University Daily Kansan / Friday, December 7, 1990
3B
Retired Army Col. J. Frank Laster makes a final check on his herd of Holstein cattle before retiring for the day.
Farmer finds satisfaction in developing cattle herd
A 2-day-old calf rests after being fed two quarts of formula.
About a year ago, retired Army Col. J. Frank Laster and his wife, Patricia, decided to make a few adjustments on their 400-acre farm in McLouth.
In addition to growing corn, $ _{21} $ beans, milo and hay at the farm, about 14 miles northeast of Lawrence, the couple began making plans to enter the Holstein beef cattle industry.
"We saw this as an opportunity to fill a niche in the beef production end of the business," Laster said.
The Lasters' herd has grown in the past eight months from two head of Holstein bull calves that were purchased in May to a herd of 232.
Laster is raising his calves on the bucket-feed Holstein calf program. The program involves the use of a high nutritional feed that produces cattle with less fat and more lean meat.
Each week, Laster travels to a local dairy and purchases about 10-2 or 3-day-old calves that weigh about 90 pounds.
For about 28 days, the calves are
fed daily four quartz of milk formula that contains dried whole milk with added antibiotics, vitamins and minerals.
The formula is mixed in a machine called the Milk Mixer, which was developed by Patricia Laster, a
The machine eliminates the need for hand-mixing the milk. It mixes the dried formula with warm water and then pours a rate of two quarts every 17 seconds.
registered nurse.
After the calves are weaned, they
are fed a mixture of solid feed. They are sold when they reach a weight of 10 kg.
The buyer then will raise the cattle until they reach an average weight of 1,250 pounds, when they will be sold to a slaughterhouse.
Laster said his goal was to make a profit of at least $50 a calf.
Nicole Laster. McLouth senior and daughter of J. Frank and Patricia Laster, admitted that she laughed when her father told her he was starting a cattle business with only a few head of cattle.
But she said she had been amazed at the rapid expansion of the opera-
"This business keeps him busy, but
it's not a big deal. We have to stay
busy at our job," she said.
J. Frank Laster said he found the business to be financially rewarding as well as enjoyable.
"I like having the ability to experience the interaction between man and mature every day, not just some time or on the weekends." Laster said.
"Til the cows come home
Story and photos by Jane Rudolph
Laster injects a time-release growth steroid into the ear of a calf.
Laster feeds each calf four quarts of formula a day.
His wife mixes the fortified milk formula.
Laster operates on a calf suffering from 'tumpjaw', an infection common among cattle. Kyle Latinis, KU graduate student and farm hand, calms the calf while the operation is performed.
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