Bryce Schumann
Association Perspective
Economy of “scale.”
“We still sell by the pound,” is a quote I hear quite often. It’s no surprise to anyone that most sell calves at some point after weaning and receive a check for the pounds put on the scale in the ring. The calves then may go to a backgrounder, who puts weight on to sell more pounds than they purchased. On down the chain, carcasses are paid for, in part, by their weight hanging on a rail. (Make note that more than 70% of cattle are harvested on a formula that pays for more than just weight). If you follow that product to the consumer, they, too, pay for meat over a scale. Most all of these scales are required to be certified, thus implying the importance of accurate weight.
When we select our bulls to purchase, often we look for the bull with the highest weaning weight in the pen. Then we get salvage value out of that bull when his service life is over based on his weight. This brings me to the point that there are scales in every segment of the beef business — except on the farms of most commercial cow-calf operations.
Genetically, there are two ways to improve your calf crop — most importantly through your bull, and secondly through the cow herd. If you don’t own scales to take individual weights, you have forfeited the opportunity to make better decisions in the cow herd.
The chance to tie back individual calf weaning weights to the dam to calculate a calf weaning weight as a percent of the cow weight is another indispensable tool to keep a more profitable herd. Most often when taking weights, that favorite, best-looking, front-pasture cow may surprise you when you weigh her and find her calf weight weaning percentage is below average.
Savings in correct dosage of medication may be another reason to invest in scales. I could miss a rabbit by 3 pounds, so I guarantee we don’t know the correct weight of our cattle by our eyeball alone.
If scales are not an option, how about a simple blood test? GeneMax™ (GMX) is a $17 commercial test to discover an animal’s genetic potential for yearling weight and quality grade. With technology and/or a set of scales, there is no reason to not have a top-producing cow herd with all the bad eggs culled out long ago.
Editor’s Note: Regional Manager Wes Tiemann covers Region 2, including the states of Iowa and Missouri. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
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