The effect of physical characteristics on the price of stocker and feeder cattle

A survey of feeder cattle sales was conducted at seven Kansas cattle auctions during 1986 and 1987. A wide variety of physical characteristics was found to influence feeder cattle prices. The price impact resulting from changes in fill and condition varied seasonally. Although calves showing any signs of health problems received severe price discounts, the presence of other undesirable characteristics also resulted in discounts, but to lesser degrees

The effect of physical characteristics on cow price differentials in Kansas

A survey of cow sales was conducted in the fall of 1986 and spring of 1987 at seven Kansas cattle auctions. Several factors significantly influenced cow prices, including health, estimated dressing percentage, lot size, breed, and time of sale. Changes in dressing percentage explained the major portion of cow price variation

Evaluation of Salt, Trace Mineral Sources, and Growth Implants on Performance of Stocker Cattle Grazing Native Flint Hills Pasture

Objective: Determine the efficacy of providing salt alone or with injectable trace minerals compared to a complete mineral supplement and growth implants for improving the growth of stocker calves grazing native grass pastures in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Study Description: A total of 248 steers originating from Texas and New Mexico were used to determine the effects on performance when provided with salt blocks with or without an injectable trace mineral, compared to performance when provided with a complete mineral supplement. Moreover, the response of two commonly-used growth implants were evaluated. The Bottom Line: While there was no growth response to salt block and injectable trace mineral supplementation when compared to a complete mineral supplementation, there was a significant growth response with growth implants

Effects of Biuret and Lasalocid (Bovatec) Inclusion into a Commercial Mineral Supplement on Growth Performance of Yearling Calves Grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to measure the effects of non-protein nitrogen (NPN; i.e., biuret) or NPN + ruminal modifier (i.e., biuret + lasalocid) inclusion in a commercial mineral mix on growth performance of yearling beef calves grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills. Study Description: Over a two-year period, 742 crossbred steers [initial body weight (BW): 655 ± 52.2 lb] of Texas and Nebraska origin previously backgrounded at the Kansas State Beef Stocker Unit were used in this experiment. The three mineral treatments consisted of a basal supplement (Control), a basal supplement plus biuret (Biuret), and a basal supplement plus biuret and lasalocid (Bovatec; Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) with a 4 oz/head daily mineral consumption target. Each treatment was randomly assigned to one of 18 pastures with a total of six pastures per treatment. To determine days-to-empty, mineral feeders were checked daily. Mineral feeders were also weighed weekly to determine mineral consumption. At the onset and conclusion of the experiment, pasture weights were taken to determine average initial and average final BW. Results: Total BW gain, average daily gain (ADG), and mineral consumption did not differ (P ≤ 0.15). However, final BW did differ between mineral treatments (P ≤ 0.03). Likewise, there was an interaction between treatment and week for days-to-empty (P ≤ 0.05). The Bottom Line: These data were interpreted to suggest that the addition of biuret or biuret + Bovatec to a commercial mineral supplement may improve the growth performance of yearling beef cattle grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills

Effects of Almond Hull Inclusion on Growth Performance of Limit-Fed Growing Cattle

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of almond hull inclusion and almond hull processing on growth performance of limit-fed growing beef cattle during a 56-day growing period. Study Description: A total of 364 steers were assigned to one of four diets. The control diet contained (dry matter basis) 39.5% dry-rolled corn, 7.5% supplement, 40% wet-corn gluten feed, and 13% prairie hay. Almond hulls replaced prairie hay or prairie hay and dry-rolled corn and were fed at 13 and 26% of the diet, respectively. A subset of almond hulls was processed using a grinder mixer with no screen. Processed almond hulls replaced prairie hay and were fed at 13% of the diet. Diets were limit-fed for 56 days. The Bottom Line: These data were interpreted to suggest almond hulls can be utilized as an alternative to prairie hay in limit-fed growing beef cattle diets while maintaining or slightly improving growth performance

Inclusion of Biuret With or Without Bovatec in a Commercial Mineral Supplement Did Not Improve Growth Performance of Yearling Calves Grazing Native Grass: Year 1 of 2

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to measure the effects of non-protein nitrogen (NPN; biuret) or NPN + ruminal modifier (biuret + Bovatec, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) inclusion in a commercial mineral mix on growth performance of yearling beef calves grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills. Study Description: Three hundred ninety-five crossbred steers (initial body weight: 612 ± 77.8 lb) of Texas origin previously backgrounded at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit were used. Three mineral treatments consisting of a basal supplement (control), a basal supplement plus NPN (biuret), and a basal supplement plus NPN and lasalocid (Bovatec) were provided with a 4 oz/head/day mineral consumption target. The three mineral treatments were randomly assigned to one of 18 pastures with a total of six pastures per treatment. Feeders were checked daily to determine days-to-empty and were weighed weekly to determine mineral consumption. Individual weights were collected at the start and end of the 90 days to determine initial and final body weights (BW). Results: There was no difference (P ≥ 0.31) in final BW, total BW gains, average daily gains, and mineral consumption between mineral treatments. For days-to-empty, there was an interaction between treatment and week of the experiment (P = 0.02). The bottom line: The data were interpreted to suggest that the addition of biuret or biuret and lasalocid to a commercial mineral supplement did not affect growth performance of yearling beef cattle grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills

Effect of Decoquinate on gain and health of newly-arrived stocker cattle

Decoquinate (Deccox®), when added to the diet of newly-arrived calves, reduced (P<.05) the number of treatments required per animal in three experiments involving 551 cattle. Feed conversion was improved in two of the three experiments and average daily gain was increased (P<.05) in one experiment when Deccox® was fed. Steer calves gained faster (P<.001) and required fewer (P<.01) treatments per head than bulls calves castrated on arrival. Black, medium-framed calves required fewer (P<.05) treatments than other breed types

Effect of thiabendazole on gains of stockers grazing 50% endophyte fungus-infected, tall fescue pastures

Thiabendazole (TBZ®) wormer pellets were added to either a mineral or grain mix in two experiments with steers grazing 50% endophyte fungus-infected, tall fescue pastures. Research from other stations has suggested that TBZ® partially overcomes the toxicity of endophyte fungus. In our experiments, steers received .2 g of TBZ® per 100 lb body weight per day, but daily gain was not improved during the grazing period

Effect of medicated mineral mixtures and a pinkeye vaccine on the gain and health of steers grazing native grass pastures

Feeding supplements containing an antibiotic or ionophore improved stocker gains by .06 to .26 lb per head daily. A combination of Bovatec and Aureomycin in the mineral mixture improved (P<.08) steer gains over feeding Aureomycin alone. Mineral intake was higher than expected for the steers grazing burned, double-stocked) native grass pastures in 1987. Vaccinating steers with Piliguard at turn-out had no effect on pinkeye incidence and reduced stocker gains slightly

Effect of sodium bicarbonate on gains of stocker cattle fed grain on tall fescue pastures

Adding sodium bicarbonate to the grain supplement of steers grazing lush, low endophyte, tall fescue pasture had no effect on cattle performance