Knowledge
IS
Power:
The Value of
Knowing Your
Cow Herd
From the
Inside Out
It’s true!
Knowledge
really is
powerful and
by
collecting
and managing
herd data,
you are not
only
empowering
your
operation,
you are
opening
doors to
great
opportunities.
In a typical
beef cow
operation,
simple data
may be
collected,
but not
properly
managed.
For example,
a lot of
producers
record
individual
calf birth
dates and
tie those
dates back
to the mama
cow, but not
that many
compare
birth dates
for each cow
from year to
year.
Calving
interval
examines how
fast your
cows breed
back and
produce
another
calf. Is
your herd
gaining or
losing
ground?
What percent
of cows are
sliding?
Which cows
and why?
Some
producers
collect
weaning
weights but
very few
combine that
with the
calf’s age,
sex and the
dam’s age
and convert
that into a
205-day
weight. A
205-day
weight is a
tremendous
tool that
measures the
pounds each
cow produces
on a per day
of age
basis;
allowing you
to compare
the cows
within your
herd,
compare your
herd from
year to year
and compare
your herd
versus other
herds from
across the
state and
nation.
What good is
information
you never
use again?
By looking
at herd
records such
as calving
intervals,
birth
weights, 205
day weights,
and weaning
weights, one
can really
start to
evaluate
herd
performance.
By importing
this data
into a
spreadsheet,
where it can
be
manipulated
to generate
reports,
producers
can really
start to
apply this
information
to make good
management
decisions.
Sure, any
cowboy worth
his boots
can tell a
good critter
from a poor
one.
However,
accuracy is
sometimes
lacking in
visual
evaluations.
Numbers, on
the other
hand, don’t
lie. By
collecting
true data
and creating
useful
reports,
data can be
re-arranged
to
accommodate
several
situations.
Using such a
scientific,
matter-of-fact
method cuts
back on
mistakes
when it is
time to cull
and replace
animals.
Whether it
is just dam
information,
or it is dam
information
paired with
a sire,
knowing good
performance
from bad
will be
advantageous.
Knowing your
production
history is
not only
valuable to
your herd
decisions,
but can
assist you
in backing
up marketing
claims.
Using
reports that
indicate a
couple
years’ worth
of
“good-doing”
animals will
certainly
peak buyers
interests.
Having
carcass data
to support a
consistent,
uniform
group of
animals will
certainly
increase
value in
today’s
marketplace.
“In our
operation,
we use the
information
we collect
for herd
management
and age
verification.
From that
information,
we can cull
cows and
select
replacement
heifers to
produce
better
carcass
traits for
higher
quality
retail
products for
consumers.”
says Chris
Schluntz a
producer/feeder
and newly
appointed
member to
the
Cattlemen’s
Beef
Promotion
and Research
Board from
Republican
City, NE.
By
continuing
to use
benchmark
data to cull
poor
performers
and increase
value in the
herd, a
better
genetic line
is being
made. This
truly
creates a
herd you can
bank on for
the future
and our BVS
program can
help you.
The Beef
Verification
Solution is
a member
driven,
confidential
livestock
information
management
program
developed by
Agriculture
Solutions in
conjunction
with
AgInfoLink,
USA, a
leading
animal
identification
service
provider in
the United
States. It
is a
comprehensive
program;
utilizing
ISO
compliant,
USDA
approved
radio
frequency
identification
(RFID)
technology
and a
privately
managed
database,
providing
practical
animal
identification
solutions
for
livestock
data
collection,
management
and
communication.
A key
attribute of
the program
is its
flexible
data
collection
system
ranging from
simple and
easy to use
CattleCardsTM,
allowing
members to
participate
without
owning a
RFID reader
or even a
computer, to
BeefLink
Software
that not
only
collects
data
electronically
but has
several
chute-side
applications
to record,
calculate
and sort
livestock.
The program
offers
several
applications
to Farm
Bureau
members
including
but not
limited to;
National
Animal
Identification
System (NAIS)
compliance,
to source
and age
verification,
to being a
“safe
harbor” for
COOL
compliance,
to providing
the ability
to manage
and analyze
animal data
for better
decisions
and
increased
income
opportunities.
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