The market will accept any size carcass with any degree of finish, but if carcass weight and finish are not within certain limits, the economic penalties can be severe. Breeders of extremely large animals need to remind themselves of market specifications. The difficulty with making selection decisions based on economic conditions is that those conditions are so unpredictable. As seedstock producers, we are put in the position of having to make guesses about such things as the cost of concentrate feeds and the importance of hamburger in the national diet at some time in the future. The best we can do is try to stay informed and make our guesses as educated as possible.
Management policies Different types of cattle are optimal under different management alternatives.
For example, when calves are put in the feedlot immediately after weaning, efficient feed conversion is important. The most profitable cattle will be those which can grow very rapidly, yet reach market grade at a young age and acceptable weight. When calves are grown out in a stocker program before the feedlot finishing phase, however, efficiency of feed conversion becomes less critical. Another example involves level of management. When management is slack at calving time, calving ease is extremely important.