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Quality cattle management recognized through value added program. Marketing calves through a value added program shows real results for a Missouri family farm. On the rolling fescue covered hills of eastern Missouri, just a few miles off the Mississippi River, the Karl family works hard to raise quality cattle.

The fourth generation family farm is owned and operated by brothers Davey and Ronnie Karl and Ronnie’s son, Ryan. All three work off the farm full time but spend just as much time in the evenings, weekends, and time off caring for their cattle and the land as they do working their day jobs.

“I tell everybody, once I’m back from my town job, I’m out until dark 30… seven days a week,” says Davey. “We all stick together until the work gets done.”

Davey and Ronnie’s grandfather started Karl Farms near Weingarten, Missouri. Their father later maintained the business with just a few beef cows for many years. Then, nearly 40 years ago, as teenagers, the brothers wanted to have a herd of their own and bought two cows from a neighbor and subsequently bought heifers from their father.

“We bought those two pet cows and continued to grow through the years to more than 300 cows now,” says Ronnie.

Throughout those 40 years of growth, Davey and Ronnie grew their herd of commercial Angus, Simmental, and Hereford influenced cows by raising quality replacements and making timely purchases when neighbors were scaling back.

Marketing ups and downs - Karl Farms runs spring and fall calving herds, helping maximize their bull power and optimize their marketing windows.

Having a few different times each year to market calves has let Karl Farms implement different marketing strategies. In the early days, Davey and Ronnie sold calves at various local sale barns in their region.

“We’ve always given our calves two rounds of shots off of the cow and weaned them for 60 days. But, we didn’t have a way to verify our work,” says Ronnie.

About 20 years ago, a value added program became regionally available. It lasted for a few years, and then the local support for the program went away, so Karl Farms was back to square one.

“We had to go back to playing the market with whichever sale barn we thought would have better results,” says Ronnie.

Adding value - Even selling without a value added program to back up their production practices, Karl Farms built a reputation for quality calves.

“Despite not finishing a lot of their cattle out, they still want the next guy to have a good product,” says Tod Wideman, a local sales representative with Purina dealer Gateway FS, Inc. “And they have a really good reputation.”

Karl Farms routinely marketed their heifers to other local farmers through private treaty sales as replacement females and still do today. Still, the sale results for steers and non-replacement heifers weren’t what the family thought they could be.

In 2015, Wideman began a pilot project with Gateway FS, Inc. to market calves fed Purina starter feeds through a value added program. One of the first farms to get involved was Karl Farms.

“We jumped on board, and we’ve been selling high ever since,” says Ryan. “We’ve had nothing but a good experience with it.”

This pilot project would one day become the Purina Plus value added program, which rolled out nationally in 2021 and is one of the first programs of its kind to marry industry leading nutrition and health protocols. Program requirements include feeding Purina starters with RX3 Immune Support Technology at weaning, vaccinating with approved products, and utilizing program approved dewormers.

Seeing success - Karl Farms has marketed 15 sets of calves through the value added program at a regional sale barn.

“Back when we marketed them ourselves, we always did good,” says Ronnie. “But with the current value added program, it just went from beyond good to excellent. There’s just no comparison.”

Something the Karl family believes helps set apart their current marketing through a value added program from their previous experience is the support of their local feed dealer.

“The best thing about going to these programs is when you’ve got a guy like Tod, he’s right there for you,” says Ryan. “Our experience has been nothing but excellent. Even marketing. Tod goes above and beyond to help market those calves.”

When asked if they plan to continue marketing calves with the value added program, Davey says, “That’s a big Y-E-S. Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Cut cattle feed costs; don’t cut corners. Maximize efficiency and minimize waste to help cut feed costs without impacting production. Whether you’re in an area suffering from drought or not, cattle feed cost is the single largest expense in the cow/calf sector, and prices are still on the rise. Although the future looks strong, with a recent CattleFax report predicting the gap between calf prices and cash cow costs to narrow in 2022, the current situation has producers asking, “Where can I cut?”1

“Decisions made today can affect calf weaning weights this year, how quick a cow will rebreed and calve next year, and even the weight of her next year’s calf,” reminds N.T. Cosby, Ph.D., senior consulting nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “Producers looking for cost savings should choose strategies to save money now, without losing advantage in strong markets later.”

“Utilizing tactics to cut waste and inefficiencies when feeding cattle can have an impact on an operation’s bottom line,” says Cosby. “The goal is to cut costs without sacrificing performance.”

Explore management strategies to help reduce cattle feed costs: 1. Maximize stored cattle feed When cattle feed is not stored properly, it loses volume and nutritional value. Avoid shrink loss and packing issues by harvesting haylage and silage at the right moisture level. Ensure proper fermentation by storing in an anaerobic environment and utilizing inoculants.

Inside storage for hay is ideal, but when not feasible, store on a surface that allows for drainage, such as gravel, tires, or railroad ties, to keep the underside of bales dry. Proper spacing between bales allows air movement and improves drying when the weather does impact bales.

Be aware of storing timelines when feeding wet byproducts. Distillers’ grains and gluten must be fed within four days in summer and within a week in winter. 2. Take advantage of grazing opportunities - In areas with available pastures, a strategic grazing program can help increase your operation’s carrying capacity, extend grazing days and reduce dependence on harvested and stored feed.

Design a cattle grazing program to make the most of your available forages: • Grazing programs can include strategic fencing, water placement, herding, pasture rotation and rest, forage species variation, and more. • Consider strip grazing crop aftermath, like corn stalks.

• Encourage cattle grazing in underutilized pasture by limiting them to certain pasture sections and slowly adding and removing sections over time. • Supplements such as blocks, protein tubs, or liquid supplements can promote cattle grazing in underutilized pasture or range areas, potentially increasing grazing days. 3. Monitor mineral intake - “A well balanced mineral supplement is the cornerstone of a nutrition program that can impact reproduction, health, longevity, soundness, and efficient energy utilization,” Cosby emphasized.

The biggest factor affecting mineral cost is consistent intake.

“If a mineral isn’t being consumed, the rancher has paid for something that is giving no return,” says Cosby. “If the mineral is over consumed, the cost per day may exceed the value returned.”

Monitor mineral intake and adjust the number of mineral feeders and the location of feeding stations to achieve your goal consumption rate. 4. Avoid hay waste - According to the University of Nebraska, feeding hay to cattle with 24 hour free choice access can result in 25-45 percent hay waste due to sorting, trampling on, and soiling the hay. Feeding hay in smaller amounts and in well drained areas can reduce waste. Also, research the most efficient hay rings or utilize “hay traps” that reduce access time. Operations in drier climates or range settings may consider unrolling hay or processed forages.

“The cow/calf business is more of a marathon than a sprint,” shares Cosby. “Cutting extra input costs from waste and inefficiency can allow you to make your feed dollars work harder now and keep your operation on track for long term goals.”

Reference 1CattleFax weekly bulletin. June 3, 2022, Issue 26.

About Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. Purina (www.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving producers, animal owners, and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other large retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients, and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.