The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 6, 1998 Page: 7 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Clifton Record and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Nellie Pederson Civic Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Friday, March 6,1908
The Clifton Record
7
THE BEEF MARKET 18 CHANGING — Todd Thrift, Extension Livestock Specialist, explained the current and
future market of the beef indusby to Bosque County cattlemen at a recent meeting held in Clifton. Shown with
Thrift at the meeting Is Bosque County Extension Agent David Winkler (back). st«* pmo By c*oi Moulton
Cattlemen’s Program Addresses Raising
The Ideal Calf To Meet Market Demand
Ideal Mix
live weight
950-1390 lb
carcass wight
600-690 lb
ribaya araa
ll-15sa. inchas
fat thickness
0 2-0.5 inchaa
Current mix
I. 3% prime
II. 4% upper 2/3 choice
35.6% low choice
46.4% select
5.3% standard
Ideal mix
7% prime
21% upper 2/3 choice
34% low choice
38% select
0% standard
By Carol Moulton
FEATURES EDITOR
CLIFTON — Texas Agriculture
Extension Livestock Specialist
Todd Thrift told Bosque County
cattlemen that “today’s beef pro-
ducers are faced with a rapidly
changing industry” during the an-
nual cattlemen’s meeting at the
Clifton Civic Center on Thursday,
Feb. 26.
“Customers, including packers,
retailers, and most importantly the
consumers, are demanding more
from the products we produce,”
said Thrift. “The question is, what
combination of management and '
genetics will produce the right kind
of calf to meet all the demands of
the industry.” .
Thrift told cattlemen that the de-
mand for “higher quality” beef has
brought about research that has,
involved customers from feedlots to
restaurants.
“In the last two years, the restau-
rant traffic at casual and upscale
steakhouses has increased 24.8 per-
cent,” Thrift said. “The market has
targeted certain specifications for
the cattle we produce.”
He added that there is a tremen-
dous veritably in the beef being pro-
duced, and that there is a need for
all beef to “fit in the box.” In other
words, production needs to be set
within certain limitations.
or too small,” Thrift said, “and 40
percent of the beef is too fat.”
Thrift discussed the various
qualifications for the “ideal” calf,
from the carcass weight range of
600 to 850 pounds to a rib-eye area
of 11-15 square inches, and ex-
plained why fat thickness and yield
grades are so important to the calf
breeder.
Thrift added that other manage-
ment defects such as brands, liver
condemnation, and injection site
blemishes also need to be taken
into consideration.
When asked what is important to
feedlot and stocker operators,
Thrift said that the top 10 responses
included knowing the answers to
the following questions:
• Have the calves been weaned?
• What diseases were vaccinated
against?
• How long have the calves been
weaned?
• Timing of vaccination pro-
gram?
• What vaccines were used?
• Geographic origin of calves?
• The breed composition of the
cow herd?
• Predominant breed of sire?
• That a professional has verified
information?
• What the previous feeding pro-
gram include?
Thrift added that management
and weaning of calves is very im-
portant to feedlot and stocker op-
erators.
“If the calves have been weaned
and are in strong condition, they
are less likely to lose weight, be-
come sickly, or die at the feedlot,”
Thrift said.
He explained that if a calf has
been weaned for 45 days, there may
be two to three percent shrinkage,
whereas, if the calf has not be.en
weaned, there will be at least a 10-
15 percent shrinkage.
He added that a controlled breed-
ing season is the first step to reduc-
ing weight variation. *
“If a breeder brings in calves that
range from 300 to 900 pounds, buy-
ers will deduct for tne extreme
variation in weight, since some may.
have been weaned for the 45 days
or more, while some may not have
been weaned at all,” Thrift ex-
plained.
Thrift said that the “ideal” calf
can only be achieved through man-
agement and genetics.
After showing a list of some 70
different beef cattle breeds, Thrift
said that “No one breed maximizes
the ‘3-Ms,’ including maternal,
muscle, and marbling.”
Answering the question, what
type of calf will produce the ideal
end product, Thrift said that it must
be a blend. He explained that cer-
tain pure breeds, such as Charolais,
Beefmaster, and Simmental, are
too large for today’s market. He
said that, in Texas, the ideal calf
would include 50 percent English
breed, 25 percent Brahman, and 25
percent Continental breed.
“The blend brings the weight into
in line,” Thrift said.
TWo crosses that he used as an
example for a good market calf in-
cluded an Angus/Brahman cow
with a Charolais bull, or a Brah-
man/Hereford cow with an Angus
bull.
The following “personal goals for
cattlemen,” from the Texas Beef
Council’s “Dollars and Sense,”
which Thrift highlighted to the
cattlemen include:
• My calves have a good feedlot
health record.
• My calves gain greater than
three pounds per day in the feed-
lot.
• More than 50 percent of my
calves grade choice.
• I have no USDA standard grade
carcasses.
• A high percent of my carcasses
are yield grade 2.
• I have no yield grade 4 or 5 car-
casses.
• I don’t cause injection blem-
ishes.
Thrift said that having goals in
the cattle industry will help to in-
sure that the industry grows stron-
ger, not weaker. He stressed the
importance of communication
within the industry, and added that
cattlemen needed to learn how
their cattle perform after they leave
the ranch.
“It’s an eye-opening experience
for most producers to learn how
their cattle perform after they leave
the ranch,” Thrift said.
He added that being able to an-
swer the questions for the feedlots
and stocker operations, and being
able to, set high goals for breeding
operations, will insure a strong fu-
ture.
“Producers who are diligent
about measuring performance and
pay specific attention to manage-
ment will have the upperhand in the
future,” Thrift said. “Finally, keep
in mind that your primary cus-
tomer is the consumer.”
Ernest J. Erickson, D.D.S.
FAMILY PRACTICE
ORTHODONTICS
COSMETICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY
HANDPIECES HEAT STERILIZED
OFFICE: <254) 675-8301
HOME: (254) 675-3911
102 S.AVE.T
CLIFTON, TX 76634
H.H. (Trey) Gerdes, O.D.
Family Eyecare
Exams • Glasses • Contacts
603 S. Avenue G (Hwy. 6) at 15th St.
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. -1 p.m.
Wednesdays 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 1
675-6462
Clifton
“At least 20 percent of the beef
being produced is either too large
line with the ‘ideal,’ as well as keep-
ing the marbling and product yield
Clifton
Rainfall
By Travis Bother
Rainfall for February
For All Your Rental Needs,
Come Check With Us!
1 2 3 4 S I 7|
.65 .05
-”“Tru
.45 .30
" Ti T? "Ti Ti "3 "21
.45 .60
22 23 24 2S 21
27 2S
1.45 .60
Total rainfall for February
4.55
Days moisture fell (Feb.)
8
Total for year
8.80
Total last year (to-date)
9.95
CARPENTER TOOLS
Airless Paint Sprayer
Builders Level
Right Angle Drill
Sheetrock Hoist
CEMENT TOOLS
Trowting Machine
Electric Cement Mixer
Walk-Behind Concrete Saw
4\
Rentals &
Post Hole Digger
Portable Welder
Carpet Cleaners
Floor Sanders
High Pressure Water Washer
Garden THIers
Sandblaster
Tractor w/front-end
loader/box blades
Trencher
Bobcat Loader
705 West 5tr Street Clifton, TX 76634
Office Phont (254)675-8137
PLEASE VOTE EOK
Jamie Zander
Justice of the Peace Pet. 2
* Born and raised in Bosque County;
graduated from Clifton High School.
* Served in National Guard.
* Self-employed over 30 years with
extensive experience in working with the public.
* Volunteer Fireman for over 33 years.
* 18 years of Little League baseball coaching.
* Tax Paying Property Owner.
* Recipient of “Superior Volunteer Award” for service to county,
community, and residents.
* Working full time as Justice of the Peace, offering availability to the
public during the work week, and on-call evenings and weekends.
* Dedicated to serving the public in a fair, courteous, and equal manner.
Pol. Adv. Paid for by Jamie Zander, Treasurer, Rt. 2, Box 10D, Clifton, TX 76634
Meridian
4Sm
NIMAL
Hospital
^oiji^cihg The
Of
Meridian Animal Hospital
March 6,1998
Practicing
Small & Large Animal Medicine & Surgery
— with special interest in
Equine Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
.■y' M j -l-~
24 hr. Emergency Service Available
‘"I
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 8 - 5 Saturday 8-12
Call For Appointment
Phone 254-435-6921
P.O. Box 438
9587 Hwy. 6
Meridian, TX 76665
Larry J. Lentschke, D.V.M. H.D. Putman, D.V.M.
A subsidiary of Burleson Equine Hospital
Burleson, Texas_ _____
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View four places within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Smith, W. Leon. The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 6, 1998, newspaper, March 6, 1998; Clifton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth788236/m1/7/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nellie Pederson Civic Library.