Anybody who’s about to compete in a race or is beginning a brand new job should be educated or conditioned to keep away from issues. Coaching and conditioning will assist them compete and do their finest work. In a lot the identical method, beef cattle have to be ready earlier than heading to the feedlot to be fed.
In a current Cattle Chat podcast from the Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas State College veterinarians mentioned a preconditioning program is a plan to assist with the transition of calves as they undergo weaning — and earlier than they go to a feedlot — to unfold out a few of these added stresses.
“How we (unfold out these stress) often contain some respiratory illness vaccinations, deworming and being bunk broke,” mentioned veterinarian Bob Larson. “If they’re vaccinated, dewormed, are used to consuming feed and have had a little bit little bit of time post-weaning, that’s what can be thought-about preconditioning.”
Veterinarian Brad White added: “By utilizing a preconditioning program, hopefully, these cattle will keep wholesome resulting in a smoother transition and higher efficiency within the feedlot, making them extra worthwhile in the long term.”
“A key issue on this program is sufficient time to get additional weight on these cattle to beat the price of the poor efficiency within the first week after weaning,” mentioned nutritionist Phillip Lancaster.
One factor that producers ought to concentrate on is time. “You need to stability between protecting the (calves) lengthy sufficient and including sufficient weight to them to make it worthwhile,” mentioned veterinarian Brian Lubbers.
Lubbers urged penciling out what feedstuffs you may have, the price of the rations and the way lengthy will it is advisable hold these calves in your program to work as a result of preconditioning shouldn’t be all the time worthwhile yr to yr.
“One of many drivers is the price of achieve, which is how a lot is my feed value per how a lot weight I can placed on these calves throughout a sure time frame,” White mentioned. “From a examine by Mark Hilton, it says 2/3 of the revenue comes from added weight and 1/3 comes from larger value.”
Larson added that by being preconditioned, calves will likely be extra beneficial to the consumers as a result of they’ve much less danger of illness and can are likely to obtain a value premium, although that can even rely upon different elements.
“Preconditioning is efficacious to the business. The extra we will stop sickness and higher put together (calves) is best for all of us, however you must work out what’s going to work finest in your operation,” White mentioned.
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