Which herd do you think will yield more consistent animals? Unit 4.1a Uniformity, Consistency & Scheduling Animal Products This powerpoint presentation is a companion resource to the ‘Baskets to Pallets Teaching Manual’ available at smallfarms.cornell.edu Please see ‘Module 4: Production’ for additional teaching resources. This presentation will explain the importance of uniformity, consistency, and scheduling of animal products when contemplating wholesale production Which herd do you think will yield more consistent animals?

When direct marketing, you are dealing with one interaction between you the producer, and one client or customer There are several differences in management techniques for producers to contemplate when planning to market animal products to wholesale markets, as compared to direct marketing

With wholesale marketing, you must have consistent groups of animals or products that will appeal to wholesale buyers, and on their schedules. A group of lambs born during the same time frame contributing to uniform carcasses For direct marketing you may have a variety of sizes of animals and meat products that can be tailored to individual customers. For wholesale marketing, buyers must be satisfied with your products in order to please their clients.

In order to get groups of animals to yield consistent sizes and products several considerations and management practices may have to be altered To fit wholesale markets, using consistent breeds and crosses is imperative. Breeds utilized may have to more consistent, rather than a variety of crosses. For example, having only one breed, such as Angus, or one consistent cross, such as Angus-Hereford, can result in more uniform carcasses and growth rates. Hybrid vigor is often touted as a major benefit of crossbreeding, but the crosses need to be planned for that will yield uniformity among the animals.

Birthing window periods need to be shortened, and correct sire animal management and breeding seasons can contribute Birthing periods (scheduling) for the animals may need to be shortened so that calving/lambing/kidding/farrowing/ hatching windows result in most of the young being born in a more concentrated window . This ups the management ante in that sire animals must be ready to go and then removed from the groups of mothers in a timely fashion. Animals that do not fit into concentrated scenarios can be marketed in other outlets.

High quality feeds must be made available to groups of animals that can produce consistent and predictable growth rates, and to bring animals to slaughter weights in a timely fashion. Excellent quality feed in the form of pastures and stored forages are of paramount importance particularly for those managing for grass fed, low or no grain products

Management protocols will need to be more uniform, such as worming, dehorning, castration, tail docking Administering these important management activities needs to be done on a consistent basis among groups of producers working together cooperatively. Dehorning, castration, worming, weaning, and vaccination protocols need to be accomplished in a uniform and timely manner.

Producers must have access to livestock transportation services Wholesale producers must have access to reliable transportation to get animals to a centralized location as groups of market animals are being assembled. This does not imply that producers have to own such equipment, but have access to it.

For example, the Cornell Beef Program feeder calf pooling project Working cooperatively with other producers to pool animals into larger, more uniform groups can offer appealing opportunities for wholesale buyers. For example, the Cornell Beef Program feeder calf pooling project For example, a new marketing project initiated by Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist, Mike Baker, and administered by local CCE educators is underway across New York State. The goal is to improve feeder cattle prices for NY beef producers by pooling larger groups of cattle with similar weights, conformation, genetics and health management protocols.