Heartland Cattle Company Custom Weaning Program:
Replacement Heifers and/or Feeder Cattle
Shortly after starting Heartland's professional heifer development service, it became evident that we could provide yet another service that is unique to the industry. By nature of the spring breeding season, heifers are ultrasounded to confirm pregnancy and then shipped back to the ranch typically during the months of July and August. This creates a perfect scenario to receive early-weaned bawling calves from the same ranch, and thus minimize freight and best utilize pen space for both Heartland and the rancher. In addition, we are able to continue to receive, wean, and background calves until late December and early January when the next replacement heifer crop begins to arrive at the facility. The highly specialized crew that prides itself in attention to detail, accuracy of data, individualized attention, and the organized protocols of breeding season, are the same individuals that have made our calf-weaning program such a success. Our pen riders have a tremendous amount of industry experience in animal health, and are responsible for our exceptional morbidity and mortality rates that are unmatched in the industry. Listed below are just a few examples of the customized programs we can offer.
• Not sure which heifers you want to keep? Send your entire heifer crop to Heartland for weaning. Once cattle have been weaned for 30-45 days, we will do a preliminary sort to identify the top cut for potential replacement heifers. The balance of the heifers will be managed separately and can be fed via retained ownership in one of our cooperative feedyards, sold to us for feeding, or marketed through a local auction barn.
• Short on feed resources due to drought or herd expansion? Early wean your entire calf crop (as early as 3-4 months of age!) and we will get them off to a great start! We have conducted numerous research trials with early-weaned calves and have had excellent results in the feedyard and on the rail.
• Trying to cut feed expenses on your replacement heifers? Ask about our backgrounding program. Each year we have access to a limited amount of wheat pasture and/or corn stalk grazing. Depending on the weather and the supply, we may be able to utilize these resources and lower your feed bills. All heifers are returned to the yard for development and breeding and are continuously under our care, regardless of their location.
• Concerned about uniformity of your steers in the feedyard? Our weaning program takes much of the guesswork out of the feeding and marketing phases. After a short weaning and backgounding period, our crew can sort your calf crop into uniform groups that are more likely to perform at a similar rate. Alternative marketing options for younger, smaller, or non-uniform calves will largely alleviate the need for sorting fat cattle prior to shipment, or suffering outlier discounts by packers.
Regardless of your situation, we can customize a program that meets your needs. Contact our office for more information on our calf-weaning programs. We think you'll be hard pressed to beat the Heartland program!