Agricultural News
Producer Billy Hall of Chappell Feedlot Offers Unique Perspective on Raising the Cattle Feeders Want
Wed, 05 Jul 2017 15:00:13 CDT
Billy Hall with Chappell Feedlot, has been in the cattle business his whole life. Seeing the industry from the vantage point of a commercial cow-calf producer, a registered breeder and now a cattle feeder gives him a unique perspective on what cattle are the most valuable to everyone.
"One of the primary goals of working with retained ownership customers and then feeding the cattle myself, then company cattle, is trying to identify the genetics that actually deliver the value in a very hard, volatile market," Hall said. "Trying to find those cattle that deserve, or you buy them for a premium, then they give a premium back to you when you market them on the grid."
To watch a video clip featuring Bill Hall with Chappell Feedlot, explaining what cattle have to do to be successful in the finishing phase, click or tap the PLAYBOX in the window below.
The same traits are significant, no matter who owns the cattle throughout feeding.
"It's feed conversion, performance, really health is number one," Hall explained. "Trying to find cattle that can gain, and grade. Stay healthy, and yield. Just do everything they have to, because in today's environment, what cattle cost and the volatility, you can't leave any loops not closed."
Chappell Feedlot recently added a Grow Safe system. That lets them add feed-efficiency to their profitability analysis, and it helps find the differences in genetics.
"That's been very humbling, when you look at the genetics," he said. "Looking at the variation. Seeing how cattle can become more profitable through feed conversion and cost of gains. At the end of the day, all cattle aren't created equal."
Even when producers sell calves at weaning, feeders still track how those cattle do. Hall says it's as important for those cattlemen to focus on performance and end-product traits as anybody.
"I think it's still, reputation adds value. Even though there's lots of cattle that move across the United States and go into feedyard settings, when you get into the smaller people or the smaller feeders, people that are buying a couple loads of cattle, it's still relative to added value," Hall concluded. "Whether that's genetics, health, flesh of the cattle, disposition. All the factors that go into actually protecting your investment, once you buy them and you take on the risk."
If those cattle reduce that risk, they'll have repeat buyers.
Source - Certified Angus Beef
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