To background or not to background, that seems to be the age-old question. It can be hard to look at the high cattle prices and justify backgrounding your calves instead of sending them to the sale barn after weaning. But everything is relative.

The way calves are managed during the backgrounding phase can greatly influence cattle performance down the road.

Preconditioning calves includes giving dewormers and vaccinations, castrating bulls and teaching them to eat at the bunk. Although this management style costs money upfront, producers can make their investment back and then some.

Calves raised on the range are often lighter at weaning compared to calves raised on irrigated pastures. With the right management through backgrounding and finishing, range calves can catch up with their counterparts.

Winter backgrounding systems can vary greatly from backgrounding in a drylot to grazing cornstalks or native range.

When to market your calf crop is one of the most important decisions that a producer must make and can have a significant impact on your operation’s profitability. Market dynamics are usually the main drivers behind when a producer decides to sell their calves.

Fall is officially here, and that means it is time to pull your stockers off pasture. But before you load them up for sale, there are a few practices to consider that will improve the health and profitability of your calves.