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Montana Beef Network Update: 2003 Fall Weaning Weights
"Over
11,000 calves and 7,000 cows were tagged with
an electronic identification tag."
|
By by Lisa Duffey, Travis Choat,
Brian Rainey, Kim Skinner, Travis Standley, Kelsey Rolfe,
Jennifer Olson, Matt Vogel and John Paterson
The Montana Beef Network has finished tagging the 2003
calf crop. Over 11,000 calves and 7,000 cows were tagged
with an electronic identification tag. Students from
MSU went around the state with a hydraulic squeeze chute
fitted with an electronic scale. The cost of this service
was $2/head for the electronic ear tag while the MBN
paid for data analysis from the ranch through the feedlot
and packing plant ($6/ head).
Calves will be tracked through to the feedlot and into
the packing plant in an attempt to collect carcass information
and rates of gain from weaning until harvest. Most producers
enrolled in the program already have received information
about their calves because a summary and analysis of
their weaning weights has been provided. One of the
comments that students heard from producers fall was
that their calves appeared to be lighter this year than
weaning weights for steers for this year averaged 553
lbs, while for heifers averaged 519 lbs. Interestingly,
weaning weights for this calves appear to be similar
to the average weights for the 2002. Last year the steers
averaged 552 lbs and the heifers averaged 521
| Weaning weights for 2002 vs.
2003 calves |
| |
2002 Calves |
2003 Calves |
| |
--------- lbs----------
|
Steers |
552 (average)
206 (minimum)
918 (maximum) |
553 (average)
120 (minimum)
900 (maximum) |
Heifers |
521 (average)
206 (minimum)
806 (maximum) |
519 (average)
214 (minimum)
926 (maximum) |
Feeder calf backgrounding gains
MSU research conducted on three ranches this fall
has allowed to determine weight gains during a 45-day
backgrounding period. of the calves were weaned and
placed on a nutritional feeding including the MSU-developed
weaning pellet (4 lbs/day) or liquid supplement (1 lb/day).
Ranch 1 experienced considerable sickness their calves
(dust pneumonia) which limited the calves' ability to
weight. The average daily gains show that it is possible
for newly calves to consistently gain more than 1.5
lbs/day if there is limited sickness.
Backgounding gains for calves from three ranches
which are part of MSU research projects
| |
Number of calves |
Weaning weight,
lbs |
Days on feed
at the ranch |
Average daily
gain |
Comment |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
280
2 84 |
505
479 |
|
1.96
1.87 |
Grass hay +
4 lbs pellets |
| |
|
|
|
|
Fed 4-6 lbs
of grain |
Beef:
Questions & Answers is a joint project between
MSU Extension and the Montana Beef Council. This column
informs producers about current consumer education,
promotion and research projects funded through the
$1 per head checkoff. For more information, contact
the Montana Beef Council at (406) 442-5111 or at beefcncl@mt.net
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