When he chose to attend the Weakley Farmers Co-op Beef Producer Meeting in February, Clark Cattle Company owner John Clark had no idea that he would be gathering information that would bring gains to his farm before the end of summer.
“What caught my attention at the meeting was that the Vacc-60 program offered better marketing of the cattle we’re producing,” says the sixth-generation farmer. “After talking to the experts at the Co-op, it seemed like a win-win for us to implement the program immediately.”
The Vacc-60 Program, an initiative developed by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) and United Producers, Inc. (UPI), is designed to prepare calves for the next phase of production. It is one of the newest value-added production programs for weaned calves. Protocol for this program includes management, animal health, and nutrition, as well as options for marketing, credit, and sale-price management.
When John Robert Freeman and Dr. Amber Moore, D.V.M., learned about the program in early 2022, they were excited to promote this production program to the community.
“This program provides guidelines for the farmers,” says Freeman, animal production specialist at Weakley Farmers Co-op. “Many of our farmers are already taking the steps that Vacc-60 requires, so we decided to go ahead, share the benefits, and enroll our cattle producers.”
Dr. Moore, who assists Weakley Farmers Co-op members and customers with animal health needs, was excited to give producers and students at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) Veterinary Science program a clear understanding of good cattle management protocol.
“This program gives the producer some framework so they're not administering a vaccine program alone,” says Dr. Moore, a Crockett County native and graduate of UTM and the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. “The program exposes our students to how farmers should manage cattle on the farm. I’m so glad our students can experience examples like the Clark Cattle Company first hand.”
Weakley Farmers Cooperative partnered with UTM earlier in 2022 to help bring future veterinary staffers hands-on experiences on farms across the county.
“It’s been an advantage for all parties involved," says Clark. “Particularly, having future large-animal veterinarians come to our farm has been great, because I know that UTM and Dr. Moore are very interested in promoting livestock science to students.”
After five months of discussing and implementing the program alongside the Clark Cattle Company team, Clark saw the additional work pay off at the farm’s first video sale with United Producers, Inc., of Vacc-60 cattle. During this sale, the farm sold 77 head — 42 steers and 35 heifers — and recorded a $138.70 per head advantage with their Vacc-60 cattle against a statewide market.
“At farms like John’s, producers are setting themselves up for additional profits and better cattle,” says TFC Livestock Program Manager Dale Bryson. “They are working to improve their forage program, genetics, and overall herd health with the Vacc-60 program. The gains are simply better than what we’ve seen in the past.”
As producers enroll in the program, they are creating more value not only for themselves, but also for the state’s livestock industry.
“Being a part of a program like Vacc-60 gives me the structure and discipline that is needed to run a successful cattle business,” says Clark. “I am so grateful that our Co-op system saw the need for a program like this, because we are now reaping the benefits.”
For a complete list of Vacc-60 protocol guidelines and more information about the program, reach out to the livestock specialist at your local Co-op or visit www.ourcoop.com/vacc-60.