The commercial beef unit is one of five livestock teams in Lakeland College's Student-Managed Farm powered by New Holland.
This team works with the college's commercial cattle herd. It's responsible for production, marketing, herd health and other management decisions.
Final presentations overview the team's year and includes recommendations for next year's team.
All of the livestock teams presented on April 13, 2017 in the Alumni Hall Theatre on the Vermilion campus.
3. SWOT Analysis
Strengths • Teamwork
• Mentors
• Communication
Weaknesses • Communication between units
• Large team affects involvement
Opportunities • Marketing
• Education
• Herd performance & growth
• New students with new ideas
Threats • Market crash
• Pasture rental
• International trade deals
4. Vision for the Herd
• Maintain 100 breeding females in herd
• Continue to use Simmental Angus cross
• Continue to raise quality animals
• Continued involvement at Beef Day
• Continued involvement at Canadian
Western Agribition
5. Progress Report
• Continued herd health checks
• Kept monthly weigh-ins consistent
• Successful promotion
• Sold steer calves at market
• Sold heifers at Beef Day and Agribition
• Decreased feed costs
6. Long Term Goals
• Decrease length of calving season
• Improve quality of herd
• Select replacement heifers that fit our herd
• Increase acres of pasture
• Maintain relationships with producers in the
industry
• Keep chrome and blaze face program
7. Short Term Goals
• Improve communication
• Successful calving
season
• Raise quality
Angus/Simmental cross
calves
• Pull bulls after 63
breeding days
9. Key Performance Indicators
Growth Rate Higher weaning weights, More
grass than last year
Open Cows Age, Drought, Nutritional
factors, Dystocia
Length of Calving Season Bulls weren’t pulled all
summer, Sold 5 late cows and
replaced with 5 cows that fit
the calving season
Death Loss Scours out break, Pneumonia
due to the changing weather
10. Herd Inventory
Total = 103 breeding animals, 88 calves
Cow/Calf Pairs
Open Cows
Replacement
Heifers
Bulls
Steer Calves
Heifer Calves
First Calf Heifers
11. Marketing
• Purchased two yearling Simmental herd
sires
• Calf Insurance
• 51 steers at $1.91/cwt for $176/cwt
12. Sales
• Sold 5 late bred cows for $1,449/head
• Bought 5 bred heifers for $2,420/head
• Sold 2 cull heifers for $1,224.90/head
• Bought 2 black Simmental bulls for $5,000
and $8,500
13. Select Heifers Sold
Agribition and Beef Day
Lakeland College Agribition
Replacement Heifers
$1450/head
Beef Day Average $1885/head
14. Beef Day 2017
• Lakeland College’s Annual Livestock Sale
• Sold 12 Black Angus Simmental Cross
replacement heifers
• Averaged 1005 lbs.
20. Reproduction
• 3 Simmental bulls
• 1 blazed face, 2 black
• Renting 1 Angus heifer bull from the
Research Unit
• $50/ head
• Palpated 23 heifers on March 21st
• 2 were confirmed pregnant
• Embryo Contract was renegotiated with
the Purebred Unit to 10 cows
22. Breeding Season 2017
• April 6th – Heifer bull put in with 9
replacement heifers
• April 13th – 3 herd bulls put in with 89
cows
• June 15th – Pull all bulls for a 63 day
breeding season
23. Opens
• Fall 2016
• 10 open cows
• Due to:
• Age
• Dystocia
• Spring drought
28. Herd Health
Vet and Supplies Cost
Treatment Costs $881
Vaccination Costs $2,818
Total Costs $3,699
29. Range and Forage
• Goal: model sustainable, economical, and
ethical grazing systems in practice
• Organize and implement a variety of
grazing strategies
• Measure annual productivity
• Recommend pasture improvements
• Assess and adapt to industry changes
30. Range and Forage
• 2016 Pasture = $13,781
• Trucking = $4,400
• Drought
• 2017 Pasture
• Looking for additional land
• Producers
31. Income
Total Income = $153,876.61
Steer Sales
Cow Sales
Heifer Sales (Beef Day)
Heifer Sales
Livestock Products
Custom Work
Bull Sales
Miscellaneous Income
32. Expenses
Total Expenses = $109,241.13
Feed Expenses
Labour
Purchase of Bulls
Purchase of Cows
Equipment Rental
Corral Cleaning
Custom Trucking
Deductions
Utilities
Vet/Meds
Breeding Fees
Show Expenses
Insurance
Bedding
Farm Supplies & Materials
Miscellaneous Expenses
Beef Day Expenses
Public Relations (sans BD&Show)
33. Budgeted Income
Total Budgeted Income = $124,010.00
Total Income YTD = $153,876.61
Variance = $29,866.61
$0.00
$10,000.00
$20,000.00
$30,000.00
$40,000.00
$50,000.00
$60,000.00
$70,000.00
$80,000.00
Budget
YTD
35. Financial Summary
• Cost of Production
= $1.63/hd
• Budgeted Net Income
= $7,265.00
• Actual Net Income
= $44,635.48
36. Sustainability/Stewardship
• Boot Wash Implementation
• Alberta Environmental Farm Plan and
Lakeland Environmental Farm Plan
• Meeting regarding Lakeland College land
usage
37. Recommendations
• Maintain herd size at 100 head
• Find long term pasture rental
• Shorten length of calving season
• Researching new options of record
keeping for the beef units for a more
convenient and organized approach
38. Recommendations
• Continue involvement in Agribition and
Beef Day
• Continue with blaze faced bull program
• Maintain the Simmental/Angus cross
• Work with and maintain relationships with
other units and farm staff
39. Thank You!
• Peter Wilkinson
• April Warrilow
• Austin Partington
• Jamie Anderson
• Dr. Kent Weir
• Geoff Brown
• Denise Martin
• Westman Farms
• Peter Walsh
• Leila Hickman
• Darrell Hickman
• Tracy Quinton
• Janet Kerr
• Jessica Hyrciuk
• Bevin Hamilton
• Marisa Moe
• Craig’s
• Embroidery
Xpressions
• Double Bar D Farms
• JBS
• CL Ranches
• Soderglen’s
• Blairs.Ag Cattle Co.
• Michael Verstegen
• Jim Pulyk
• Doug and Larene
Zimmer
• Isaacson Family
Farms
• Hagel Feeders
• Josie Van Lent
• New Holland
Editor's Notes
Bull Power- combine bull power with other teams
Replace old bull in 2018