CALF_News_June_July_2018

23 CALF News • June | July 2018 • www.calfnews.net Lactipro advance ® fromMS Biotec is a proven solution for reducing hay consumption, accelerating transition to a high energy diet and reducing days on feed. Studies show cattle drenched with Lactipro advance consume 82.9 pounds less hay per head in a 140 day feeding period.* Rethink your options with Lactipro advance . *Read full report at MSBiotec.com, “The Effect of Lactipro advance® in a Conventional Versus Accelerated Step-Up Program”. Are rising hay costs eating into your profitabi l ity? There IS a solution. Contact MS Biotec to learn more. 1300 Kaw Valley Road • Wamego, KS 66547 877-907-5315 sales@msbiotec.com • MSBiotec.com It’s time to step up. More aggressively. More profitably. Proudly made in the U.S.A. 7.28x4.875 4c (h)-Calf News.indd 1 5/1/18 9:27 AM BROWN CATTLE FEEDERS Continued from page 21 about $150/cwt.“There’s no guarantee I’ll keep that contract as it is,” he says.“If I decide to sell them as feeders, I have price protection. But if there’s an opportunity to feed them out for additional profit, I can roll that hedge using straight futures or an options strategy to capture it.” Brown uses an outside commodity broker and consultant to handle the hedges and keep contracts in order.“I need the flexibility in marketing to keep our overall program in place,” he says. “That really helps in dealing with your banker.” While buying and placing lightweight calves is his primary feeding program, Brown also backgrounds a few calves for others.“We do some preconditioning for some customers,” he says.“We will also partner with some ranchers on back- grounding or feeding their cattle. If it’s dry like it has been for months, they can leave their calves here in a grow program.” That dry weather can actually benefit an operator like Brown.“We really need Sale barn calves straighten out well in Brown’s backgrounding and feeding programs. the rain,” he says,“but while the drought is really bad on farmers, it can help us keep our pens full. Some cattle that should be turned out on wheat pasture or grass go the feedyard. “We turn out a lot of cattle ourselves when we have the grass. But when we don’t have the pasture for them, I’m glad to sell the feed through them, no matter who owns them. This is a business of getting the most out of your cattle through one market or another.” And it’s finding a way to keep up with the big boys. 