CALF_News_October_November_2021

35 CALF News • October | November 2021 • www.calfnews.net No Grass. No Vitamin E or Vitamin A. “Calves born to cows during winter, early-spring and drought conditions are more likely to be Vitamin A and Vitamin E deficient and may experience ‘weak-calf syndrome.’ ” - Dr. Rob Stuart, founder of Stuart Products, Inc. VITAL E -Newborn ® You have tried VITAL E A+D, now try our new formulation designed for newborn calves, VITAL E-Newborn. Compared to VITAL E-A+D, it provides 66% more Vitamin E, 500% more Vitamin D, and the most “bioavailable form” of Vitamin A. See dramatic improvement in Vitamin A and E status when injected with 5 mL of VITAL E-Newborn at birth. 800-747-4538 · Beef.StuartProducts.com Research-based Solutions . . . for Animal Nutrition Needs JOHNSON CONCRETE LIVESTOCK WATERERS THE BEST NAME IN CATTLE WATERERS www.JohnsonConcreteProducts.com Trusted by Livestock Owners Everywhere! JOHNSON CONCRETE LIVESTOCK WATERERS 109 East B Street Hastings, Neb. 68901 phone: (402) 463-1359 toll free: (800) 752-1670 Built with features to last, Johnson Waterers withstand punishing weather and prove to be dependable year after year. TOUGH, DEPENDABLE CONSTRUCTION  See us for all your water trough needs.  We are #1 in water trough parts and services. Designed for the most punishing environments, our livestock waterers stand the test of time and deliver performance unequaled in the ndustry. programs. These cattle are from various breeds and crosses that are mostly sold in grid or formula-type markets. John Hutcheson, a specialist with Merck Animal Health, said 2020 data from about 800,000 head of cattle in about 6,800 feedlots proves the value of these programs. The data analyzed performance of cattle in various VAC programs that included strategic vaccina- tion protocols and preconditioning. The study’s average lot was 118 cattle. The average weight was 577 pounds. Using a base price for VAC-24 cattle (cattle preconditioned 24 days after weaning and fully vaccinated), data was collected on average premiums paid for cattle in VAC-34, VAC-45, VAC-60 and VAC-60 preconditioned. VAC-34 cattle received a $2.58/cwt. higher premium compared to VAC-24 cattle. VAC-45 cattle saw a $7.51/cwt. premium. VAC-60 had a $7.92 pre- mium, and the VAC-60 preconditioned cattle enjoyed an $8.60/cwt. premium. That reverted to a per-head premium of $15.48 for VAC-34; $45.06 for VAC- 45; $47.52 for VAC-60; and $51.60 for VAC-60 preconditioned. Hutcheson pointed out that more producers should use husbandry prac- tices that many consider essential. They include dehorning, which adds another $8 per head, BQA-certified adds $3 per head and implants can produce higher gains that add $5.80/cwt. or $33 per head in premiums. Additional premiums include about $7 per head for medium-large frame cattle, another $7 per head for progres- sive genetics and $19 her head for cattle produced in a NHTC (non-hormone- treated cattle) program. Risks to Your Buyers Mike Nichols, senior veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Professional Services Group, challenged producers to ask themselves, “What is the risk in your calves for your buyer? They need to be confident in what’s going to happen … What is the likelihood of those calves getting sick?” Nichols used data from the celebrated Ranch to Rail program conducted three- decades ago by Texas A&M and New Mexico State. When ranchers entered some of their calves in the feed-out study, calves on a well-managed pre- conditioning program had much fewer Continued on page 36  RIGHT: Merck’s John Hutcheson reviewed data that illustrates how VAC programs can easily generate $8/cwt. or more in premiums at the sale barn.