27th annual Dakota Feeder Calf Show and Feedout

NDSU Extension and the Carrington Research Extension Center are partnering with the Dakota Feeder Calf Show to provide producers an opportunity to experience retained ownership of calves beyond the cow-calf segment of cattle production.

“After 26 years of comparing calf performance, North Dakota cattle ranchers are finding superior growth and carcass characteristics,” says Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center. “Since cow herd genetics can change over time via bull and heifer selection, sending cattle to the Dakota Feeder Calf Show and Feedout gives the rancher information on how their selections are advancing their herd.”

“There are several ways to collect growth performance carcass data from your calves,” says Colin Tobin, animal scientist at the Carrington Research Extension Center. “The best is to feed out your entire calf crop, but that takes considerable time, effort and funds.

“An alternative,” continues Tobin, “is to consign a group of calves to a feedout project. Your risk is less, and a feedout project provides a substantial amount of information about the calves.”

Darwin Chesrown, Dakota Feeder Calf Show chair, has been consigning calves since the feedout started.

“I still enjoy comparing my weaned calves in October to the finished calves in May,” says Chesrown. “The calves really grow, and I do see differences in herd sires.”

During the 2024-25 feedout, the calves gained an average of 830 pounds in 242 days, with a total feeding cost (excluding interest) of $0.90 per pound of gain. The average sale weight was 1,460 pounds. The calves were fed with a market weight break-even point of $175.88 per hundredweight.

"It's the variation among cattle that makes this project educational and a real eye-opener," Hoppe says.

In the 2024-25 feedout, the spread in net return per head between the average of the top and bottom five herds was $376.95. The spread between the top and bottom herd was more noticeable ($660.65 per head). Average daily weight gain in the feedlot was 3.95 pounds for the top-profiting herd and 3.34 pounds for the bottom herd.

"Small differences in production have a huge impact on profit," Hoppe says.

Feedout project staff will gather data on the rate of gain, feeding costs and other characteristics during the trial. After the calves are marketed, the staff will collect and provide information to the entrants on carcass weight, meat quality, feeding expenses and value.

Interested consignors will deliver 500- to 700-pound steer calves before 10 a.m. CST on the day of the show. Each producer can consign one or two pens containing three or four calves. The calves are exhibited and evaluated that afternoon and then shipped to the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center feedlot to be fed to finished market weight.

Calves should be pre-vaccinated for:

• BVD
• PI3
• IBR and BRSV
• Mannheimia
• Clostridials and histophilus somni

Booster vaccinations will be administered upon delivery to the show.

Producers will be assessed an entry fee of $20 per calf. Dakota Feeder Calf Show officials will present awards to producers at the end of the trial.