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Bill Rhea, Sr. wants to know more about his steak than just how it is cooked. He wants to know where it came from, all the way back to the cow that raised the beef that is on his plate. That's how he insures the quality of his steak, and the steaks he sells to others. Rhea sells a branded beef product through mail order catalogs, restaurants and local businesses. "We strive for a premium product," Rhea says. "Knowing the history of cattle, clear back to the cow and bull, helps predict how good the beef will be." Rhea and his son, Bill Jr., operate Rhea Cattle Company in Arlington, Nebraska. They have a 6,000 head feedyard, where they feed the beef for their branded product in addition to customer cattle. "Getting information back to the cow/calf producer is very important in producing a premium beef product," Rhea says. He's collected data by hand for quite a while, but noticed a degree of human error slowed down the process. "We used to write down how individual cattle were doing in the yard, but getting the information down on paper, then into a computer made the data flow very slow and difficult." When a system was developed to electronically capture the data the Rheas were keeping by hand, they decided to experiment with it. The Beef Results Network, a joint venture of Merial, Allflex USA and AgInfoLink USA, could receive the Rheas' records at lightening speed with no room for human error. The Beef Results Network is a way for feedyards to individually track animals, from the producer to the packer, and maintain performance records on individual calves. It was designed as a way to measure productivity and quality. "We decided to try the system and see how we could use it across the yard," Rhea says. Merial helped with the initial set up costs by redeeming product points -- earned by previous purchases of Merial products -- for electronic ID readers. Initially, the Rheas tagged about 2,000 head with the electronic ID tags. "When the calf steps into the chute, his initial weight, his vaccination history and any hospital visits are instantly transmitted to the computer. Upon reimplanting, the calf is weighed again, and an average daily gain is calculated." Eventually, carcass data is collected on each animal and is transferred to the computer. This is paired with producer data, and comparisons are made within a herd. "Surprisingly, we have found tremendous variability in the feedlot performance and carcass data within a herd of cattle. We take this back to the producer so he can relate it to his breeding program," Rhea explains. Rhea sees the future of the cattle industry heavily relying on source-verified animals. "If I know the history of a calf and how his genetics perform in the feedyard and on the rail, I might pay a premium for that calf." The Beef Results Network is designed to facilitate that information, making purchasing decisions easier. And almost guaranteeing a consistent, quality steak that is not only on Bill Rhea's plate, but also the plate of everyone that eats his branded product. |
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