A recent trip to the Milwaukee Stockyards by Purdue University senior Jordan Marshall confirmed what we have known for some time . . . a little extra care not only helps young calves, but yields a higher take-home paycheck. The math is quite simple - with a range of $1 to $6.50 a pound on the day of her visit, a farm selling 100 bull calves in a given year could see a range of $10,000 to $65,000 on calves that averaged 100 pounds each. That extra $55,000 of income can go a long way in paying a little additional labor cost for calf raising and pay off some other bills, too.
Marshall made the trip as part of her internship with Knigge Farms of Omro, Wis. The Milwaukee Stockyards in Reeseville was a logical spot for Marshall's trip because that is where the Knigges sell their bull calves. Marshall enjoys working with calves, and this also happens to be a major area of her responsibility at the farm.
"Even though each calf was in the sale ring for a mere 15 to 20 seconds, it didn't take long to determine which calves caught the buyers' eyes and which ones were low-cost gambles," said Marshall. "Thrifty, bright-eyed, well-fed calves quickly drew bids from buyers," said the Muncie, Ind., native. "It also helped if the calves were good on their feet and if the navels had dropped off, too," said Marshall who went to the sale yard with Knigge Farms co-owner Pete Knigge.
"On the flip side, slab-sided calves, those with reduced mobility and droopy ears or dull eyes, caused buyers to shy away. It was clear the most recently newborn calves at the auction barn had a disadvantage to those a few days older," said Marshall.
"Seeing the calves sell in person gave me a great appreciation for providing the best care possible for newborn calves. Not only does it make sense for the ones that stay on the farm as herd replacments, but extra care for those headed to the market pays dividends to the farm," said Marshall.
