“Preconditioned calves are more equipped to handle stressful situations and will shrink approximately half as much as non-preconditioned calves,” Sarchet said. And depending on your operation's goals, you can drive additional calf value by implanting during this time. Selling cattle with a history in a verified preconditioning program, such as SelectVAC, provides transparency to buyers because the program documents which products were administered and when. “A preconditioning program is not as simple as checking a box on a sale listing,” Kesterson concluded. "In addition to working with your local veterinarian, consult other producers who have seen success in preconditioning calves," Sarchet added.