Success StoryBack to Basics - Bell Family Farms
Back to Basics - Bell Family Farms
Author: Leslie Anderson
Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences
Major Program: Beef
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Survey data from the USDA indicates that most beef cattle producers in the US do not use many management protocols that have been proven to improve productivity and/or profitability. Some examples include breeding soundness exams in bulls, pregnancy determination in cows, controlled calving seasons, vaccinations, and forage management. The Back-to-Basics University of Kentucky Extension Program is designed to identify 10 farms in Kentucky that want to improve their management by incorporating proven management techniques and recording the outcomes of the new management protocol. This success story involves a beef cattle operation by Bell Family Farms. This farm owns about 70 cows under minimal management when he began the program. The cow herd now calves in two 60-day windows and half of the calves born are born from AI sires. This operation now has a modern vaccination and mineral program and has worked extensively with UK forage specialists to incorporate rotational grazing and improve his hay production. Bell Family Farms has worked with UK beef nutritionists to feed his cattle more efficiently and has improved the BCS of the cows by one full score. Calf marketing weights have improved over 50 pounds and market value has increased $10/cwt due to marketing in larger groups. Bell Family Farms worked with UK Beef Specialists to design and implement a new handling system to reduce the reduce the stress of handling for both cattle and handlers. Revenue, efficiency, and profitability have all increased and the cost of production has declined since the Bell Family began the Back-to-Basics Program. The Bell Family Farm has been featured on the KY Ag Matters podcast with a reach of approximately 1500, in Cow Country News with a reach of approximately 22,000 and on the KET program “This Kentucky Life” with a reach of more than 1,000,000 viewers per week.
Stories by Leslie Anderson
2020 Beef Extension Education Forum (BEEF): Summary
During the last week of July of 2020, beef cattle producers, the University of Kentucky Beef Integra... Read More
Beef Minutes Video Series
During the COVID pandemic, the UK Beef IRM team created the video series called Beef Minutes. Dr. Ka... Read More
Stories by Animal and Food Sciences

Post Weaning Value-Added Program – Precondition (PVAP-PRECONDITION)
The Post Weaning Valued Added Program - Precondition (PVAP-PRECONDITION) began in 2019 through a gra... Read More

Hay Production Field Day for Horse Owners
Hay Production Field DayJuly 2021Sometimes planning takes a back seat to reality. How can it happen ... Read More
© 2024 University of Kentucky, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment