Feedlots and cow/calf operations in the beef industry who feed 500 or more has annually on grains and concentrates; maintain 500 or more beef cows; backgrounder, stocker/grower, preconditioner; veterinarian, nutritionist, consultant
Issue link: http://feedlotmagazine.epubxp.com/i/592830
Stocker cattle health has always been a challenge, but the challenge h as increased over the years and producers may need to beef up their management plans, according to a Texas A&M; AgriLife Extension Service specialist. "We have some of the best vac- cines and technology available to us, but the mortality number has continued to rise" said Dr. Ted Mc- Collum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo. "Health is the first management challenge faced by stocker cattle producers." "The restrictions on some of the tools, specifically antibiotics, we have to treat and manage these cat- tle with, are being tightened, so we need to know what we can do from a management standpoint to im- prove handling and reduce the stres- sors that lead to health problems." McCollum estimated that with current costs, every 1% increase in morbidity or incidence of disease in a set of calves reduces profit by $1.43 for every calf in the group. Breaking it down further, 62% of the $1.43 is attributed to mortality of the calves that became sick, an- other 21% to reduced performance of sick calves and finally 17% to costs of treating the sick calves. "The inclination is to chisel on the treatments costs, which con- tribute the least amount to the overall cost of morbidity and is our primary tool to reduce severity of the disease and hopefully reduce death loss, the primary contributor to the cost of morbidity," McCol- lum said. He said weaning stress, expo- sure to pathogens, handling and management, marketing and trans- portation prior to purchase and ar- rival are things the stocker cattle owner has little control over. But, stressors associated with adapting to their new environment, co-mingling, nutrition, handling and processing can be addressed post-arrival by the owner and oth- ers tending to the calves. " Be smart about where you are purchasing your calves, evaluate your post-arrival program – people, place, process – and address those factors that can reduce the stress load on the calves," McCollum said. Once the calves are straightened out, settled and ready to turn out, the primary focus turns to manag- ing for performance, and stocking pressure is a key drive to consider, he said. Forage intake, and hence weight gain, is influenced by for- age availability, McCollum said. And, stocking pressure or pounds of cattle per acre affect the forage allocation and how much each an- imal can consume. "To demonstrate, a study over two winter wheat grazing periods in Bushland showed that for every 50 lbs. we increased our stocking pressure, the average daily gain de- clined by between a quarter and three-tenths of a pound per day," he said. "What is the right stocking pressure on wheat? The answer varies depending on forage pro- duction, cost inputs and value of weight gain." In addition to managing forage availability, he said producers might also consider the nutrient sources for the cattle. "Do not assume that cattle on wheat pasture don't need a mineral supplement," McCollum said. "Min- eral supplements can easily pay for themselves with increased gain. Based on research, simply adding a mineral supplement can result in an additional quarter pound per day gain. And if you add in Ru- mensin, it can add another quarter pound of gain per day." At current values, a producer could spend as much as $3,500 a ton for the mineral supplement and pay for it with these results, he said. FL 20 FEED•LOT November 2015 FOCUS ON CATTLE HEALTH STOCKER SPECIAL B Y KAY LEDBETTER