Extra Hereford breeders and industrial customers of Hereford genetics are discovering the feedlot and carcass efficiency of their genetics by way of varied American Hereford Affiliation (AHA) applications.
Presently, 94 members from 22 states are feeding greater than 1,400 head of Hereford and Hereford-influenced feeder cattle at HRC Feed Yards, Scott Metropolis, Kan. The numbers embody the Hereford Feedout Program* and the Nationwide Junior Hereford Affiliation (NJHA) Fed Steer Shootout**.
“Yearly, we see elevated curiosity in these applications from our members and their prospects due to the worth they discover in benchmarking feedlot and carcass efficiency of their applications after which monitoring subsequent efficiency relative to their benchmark,” says Trey Befort, AHA director of economic applications.
These cattle feeding alternatives allow members to enroll just a few head or whole pens of cattle. They obtain ongoing updates about how their cattle are performing whereas on feed after which obtain a collective abstract of all cattle enrolled in this system to see how their cattle carried out relative to all the group.
“The worth of this info and being extra intently engaged with the cattle feeding sector has all the time been essential. It’s changing into invaluable as extra cattle are channeled into specification-based, value-added areas of the provision chain,” Befort says.
All members can attend an annual instructional area day at HRC Feed Yards, which delves into varied points of the cattle markets, cattle feeding and beef packing. This yr’s occasion is April 15.
NJHA members enrolled within the Fed Steer Shootout can partake of extra instructional actions, together with Beef High quality Assurance certification, in addition to aggressive alternatives, all through this system.
“These applications present worth to those that have by no means fed their cattle earlier than and people who accomplish that on a routine foundation,” explains Invoice Goehring, Libertyville, Iowa, AHA president — a Hereford breeder, industrial cow calf producer and sale barn proprietor and supervisor. “These applications are a handy, cost-effective method for Hereford seedstock producers and their industrial prospects to establish how their genetics carry out within the feedlot and within the packinghouse. The info additionally provides growing accuracy to the breed’s genetic analysis.”
*Hereford Feedout Program — members enroll a minimal 5 head of same-sex (steer or heifer) cattle for feeding inside a delegated supply interval; members can enroll whole-pen teams outdoors of the designated supply interval.
**NJHA Fed Steer Shootout — members enroll particular person steers or pens of three steers.
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