VAC45 Preconditioning and Implants Boost Calf Prices

Beef producers are being presented with an unprecedented opportunity to maximize herd profitability due to calf prices at historic highs. Merck Animal Health, Superior Livestock Auction, and Kansas State University analyzed a dataset of 860,433 calves averaging 572 lb. in 2025.

The average national price was $3.78 per lb., with selling calves through a certified VAC45 program adding an average of $9.03/cwt, or $51.65 per head, compared to calves weaned at shipping that only received a single round of shots.

According to Dr. John Hutcheson, Merck Animal Health cattle technical services director, preconditioning boosts the immune system and increases weight, helping equip weaned calves to thrive in a stocker, backgrounder, or feedyard phase.

The VAC45 premium requires calves to be weaned at home for a minimum of 45 days before delivery, receive two doses of a clostridial vaccine, two doses of a five-way modified live viral (MLV) vaccine, and at least one dose of Mannheimia haemolytica and/or Pasteurella multocida vaccine.

Implants consistently increase average daily gain by 20%, adding an average of 23 extra lb. to calves implanted at 2 months of age or older, equating to a nearly $85 per head advantage over calves that were not implanted.

However, the decision between NHTC enrollment and implanting depends on your cost of production, with marketing calves through verified non-hormone treated cattle (NHTC) programs bringing an extra $20 per head. Nevertheless, the sheer weight gain from implants often yields a better return on investment.