Can I participate in the CAB program without having feedlot and packer data on slaughtered cattle?
If you are not interested in receiving data on the cattle you feed, you may ignore this information opportunity. However, seeing how your cattle perform on an individual carcass basis is the easiest way to make focused breeding and management decisions that add value to your feeder cattle. The industry is also starting to pay more for cattle of known background. Data on past calf crops will give producers the chance to earn higher prices on future generations of calves. By comparing feedlot cattle harvest data with sire expected progeny differences (EPDs), a producer can find bulls that improve their herd’s ability to profitably produce carcasses that achieve higher levels of marbling and retail product, thus increasing profits. Partner with a CAB-licensed feedlot, use individual carcass data and use Angus sires known for positive marbling and performance traits to earn higher premiums on the grid. Producers don’t have to back away from other production goals–just add carcass traits.
