Risk management in cattle production is about controlling the probability of outcomes occurring or controlling the impact if they do occur. When you’re planning for risk, you have to ask yourself: “How much risk can I afford to take? How much risk am I willing to take? What risk can I control?”
Herd health should be a major part of your risk management practices. But controlling an entire herd can be challenging, especially if you have a large, spread-out operation. That’s where we come in.
Accu-Steel can help you take control
Bringing your herd under roof with an Accu-Steel Integrity Cattle fabric-covered building is an excellent way to manage risk. Here are 5 ways you can take control with Accu-Steel.
1. Enhance herd safety and comfort.
Healthy and content cattle → less stress and disease → increased productivity → increased bottom line. As cattle farmers ourselves, we understand what it takes to keep cattle healthy. Our customizable cattle buildings keep them out of harsh weather while giving them plenty of space to roam, so they’re clean, dry, and comfortable year-round.
2. Calve year-round.
When you calve under roof, you have the advantage of shifting your calving season to capitalize on market prices. You can then take your products to market while others are still using the traditional cow/calf system on pasture.
When you’re calving outside, your schedule is up to the weather and you don’t know where you’ll be working. Environmental elements also add risk to the calving process. Bringing your calving operation under roof makes labor much more consistent and efficient — a benefit both for you and your herd.
Raising calves under roof can also pay off throughout their lifespans. One cattle producer told us their weaning weights are 80 pounds heavier than they were before calving under roof. They attribute this to the calves getting the best start possible in the Accu-Steel fabric-covered Integrity Cattle building, where they could use a creep feeder in a controlled environment before the calves went out to pasture.
3. Improve feed efficiency.
When you have more control over your herd under roof, you can monitor for consistent intake and maximize weight gain, whether that means feeding less and getting the same performance or feeding more and getting cattle to market quicker. Controlling consistent feed intake allows you to have more predictable feed costs.
You can also manage feed quantity and quality:
- There’s less waste, as hay and other feed ingredients aren’t spilled outdoors where it’s tricky to clean up.
- It’s protected from the elements, making it easier to maintain nutritional quality and reducing product shrinkage and spoilage.
4. Make labor more predictable.
Life in the cattle industry can be unpredictable, especially during the calving season. That might lead to burnout, high turnover, or health issues in your crew. When cows are under roof, you can keep track of their daily health more easily:
- You can monitor when a cow is going to calve and lower the risk of losing calves.
- It’s easier to ensure the entire herd is getting fed and watered.
- You can use technology to help keep an eye on the herd so your employees aren’t overwhelmed.
This all adds up to a more uniform, predictable workday.
5. Reduce cost.
Herd safety and comfort, calving ease, feed efficiency, and easier, more predictable labor all add up to lower costs for your operation. Less feed waste. Less health concerns. Less labor. Win, win, win.
With Accu-Steel fabric-covered cattle buildings, you can reduce risk for your operation and control what you are able to control while providing safe, comfortable spaces for your cattle. Take it from our owner, Jason Owen: “There’s not a bad day in our buildings, regardless of weather.”
Want to know more? Fill out the inquiry form or give us a call at 877-947-4553 to get the conversation started.