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Stage 1
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Birth to 3 days old
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Colostrum
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3 days to 38 days
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Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer
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25 pounds
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Free choice Tend-R-Leen®
calf starter
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50 pounds
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Both heifer and bull calves can be raised
together until 2 months of age
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Stage 2
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39 days to 120 days old
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Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:
2 lbs./hd/day
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180 pounds
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Free choice dry whole shell corn
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At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately
350 lbs.
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Stage 3
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120 days to finish
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Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher
1 1/2 lbs./hd/day
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457 pounds
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Free choice dry whole shell corn
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Free choice trace mineral salt
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Stage 1
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Birth to 3 days old
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Colostrum
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3 days to 38 days
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Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer
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25 pounds
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|
|
Free choice Tend-R-Leen®
calf starter
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50 pounds
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|
|
Both heifer and bull calves can be raised
together until 2 months of age
|
|
|
Stage 2
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39 days to 120 days old
|
Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:
2 lbs./hd/day
|
180 pounds
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|
|
Free choice dry whole shell corn
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At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately
350 lbs.
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Stage 3
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120 days to finish
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Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher
1 1/2 lbs./hd/day
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457 pounds
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Free choice dry whole shell corn
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Free choice trace mineral salt
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Stage 1
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Birth to 3 days old
|
Colostrum
|
|
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3 days to 38 days
|
Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer
|
25 pounds
|
|
|
Free choice Tend-R-Leen®
calf starter
|
50 pounds
|
|
|
Both heifer and bull calves can be raised
together until 2 months of age
|
|
|
Stage 2
|
|
|
|
39 days to 120 days old
|
Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:
2 lbs./hd/day
|
180 pounds
|
|
|
Free choice dry whole shell corn
|
|
|
|
At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately
350 lbs.
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|
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Stage 3
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120 days to finish
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Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher
1 1/2 lbs./hd/day
|
457 pounds
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|
Free choice dry whole shell corn
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Free choice trace mineral salt
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Cheap
corn.
Should
I feed my cattle to heavier weights? |
| Corn is cheap right
now, with no clear indications of rising any time
soon. This leads to more feedlots feeding out
cattle to heavier weights. Remember hearing the
old saying that cheap corn would lead to cheap cattle.
Is there any truth to this statement?
Clearly, there is an economic incentive to feed
cattle to heavier weights when feed prices are lower.
The economic optimal is to feed cattle until the
marginal cost equals the marginal benefit. That is,
add pounds until the last pound just pays for itself.
At lower corn prices the marginal cost of gain is
reduced and all else equal it makes sense for an
individual to feed cattle to heavier weights. The
concern of course is that if everyone follows the same
rule, carcass weights will increase building supplies
and prices will decline. The opposite incentive and
reaction might be expected at higher corn prices. Cost
of gain is higher and the optimal weight lower leading
to lower supplies and higher prices.
Lets compare economic projections for different
weights of cattle finished on the TRL program.
Corn is calculated at $1.75/bu.
| Finished Weight |
1270 lbs. |
1400 lbs. |
1500 lbs. |
| Feed expense |
$332.18 |
$387.11 |
$425.48 |
| Total expense |
$665.19 |
$738.92 |
$787.83 |
| Income @ $0.75/lb. |
$952.50 |
$1,050.00 |
$1.117.50 |
| Expected profit |
$287.31 |
$311.08 |
$329.67 |
| Days on feed |
414 |
472 |
513 |
| Feed cost/lb. gain |
$0.28 |
$0.30 |
$0.31 |
| Break even |
$0.52 |
$0.53 |
$0.53 |
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Check
out our quarterly newsletter, the Tend-R-Leen
Tech Report, for current market, health, and feeding information.
Still
looking for more information? Check out these links:
Iowa Beef Center
VetLife Technical Info
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