Beef: Can feedlot operators cut corn usage and still please the packers?

This is just one of the questions producers are pondering as they strive to find ways to reduce their losses in the face of high feeding costs

by DON STONEMAN

A frustrated Ontario cattle feeder, who doesn’t want his name used, says that every time a truckload of cattle pulls away from his Bruce County feedlot, a piece of his farm’s equity goes with it. He wants to cut down on his corn costs and thinks he is better off feeding for less marbling in the cattle.

In the big picture, is it reasonable to market cattle earlier and still keep the first market, the packer, happy?

Better Farming - May 2008