BS or Bang On?

This is what readers had to say about last month’s “Don’t Shoot the Messenger”

by Karen Emilson

“I stopped vaccinating because I’ve been selling my cattle through the auction marts and not seeing the return. If the market reports from Manitoba Agriculture start getting more accurate and there is a premium paid for all of this extra work we’ve been doing, then I’ll start doing it again.”


“I’m tired of being a price taker. Can I get Unrau’s number? I want him to come take a look at my calves. I’m doing everything right and I also want him to take a look at my cow herd to see where it needs improving.”

“We do all this and then we never hear back from the buyers, whether the calves get sick. Did it work or was it not worth a dime? I want to know how my calves do after they leave my place.”
- Stephen Reykdal

“Harold Unrau’s article hit the nail on the head. For years we have been told that producers could do better if they paid attention to what feedlots need. Harold brought that to the forefront and called a spade a spade.

Producers can and often do add value to their calves by following strong vaccination programs and by pre-conditioning/ pre-weaning their calves. Unfortunately buyers don’t know and can’t always trust what they are told so everyone is discounted. As well feedlot operators are in the same boat and have to treat all cattle to reduce the risks. This just adds costs and puts unnecessary vaccines into some cattle.

I believe that our industry is on the verge of significant change. Tough times have made cattlemen less tolerant of the bad eggs in our industry. They are looking to increase profitability for their operation and if that means adding value they will, but only if the returns are there. All sectors need to work together to benefit all.
The next step to Harold’s story is that slaughter plants need to provide the carcass data to the feedlots and the cow calf operators so that everyone has more information to make production decisions with.”

“I have no problem with pre-vaccinating my calves but I want to know somewhere in the market place guarantee a few cents more. If my auction mart advertising pre-conditioning, like to see the buyers step up and acknowledge the fact trying to run a good operation. I know a few years ago the auction mart around here tried to hold a age verified sale but didn’t get any pens of cattle - not a single producer with a birth certificate. Has to be frustrating for them - they are trying Producers have to help themselves, too.”

“We don’t vaccinate our cattle to get a premium, we do it for herd health reasons.”