Date: November 27, 2002
PREMIUMS FOR PRECONDITIONING - NOT ALL THE SAME
An analysis out of the Texas A&M Agricultural Economics group of nine preconditioned, commingled sales at the same auction shows that premiums (over statewide average auction prices the same week) declined as weight increased. Averaged over steers and heifers and across breedtypes and grades, the premiums were: 400lb to 550lb, $11.99/cwt; 550lb to 700lb, $6.21/cwt; 700lb to 850lb, $2.37/cwt. And averaged over all weights, the premium for thickness grade #1-2 was $9.28/cwt compared to $6.06/cwt for #1. Also, heifers sold to replacement buyers brought $4.05/cwt more than #1 feeder heifers. It appears that buyers place more value on preconditioning of lighter weight, lower quality cattle. This should not be surprising, since lighter (usually younger) stocker/feeders generally have more health problems than heavier (older)cattle.
NEW PRODUCT FOR REPRODUCTIVE CONTROL
Pharmacia Animal Health has approval to market Eazi-BreedTM CIDR . The CIDR is a T-shaped device impregnated with progesterone that is inserted into the vagina for 7 days to suppress heat. Improved estrus synchronization and pregnancy rate has been reported using CIDR in combination with the CoSynch procedure, which employs injections of gonadotropin-releasing hormone at the beginning and prostaglandin at the end of the 7-day CIDR insertion.
WHAT DO BULL BUYERS PAY FOR?
Kansas researchers evaluated prices paid for 678 bulls sold through public auction, after performance test, from 1997 to 2000. The following had no significant effect on price: off-test weight, adj. 205-day weight, frame score, yearling wt EPD, horns, scrotal circumference, color within breed, and ultrasound backfat. Significant price effects were $3.33/day of age, $ -14.82/lb birth wt, $36.24/0.1 lb ADG, $82.50/0.1 lb WDA (weight/day of age), $50.42/unit marbling score, and $50.39/sq in ribeye. Breed, breeder, and EPDs for birth weight, weaning weight, and milk also significantly influenced price, but the report did not include dollars for those factors, nor which breed(s) brought more.
ANOTHER BREED
There is now a breed registry for Black Hereford, which started with crosses of Angus and Hereford followed by backcrossing and selection for black color with typical Hereford white markings. "Percentage" Black Hereford are at least 5/8 Hereford and "Purebred" are at least 13/16. The American Black Hereford Association can be found at www.blackhereford.com
COMPUTER RECORD-KEEPING SOFTWARE
Oklahoma State University has revised their comprehensive bulletin comparing the major pieces of software for keeping production records of beef cattle herds. "Cow-Calf Production Record Software", WR-3279, can be accessed at http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/exten/beef/.
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