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Humeston, IA | Looking into developing a business where I'd buy 500-550# calves (steers or heifers, separate) from local sale barns, perhaps groups of 1 to 10 each, doing the necessary med work, then feeding them in a feedlot for about 140-150 days (800-850#), and marketing the new groups either back through the barns or direct to feedlots. Basically taking the small lots, grouping them, putting 2-2.25 lbs/day on them and getting them into uniform lots to market. Looking at a ration of ground corn stalks, bromegrass hay, MDGS, and hominy or corn screenings.
Questions:
1) What kind of vaccinations, timing, costs would be required (with or without green tag calves)?
2) Would I need to quarantine these groups from each other upon arrival?
3) What are the things buyers would want? Uniform weights, pot-sized groups, particular level of vaccinations, implants (or not)?
4) What kind of death loss would be expected? I know it will happen, but how do you minimize it?
The basic goal is to turn small lots of calves into healthy, bunk trained, and uniform animals ready for the feedlot.
Timing: Not now while the market is high, but perhaps next year. Would sell contracts on the feeder futures to hedge the risk...if the market is still high next year...then we'll see. Interest cost becomes a big factor then. Might start with 100 head and if successful, work up to 400 head per turn. We currently feed out 4-5 calves for locker beef a year, but considering how to build the farm operation "up" rather than "out".
Thank you for any wisdom you may want to impart. | |
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Backgrounding program questions
