H: Listen to the full story by searching for casual cattle conversations on your favorite podcast player. Happy ranching folks.
[00:24:58] Speaker A: And looking for that next show steer or heifer project. Check out Creek Cattle Co. And frecking cattle. The phone bid off sale going on now as we speak. With bids closing at dark on September 22, head to Ranch Channel to see the calves in the sire groups. Find your next champion with Crick Cattle Company and Freing Cattle. And now that's going to wrap it up for today. A big thanks goes out to our crew, Dr. Tim Parks with Merck Animal Health, Kirk Dong Incorporated and Shea Wanner with Casual cattle Conversations. A big thank you goes out to our partners, the American Galva Association, Axiota Animal Health bringing us Multi Men and Lacta Pro Circle F Farms Their upcoming sale listings on Ranch Channel Imogene Ingredients bringing us Farmatin Isa Beefmasters. Their sale is coming up awfully fast. Saturday, October 4th Jorgens & Land & Cattle Livestock Market.com Equinemarket.com Auction Time.com Maduro Boot & Western Wear Ranch Channel, RFD TV, Superior Livestock Productions and Superior Livestock Auctions. The Tri State Livestock News Top Dollar Angus Transova Genetics, Westway Feed Products, Wrangler Wolf Cattle and this fine radio station and crew. So glad y' all came with us. One more time as we ranch it up, be sure to follow and like us on Facebook at Ranch It Up Show. Our email is ranch it upshowmail.com you can call and text 24. 7. That phone number is 707-Ranch 20. That's 707-726-2420. Spread the good word and join us again next week where it's always Tigger and Beck approved. Stay ranchy and ranch it Up.
[00:26:43] Speaker G: Sam.
