Midwest Minute

MIDWEST MINUTE VERN McCLELLAND

Our family has a livestock operation outside of Maidstone with cattle on feed year around plus a summer grazing program.

We buy calves to background plus custom feed cattle for clients.

Essentially, we bring in freshly weaned calves weighing between 450 to 600 pounds, grow them to about 1,000 pounds, then send them to feedlots in southern Alberta to be finished at slaughter weight.

On the custom contract side, we overwinter several cow herds plus manage replacement heifers and feeders for a half dozen clients.

Our base feed is silage, both corn and grain, plus straw, screenings, distiller dried grains, and whatever else is available at a reasonable price to get the job done.

Each pen of cattle gets a daily diet specifically designed to meet the goals for that specific group.

This ration is updated regularly, because as the cattle grow, so does the amount of protein and energy they require.

For example, you want calves which are still growing to develop the frame and muscle, but not too much fat, which will support their future mature weight. Think of a healthy teenager.

Bred cows are fed in accordance to how far along they are in pregnancy, supporting the health of both the fetus and the mother.

Of course, in the midwest, temperature, and wind both have a significant impact on nutritional needs.

The margins are literally in the pennies per day, multiplied by the number of cattle on feed.

You need a very sharp pencil, good health protocols, and experienced management to make a living at it.

My son, Scott, runs the show but all members of the family help wherever they can.

We had three generations applying the covers to the silage piles this last weekend, then I spent Thanksgiving Monday in the tractor working up an old stand of brome / alfalfa getting it ready for next year’s corn.

But it couldn’t be done without reliable help from neighbours, friends, and contractors.

Each pen of cattle gets a daily diet specifically designed to meet the goals for that specific group

They say it takes a village to raise a child; but it takes a wide network to be successful in agriculture, from the mobile mechanic and electrician to the truck and tractor drivers.

For fun, I counted the number of vendors we used more than once in the last 12 months. It was over 40.

Amazing, when you think about it. All these people are needed to put food on your and my table.

Thank you, one and all.

Vern McClelland is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster and an active partner in his family’s livestock operation. Comments on this article are welcome either by emailing vernmcclelland@remax.net or calling (306) 8210611.