Dl4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 22,1984
‘Uniformity’ cited as key in buying feeder cattle ■
BY DEBBIE STILES-RENZI
Staff Correspondent
TUCKER COUNTY, W. Va. -
“Uniformity.” In a word, County
Agent Voras Haynes summed up
what feedlot operators and
“grazers” alike are looking for in
feeder calves and cattle they’re
buying.
In a tour organized through
West Virginia University Ex
tension and coordinated by county
agents Haynes and Jim Stiles, a
group of potential buyers got a
chance to look over some of the
Mountain State’s offerings on
September 4.
All together, the group of feedlot
operators from Ohio, and farmers
from other parts of West Vriginia
who graze calves were shown 516
calves and 220 yearling cattle at
ten different farms scattered
across Randolph and Tucker
counties.
According to County Agent
Haynes, these potential buyers
were “impressed with the fine
quality calves” they saw. “Some
buyers are looking for thick, heavy
calves that will finish out at 1100-
1150 lbs.,” Haynes stated. “Others
want the more exotic breed types
that will finish at 1200 lbs. or
better. But all in all, they liked
what they saw here. ”
Angus, Charolais, Simmental
and Black Baldy were some of the
breeds and crosses represented
during this tour.
One sore point, however, was the
more than 100 lb. weight spread
which marked some calf groups
Randolph County, W.Va. agent t y»>
on Hermit Bonner farm to Dale Beckett, Monroe County
Beckett purchases calves to graze until they reach 1000 lbs,
when he sells them to feedlots.
calves to be weighed as part of
management in his performance testing program.
which the buyers mined.
Although a few of the “grazers”
those purchasers who pasture the
calves until the animals reach 1000
lbs. before selling them to a
finishing feedlot indicated that
they were willing to buy different
weight groups off farms and make
up various packages with them or
sell them later at staggered times,
the feedlot buyers did not concur.
Stating that to stay profitable they
had to keep their lots full at all
times, the feedlot operators made
known their preference for no
more than a 100 lb. weight spread
top to bottom on any truckload of
calves they bought.
This problem of providing
uniformity in weight as well as
type and frame is one which West
Virginia beef producers are
preparing to tackle, through the
utilization of programs like per
formance testing. By using tools
such as estrus synchronization
farmers like Kermit Bonner of
Tucker County are reducing their
calving season, in order to provide
feeders with calves that meet that
“less than 100-lb. spread”
requirement.
And through good record
keeping, farmers Steve and
Ronald Warner, Max and Hubert
Teter, Kermit and Ruth Bonner,
Mark Pritt, Jack Wilkins, and Roy
Mullenex (those beef producers on
this year’s tour) will strive to
continually improve their herds
and the calves they offer for sale to
out of state and in-state buyers.
Angus and Charolais crosses can be found on the Kermit Bonner farm in
County, W.Va.
Bulls are also raised on Kermit Bonner farm. This group are all progeny of a son of
Schearbrook Shoshone.
Couple attends conference
YORK Mr. & Mrs. Barry L.
Black, of Rl, Biglerville, par
ticipated in a special Cooperative
Couples Conference recently in
Danville, sponsored by the Penn
sylvania Association of Farmer
Cooperatives and Penn State’s
College of Agriculture.
The two joined with 45 other
young farm couples from
throughout the Commonwealth to
take part in the two-day event.
Sessions were held at the Sheraton
Inn, Danville.
The two are sponsored by the
York Farm Credit Service which
serves farmer members and
communities in this region.
At the conference, they shared
facts, opinions, and insights about
cooperatives and their role in the
strengths of our business en
terprise system.
In addition, they discussed ways
in which young farm men and
women play a vital leadership role
in cooperatives and in community
affairs. They took part in
discussions designed to pinpoint
concerns of family farms and also
major issues of cooperatives that
serve their farms.
CAMP HILL Enthusiasm will
be an integral part of the 1985
membership campaign of the
Pennsylvania Farmers'
Association (PFA)
Groundwork tor this fall’s sign
up campaign will be laid Monday
and Tuesday during a conference
of PFA membership chairman in
Harrisburg.
PFA vice president D. Eugene
Gayman of Franklin County and
PFA administrative secretary
Richard Newpher will address the
9**
2*s#-
PFA launches member drive
county association icaoeis on me
importance of membership ex
pansion in 1985 Information on
how to organize a short and suc
cessful sign up campaign in each
county will be conveyed in a senes
of education sessions. PFA plans
for representatives of all 54 of its
county associations to attend.
PFA president Keith Eckel said,
‘This year with the theme
Campaign 85’ our leaders are
striving for membership goals
with a renewed enthusiasm. We
2? v-C'
Barry and Linda Black with their daughter.
Farm
Credit
News
believe that membership growth is
possible and, indeed, vital to the
continued effectiveness and
progress of our organization. We
think that all of agriculture will
benefit from a stronger farm
organization. We are looking
forward to a quick, effective
campaign so each county
association will be able to devote
more time and energy to other
important farmers’ association
programs such as local affairs and
legislation."