Fifteen Small cattle farmers have added $100.00 per head value to their calves by using the KSU shared use Cattle Handling Equipment and the Wayne County Extension Office Stewardship Verified Program.

A $100.00 per head premium can be achieved based upon selling a 500 weight steer that has been castrated, weaned, vaccinated for disease prevention and de-wormed versus a bull calf that has none of this thinks done to the calf, to achieved a .20 cents a pound added valve.  

KSU's shared use Cattle Handling Equipment with the coordination of the Small Farm Assistant allows farmers to vaccinate their cattle for disease prevention, castration and de-wormed in a safe manner to keep the producer from getting injured. Small farmers don't have the correct facilities to work cattle. The cost for buying and building a good facilities would be $10,000.00 . The use of the KSU shared use cattle handling equipment saves thousands of dollars in emergency room visits if someone got hurt in an inadequate facility. This is a more humane way to treat cattle than with a facility that is not working properly. One farmer was quoted saying " I'm glad I used the KSU cattle handling equipment because it helped keep my father safe".

Approximately 1000 head of Cows and Calves have been worked with the KSU shared use cattle handling equipment this past year. 

Wayne County's Stewardship Verified Program confirms with Extension Personal help, that the farmers calves have been vaccinated for disease prevention, castrated and de-wormed. The products used and the dates they were administered are put on a form and verified with Extension Personal that this is correct for the buyers of the calves. Three hundred and fifty calves have been verified on what treatment they have received using the Wayne County Stewardship Program.

The buyers of the calves are paying $100.00 per head more for calves that have been weaned, vaccinated and de-wormed compared to the calves that have no verification of anything being done to them. 

Small farmers with ten calves could see a $1000.00 increase in income from using the Wayne County Stewardship Verified Program with the help of Extension Personal and KSU's shared use cattle handling equipment. A farmer was quoted saying " I would like your help next year using the cattle handling equipment and the Wayne County's Stewardship Verified Program', after he sold his calves at the local livestock auction.