LINCOLN, NE — Current cattle markets provide an incentive for cow-calf operators to retain ownership of this fall’s calf crop, and Nebraska has several advantages cattle producers should consider when making cattle feeding decisions, according to researchers at the University of Nebraska.

“The decision to retain ownership of calves depends on market prices and the availability of custom feeding services,” said the university’s Dr. Darrell Mark, an extension livestock marketing specialist. “The drop in feeder cattle prices provides an incentive to retain ownership even though we’ve seen a counter-seasonal rally in feed grain prices during harvest.”

Dr. Galen Erickson, a feedlot specialist with the university, said the readily available supply of some feedstuffs in Nebraska – particularly distillers grains – can offer an attractive feeding opportunity. “Cattlemen in Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas and other nearby states may find that Nebraska offers some outstanding opportunities when it comes to retaining ownership,” Erickson said.

The two researchers are teaming up to provide a free webinar, Retained Ownership Decisions: Advantages of Feeding in Nebraska, on Wednesday, December 16 at 12:30 p.m. CST (11:30 a.m. MST).

The webinar is expected to last a little over an hour.

Sponsors include the Nebraska Corn Board and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, who is coordinating and administering the webinar.

During the webinar, Erickson and Mark will discuss:

· Evaluating your economic decisions, covering everything from selling, backgrounding to feeding out, and options at a commercial feedyard.

· What to consider when selecting a commercial feedyard – from financing to cost of gain to market accessibility.

· What you should know about feeding distillers grains, including nutrition, performance and cost of gain.

“This webinar will help cow-calf producers learn about feedlot production in Nebraska and evaluate the economics of retained ownership in the state,” said Lynn Gordon of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “I’d encourage anyone with an interest to participate, as the options available at this time are worth learning about.”

For more information on the webinar, cattle producers can contact Gordon at 1.800.422.6692 or lynn.gordon@nebraska.gov.

Cattle producers can pre-register for the webinar beginning December 1 at www.agr.ne.gov . Pre-registration is not required but will make it easier to join the webinar and allow a reminder e-mail to be sent.