December 20, 2001

Producer Gleans Benefits from N.D. Feedlot School

Knowing the needs of his customers and keeping better tabs on his cattle with computerized records have made Chuck Meekins a more profitable businessman.

For more than 25 years he’s been judiciously buying up to 150 calves in September, feeding them out over the winter and selling them to feedlots the following summer. "I’ve made money at it every year," Meekins says. "But the North Dakota State University feedlot school got me out of the dark ages."

Since attending the feedlot school in 1996, Meekins, who feeds cattle near Wadena, Minn., says he’s done a better job of buying calves. "I now know what my customers want. Before the school, I was only interested in my particular phase of production."

He also does extensive feed testing on his farm. "That’s really given me the ability to recognize and buy better feed. I know what to look for," he explains.

The school also prompted Meekins to use the computer more. "At least four times a week I’m in front of that computer. I think, ‘what if I did this?’ and try to figure it out. I also understand better the expenses going into the cattle, so I can do a better job of planning," he says.

This year’s North Dakota Feedlot School at the NDSU Carrington research Extension Center is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 29 and 30. The school will be limited to the first 20 individuals who register. The school begins at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday and continues until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The registration fee is $100 per person or $150 for two from the same oepration. The fee includes all the resource materials, breaks and meals. Registration deadline is Jan. 11. "The resource material alone is worth the cost of the school," Meekins says.

To register or for more information, contact the Foster County office of the NDSU Extension Service at P.O. Box 80, Carrington, N.D. 58421 or call (701) 652-2581.

The school will open with a discussion on feeding programs and potential feeds in the region and a review of cattle nutrient requirements.

Next, participants will learn successful techniques for getting cattle started on feed and managing them for top gain. "The instructors obviously take a lot of care in setting up the course," Meekins notes. "And the facilities at the research extension center are outstanding for helping us learn."

Meekins says a session on examining bunks and manure patties and observing cattle has been especially helpful in helping him better manage his operation. "Those topics don’t sound particularly interesting, but the instructors know the material and are so dedicated, they’re able to relay those lessons very well."

Participants will also learn about feed additives, implants, grain processing, ration mixing, waste management, vaccinations, and common health concerns of feedlot cattle. The school will close with sessions on marketing including information on alliances and grid pricing, custom feeding charges and marketing with futures and options.

Grain and vegetable processing plants in the region offer an opportunity for cattle feeders to purchase competitively priced feeds, notes Kurt Froelich, NDSU Extension Service agent in Foster County and one of the school’s organizers. "Those feeds, along with large quantities of forages and grain available here, provide a tremendous opportunity for the cattle feeding industry to grow," he says.

Froelich notes that data from the Dakota Finishers Project show that cattle feeding in North Dakota is competitive with Kansas because cheaper grains more than offset a slightly reduced rate of gain attributed to colder weather.

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Source: Kurt Froelich, (701) 652-2581, kfroelic@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu