The office manager and bookkeeper have given over fifty years of knowledge and loyalty to Walter Lasley & Sons, Inc. To say that they know a lot about there job is an understatement. With the help of modern computers, they are able to be extremely efficient, and at the same time, make sure everything balances to the exact number and dollar.
From the first day that your cattle are received into our yard, you will start receiving information on their progress. A cattle receiving invoice is immediately sent to you giving you information about their off truck weight, price per hundred pounds, total price, and the total head received. A lot and billing invoice will then be sent at the beginning of each month. The lot invoice will show total and average head days, total pounds fed, average daily consumption, average daily cost, current weight, death loss percentage, and current head. In addition, the total cost of feed and medicine will also be stated on the lot invoice.
If one of your calves dies, you will be sent a death report. This report will state the cause of death, where the calf died, and how many days the calf was on feed.
When your cattle are sold and the lot closed out,
you will receive a final lot closeout. This report will show you all of
the performance data on your cattle except carcass information.
At Walter Lasley & Sons, we have incorporated years of experience with the latest in technology to make a high quality, palatable ration in the most efficient way possible. We have developed our rations, with the help of our consulting nutritionist, using the latest thinking in feed yard nutrition. Our computerized batching system and knowledgeable feed truck drivers assure that your cattle are fed a consistent ration day after day. With the use of computerized scales in all of our feed trucks, we know exactly how much feed was fed to each pen. This information is then downloaded into a computer and sent to the office for billing, thus eliminating most human error.
All rations
are supplemented with Rumensin and Tylan in precise amounts by using our
Micro Weigh System. The Micro Weigh System allows us to formulate ten different
rations to meet all of the needs of the cattle and to assure that your
cattle are gaining to their optimal potential. When the need arises, we
are also able to supplement any pen's ration with a medicated ingredient,
such as Aureomycin, to maintain the health of the cattle.
With the use of our moisture control system, we can
regulate the moisture content of our grains prior to steam flaking. This
consistency in moisture assures us that the flakes are high in quality,
thus creating a more palatable ration going into the bunks. Because our
ration is so consistent in moisture content and quality, the consumption
rates of our cattle stay at a constant level.
Many years of knowledge and the latest in veterinary
research have been the backbone of our health program for the past thirty
years. When we receive cattle into our yard, they are immediately put into
a pen with clean water and high quality hay, thus making their transition
into the feed yard as stress free as possible. The cattle are then processed
and taken to their home pen where they will stay until they are sold and
shipped. Every day, well-trained cowboys ride through each of the pens
looking for sick cattle and bullers. If the cattle are pulled from their
respective pen, they are then taken to the hospital barn. The sick cattle
are doctored according to their symptoms and then put into a pen with fresh
water and feed. When the sick cattle have been treated, they are then transferred
into a hospital recovery pen where the cowboys can keep a closer eye on
their progress. Once they are fully recovered, they are taken back to their
respective home pen. The bullers that are taken to the hospital barn are
given an additional tag and put into a buller pen where they will stay
until their home pen is sold and ready to be shipped. The extra tag is
for cautionary purposes in case they lose their original tag.
The Hospital barn is an area where sick cattle can be extremely susceptible
to the spread of diseases to help prevent this, we wash our hospital barn
down every day with a high-pressure water hose. This allows
the environment in the barn to be as clean as possible and gives the cattle
a better chance at getting over their illness.
Over the past ten years, we have experienced an average
of .7% death loss on all of the cattle we have fed. This has been attributed
to the watchful eye of all of our employees, the help of our consulting
veterinarian, and the stress free facilities at our feed yard.
Our maintenance program is something we take very
seriously. We realize that maintaining our facilities and keeping the yard
clean makes for a better environment for 
the
cattle to grow in. Every pen is cleaned twice a year with a front-end loader
to eliminate the build up of manure. This is especially important in the
winter when the pens get wet from snow. The cattle do not have to use as
much energy because they are not walking in deep, heavy mud, thus keeping
their rates of gain above average. The removal of manure is also very important
in the summer to help control the fly population.
Dust can also be a huge problem for cattle. To help reduce the dust, we utilize a water truck to wet down the roads and the pens. In addition, this helps keep the environment and the cattle a little cooler.
