With Labor Day behind us, it’s a good time to organize for advertising calves this fall. Nearly all of beef calves are spring born, which usually results in a big fall run of calves. Public sale volumes have been bigger than typical this summer time because the drought in lots of areas has compelled early calf gross sales. Nonetheless, important numbers of calves will likely be marketed earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
Weaned calves carry a considerably larger value than bawling calves at public sale. Though 30 days is taken into account a minimal for weaning, patrons strongly favor calves to be weaned at the least 45 days. Current knowledge and preliminary evaluation recommend that weaning intervals of 60, 75 and as much as 90 days or extra carry extra premiums. Longer weaning intervals present extra time for calves to get better from the stress of weaning, develop higher well being and immunity, and to be taught to eat from bunks.
Fundamental calf administration resembling castration and dehorning have been hopefully performed at branding, however any late calves missed at branding needs to be performed properly forward of promoting time. Deworming at weaning may be indicated relying on location and pasture circumstances. Two rounds of clostridial and respiratory vaccinations needs to be given. If calves have been vaccinated at branding, a booster might be given at weaning, in any other case vaccinations might be performed pre-weaning and weaning or weaning and post-weaning. Vaccination for Pasteurella at weaning can be advisable.
Every of the above practices provides worth to calves and the worth of all of the practices mixed in a whole pre-conditioning program is larger than particular person practices. Much more worth could also be captured if calves are enrolled in an authorized pre-conditioning program that gives documentation and assurance to patrons that these practices have been correctly performed. The Oklahoma High quality Beef Community (OQBN) is one such program. Info on the OQBN program is discovered at https://extension.okstate.edu/packages/oklahoma-quality-beef-network/.
The schedule of upcoming OQBN gross sales can be discovered at this web site. The 60-day weaning deadline for the early OQBN gross sales happens within the subsequent few days.
Sometimes, calf costs attain the seasonal low round October. Nevertheless, calf costs have moved counter-seasonally larger this summer time as a part of a basic pattern of upper cattle costs. That pattern is predicted to proceed and is mirrored in Feeder Cattle futures costs. Desk 1 reveals Feeder Futures costs for the approaching months from October to August 2023. The futures costs present a roughly $14/cwt. uptrend in costs within the subsequent 12 months. When adjusted for Oklahoma Metropolis foundation (native money minus feeder futures value), the anticipated costs for 450- and 750-pound steers for the approaching months are proven in Desk 1.
For instance, the November Feeder futures value in Desk 1 is $186.20/cwt.The November value of 450-pound steers (M/L No. 1) in Oklahoma Metropolis have traditionally averaged $33.72/cwt. larger than November Feeder Futures (foundation) resulting in an anticipated November value of $219.92/cwt. (The mixed public sale money value in late August was $211.49/cwt.) In fact, futures costs alter continually and there’s no assure that precise money costs will match these anticipated costs. Nevertheless, futures costs and corresponding anticipated Oklahoma costs might present some steerage for advertising plans and expectations and supply the inspiration for threat administration packages for calves or retained feeder cattle.
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