PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL
A group of cow/calf producers in the Southern Ozarks of Missouri have developed a program to add value to the feeder calf for sale and obtain background, feedlot and cutout data for future livestock development
This program coordinates a group of progressive, like-minded operators to gain marketing power by providing a uniform set of quality, similar calves, which can be traced from birth to harvest. The group, SOPBM, has developed proven production and marketing criteria for success. These criteria offer the potential buyers similar genetics, health, and husbandry practices, resulting in a group ("pot load") of uniform sex and weight with the appearance of coming from a single source. These animals are uniformly tagged with SOPBM group logo and telephone number and individual numbers traceable to the producer,
Information gleaned from each stage of this program is provided and shared to ALL producers to allow members to address optimum; genetics, production practices, and procedures, both at home and for future SOPBM endeavors. Members may remove their calves from the program any time within four weeks of delivery to the backgrounder. Costs incurred up to that point, if any, will be assessed and due.
FEES + ENROLLMENT
All fees collected are used for the day-to-day management and needs of SOPBM. The current fees are a $20.00 annual membership fee and $10.00 per head for each calf enrolled in each marketing program. A deposit, of $100.00 or ½ the total per-calf fees (whichever is greater) is required at time of enrollment.
Producers must enroll by 1 April for the Summer Sale and 1 October for the Winter Sale. Enrollment requires completion of the Enrollment Form and submitting the appropriate deposit. ½ of the total per-head fee will be refunded for each calf rejected at delivery, only. For proper function and financial solvency of this program, NO other refunds can be made. If the 100.00 minimum deposit exceeds the program cost of calves enrolled the remaining funds will be applied toward the calves’ feed bill while at backgrounder.
LIVESTOCK REQUIREMENTS
Male calves shall be castrated and fully healed (bulls will not be accepted)
Two SOPBM ID tags are required and must be placed in each ear prior to delivery. Farm I.D. tags must be removed, but only AFTER accurate cross-referencing from farm I.D.’s to SOPBM tag #s on the “Data Entry Sheet”. This is to insure individual traceability back to the correct calf.
All calves:
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shall be farm raised by the producer
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shall be vaccinated in accordance with the Vaccination Program
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shall be dehorned flush with the skull - no "tipping" or nubs - and healed.
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shall be treated for internal and external parasites sometime after weaning and prior to delivery. Internal product shall list control for L3 Ostertagia
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heifers shall be certified "open" - producer shall compensate buyer $200 for documented certified breds.
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with active pinkeye or blindness in either eye are not eligible
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with rat tails, bob tails or more than 1/3 frozen ear damage are not eligible
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with dairy influence, USDA #3 muscled or small-framed are NOT eligible
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shall have, collectively, less than ¼ Brahman AND Longhorn influence
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shall be weaned a minimum of 4 weeks and be eating well from a bunk prior to delivery. - no exceptions.
It is strongly advised that calves be consuming 2% of their body weight of a non-molasses, byproduct/grain supplement by the time the calves are delivered to the backgrounder. We’ve found this practice helps insure calves eat adequately in their new environment, continue in their weight-gaining mode, resulting in less illness, as well.
BACKGROUNDING
Delivery
All calves:
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must be born no earlier than Jan. 1 for Fall Program and Aug. 1 for Spring Program and it is recommended they have recorded birth dates.
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shall be delivered to the backgrounder for commingling by the producer. A list of participants will be made available to allow for shared transportation to the backgrounder
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for the Summer Sale shall be delivered in May and calves for the Winter Sale in November (exact dates provided)
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hall have an anticipated backgrounding period of 45 days to 60 days. For optimum buyer interest, some calves may be marketed earlier, some later, than the backgrounding period stated above.
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shall be graded and sorted upon entry by: sex, weight, muscle, frame, type, and breed.
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shall be sorted and graded by personnel selected by Board.
All decisions are final
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rejected will not be allowed entry into the program and shall become responsibility of the producer (all unmanageable calves will be rejected)
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rejected or not delivered will forfeit their entry fee with the owner responsible for returning the SOPBM tags to the Board.
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shall be weighed "in" at a target range of 450# to 750# for both Summer and Winter Programs and fit within the sale group “bell” curve as delivered. Those falling outside the curve will be rejected. Calves not complimenting the group for other reasons may also be rejected at any time.
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data on rejected calves will be recorded for documentation and information purposes only
Procedure
The Board will select the successful backgrounder for each sale
As the backgrounder will charge and collect fees from each individual producer/member, the backgrounder reserves the right to reject any member for credit history or other negative reason. Any up-front costs agreed to will be billed to and paid directly by each member.
Medication and special handling charges required for treating calves will be billed directly to and paid by the member as accrued.
Any treatment required will be recorded in its entirety for each member.
Calves with active pink eye/blindness in either eye or lameness will not be offered for sale with the program and become responsibility of the member.
Members shall provide the backgrounder and/or the buyer a Waiver of Lien if required.
Marketing
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The Board of Directors or marketing committee will emphasize optimum marketing ability.
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The marketing committee may elect to market the excess pot load numbers through local sale barns, order buyers, etc. in groups of calves to optimize producer proceeds. The funds will be distributed in the same method as if sold to a feed yard.
Selection and sorting emphasis for sale(s) will be for optimum marketing ability!
Updated: 7/29/2002