Pasture To Packer
Gears Up July 13-14

SAN ANGELO — The third Pasture to Packer lamb feeding program sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service begins with delivery of lambs July 13 and 14 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to the Denis Feedlot south of here.

Interested producers should nominate at least 10 animals, but not more than 20. Lambs should weigh at least 50 pounds on arrival, and both ewe and wether lambs will be accepted. Coordinators recommend that lambs be selected from known sire groups. A $5 per head nomination fee is due at time of delivery.

The program is designed to give producers a taste of retained ownership while providing them with their animals’ feedlot performance and carcass data.

The feedlot performance information collected will include on-test weight, final weight, average daily gain, feed efficiency, total cost of gain, breakeven price, and net return. The carcass information will include carcass weight, dressing percent, quality and yield grade, fat thickness, and loin eye area.

Lambs will be eartagged and individually weighed on arrival. They will then be processed according to the feedlot’s routine procedures. Each lamb will be assigned a value based on market conditions at time of arrival. The value will be used to calculate theoretical breakevens and profitability of the feeding venture.

Lambs will begin the feeding period on a starter ration that will be switched to a finishing ration through a series of ration changes. Animals will be shorn three to four weeks after arrival.

Feed consumption will be figured at the end of the program. Feed costs will be the same as those charged to other feedlot customers and will be priced according to current ingredient prices.

Specific charges levied on consignors will include a processing fee, additional medicine costs, shearing, feed (financed at the prevailing interest rate), freight and the predator checkoff.

Lambs will be weighed individually at the end of the test. A four percent pencil shrink will be added to the final weight to determine live scale weight for calculating feedlot performance. All entries will be slaughtered at Ranchers Lamb of Texas when each group reaches the appropriate endpoint. This decision will be made by the feedlot management and Texas A&M Pasture to Packer management.

Lambs will be sold on a carcass basis. Premiums and discounts for quality grades, yield grades and carcass weights will be set before slaughter. All proceeds will be mailed directly to the consignor after expenses are deducted.

Further information is available from Dr. Frank Craddock at (915) 653-4576, or Dr. Rick Machen at (830) 278-9151.