Success StoryBack-to-Basics – Russell Bell
Back-to-Basics – Russell Bell
Author: Kevin Laurent
Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences
Major Program: Beef
Outcome: Long-Term 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 Russell Bell. Mr. Bell 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. Mr. Bell has a modern vaccination and mineral program and has worked extensively with UK forage specialists to incorporate rotational grazing and improve his hay production. He has worked with UK beef nutritionists to feed his cattle more efficiently and has improved the BCS of his 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. Mr. Bell 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.
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