Final presentation of the commercial beef unit of Lakeland College's Student-managed Farm (SMF) powered by New Holland. The student-managed course in animal science technology sees 2nd year students work in one of the livestock unit. Each team reports on marketing, production and other parts of their unit's business. Mid-term and final presentations are done in Alumni Hall on the Vermilion campus.

1. Commercial Beef Unit
April 10, 2018

3. SWOT Analysis
Strengths • Industry experience on the team
• Herdtrax and VBP+
• Communication within the team
Weaknesses • Team size
• Communication with other units/farm staff
• Open cows
Opportunities • New genetics with heifers/bulls
• Social media
• Attending Agribition/Beef Day
Threats • Pasture (long term)
• Decreased income due to open rate
• NAFTA

4. Vision for the Herd
• 100 breeding females in the herd
• Simmental Angus cross
• Raise quality animals
• Increase reproductive efficiency

5. Previous Recommendations
• Locate long term pasture rent
• Continue involvement with Beef Day
• Continue with the blazed face program
• Improve communication
• VBP+ certification

6. Progress Report
• Continued herd health checks
• Kept monthly weigh-ins consistent
• Sold heifers at Beef Day
• Successful promotion of the unit
• Successful calving season

7. Achievements
• Blaze face heifers
• Mineral program
• Successful calving
• Low health incidents
• Marketing on social media

8. Long Term Goals
• Keep quality replacement heifers
• Acquire long term pasture
• Relationships with producers in the industry
• Decrease length of calving season
• Increase reproductive efficiency in the herd

9. Short Term Goals
• Communication with other units/farm staff
• Weigh heifers to monitor performance
• Set up yearly mineral plan
• #oneteam

10. GOLD
Industry
Standard
SMF
2016/17
SMF
2017/18
G - Growth
Rate
43% dams wt. 44.5% dams
wt.
45.7% dams
wt.
O - Open
Cows
4% 11.8% 17.9%
L - Length of
Calving
Season
63 days 99 days 90 days
D - Death
Loss
4% 4% 1% to date

11. Key Performance Indicators
Growth Rate Increased over previous year
Maintain Simmental cross to
increase weaning weight
Open Cows Lack of mineral program
Bull power and age
Age of cows
Calving difficulties
Length of Calving Season Pulled bulls at 65 days in 2017
breeding season
Death Loss Met industry standard

12. Herd Inventory
Cows/ Calf Pairs
Replacement Heifers
Bulls
Steer Calves
Heifer Calves
First Calf Heifers

15. Marketing
• Calf Insurance for September 1st
• Insuring a breakeven of $1.80/lb.

16. Sales and Purchases
• Sold 3 open cows for $1,105/head
• Purchased 13 Bred Heifers for $2,200/head
• Purchased a Black Angus bull for $6,000
• Purchased a Dairy nurse cow for $1,000

17. Select Heifers Sold
Agribition and Beef Day
Lakeland College Agribition
Replacement Heifers (5)
$1,800/head
Beef Day Average (15) $1,566/head

18. Heifer Grading
A B C F

19. 2017 Fall Weights
Average
weaning weight
Cow calf
Average
Weaning weight
Heifer calf
Combined
average
weaning
weight
Heifer
Calves
664 lbs 563 lbs 614 lbs
Steer
Calves
691 lbs 613 lbs 652 lbs
Average weight at
weaning
Average BCS at
weaning
Cows 1413 lbs 3
First Calf
Heifers
1135 lbs 2.7

20. 2018 Birth Weights
Number of
Calves
Average Birth
Weight
Other Information
Total Calves 82 87 lbs.
Commercial Calves 73 88 lbs.
Embryo Calves 8 81 lbs. 2 Heifers
6 Bulls
Heifer Calves 37 82 lbs. 13 from Heifers
24 from Cows
Steer Calves 37 93 lbs. 9 from Heifers
28 from Cows

21. Calving Comparisons
80
85
90
95
100
Calving 2017 Calving 2018
AverageBirthWeight

22. Calving Cycles
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
First Cycle Second Cycle Third Cycle Fourth Cycle

23. Reproduction
• Mineral program
• Lack of bull power – yearlings
• 3 purchased cows
• 4 two-year-old cows
• 3 older cows
• Pulled bulls at 65 days

24. Fixing the Problem
• Purchased two-year-old bull
• More bull power
• Mineral plan
• Length of breeding season
• New genetics – bred heifers and bulls

25. Bull Purchase
• Black Angus Bull
• Lewis Farms

26. Nutrition
• Replacement Heifers
– $1.40/head/day
• Diet Consisted of:
– Barley Silage
– Barley Grain
– Beef Supplement

27. Nutrition
• Bred Heifers
– $1.60/head/day
• Diet Consisted of:
– Barley Silage
– Oat Straw
– Beef Supplement

28. Nutrition
• Lactating Cows
– $1.70/head/day
• Diet Consisted of:
– Barley Silage
– Barley Grain
– Oat Straw
– Beef Supplement

29. Nutrition
• Mineral
– 1:1 Premix
– 1:1 Calving to Breeding
– 1:1 60 Days Prior to Calving

30. Herd Health
Pink Eye $9.56
Ringworm $28.00
Pneumonia $506.89
Scours $220.30
Pneumonia $120.60
Navel
infection
$10.20
C- section $743.26
Compaction $131.98
Cylence $210
Total: $1,980.79

31. Herd Health Vaccinations
Bovi Shield
Gold/ One
Shot
$228.80
Ultrabac 7 $40.80
Bimectin $98.36
Inforce 3 $15.99
Scourbos $150.20
Scour
Guard 4kc
$655.20
Ultrabac 7 $280.31
Bovishield
Gold FP5
$16.20
Fusoguard $33.19
Total: $1,519.05

32. Range and Forage
2017 Pasture: Claysmore = $9,920.00
Elk Island = $5,271.60
Total = $15,191.60
2018 Pasture: 45-50 pairs
$1.00/head/day

33. Ducks Unlimited
• Confirmed pasture for 45-50 pairs
• July 1st to October 15th
– Protects eggs/wildlife
• Looking for more pasture for 60 cows

34. Range and Forage
Recommendations
• Find long term pasture
• Close proximity to the college
• Create grazing plans

35. Income
Total Income = $142,316.00
Steer Sales
Cull Cow Sales
Heifer Sales
Bull Sales
Embryo Calves
Custom Calving
Miscellaneous

36. Expenses
Total Expenses = $130,016.00
Feed
Pasture Rent
Vet/Medical
Labour
Utillites
Insurance
Breeding
Livestock Purchases
Beef Day
Deductions
Corral Cleaning
Show
Custom Trucking
Farm Supplies & Expences

37. Budgeted Income
$-
$10,000.00
$20,000.00
$30,000.00
$40,000.00
$50,000.00
$60,000.00
$70,000.00
Bull Sales Livestock
Products
(Embryos)
Cull Cow Sales Heifer Sales
(Cull)
Heifer Sales
(Agribition &
Beef Day)
Steer Sales Custom Work Miscellaneous
Income
Total Budgeted Income = $106,924.00
Total Income YTD = $142,316.00
Variance = $35,392.00

38. Budgeted Expenses
$-
$5,000.00
$10,000.00
$15,000.00
$20,000.00
$25,000.00
$30,000.00
$35,000.00
$40,000.00
$45,000.00
$50,000.00
Total Budgeted Expenses = $99,850.00
Total Expenses = $144,437.00
Variance = ($44,587.00)

40. Sustainability/Stewardship
• Northwest 19
– Motion activated watering system
– Fence
– ALUS and Vermilion Watershed Funding

41. Facebook Page
• Promotes and markets
the unit/college
• On average posts
reached 965 people
• 210 Followers

42. Recommendations
• Attend Czar Cattle Show in February
• Year long mineral program
• Maintain blaze face program
• Consider bred heifers from Eastligt Farms
• Increase training on Herdtrax and VBP+

43. Recommendations
• Maintain the Facebook page year to year
• Stay up to date on sales and markets
• Team bonding one time per month
• Keep involvement with CWA and Beef Day

44. Thank You!
• Peter Wilkinson
• Farm Staff
• Denise Martin
• Westman Farms
• Josie Van Lent
• Peter Walsh
• Geoff Brown
• Lakeland College Ag Faculty
• New Holland
• Canadian Western
Agribition
• Bevin Hamilton
• North Central Livestock
Exchange
• Jim Pulyk
• Mellissa Downing
• Dr. Troy Drake
• Dr. Tim Goodbrand
• Dr. Crystal Mullen
• Fred Ven de Ligt
• Lewis Farms
• Cam Pearman
• Wyatt Isaacson
• Bennett Foster
• CL Ranches
• JBS
• MCF Feeders
• John Buckley
• Doug Price
• Paige Holmquist
• All other SMF Units
• 2016-17 Commercial
Unit