Help Keep Calves Healthy

Preconditioned calves spend more time at the feed bunk and less time in the sick pen.

With beef prices high and supplies tight, producers need to ensure they get top dollar for their calf crop. One way to ensure top returns is to raise healthy calves, says Mike Peacock, Southern States' beef feed sales and marketing manager.

"Buyers will not only compete for calves from producers who follow a good preconditioning program, they'll pay premium prices to get them," he states.

He says producers average about $2 for every $1 they invest in a well-designed preconditioning program. "Show me another program that lets you do that in 60 days," he challenges.

Preconditioning pays for both buyers and sellers, Peacock says. For buyers, preconditioned animals have reduced risks, lower death losses, reduced medical costs and higher gains. For producers, calves are healthier and bigger, so they command premium prices.

"Producers who bring freshly weaned green calves to an auction have all of the strikes against them," Peacock says. "These calves will suffer more shrink and higher death loss. Buyers recognize this and heavily discount those calves, even if they're interested in them."

Southern States offers two primary preconditioning feed packages: a14% Jump Start and 13% Commercial Cattle Starter.

The 14% Jump Start is used in a creep-feeding program while calves are still with their mamas, as well as for a while after they're weaned, to reduce stress.

The 13% Commercial Cattle Starter is for calves after they've been weaned, until they've passed through the postweaning stress disease cycle.

Cattlemen using this program have experienced much success in the form of higher prices and more active markets for their calves, Peacock says.

To get started on this program, see your Southern States retailer.