Chute N the Bull

Chute N The Bull 3/19/09
What does it take to determine if a ranch or farm is making money? Each
farm or ranch has its own set of specific circumstances and reasons for
being in the business. It could be for quality of life, for investment
purposes or for making a profit.
Whatever the purpose for being in the business, each operation should
have monetary goals for the business. Quality of life goals may include
minimizing dollars spent on the operation. Investment goals could state
a desired return on investment or, in today's economic conditions,
minimizing the declining value of assets.
To determine if these goals are being accomplished, each farm or ranch
must have some type of financial and production information system. This
information will help measure the success of the operation. Please
remember, the information gathered by any system only has value if it is
used to make management decisions.
The basic components of any financial and production information system
should include a cash accounting system with depreciation schedule,
financial statements, cattle and feed inventories, and production
records to measure production performance.
In most operations, a cash accounting system can be handled adequately
by computer programs such as Quicken®. This program and others can
provide the information to meet tax needs and the basic data for
preparing financial statements. However, information prepared for tax
purposes does not measure the profitability of a business or its
financial position. According to the Farm Financial Standards
Guidelines, the minimum statements needed to document financial position
and performance are:
• a balance sheet, with both cost and market valuation;
• an accrual adjusted income statement;
• a statement of cash flow; and
• statements of owner equity.
Another segment of the information system should be an inventory system.
An accurate cattle and feed inventory is essential in measuring
production performance and completing financial statements. A complete
inventory by category of cattle (cows, bulls, heifers, stockers, etc.)
should be done at least twice a year. If only done twice, the inventory
should be taken at the beginning of the fiscal year and at the beginning
of the breeding season. This inventory should include a record of all
deaths, purchases, sales and movements among pastures.
These basic areas of information should be addressed in each operation.
Too many operations only use tax-based information from which to make
decisions or, worse, no information at all. Remember - management
decisions cannot be made from tax information. If help is needed in the
preparation of this information, give us a call. You can find this and
past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.com for your reference.
Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level,
race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas
A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County
Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating


Tommy Neyland, CEA-Ag
Texas Agrilife Extension Service

Special Notice Lamb and Goat Tags

All Leon County 4-H and FFA Members wishing to show lamb and goat projects at the State Fair of Texas in 2009 need to order tags by contacting the Texas Agrilife Extension Service at 903.536.2531 by April 15, 2009. Each tag will cost $10.00 and the tags will not be ordered until payment is received. Members may order by mail by sending payment to the Leon County 4-H P.O. Box 188 Centerville, Texas 75833. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.


Tommy Neyland, CEA-Ag
Texas Agrilife Extension Service

Special Notice

All Leon County 4-H and FFA Members wishing to show steer projects at the Major Shows in Texas in 2010 need to order tags by contacting the Texas Agrilife Extension Service at 903.536.2531 by April 15, 2009. Each tag will cost $10.00 and the tags will not be ordered until payment is received. Members may order by mail by sending payment to the Leon County 4-H P.O. Box 188 Centerville, Texas 75833. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

Tommy Neyland, CEA-Ag
Texas Agrilife Extension Service

Chute N the Bull

Chute N the Bull 3\09
With the 2009 Spring calving season nearing, Robert Wells, Ph.D., a Livestock Consultant with The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, offers cattle producers a few tips for improving the life and production of replacement, first-calf heifers."With margins tightening, producers must make sure to maximize lifetime cow profit potential starting with the first calf," Wells said. "Taking care of the heifer's health needs is top priority."Vaccinations serve as the first line of defense. Wells suggests vaccinating open heifers for respiratory diseases, blackleg, Vibriosis, Leptospirosis and Brucellosis. Internal and external parasites (flies, lice, ticks, worms and flutes) should also be treated. Wells stressed that before introducing them into a replacement program, beef producers should test for persistently infected (PI) bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). The next step is to conduct proper breeding. This includes breeding a heifer to a bull with high-quality genetics and low calving birth weight. Wells recommended that heifers be bred to calve at least 30 days prior to the main herd. This allows the heifer extra time to start cycling and to be rebred at the beginning of the next breeding season. Additionally, she should have older, heavier calves at weaning every year from then on. Heifer diet plays another key role in the process. At calving and breeding times, the heifer should be in a body condition score (BCS) of 5.5 to 6. Correct feeding will help her reach and maintain the right BCS. A heifer that is in proper condition will provide the best opportunity to rebreed for her second calf. "Keeping the heifers on your best pastures and feeding them adequately with high-quality hay or supplemental feed will ensure that they will gain the proper amount," Wells said. "A heifer should be gaining at a rate of 1.5 to 1.75 pounds per day." Wells said that a common misconception is that producers can reduce calf size and calving difficulty by restricting a heifer's nutrition; however, genetics predominantly dictate calving difficulty. Wells offered one final tip: Keep the heifers separated from the mature herd. "Bred heifers require a little more attention than the mature cows," Wells said. "It is much easier to provide proper care if they are not commingled with the mature cow herd." If possible, Wells suggested, continue supplementing feed and keep the heifers separated from the herd until after peak lactation (90-100 days post-calving). "For many producers, having heifers on their operation is frustrating at best," Wells said. "But with a few simple considerations, developing first-calf heifers can be financially rewarding over the productive lifetime of the cow in the herd. If you take care of her, she'll take care of you." You can find this and past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.com for your reference. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.



Tommy Neyland, CEA-Ag
Texas Agrilife Extension Service