LAUSR

The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) is a partnership between the Oklahoma State University Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, with the goal of providing and promoting value-added marketing opportunities for beef cattle producers. The Oklahoma Beef Network’s goal is realized through the implementation of the OQBN Vac-45 Program. The OQBN Vac-45 Program is a beef calf preconditioning program, requiring specific vaccination and management practices. Calves that fulfill program requirements receive OQBN Vac-45 Certification and may participate in an “OQBN Sanctioned Sale”. These sales occur as part of regularly scheduled livestock auction sales on specified dates at planned locations. Sale data for all calves sold at OQBN Sanctioned Sales (certified and non-certified calves) were collected each year to capture market premiums attained by OQBN Vac-45 certified calves. The objective of this study was to analyze 11 years of beef calf sale data (2011-2021), collected by extension specialists at 91 individual OQBN Vac-45 sales, which took place at 10 Oklahoma livestock auction locations. An average of 8 sales were conducted each year. A total of 149,525 calves were described using 42 market characteristics for 12 market traits (the number of assigned characteristics depended on the given trait). Market characteristics were analyzed as percentages based on the total number of calves recorded each year. Linear and quadratic regression analysis procedures, with year as the fixed effect were performed using R Statistical Software (v4.1.3; R Core Team 2022). A linear increase in the percentage of red-hided calves sold over time was observed, explained by (R2 = 0.51, P = 0.008). A Kansas State University study by McCabe et al. (2020) regarding breed trends in beef calf lots sold in video auctions from 1995 to 2018, indicated an increase in the number of calves sired by Red Angus bulls (P < 0.0001). An inverse quadratic effect was observed with the percentage of over-conditioned “fleshy” calves decreasing (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.05) and the number of optimally conditioned “average flesh” calves increasing (R2 =0.95. P < 0.05) over time, indicating optimal calf nutritional management. Quadratic regression indicated a decreasing trend (R2 = 0.60, P = 0.01) in the percentage of calves participating in certified preconditioning programs over time, indicating that producers may perceive certified preconditioning programs as an unneeded additional cost. However, from 2011 to 2021 calves enrolled in the OQBN Vac-45 Program received an average premium of $12.55/cwt compared with non-preconditioned calves sold in the same sales. Further data are needed to evaluate the frequency and efficacy of preconditioning practices occurring without participation in certified programs.