CALF_News_December_2020_January_2021

23 CALF News • December 2020 | January 2021 • www.calfnews.net Rawhide Processor by John McDonald 3 Sizes Available! The First Hydraulic Corral and still the Largest! • Pull on highway at speed limit. • Fits through any gate your pickup will. • Stable on uneven terrain. • Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting—saves time. • Permanent sheeted adjustable alley. • Frame gates for sorting. • Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way. Rawhide Original Standard Size Rawhide Portable Corral 900 NORTHWASHINGTON ST., ABILENE, KS 67410 785.263.3436 www.rawhideportablecorral.com What Is Consulting, Anyway? McCarty’s typical workday will be to arrive early at a client feedyard and meet with the manager. They will discuss what’s going on in the yard and look at data, searching for trends that are work- ing or those that need attention. He rides with the cowboys as they check pens and doctors sick cattle with the crew. He calls himself a “glorified educator,” observ- ing the crew and teaching protocol. The employees are tuned up on vaccine and antibiotic use, identification of sick cattle, how to treat them and how to administer treatments. Think of this as an intensive Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) session. He emphasized the importance of making sure the feedlot’s goals are in line and that no contradictory practices are interfering with that target. A Veterinarian’s Life McCarty will consult with nine to 12 feedlots per month, and still finds time to help out at the home ranch near Ash- land. His schedule varies and time spent away from his family can be extensive. He estimates spending five nights per month in hotels, with plenty of drive time and an occasional plane ride to reach client lots. His feedlot consultation route can be exhaustive; the doctor is licensed in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. He says his time constraints are no different than working out of a clinic and being on call, and he currently has more flexibility than a more traditional busi- ness model affords. It’s Still BRD Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be the No. 1 problem regarding feedlot cattle, with zero advancement in total morbidity and mortality rates for at least 20 years. McCarty considers the vaccines on the market today as great, but we are falling short on animal husbandry. Citing a decades-old term, husbandry was once the name of agricultural college degrees and has since been cast aside for the word science. He emphasized the impor- tance and meaning of that word. “It means empathy and the provision of comfort for livestock – sufficient bunk space, clean pens, clean water tanks, adequate bedding and quiet handling methods,” McCarty says. Focus on animal husbandry will enable vaccines and antibiotics to work more effectively. Minimizing stress will provide healthier cattle and greater profit potential. He cites large employee turnover, a chronic problem that plagues all of agriculture, as an area that requires him to train and re-train feedlot crews. It has become a never-ending necessity. Final Thoughts “Regardless of what segment of the production cycle a producer is in, do not forget about animal husbandry. Decrease the stress!” he asserts. Travis McCarty is married to Kelly, an accountant in Ashland. Thy have two children – Asher, 5, who is busy in kin- dergarten, and Anistyn, 2. They already love cattle. 