Reading Time: 4 minutes Older producers may remember a preconditioning program implemented by the provincial Agriculture Department in the 1980s. There were criteria for procedures and shots, while veterinarians certified that procedures such as dehorning and castrating were done properly and correct pre-immunization shots were given properly. Two categories of calves (either pre-immunized or pre-immunized and weaned a specific […] Read more

Preconditioning is good for the entire cattle industry
Beef 911: There are a multitude of benefits but producers need to be compensated for the extra work and risk

Four keys to successful calf preconditioning
Veterinarian Mark Hilton shared his experiences working with an Indiana producer who co-operated with Purdue University on a preconditioning project from 1999 through 2009. When they boiled it down, four points came to the forefront as keys to success that could be transferred to other farms.

Show me the money: The lowdown on preconditioning
Preconditioned calves are healthier, grow faster, and grade higher — but can cow-calf producers make money on the practice?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Can you make money preconditioning feeder calves? The answer depends on whom you talk to. Attendees at a University of Calgary conference last month were told about an Indiana producer who pocketed an extra $80 per calf by preconditioning his animals. “The producer realized that the more days he preconditioned those calves, the more money[...]
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Everyone will benefit if calves are preconditioned, says vet
Preparing calves for the feedlot reduces antibiotic use and improves feed efficiency and animal health
Reading Time: 3 minutes While preconditioning your calves may not always put extra dollars in your pockets, it’s good for the health of the entire beef industry. That was the message from veterinarian Cody Creelman during a recent Beef Cattle Research Centre webinar. Preconditioning includes anything a producer does to a weaned calf that reduces shrink and chance of[...]
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