CALF_News_June_July_2018

20 CALF News • June | July 2018 • www.calfnews.net S ammy Brown learned a long time ago that in order to compete with large-capacity feedyards, he needed a system that enabled him to keep his pens filled and his banker happy. High-risk, lightweight, sale-barn cattle were the answer, along with the flexibil- ity to sell them as feeders or finish them out, and a risk management plan that protects against market wrecks. wheat field that lost the battle with eight months of no rain. “We started out just farming and running stockers,” Brown says.“We built a few pens to supplement the program. As we progressed, we decided we could add a few more pens and feed out some of our own cattle if we didn’t like the feeder market. That provided some flexibility.” Three-weights work Brown stretches that flexibility by feeding mostly three- to four-weight calves that are as “sale-barn” as they get. He depends on cattle buyer Clint Lang- ley to procure cattle that fit his program from numerous auctions in Texas, Okla- homa and other states. “We normally buy high-risk calves,” he says.“Clint knows what we prefer and is able to put together loads. He turns them out into grass traps and gives them access to hay and water before shipping.” Still, the high-risk calves can be a big challenge, especially in the fall. Keep- ing them healthy can be a major chore. “When they arrive, we make sure they have access to good hay and fresh water,” Brown says.“Even though Clint feeds and waters them, they’re often dehy- drated after facing stress at the sale barn and being hauled several hundred miles.” Since they’re lightweights, most haven’t been vaccinated or treated for other potential health problems. That doesn’t bother Brown.“I like to vaccinate them here so I know what treatments they’ve had,” says Brown, who works closely with Dr. Dale Schueler at Parmer County Veterinary Clinic to address his cattle health needs.“I use Inforce™ 3 intranasal and Bovi-Shield Gold® IBR- BVD up front to protect against IBR and other respiratory diseases, followed by Bovi-Shield Gold® 5 at re-vaccination. “Calves also receive a Draxxin® antibiotic treatment and Endovac-Beef® with Immune Plus® to help boost their immune system. I delay giving them a By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor Brown Cattle Feeders A Small Yard with Large Results If the market’s right, Brown takes cattle to the finish line. Sammy Brown uses flexibility to make his small feedyard work. Brown Cattle Feeders is more remote than most yards. The 6,000-head facil- ity is a Beef Quality Assurance yard through Texas Cattle Feeders Associa- tion. It’s located in the western Texas Panhandle, northwest of Friona and about six miles from the New Mexico border. Wide-open prairie surrounds it, with a few wheat fields thrown in. “The feedyard has been here since 1988,” says Brown, who partners with cousins in several different operations. He manages the feedyard and a crew of five that help make it work. The partners visit several times a week to discuss the status of crops, and lately, whether a crop insurance adjuster will zero-out a sparse