Measure Your Herd. Improve Your Herd.

Your cattle are your biggest investment. But how can you manage that investment if you aren’t consistently measuring its performance?

Our progressive philosophy on retained ownership is that it’s not good enough to simply raise and sell your cattle. You need to know how each animal is performing, and how to replicate your most successful genetics.

The Potential

There is routinely a difference of $300 in value between the best and worst animals in a typical herd, as well as a $300 difference in average animal value between herds. A 650-pound steer, for example, could range in value from $550 to $1,175, depending on its genetics and management. That’s a tremendous amount of room for growth.

The Plan

You begin by feeding your calves with Decatur, so that you can establish a baseline for your herd. At your first sale, you receive reliable, individual animal closeout data, which you can use to guide your breeding choices. Then you carefully monitor each subsequent herd’s results to keep improving your genetics and prices.

The Results

This chart shows one Decatur client’s price-per-head improvement in a single year, just by evaluating their first-year closeout data and modifying their herd’s genetics accordingly. This rancher went from a price-per-head that was slightly below average to the top 15% of cattlemen feeding at Decatur — in just one year. He accomplished this by using information gained through feeding, and then purchasing the right bulls to complement his herd.

Use the links below to learn how Decatur can make your job as a rancher easier and more profitable.