Category: Cattle Feeding

Feed Conversion and Profitability

Date: Jul 29 2013

But there is one thing I DO know, and that is we have high calf prices (if you’re buying to put on feed) and we have high corn prices (if you’re buying corn to put in those cattle), and the feedlot sector has been sustaining some horrible losses during the last 15-18 months.

End meats help drive

Date: Mar 22 2013

T-bones, sirloins, filets and strips—these are the beef cuts referred to as “middle meats.” Such steaks make up 12% of the carcass, but represent just under half of its total value. That and the difference in cooking method lead many to believe it’s the only place where beef grades matter. Not according to experts like longtime market reporter Bruce Longo, of Urner Barry, and the data he tracks.

Value-based cattle marketing dominates

Date: Mar 04 2013

Selling fed cattle on a live basis is no longer standard practice, and some day it could end up as no more than historical reference. “The old selling-them-live method has given way to formula sales,” says Mark McCully, assistant vice president for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB). Data from Cattle-Fax and the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows a sharp decline in cash sales in the past seven years, from 52.1% in 2005 to just 26% in 2012. The inverse of that is the steep gain in negotiated sales, like grid marketing and other arrangements, which moved up from less than half of sales to more than three-quarters during those years.

Fewer cattle, more pressure

Date: Oct 05 2012

Getting cattle bought right. That’s normally a feeder’s first challenge, but today it’s just plain getting cattle.
“The total size of the cattle industry has been shrinking, and shrinking rather abruptly for the last couple of years,” said Mike Sands, Informa Economics vice president.

Exactly what feedyards want

Date: Oct 04 2012

Some cattle grow like weeds; some hit the high-grade targets. Some do both, some neither. That’s the way it goes in the world of commodity cattle. But cattle can be so much more, adding profit throughout the supply chain.

On target

Date: Aug 24 2012

PB & Cattle

Date: Apr 02 2012

Myth: Feedlots are so crunched for feeder calf supplies, they don’t care where the cattle come from, they just need more of ‘em.

On-target at Pratt

Date: Nov 21 2011

Of all the words that could describe Pratt Feeders, “quality” best fits the staff, the cattle they feed and the way they feed them. Over the past year, the south-central Kansas yard has ramped up its connection with the “Q” word.

A scary little myth

Date: Oct 31 2011

It is a big decision, but it can be painless and pretty easy. If you’ve decided you want to feed your calves, partner with a feedlot or just build relationships with one you can market to directly, it just takes a little homework.

Deets honored by Feeding Quality Forum

Date: Aug 04 2011

Some people set out to make a lasting change on their industry, but Max Deets, Beloit, Kan., says he never thought of himself in that light. Instead the cattle feeder’s natural leadership ability, quest for improvement and genuine respect for others led him to some of the most influential roles in the beef business.