• Preconditioned calves bring more dollars at sale time.

• In 2008 heavier calves will be more valuable.

• Source and Age Verification will be in demand.

• It’s difficult to select an optimum sale date right now.

• Beef Exports are growing at an unprecedented rate.

• ‘Cool’ is coming September 28th!

If there ever was a year that amplified the value of verifying the value of your calves 2008 will be the year.

Recommendations and Strategies

I. Select and participate in a verified preconditioning program such as Merial’s SureHealth™. Calves that know how to eat and don’t require treatment in the feed yard are much more valuable.

II. ‘Source and Age’ verify your calves. It is very easy to create “Source and Age Verified calves’ ensuring that you can qualify your calves for any export destination. Exports are a real key to the profitability of the U.S. beef business right now. The volume of U.S. beef exports vs. last year is a 32% increase The added value for Source & Age verification continues to increase ($2/cwt as a minimum).

III. Don’t cut corners on your Animal Health program. Disease prevention and productivity will multiply profits.

The volatility of the market and record setting prices for feed, corn, fuel— and all production inputs are daunting. Don’t let the news make you think all is negative. There will be great opportunity created by the upward shift in prices. Beef demand is great and we continue to get advances in price at the retail level. The far-out months look friendly to beef production. The reduction of the cow herd this year will support calf and yearling prices. There will likely be a wide variance in the prices received for both calves and yearlings. Having the ability to document and verify your husbandry practices will place you in line to receive the top of those prices that will be offered.