Monty
I have a question I'm sure you can answer. In a retained ownership situation
such as you have outlined, how does the market
work? Does the owner need to find the market for his final product or does
the feeder do that.

Rod Hewitt
----- Original Message -----
From: Monty and Donna Adams <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 9:46 PM
Subject: Re: retained ownership/data collection


> Cathy,
> I am looking at the feasibility of building a small scale feedlot on my
> place here in Starksboro. I have a lot of hurdles to clear, but I believe
I
> might be able to start something on the order of 150 - 200 head by next
> fall. Retained ownership would definitely improve acceptability by lending
> institutions and that is one of the hurdles. You have to be able to feed a
> good number of cattle to turn any kind of profit due to the small margins.
I
> have considerable experience in feeding cattle- i.e. 8 years running a
1300
> head weanling to finish feedlot in Western Colorado and then, I owned my
> own, a small 60 head per year operation. If I can get enough numbers
> committed, I would definitely consider it.
> As John stated, identification will have to be ironed out before this
could
> happen, as to getting data back on these cattle, any good feeder will keep
> appropriate records if he/she wants to remain in business.
> There are several options a producer could go with. Background weaned
calves
> through the winter(average 450# calves at start, with 1.5# daily gain
> through winter), send these yearlings to grass for the summer, then 45 to
90
> days of intensive feeding back in the feedlot. You end up maximizing your
> inputs, i.e. light feeding in the winter, grass to push them to finish
> weight and then feedlot to take them the rest of the way. These cattle
would
> start at 450# in the fall, 720# in the spring, 1090# the 2nd fall, then
> finish at 1200# 45 days later. These weights would reflect averages.
> Another option would be to feed out your weaned calves. This option would
> finish them in 8 months, better for an early cash flow and capitalization
on
> a better market, but would cost more. If producers did both of these
methods
> and we had reliable slaughter facilities, we could keep that facility busy
> from June to January. Enough said.
> Monty
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill or Cathy Emmons <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 9:19 PM
> Subject: retained ownership/data collection
>
>
> > Hi all --
> >
> > We are interested in looking into the options for sending weaned,
> > preconditioned calves to a feedlot on a retained ownership basis with
the
> > hopes of also getting feedlot and carcass data back on these calves.
> > Currently, we have 12 head at the Cornell Value Discovery program and
are
> > very pleased with their system.  However, they can only feed a small
> amount
> > of calves and like to limit consignors to 8 head each.  Next year we
will
> > probably have 20-25 head that we would like to feed out somewhere.  Is
> this
> > something that the VBPA marketing committee could address along with
John
> in
> > Extension?  I spoke with a Vermont producer yesterday who sells
> > retail/wholesale organic beef.  Unfortunately, he finishes more cattle
> than
> > he can market right now through his organic label and is looking to
retain
> > ownership through an "inorganic" feedlot (since his organic grain is so
> > costly) and market through that feedlot to a larger packing company.  He
> may
> > have up to 50 calves that he'd like to send.
> >
> > Does anyone else have calves that they would like to market this way?
How
> > do we get started?  Trucking will be a factor to keep in mind.
> >
> > Cathy