Marketing options for cattle discussed at Blackland Income Growth Conference

From traditional livestock auctions to online sources, cattle producers have a variety of options to choose from when marketing cattle, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist. Dr. Jason Banta, beef cattle specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton, gave a broad overview of marketing options at the recent Blackland Income Growth Conference in Waco. Banta said the biggest impact on income in a cattle operation is percentage of calves weaned. Other pieces of the equation include how many pounds the calves weigh and price received per pound. “Condition of cows at calving time has the biggest impact on pregnancy rates,” Banta said. “You want those cows to be at a body condition score of ve or better.” Genetics also play an important role as well as input costs. Cull cows and cull bulls account for 10 to 15 percent of producers’ income.

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