Think about it: Why feeders want info from ranchers

by Miranda Reiman

July 11, 2011

Sometimes people just go on believing things are fact without really thinking them through. Today’s myth is kind of counterintuitive, but we still hear it:

Myth—Feeders have standard processing programs so it doesn’t matter how much information I share with them about ranch care.

Fact—Every feedlot is different, but many work with ranchers to build customized programs.

Stop and think about it. It’s in their best interest (and probably your animals’, too).

In fact, I think every time I’ve ever asked a feedyard manager to tell me about their health program, they say, “It depends on what’s been done on the ranch.”

As a matter of fact, I heard that on one of the very first CAB story stops I ever made to Darnall Feedlot at Harrisburg, Neb.

Gary Darnall said, “In a routine deal we want to visit with the owner. We want to know the health program on those cattle, we want to know the age of those calves. We want to know some history on the herd.”

And his son Lane added, “Management actually starts before the calves ever come in. We work with him and his veterinarian,too,in trying to create a health program to try to facilitate those calves once they get here. And then once we get them here, then it’s hands-on management.”

And that’s a familiar tale I’ve heard over and over again.

In fact, on my most recent story trip I stopped at Gregory Feedlot, near Tabor, Iowa, and I got it again. Manager David Trowbridge added a pretty simple explanation of why they want to know as much as possible about the cattle’s health history.

“We will custom process the cattle based on what the cattle are that we received. We are able to save some money and time and stress

on the cattle by customizing what’s done,” he said. “If they don’t need to go through the chute, they don’t.  We have several customers that the cattle come in and they go directly to the pen because they’re vaccinated and they’re implanted, so we don’t do it. We make a special case for every producer to make sure we don’t duplicate and spend money they don’t need to spend.”

So think about that the next time that you sell cattle. It makes more sense for the feeder. Plus the more information, the better chance for your cattle to succeed.

That could mean a higher quality end result and that’s good news for everybody.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

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