Champion Feeders

David Baumann is the assistant manager of Champion Feeders. He has been the assistant manager since March of 2000. David, a native of Central Texas, graduated from Texas A&M University at College Station with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics in 1997. Upon graduation, he went to work for ContiBeef LLC in Hartley, Texas. David was hired as a management trainee and then was the assistant cattle manager until he left in 1999. After a brief stance in the electrical business, he returned to the cattle feeding industry to join the Champion team. David, along with his wife of three years, Randie, live in Amarillo.

Our rations are formulated to provide your cattle with the necessary nutrients at the lowest possible cost. We strive for a high-energy, nutritionally balanced diet, or ration.

Energy is the largest single component used by animals for growth and production. Your cattle convert the ration into energy. Some of this energy is lost, but the remainder, or net energy, is used for either maintenance and/or gain. The utilization of energy is as follows:

Gross Energy Feed Intake

Less - Fecal Energy Losses

Less - Urinary and Gaseous Energy Losses

Equals = Net Energy

1.) Net Energy Maintenance (NEm)

2.) Net Energy Gain (NEg)

The primary source of energy for feeding beef cattle comes from grains. In growing finishing cattle, the maximum amount of energy that can be given to the cattle normally results in the maximum growth and the least units of feed per unit of cattle gain, as long as all other nutrient requirements are met. A system utilizing net energy (NE) was developed. The system separated the energy requirements for maintenance from that for body weight gain and expressed a net energy value of the feed for these two functions. The energy content of feedstuffs using the net energy system is stated in terms of calories. A kilocalorie (kcal) is 1,000 calories and a mega calorie, or therm, is 1,000 kcal. Net energy calculations determine expected body gains, or are used to formulate rations for certain body gains. In formulating cattle rations, the net energy system allows a more accurate comparison of the energy value of roughages compared to grains.(Cattle Feeding, A Guide to Management, Albin and Thompson, 1990) The standard units for measuring NEg is $/100 Mcal NEg, or dollars per 100 mega calories of NEg. If the ration costs $170.00 per dry matter ton, and has an NEg of 53.50 mega calories, per 100 lbs. of ration, then the cost of the NEgs per ton of dry matter ration would be ($170.00/20 = $8.50 per 100 lbs. of ration, $8.50/.5350 mega calories NEg = $15.89). Our present ration costs $172.60 per dry matter ton, and our NEg is 56.24 mega calories, therefore the NEg dollars per 100 Mcal is: $172.60/20 = 8.63 per 100 lbs. of ration, $8.63/.5624 mega calories NEg = $15.34.

Live cattle have continued to maintain a steady market level of $78 the past few weeks. Live cattle futures have bounced around the $80 mark, but a lower beef market has kept the cash market slightly depressed. Feedlots are still fighting wet, sloppy conditions on a daily basis. Recent warmer temperatures and days full of sunshine have began another drying out phase. Yields have decreased and COG�s increased as cattle are carrying mud and dealing with the stress wet weather brings. As spring approaches there will be an increase in cattle performance and these negative factors should see a correction. As energy prices continue to increase, corn acres and/or yields should decline. As a result, grain prices should see an increase. Local corn basis has been +$.36 to +$.38. Wheat should be in good shape as it continues to warm up and days begin to get longer. Fields have been wet and have kept most individuals from turning out any pasture cattle. The feeder cattle market has seen drops due to the fact that few producers have places to turn cattle out. Once producers can put cattle on fields, we should see an increase in this market.

Champion Feeders has recently added a new feature to its� website. Any individual who feeds cattle at Champion can access their information by simply logging on to the internet at championfeeders.com. The process is very easy. First, go to Champion�s website and click on the tab labeled services. Next, click on customer cattle reports. A new window will open that will ask for the individual�s customer number and a password. The individual will then enter their information and gain access to reports that only contain data from the cattle they own. The reports will include a current yard sheet, a closeout summary, a shipment report, a receiving report, a death report, and a cattle valuation report. At any time, an individual can see how their cattle are performing at the yard. For example, the comprehensive yard sheet contains information such as lot numbers, consumptions, projected out weights and dates, and the number of cattle in the hospital. It gives an individual an overview of what is going on with their cattle.

Everyone at Champion Feeders is excited about the new offering. The information that will be available to the customer will be very useful when it comes to making projections or for gaining timely data to evaluate. Individuals will use their customer number as their username and will be given an assigned password from Champion Feeders. The usernames and passwords will be sent out with February feed invoices. If at any time there is a question or problem with the process, please contact David Baumann at (806) 258-7255, ext. 22 for help. Champion Feeders is looking forward to continual partnerships and to bringing new tools to the business process.

Energy vs. Energy