Missouri Steer Feedout 2020-21 Begins
MT. VERNON, MO.
The Missouri Steer Feedout weigh-in and evaluation was held Nov. 3 at Joplin Regional Stockyards in conjunction with the regular meeting of the Southwest Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. Entries were down this year with only 46 head coming from this area. The same day, 15 steers were sent to Iowa from a similar collection in northeast Missouri at Paris.
The 61 steers will be fed together as part of the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity. Feedlot and carcass data will be collected which allows consignors to tell if they are raising cattle that are above average in performance. Above average cattle should receive above average prices when sold as weaned calves, feeders or finished animals.
The steers were graded by Missouri Department of Agriculture market news graders. They also place a price on them, based on that week’s price at markets in northeast and southwest Missouri. This price is used when the steers are marketed to determine profit or loss during the feeding phase.
The Paris steers weighed 711 lbs. and were priced at $135.20. Those loaded at Joplin Regional weighed 646 lbs. and were valued at $136.70. They were also critiqued by a three person panel for market desirability. Serving on the panel were Bailey Moore, Skyler Moore and Tawnie DeJong. The Moores represented Joplin Regional while Tawnie is the livestock judging coach-animal science instructor at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
The audience at the southwest location also critiqued the seven groups of steers for final quality grade, daily gain and feed conversion. Their pick for highest quality carcasses was five, purebred Angus steers entered by Jeff Goodnight, Republic. Their daily gain choice was five, Hereford-sired calves out of Brangus cows from Duane Walker, Neosho. The Goodnight steers also were picked to have the best feed conversion.
A power point presentation that shows pictures and data from the southwest program will be developed an available online at: https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/lawrence .
Persons interested in participating in the Missouri Steer Feedout may contact their University of Missouri Extension field specialist in livestock. The next feedout will be for fall calves born since July 1. They will be delivered to the Iowa feedlot on June 1. ∆