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First Place: Richard Hamilton, Park City, MT
Second Place: K4 Cattle Company (Brad Kraft), Billings, MT
Third Place: Hobble Diamond Ranch (Steve Story), Big Timber, MT
The purpose of the NILE Steer Challenge is to provide ranches a low-risk opportunity to retain ownership of a small pen of their steers. In turn, this provides the ranch with data regarding the feeding efficiency and profitability on the rail of about their genetics and breeding program beyond the front gate of the ranch yard. We believe this program can be beneficial for commercial producers, purebred operations, or registered breeders of bulls.
Our partner in finishing the cattle is Decatur County Feed Yards (DCFY). DCFY is the leader in utilizing Micro Beef Technologies and has proven to be very progressive in their efforts to maximize profitability for those that are in their alliance.
Here are the details for involvement in the NILE Steer Challenge.
- Open to all 2009 born steers.
- Minimum consignment of 5 head per consignment. Multiple consignments and are highly encouraged. 10 head will be automatically two consignments.
- Winner is determined by the “Highest average/head Adjusted Net Return Index to the Ranch”. Average is determined from the top 4 steers. Average net return using the actual average monthly fed cattle market, monthly average choice/select spread, over/under arrival value less any feed, yardage, sorting, medicine, data collection charges.
Down Load Entry Form Here
Program Details:
- Deliveries accepted at K4 Cattle Co., Billings, MT between Oct. 15th and 31st, 2009. It is recommended that steers be weaned or have precondition vaccinations.
- Recommended arrival weight needs to be a minimum of 500 pounds and a maximum weight of 650 pounds.
- Animals should be age verified with a minimum date of birth for oldest calf in a consignment.
- Animals should be process verified, meaning documentation of all vaccinations, medications and implants.
- Source verified is required. Premise identification is recommended for proper source verification.
- Entry fee: $50.00/Pen – Due prior to NILE Stock Show and Rodeo October 17th-20th. The $50.00 Entry Fee includes the processing fee and ear tags for each group of steers.
Structure:
- Warm-Up Period: Calves will be fed at: K4 Cattle Co., 1901 S. 80th St. W, Billings, MT 59106, 406/652-2163. Feedlot located four miles north of the east Laurel exit off I-90. Cattle are fed with a mixer truck with an automatic scale. A complete working facility is available for processing and sorting cattle.
- Feeding Program: Nutrition service will be provided by Dr. Butch Whitman of Westfeeds. Upon arrival at the feedlot, calves will go to a small receiving pen with hay and water. They will be allowed to rest and then moved to a larger pen and comingled with other project calves. A small amount of a mixed ration consisting of 35% chopped hay 20% corn silage, and 45% whole corn and supplement with be top-dressed over a small amount of long-stem hay two to three times daily until all project calves have arrived and are processed. After the calves have been processed and sorted by weight into smaller feeding groups they will be stepped up to the final grow ration consisting of 15% chopped hay, 40% corn silage, and 45% whole corn and supplement. This ration will be fed twice daily until feed intakes are well established and all calves are eating well. At that time the ration will be fed once per day to appetite for the remainder of the growing period.
- Costs: Feeding costs will be billed monthly through the NILE. Monthly feed costs for a pen will be divided equally among calves in the pen based on total head days. Feed costs area based on market price plus shrink. Yardage will be charged at $0.25 per head per day. For calves that require treatment, actual drug and vet costs will be billed to that individual. There are no additional chute charges for treatment.
- Pre-Weaning Vaccinations: Steers entering the feedlot will need to be weaned and have precondition vaccinations. Cattle will be tagged with a NILE Steer Challenge ear tag upon arrival at K4 Cattle Co..
- Finish Period - Decatur County Feed Yard: Consignments will be delivered to Decatur County Feed Yard near Oberlin, Kansas. Decatur County Feed Yard will purchase 50% of the group delivered to the Feedyard. Purchase price will be determined using an average price published from Cattle-Fax rounded up/down in 10-pound increments and averaged for the last two weeks prior to shipment for the group. If there are significant weight differences the committee may choose to split the consignment. Decatur County Feed Yard will take trucking out of the proceeds. A single payment will be made to the NILE Committee who will then distribute the consignors.
They will be placed on feed and fed conventional rations throughout the feeding period. Steers will be part of the Decatur Beef Alliance and may be marketed individual on Decatur’s exclusive marketing agreement with Cargill Meat Solutions (Excel) or any other value based opportunity that is available at the time of harvest. Individual arrival processing weight will be the starting weight (pay weight) regardless of the delivery day. Cattle will BE processed, (vaccinations, wormed, implanted, weighed, measured, etc.) in a conventional manner. Individual arrival reports will be made available to the NILE committee to be distributed to the consigners.
At approximately 75 to 100 days on feed, steers will be re-measured and sorted into up to 7 marketing groups based on an average optimum end point of the individual steer. Steers will be separated into two-week marketing windows. Animals could have the potential to be marketed over a 16 week window based on a optimum harvest date determined by projected back fat targets and projected hot carcass weight targets. As animals are harvested, feeding charges will be pro-rated and credited. Balance of monies will be ACH (direct deposited) into an established NILE account, to be distributed to the individual consigners. Decatur County Feed Yard and NILE will hold data confidential until last animal is harvested and “Challenge” is final.
