Ongoing trials at North Dakota State University have showed there was only $225 difference as finished cattle between calves with a 3.8 average frame score and a 5.5 average frame score.

Kris Ringwall, NDSU extension beef specialist, this week published figures for these cattle, which are May-born calves overwintered and finished the following year.
Ringwall says, "Size discussions are vital within the beef industry because the challenge of surviving is real. Often, those discussions would imply that an absolute answer exists and making the wrong choice would be the demise of the producer's cattle operation. Wrong.

"Granted, traditional production of middle-of-the-road cattle and associated marketing paths are the comfortable travel routes for producers. This always has been true. However, producers realize very quickly that keeping a moderate-sized cow is not simple, and without appropriate selection, cattle size will stray."

Ringwall had a guest article for Beef Producer a few days ago outlining some of the details of the May-calving program and its overall effect on the development and finished carcasses of the entire crop of steers. She said the value from and quality of May calves was equal to those of now-traditional winter (spring) calves.

Breaking this out further by a division Ringwall and associates created in the Dickinson Research Center's cow herd in recent years provided some interesting numbers. This is particularly so in light of many opinions that smaller cattle are not viable in today's market.

Ringwall explains: "Several years ago, the Dickinson Research Extension Center cow herd was split into the range herd (smaller cows) and the beef herd (larger cows). The two herds differ in size by about 300 pounds in mature weight, and two frame scores."

Ringwall further explains that in 2011, 2012 and 2013, steer calves from the range herd had an average frame score of 3.8. The beef-herd steers had an average frame score of 5.5. Using Beef Improvement Federation frame score charts, this tells us frame score 5 and 6 calves are 44.1 to 46.1 inches at the hip at 7 months of age.

She notes these are the size cattle people have become accustomed to and are now comfortable with.

The frame score 5 and 6 steers grew into an average of 1,610 pounds when harvested at around 22 months of age, with a carcass value on the rail of $2,243.

By comparison, the frame score 3 and 4 calves, which are 40 to 42.1 inches at the hip at 7 months of age, grew into an average of 1,401 pounds when harvested at around 22 months of age, with a carcass value on the rail of $2,018.

"That is a lot of calf and certainly excellent value," Ringwall says.

She adds that data collected by Dickinson Center scientists Songul Azenturklu and Doug Landblom show the larger-frame-score steer calves' fall weaning weight was 567. The calves had an average daily winter gain of 1.3 pounds and were turned out as yearlings in early May at 780 pounds.

They came off summer grass in mid-August at 1,047 pounds and subsequently grazed a field of pea-barley intercrop followed by unharvested corn. The steers weighed 1,230 pounds by late fall. At that time, they were sent to the feedlot for 82 days.

The frame-score 3 and 4 steer calves weaned at 453 pounds and overwintered with an average daily gain of 1.4 pounds. They turned out to grass in early May as yearlings weighing 674 pounds and came off summer grass in mid-August at 909 pounds.

They subsequently grazed a field of pea-barley intercrop followed by unharvested corn. The steers weighed 1,086 pounds by late fall. At that time, they also were sent to the feedlot for 82 days.

Ringwall says she plans to release economic data on costs versus returns in the next few days.

Frame score and more
Frame score as defined by the Beef Improvement Federation is worth understanding. It is actually more valuable than simply a height measurement.

BIF says, "Hip height converted to frame score is a linear measurement that helps cattle producers evaluate lean-to-fat ratio potential of an individual animal in a performance program. No one frame size will be best for all feed resources, breeding systems and markets."

The federation adds: "Large-framed animals tend to be heavier at all weights, leaner and later maturing.

"Small-framed animals tend to be lighter, fatter and earlier maturing."

BIF also says frame scores can be monitored to maintain body size, fatness level and maturing rate within the optimum ranges dictated by the resources, breeding system and market specifications of a herd. Frame score is a convenient way of describing the skeletal size of cattle.

This Kansas State University publication is a good review of hip-height measurements and data.