If you’ve wondered about aiming stockers at the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) program specifically, or just want a handy reference guide that spurs you to question where quality components fit your operation, order a free copy of CAB’s new "Best Practices Manual" (BPM) for stockers and backgrounders.

“The stocker segment has historically been considered a low-cost, margin operator,” says Mark McCully, CAB assistant vice president for supply. “The reality is they have a huge influence on end-product merit, and those best-management practices need to be identified and kept in mind.”

BPM highlights strategies to guide stockers to maximize profit and quality. “It covers everything from genetics to cattle procurement, from health and nutritional management to marketing. All of these areas are critical to the bottom line as well as product quality,” McCully says.

For instance, Greg Highfill, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle specialist, explains, “BPM addresses the issues that reduce stress, while improving health and production efficiency. Those things come together to yield a higher-quality end product.

“The manual does a nice job of addressing weaning and the stress that comes with putting cattle together from different backgrounds. It helps identify ways of treating them that will improve stocker health and addresses appropriate animal handling guidelines,” he adds.

For a free copy, contact Marilyn Conley at 800-225-2333 or [email protected]