Mississippi Cattleman Finds Ways To Stay Competitive

Tommy Sanders and his dad are in the cow-calf business and like most, they are looking for ways to stay in the business and be competitive.

Having a product they can readily market, can be marketed at prices to keep their operation profitable and that they can raise efficiently are key factors in all of their management decisions.

This father son team run 350-to 400 head of Brahman cross cows on hybrid Bermuda and rye grass in Hamilton, Mississippi. Fertility, maternal merit, growth and efficiency are all stressed. It wsa these factors led them to use Brangus bulls a few years ago.

Then in 2003, they began purchasing their bulls from Camp Cooley Ranch®, Franklin, Texas and also began AI’ing a portion of their commercial herd with semen from Camp Cooley Brangus bulls. In 2004 they became involved in the Camp Cooley cooperator program.

The Sanders retained ownership of their 2004 steers through Camp Cooley’s Producer Return Enhancement Program (PREP). These steers were fed at Hondo Creek Cattle Company in Edroy, Texas and then harvested at Sam Kane Beef Processors in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The carcass merit in the Sanders cow herd is impressive, based on the performance of these steers that were backgrounded 45-60 days prior to the feedlot.

“Our first group of 78 steers posted an average daily gain of 3.17 lbs. on 5.98 lbs. conversion with a dressing percentage of 65%. Plus 74% graded Choice, 26% were Select with 81% were Yield Grade 1 & 2s,” says Sanders, adding that their second set showed 2% to be Prime; 82% Choice, 16% Select with 57% YG 1 & 2s, with 41% YG 3s.

In addition, Sanders received $42-44 above the cash market price as he sold the steers on the Camp Cooley grid, developed by Hondo Creek.

“We were well pleased with the performance of our calves by their bulls. The PREP program worked for us and we were sure satisfied with the grid price received,” explains Sanders.

Sanders first became interested in Camp Cooley genetics while attending their 2003 Customer Appreciation Sale and started exploring the options available through their cooperator program.

“It’s important to us to buy registered bulls, be abe to analyze their data and compare it across the breed. We liked the information we gathered about the Camp Cooley program and felt we could easily work with their personnel,” he says.

The Sanders keep some of their heifers as replacements, market a select group through the Camp Cooley Ranch® Customer Appreciation Sale and they sell some from the farm. They retain full ownership on the bottom end of the heifers and send those to a feedlot.

“Last year we sold a group of open heifers in the sale and felt we received a strong $150 per head above what we could have received at home. This year we sold 40 bred heifers. These are due to calve as two-year-olds in October-November to Camp Cooley Brangus bulls. Again, we were very pleased as the heifers brought and average of $1,187.50 per head,” says Sanders.

He will quickly tell you that he has been pleased with the prices he has received and he also likes the time management aspect.

“I can’t market my heifers at home like Camp Cooley can, plus selling them from the farm takes a lot of time. People come to look at small groups, and they come at different times. By bringing them to the sale, I feel its less time consuming, they are promoted on a much bigger scale than I could do it. The Camp Cooley event draws a bigger viewing, an audience I would most likely never have,” he explains.

Sanders is very definite about his bull selection, choosing phenotypically sound bulls, with balanced EPDs, and strong carcass values. In addition, they are trying to develop their cows to make it on forage alone and this also is a factor when analyzing bulls and their numbers.

Tommy Sanders is committed to the cattle business and has found a way to not just stay in it, but compete profitably.