As the 2006 spring calving season begins, producers recording calving data may be able to increase cattle value. On December 12th 2005 the Japanese border opened to US beef from cattle 20 months of age and younger giving beef producers additional marketing opportunities for age-verified cattle. Maintaining written calving records will allow cattle to enter various marketing programs requiring age and/or source verification.

Some producers suggest maintaining individual calving records is not practical due to individual animal id requirements and tagging expense. For producers not interested in tagging and recording the birth date of every calf there is a solution. The minimum record keeping required for many age-verified programs is calving-date documentation of the first-born calf. If export regulations demand beef to be 20 months of age or less, then records indicating the age of the oldest calf in the herd will determine eligible cattle. Smaller group and individual birth date documentation offers more market flexibility however labor and management requirements are higher.

Record keeping value does not end with age verification. As natural beef programs continue to expand, producers documenting cattle health management may add value by maintaining vaccination and treatment records. The definition of “natural” beef production is variable, depending on which program cattle are enrolled in, however most programs prohibit antibiotics, growth hormones and animal byproduct use. Producers adopting a “natural” program that fits their existing management and provide the supporting documentation using records may increase cattle value without major production changes.

Producers interested in verifying cattle age, source, or health management should enroll cattle in a USDA approved Process Verified Program (PVP) or Quality Systems Assessment (QSA) through independent data management companies or in conjunction with existing products or management services provided by breed associations, feed suppliers, and pharmaceutical companies. Regardless of the program a producer selects, the first step to expanded market flexibility and increased cattle value is a good set of calving records.

Justin Sexten, 618-242-9310, sexten@uiuc.edu
Date: January 13, 2006