Pros and cons of natural

With more than 20 years of experience feeding natural cattle, Jerry Wulf is often asked what production efficiencies are given up between natural and commodity cattle feeding? After summarizing closeouts of like-kind cattle on like rations, he figures natural cattle have:

• 0.3 lb. less average daily gain,

• 1 lb. more in feed-to-gain conversion,

• 8-10¢/lb. cost of gain increase,

• An $80-$90/head premium to breakeven.

Wulf says other natural advantages are a higher percent of Choice, no implant costs, fewer bullers and quieter cattle.

The disadvantages are poorer carcass yields and the inability to use preventive antibiotics. “It does make a case for having hybrid vigor because you can sure minimize the Yield Grade 4s,” Wulf says.

Focus on the customer

What's the role of a seedstock producer? For Jerry Wulf, Morris, MN, the answer is simple: to serve the commercial cattleman.

The Wulf family accomplishes this by providing a quality product and backing that product with service that's second to none.

For example, they:

• Publish four different indexes on bulls they sell to help commercial cattlemen sort through more than 300 bulls and raise cattle with the end target in mind.

• Distribute a newsletter to customers two months before their annual bull sale to keep them abreast of what the ranch is doing and how they can better their programs.

• Host an educational seminar for customers the night before the sale. In 2008, three beef-buying representatives were on hand for the event. “It was great to get ranchers and cattle buyers selling beef to consumers in the same room,” Wulf remarks.

• Provide carcass data on bull customers' calves, along with averages of all Wulf-influenced cattle, to assist producers in making future bull purchases.

Wulf remembers his late father and founder of the family operation, Leonard, say, “You can get everything in life you want if you help others get what they want.” And when Leonard wasn't saying it, he was living it.