Preconditioning

History and Guidelines

Abstract

The need for a program to improve the well-being of the calf leaving its production site to better withstand the stress of movement through the channels of trade to the feedlot has been obvious for the last 50 years. The mere fact that 1-2% of all feeders die upon arrival in the feedlot is noteworthy, but the hidden losses are unestimable. The loss suffered from shrink, feed utilization, time needed for feedlot adaptation, labor and treatment costs are estimated to amount to $15.00 to $25.00 for every animal entering a feedlot. The catastrophic losses suffered when a high percent of the animals die are unestimable.