The Owen County Cooperative Extension Office held their eighth biennial regional Feeder Calf Grading School at United Producers Inc. Owenton, on Thursday November 4^th, 2021. In all the 8 years this has been the biggest crowd, with over 85 in attendance with over half being a first-time participant. Participation included cattle producers across 8 different counties. Given the current cattle market prices, many producers are looking for ways to capture any premium for their calves. Along with more efficient production information, cattle producers inquire about marketing strategies and how their calves are graded using the USDA feeder calf grading system.

Tim Dietrich, retired Livestock Marketing Specialist with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the 2021 Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association (KCA) Region 3 Hall of Fame Recipient, demonstrated to the participants the difference between the different live cattle grades on the feeder market. Robert Green Jr., Manager of UPI Owenton, supplied feeder cattle for the class. All the participants reported having live examples were very helpful and aided with their understanding of why their cattle brought what they did. Green stated it was very beneficial for educating cattle producers in this region on all the variables that go into consideration when the animals are in the sale pen. Before this program many producers didn’t understand why their red feeder cattle brought less than their neighbors black feeder cattle the same size.

The atmosphere of the program, being at the stockyard with live cattle present, gave the participants the ability to sit in the buyer’s seat and see the cattle from their prospective. Gordon Flood, a local Owen County cattle producer, learned the importance of having consistency in size, color, and frame. As well as the benefits of selling feeders in larger groups. Flood plans to implement the information learned by tightening his calving window and improving herd genetics to maximize his profits.