Kentucky’s PVAP Program; Lesson learned about adding calf value

– Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA

The Kentucky Post Weaning Value-Added Program (PVAP)-Precondition was started in 2019 to encourage cow-calf producers to wean and precondition calves prior to marketing. Recently Kevin Laurent, Extension Specialist in the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences, shared the following regarding what they’ve learned from the program about adding value to feeder calves:

So, what have we learned? Although market conditions can always derail the best laid plans, the best hedge against market swings from a feeding standpoint is weight gain. Anything we can do prior to and at weaning to promote feed intake and weight gain should pay dividends. Some of these strategies are as follows:

  1. Castrate calves early in life, not at weaning. This will avoid weight gain depression which can last up to 3 weeks in late castrated calves.
  2. Familiarize calves to dry feed prior to weaning. This can simply be pouring out feed on the ground in the pasture several times, a week or two before weaning.
  3. Feed good quality soft, leafy square hay or unroll quality hay for calves the first week post weaning. Second cutting orchard grass is ideal for this transition period.
  4. Feed at least 2% of bodyweight of a 14-16% protein concentrate. It usually takes a 500 lb. calf a week or so to get to 10 lbs of intake post weaning. Remember to increase this level of concentrate as the calf grows. That means a calf gaining 2.5 lbs. per day will need to receive about 12 lbs of concentrate 30-40 days into the preconditioning period.
  5. Feed for at least 60 days. Most preconditioned programs require a 60-day weaning period and more days on feed takes advantage of the feed efficiency of young calves.
  6. Lastly, work with your sale barn and make sure they have a program to feature weaned preconditioned calves. Don’t just show up on regular sale day with small group of preconditioned calves and expect favorable results.

Find more detail regarding the Kentucky PVAP-Precondition program in the June, 2022 edition of Off the Hoof