by Joann Pipkin

Call it data, numbers or just plain ol’ information. From little black books to sophisticated spreadsheets and specialized software programs, fact is, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Cheyenne, Okla., cattleman Jimmy Taylor knows that and realizes if he has a number to work with, he can make timely improvements in his operation that will have a positive effect on his bottom line.

Individual cow records help Taylor and his wife, Tracy, track health, reproductive and genetic information, as well as performance data on retained ownership calves in the feedyard.

“If I don’t have a number, I’m guessing a lot of the time,” Taylor explains. “If you don’t have numbers to work with, you’re going to move forward at a lot slower pace because there’s a lot more guesswork. With good records and good numbers, you can improve at a much faster pace.”

According to the 2023 Industry Insights Survey Powered by Angus Media and CattleFax, Taylor is among 77% of survey respondents who keep some type of individual cow records (see Fig. 1).

The survey statistics vary slightly by region, with as many as 87% of Corn Belt producers and as few as 66% of Western cattlemen maintaining individual cow records. The survey results indicate smaller herds are more likely to maintain individual cow records than larger herds as tracking information often becomes more cumbersome and less manageable for bigger, more extensive operations.

From herd performance and productivity to marketing options and efficiency, individual cow records are a valuable tool in helping commercial Angus producers add profitability to their operations.

Data from Day 1

Using a four-digit number, Taylor tracks every cow in his operation. With the first numeral correlating to the year the animal was born, Taylor follows the cow’s progeny from birth using her identification (ID). After weaning, cattle bound for the feedlot retain that same number through harvest. Replacement heifers are assigned their own permanent ID when they are Bang’s-vaccinated.

“Anything that happens to those animals, we record,” Taylor explains.

Information is forwarded to Tracy via text and then recorded on computer spreadsheets.

“So, we’re up to date on anything that’s happened to the animal within a two- or three-day period,” he says.

Picking peak performers

According to Charleston, Ark., cattleman Jim Moore, reproductive efficiency is the No. 1 driver in the commercial sector of the beef industry. That said, Moore uses individual cow records to help make culling decisions in his herd.

“We put a lot of stock in our production records and which cows have raised us good heifers,” Moore explains.

Over the years, individual records have also helped Moore track sick animals. Today, those records further help him chart carcass data and identify the cows that are top performers in his herd.

“We can look back through our records down through the years, and we can tell you what each one of the cows does at the feedlot, what their calves have done,” Moore says.

While large herds were least likely to record individual cow data, 70% of the larger-scale producers were likely to receive feedyard data, and 60% get carcass data back, according to the Industry Insights survey (see Table 1). That group data can benchmark progress toward a goal and guide bull selection decisions to make directional change.

From carcass weight to yield and quality grade, Moore evaluates the data he receives to determine the dollars each cow in his herd generates for the operation.

“We try to find the cattle that are really ringing the bell for us,” he says.

Data gathered from the feedlot further help Moore earmark cows that need to be culled from the herd.

“The initial eye-opening experience we had was the first year we got the data back,” he says. “There was a $1,000 difference between the top calf and the bottom calf. For a commercial cow producer, that is an eye-opener to say the least.”

Through DNA records, the Taylors monitor 17 different traits on each female in the herd, comparing how she measures up against all animals tested. Parameters are assigned to the traits so Taylor can identify top performers in each category. The data help him make future breeding decisions and focus on his end goal of producing the best consumer eating experience he can.

“We get bonuses for the number of Primes we produce,” Taylor says of cattle grading USDA Prime. “One of our goals is to try to get the greatest number of Primes we can.”

How to track the information

No matter how you look at it, recordkeeping can be cumbersome, and even confusing at times, when all the numbers seem to run together.

Whether you choose to put the data on paper in a calving book, manually input it into a spreadsheet or let technology do the bookwork for you with electronic ID and savvy software, the bottom line is maintaining a recordkeeping system of some kind can help you know your operation’s bottom line.

For Gage, Okla., cattleman Kenneth Moyer, recordkeeping has evolved from the days of pocket binders and notebooks to computers and cell phones. Today, he tracks information using a spreadsheet system. Sire and dam, as well as udder scores and fertility information are recorded.

Moyer says columns can always be added with the spreadsheet system if he decides to monitor another production criteria.

Fourth-generation cattleman Sam Hands finds the profit center of his farm business amid the records he maintains for his Garden City, Kan., operation. From his commercial cow-calf herd to the feedyard, individual cow records help him chart the measurements that are of value to his operation.

“Records are very important,” Hands says. “They don’t have to be elaborate. You must look at what’s going to give you a return. What’s cost-effective?”

Manage what you measure

It’s been said, there’s power in the numbers.

When it comes to operation profitability, that certainly holds true.

Managing the numbers you measure can bring both improvement and added value to your operation through whatever recordkeeping system you opt to use.

“As a manager, if I have a number to work with, I can improve on that number,” Taylor says.

Looking to the future, Hands sees recordkeeping becoming more important for commercial cattlemen like himself.

“Having some sort of records to refer back to, to be able to verify questions being asked,” he explains.

For example, Hands says records are a must for participating in source-verification programs.

“You have to decide if that fits you,” he says. “Where’s your profit center? You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

Moyer agrees and notes that the beef cattle business is evolving with increased merit placed on animals backed by on-farm records.

“Whether it’s the programs we’re feeding into or all-natural, records are important,” Moyer says. “If you’re feeding your own animals out in the feedyard, you’ve got to know if they have good conversions and produce the right carcass in the end. We are moving toward a time where there’s going to be some premiums paid for those animals with the data to back them up.”

As the days of producing commodity-only beef fade to times gone by, commercial cattlemen know the real value in providing a quality eating experience for today’s consumer starts with recordkeeping on the farm and ranch.