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Master Cattleman Educational Program
R. Burris
Department of Animal and Food Sciences
Project Description
The Kentucky Master Cattleman Program continues to be an integral part of the comprehensive effort underway to replace diminishing tobacco revenue by improving Kentucky’s expanding beef-forage operations. It is a collaborative effort of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, and Kentucky Beef Network. The program consists of 10 4-hour sessions that focus on management skills, forages, nutrition, facilities and animal behavior, environmental stewardship and industry issues, genetics, reproduction, herd health, end product, and marketing and profitability. Each session has been developed by subject matter specialists from the University of Kentucky, who either deliver the program or train other extension personnel. Since its start in 2000, the program has reached over 2000 beef cattle producers in 115 Kentucky counties. In 2007, the program consisted of 14 groups attending 140 county sessions and 4 field days. Approximately four hundred beef producers participated.
Impact
The economic impact of this training can be substantial. Previously, about 75% of beef cows in Kentucky, which are exposed to breeding, wean a calf. Top producing herds should attain a 90% calf crop through proper management. Improving sire selection and culling poor-producing cows can increase the quality and value of the calf crop. Proper weaning and vaccination of calves, along with group marketing like CPH sales, can increase income from feeder calves. Efficient use of pastures and home-raised forages can have a dramatic effect on lowering production cost and raising our level of efficiency. Implementation of existing technology (such as implants, dewormers, feed additives, etc.) can add to producer income.
Past Master Cattleman participants have indicated that they owned an average of 92 cows each. With 400 participants that would be roughly 36,800 cows which were impacted in one year. The following increased economic returns have the potential to be realized annually for these producers: Increase calving percentage by 5 percentage units (5% of 36,800 cows = 1840 calves) $920,000; Increase weaning weight by 20 lb per calf (on 29,400 calves = 588,000 lb) $529,200; Proper weaning/vaccination/marketing of feeder calves (5¢/lb on 14,700 @ 500 lb) $367,500; Increase productivity/utilization of forages (save $50 per head on feed costs for 36,800) $1,840,000; Pregnancy check and cull open cows (10% of 36,800 @ $150/hd in winter feed costs) $552,000.