Minimize disease by spreading cattle out

Minimize disease by spreading cattle out

American Cowman

The more dense the animal population, the more likely disease will be present, say veterinarians Mike Apley and Mark Hilton. Simple phrases like “exposure equals disease” or “the solution to pollution is dilution” are accurate, they say.

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Process Newborn Calves to Assure Healthy Start in Life

Process Newborn Calves to Assure Healthy Start in Life

by: Darrell Rankins

Ph.D, Alabama Cooperative Extension Animal Scientist

Cattle Today

First and foremost, it is important to have cows on a good plane of nutrition at calving time. Cows should calve with a body condition score of 5. When this takes place calf health and survival is at its best. Good cow nutrition equates to good recovery by the cow and adequate colostrum and a healthy start for the baby calf. Ideally, a calving season should be in place so that adequate attention can be given to the cow herd during this time. If calving is spread out over the entire year then many problems can occur and go unnoticed until it is too late. In addition, a set calving season also allows for the timely processing of baby calves. Assuming that the cows are being checked daily, it becomes a rather routine procedure to handle the baby calf. The following can be accomplished with a day old calf in a matter of minutes.

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Some facts, advice on E. coli infections

Some facts, advice on E. coli infections

By LINDA A. JOHNSON

The Associated Press / C-N.com

New Jersey authorities are investigating an outbreak of the E. coli bacterial infection. Here are some questions and answers about E. coli bacteria:

Question: What is E. coli?

Answer: E. coli, short for Escherichia coli, is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans, livestock and other animals that is excreted in feces. The strain called O157:H7, a top cause of foodborne illness, is particularly dangerous. It causes diarrhea, often bloody and usually with abdominal cramps, and can cause fever as well.

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Shift to voluntary animal ID program doesn’t appease critics

Shift to voluntary animal ID program doesn’t appease critics

By Lisa Rathke

The Associated Press / Burlington Free Press

ENOSBURG — Sharon Zecchinelli raises a couple of pigs, lambs, turkeys and two dozen chickens in her back yard.

The 50-year-old chef-turned-farmer says she knows more about her animals’ health than she knows about her children’s.

To her, a federal government plan to require farmers and ranchers to register their animals in a national database goes too far. She remains skeptical about it, despite a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that participation in the National Animal Identification System, or NAIS, will be voluntary, not mandatory as originally contemplated.

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4-H Kiwanis Calf Chain marks 60 years

4-H Kiwanis Calf Chain marks 60 years

THE CITIZEN-TIMES

ASHEVILLE – The Kiwanis Club of Asheville’s most enduring and continuous project serving youth is the 4-H-Kiwanis Calf Chain.

The project began in 1946 and is a joint effort with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Buncombe County. The program was started to provide 4-H members with a calf to care for and show in one of the district cattle shows. Over the past 60 years, the Calf Chain has provided more than 175 Buncombe County youths with calves.

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Animal byproducts found in feed eaten by livestock

Animal byproducts found in feed eaten by livestock

Risk of human exposure to mad cow negligible

About 10,000 area cattle ate the feed.

Dave Rogers, The Ottawa Citizen

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said yesterday that 10,000 cattle in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec have consumed feed containing traces of animal byproducts, but the risk of exposing humans to mad cow disease is negligible.

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Annual 4-State Beef Conference Slated Jan. 10-11 in Four Locations

Annual 4-State Beef Conference Slated Jan. 10-11 in Four Locations

Cattlenetwork.com

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The 23rd annual 4-State Beef Conference will be in four locations over a two-day period on Jan. 10-11, 2007.

The conference series is designed to give beef cattle producers in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska an annual update on current cow- calf and stocker topics. It provides a forum of Extension specialists from four of the leading beef cattle programs in the nation´s land-grant university system, said Joel DeRouchey, livestock specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

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Shirm Honored as Red Angus Pioneer Breeder Jim …

Shirm Honored as Red Angus Pioneer Breeder

Jim Shirm, Big Sandy, Texas, was recently awarded the Pioneer Breeder Award in Kerrville, Texas at the Red Angus Association of America’s (RAAA) annual convention. This award came just days prior to Shirm’s third dispersal of a historic herd of Red Angus cattle.

Jim was educated as a meat scientist and a Dairyman. In 1966, he was asked to develop a Beef herd at Enid State School in Oklahoma. Jim chose Red Angus, and his mentor George Chiga helped him to build the herd. In 1979 the school decided to divest the herd and he hired Jim Leachman to disperse that herd. Enid State School cattle can be found in many pedigrees throughout the breed today. One of the more famous pictures of Red Angus Cattle is the picture of the Red Angus Family taken by Bruce Jackson at the Enid State School with Jim Shirm’s assistance. In 1981, Jim was hired to manage Greer Ranches where he took over a herd of Black Angus and was asked to develop a herd of Red Angus. That herd was dispersed in 1993.

In 1996 Jim took on the task of developing a Red Angus herd for Oates Land and Cattle. That herd was dispersed on September 25, 2006. The following excerpt from the Oates Land and Cattle Dispersal catalog sums up Jim and his breeding philosophy well.

“Those of you that acquire these cattle, I hope you get as much satisfaction as I’ve had working with them.

There are five statements, or quotations, that have really influenced my breeding program.

A. Find the cattle that do the best job for you, then learn to like them

– Gene Rambo, California

B. Breed and select for stylish, well balanced cattle

– George Chiga, Oklahoma, 1968

C. Always see your cattle at sundown

– Lee Leachman, Rhinebeck, New York (approximately 1960s)

D. Cattle breeding is like reading a road map. Once you get there, it’s easy to find your way back there. – Jim Leachman, Enid State School Dispersal, 1979

E. Cattle that are not good enough to sell for seedstock should still be good carcass cattle – Jim Shirm, 1979

The one individual that has influenced my cattle breeding philosophy the most is George Chiga, Oklahoma. Now you know the whole story.”

Jim is at heart a teacher and many of us have learned volumes from him. The Red Angus breed will forever remember the 2006 recipient of the Pioneer Breeder Award, Jim Shirm.

Nebraska Cattlemen Adopts Ethanol Policy

Nebraska Cattlemen Adopts Ethanol Policy

Southwest Nebraska News

The impact of the rapidly growing ethanol industry on cattle production and prices was addressed Nov. 30 by the Nebraska Cattlemen at its annual convention.

“One challenge is that the dramatic growth of ethanol production has increased corn prices, but has raised costs for those who feed byproducts from ethanol plants to cattle and, in turn, put pressure on feeder cattle prices,” said Jay Wolf, Nebraska Cattlemen President.

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Cattle Meeting Set Jan. 16

Cattle Meeting Set Jan. 16

Times Union (IN)

The Region 1 Indiana Beef Cattle Association meeting is Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw.

Beef producers are invited to attend the Regional Beef Meetings to learn about programs and issues being addressed and tracked by the IBCA.

Purdue University experts will discuss distillers grains manufactured from biofuel production and how they can and should be used in beef nutrition rations.

A state board of animal health representative also will provide information.

Dinner will be provided. RSVP by Jan. 11 to Kelly Easterday at 574-372-2340. For more information, call the IBCA at 800-515-2333.