2008 Manitoba Calf Crop Project

by Ray Bittner

In January 2008, six Manitoba cow-calf producers delivered 327 calves and yearlings to feedlots in Iowa to be fed to finish in the Tri County Steer Carcass Futurity program of Iowa State University. The cattle gain and numerous economic and management factors were tracked from before they crossed the border to the day of harvest.

This project was sponsored by the Manitoba Managing Risk Education Project and MAFRI.

There were two key elements to this project:
- Information collection and reporting from the process of feeding cattle to finish, and;

- The process of moving and managing cattle and money across the United States border.
Information collected and reported by TCSCF

Animals enrolled in TCSCF are weighed multiple times through the finishing process, and then followed through and evaluated as they are graded through the packing house.
Individual animals have individualized data for all of the traits listed:
Weights at (1)Entry, (2)on test, (3) re-implant (4) final (5) hot carcass; disposition scores, feed to gain ratio, cost of gain, cost of yardage and health treatments. Also recorderd are the dress percentage, fat cover, rib-eye area, quality grade, yield grade; plus 43 more measured or calculated traits and economic indicators.

Final reports accurately characterize nearly all meaningful traits that can be collected and the results exceed what you would find in nearly any other program in North America. If the producer provides parent registration numbers, sire reports will be calculated to determine breeding value of the sires genetics.

Information gained by participating Manitoba producers.
All cow calf producers who consigned in 2008 were experienced producers with a good working knowledge of beef production in the context of the Manitoba industry. However, because of the small finishing base in Manitoba, there were a great deal of learning opportunities presented such as :
• Hurdles and costs of exporting cattle.
• Feed to gain ratio and profit.
• Cost of corn dictates profit.
• Canada/USA dollar exchange rates and profit.
• Cost of transportation and the interaction with shrink.
• The value of cattle that grade well versus yield grade premium versus cost of feeding for high grades.
• Hedging the corn, hedging the live cattle contract and hedging the dollar.

And many more experiences you acquire when it is your money on the line!
Overall the Manitoba producers involved in TCSCF 2008 were pleased with the information stream and the experience and knowledge gained.

Profits accumulated from retained ownership through TCSCF varied from break even, up to $0.14 per pound—based on entry weight—greater than Manitoba market after all costs and exchange rates were calculated.

For more information or to see the complete report results, contact Raymond Bittner, Farm Production Advisor with MAFRI at (204) 768-0010 or email:
ray.bittner@gov.mb.ca