Preconditioning Programs for Beef Calves
The demand for preconditioned feeder calves continues to surge in the beef industry as value-based marketing and information streams increase. The goals of a preconditioning program are to utilize available resources to efficiently and cost effectively increase the value of weaned calves and decrease the costs associated with calf illness.
When implemented successfully, cattle buyers spend less resources treating sick cattle, sale barns provide healthier calves that, in turn, attract new buyers, and sellers often receive market incentives that compensate for vaccine costs. Furthermore, retaining ownership of the calves in the short term may lead to increased market weights and total sale dollars.
Preconditioning programs offer the opportunity for producers to initiate health management procedures that can serve as a foundation for maximal response of calves to procedures commonly performed at weaning. This allows for additional enhancement to immune system function while minimizing stress.
Our fact sheet on preconditioning calves has some great information for producers that are interested in adding value to their cattle.