Re-Ranking of Sires For Weaning Weight In Good & Poor Environments

Re-Ranking of Sires For Weaning Weight In Good & Poor Environments

Cattlenetwork.com

Previous research revealed that heritability estimates for maternal weaning wt. have been shown to be higher in environments with restricted cow feed intake as opposed to environments with less limiting feed resources. Consequently, it may be possible for sires evaluated in good environments to rank differently in poor environments.

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R-CALF USA Announces Meeting

R-CALF USA Announces Meeting

(Billings, Mont.) – The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) will conduct its eighth Annual Convention Jan. 17-20, 2007, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Denver, Colo.

“This year, we’ve expanded the convention by a day so folks can participate in a property rights seminar, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17,” says Chuck Kiker, R-CALF USA president and Region V director. “R-CALF members voted last spring to create a Property Rights Committee, and I know the speakers lined up for this new event will be making some exceptional presentations.”

Opening ceremonies will start at 8 a.m. Mountain time Thursday, Jan. 18. Activities will conclude Saturday, Jan. 20, with the business session, where members decide which proposed resolutions will go forward in the spring to the entire membership for a vote. Members who wish to submit policy resolutions can do so by contacting R-CALF USA headquarters immediately. The deadline for presenting policy resolutions during convention is 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, with the exception of proposed policy related to trade, which has a 5 p.m. deadline that day. Director nominations for Region VII, VIII and IV also will be accepted during the business session.

“Something special this year is that Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has confirmed that he’ll be a featured speaker on Friday morning,” Kiker notes. “There are just so many issues affecting the domestic live-cattle industry that will be coming before Congress next year that we wanted to make certain our members are well-informed when it’s time for them to contact their senators and representatives to make their voices heard on those important matters.”

Also on hand will be representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA); USDA Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA); USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS); U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); American Shrimp Association; Australian Beef Association; Livestock Marketing Association (LMA); Stewart and Stewart Law Offices and Frye Law, each based in Washington, D.C.; and the United Steelworkers (USW), as well as famed markets analyst Charlie McVean, a number of state veterinarians and other animal health experts, and many others.

Experts from these agencies and organizations will participate in a number of panel discussions, which include topics of animal identification, animal health concerns, country-of-origin labeling (sometimes referred to as COL or COOL), the beef checkoff, international trade, captive-supply, transparency issues and economic outlooks.

“It’s also important to note that USDA has agreed to meet with representatives of all 17 brand states during our convention to discuss how to incorporate the use of hot-iron brands into various animal identification programs,” Kiker says.

Participants are encouraged to visit with vendors of the trade show. Thursday’s convention business wraps up with a cowboy social followed by a shuttle ride to watch the rodeo at the historic National Western Stock Show. There is a separate $12 fee for this event, so reserve your seat early. Friday formalities conclude with an evening reception, followed by the awards presentation, banquet and entertainment. Saturday winds up the convention with a business session and closing comments from Kiker.

Convention registration is $60 per person, plus meals, until Jan. 10. Afterward, registration will be $70 per person, plus meals. To preregister, contact R-CALF USA Membership Services Director Jenni Ries at (406) 252-2516.

RAAA Announces 2006 Breeder of the Year: Larry and Lisa Mehlhoff, 5L Ranch

RAAA Announces 2006 Breeder of the Year: Larry and Lisa Mehlhoff, 5L Ranch

Montana Red Angus breeder Chuck Feddes awarded the Larry Mehlhoff family of 5L Ranch the 2006 Red Angus Association of America Breeder of the Year Award at the Red Angus Annual Convention in Kerrville, Texas. The Following is an excerpt from Feddes’ presentation.

Larry Mehlhoff and his family started raising registered Red Angus in 1977, and added them to their herd of commercial cattle. They have worked tirelessly to improve their cattle to fit the demands of the commercial producer. Though some very difficult times came their way, they never wavered from their goals, breeding program and most importantly their faith in God.

After several moves they settled in the Ruby Valley of Montana, near Sheridan. They have run a large commercial herd for many years, but have gradually phased the commercials into registered Red Angus, through extensive AI and ET programs. About seven years ago they began using some of the best black Angus sires and cow families to bring fresh, new genetics into the Red Angus breed. They have stayed with their long term plan and not allowed the challenges and criticism to deter them.

Larry and Lisa and their children Laramie, Larisa, Landon, Larinda and Logan epitomize what the foundation of the Red Angus Association is about. They are hard working people, and do not waver from breeding the best cattle they can for the commercial producer. They currently run about 900 cows, 300 yearlings along with custom haying, and combining enterprises with only a small amount of hired help. Family is very important to them, and they are very involved in the community. There is a small church that meets in one of the buildings on the ranch, in which Larry serves as pastor and organist, and Lisa and the kids help with anything and everything that needs to be done to serve the congregation. Integrity, humility and a deep faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior characterize their daily lives.

The 5L Ranch Sale was a record setting event. The top selling bull sold for $180,000 for 1/2 interest, and the demand from registered breeders was outstanding on many of the bulls. They also sold shares in 5L Signature (a bull that was not in the sale) for a breed record. More importantly than all the purebred sales, was the great demand from the top commercial producers in the area and into many states.

The RAAA is proud to award the Larry Mehlhoff family as 2006 Breeder of the Year.

Dr Temple Grandin to Speak at International Livestock Congress in January

Dr Temple Grandin to Speak at International Livestock Congress in January

Cattle Today

Denver – World-renowned livestock facilities designer Dr. Temple Grandin of Fort Collins, Colo., is scheduled to speak during the International Livestock Congress – USA at the National Western’s Livestock Center Auction Arena Jan. 8.

“The opportunity to hear Dr. Grandin discuss the importance of understanding cattle behavior to reduce stress and to learn about Dr. Grandin’s designs for livestock handling facilities is a rare opportunity and one that should not be missed” said Bill Angell, National Western Stock Show yards manager.

Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and an animal science professor at Colorado State University, where she also serves as a consultant to the livestock industry. She has designed livestock handling facilities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

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Cost Control is a Major Factor for Cattle Producers Profitability

Cost Control is a Major Factor for Cattle Producers Profitability

by: Stephen B. Blezinger, Ph.D, PAS

Cattle Today

Part 2

In the last issue we began a discussion of some strategies for reducing the production costs on a typical beef cattle operation. In this issue we will continue this discussion and take a further look at some concepts that can be applied to helping improve your operation’s profitability.

Genetic Management

One important concept that is not often recognized is matching cow type to forage base. Some areas or pasture and forage types are simply not suited to certain types of cattle without significant amounts of supplementation or other managerial inputs. High growth and milk production translate into increased nutrient requirements for the cow. Increased milk production and cow size increase both energy (TDN) and crude protein requirements as noted in Table 1. A 1 pound increase in TDN would equal 2 pounds of average quality (50 percent TDN) forage and a 1 pound increase in crude protein would equal more than 4 pounds of 12 percent crude protein forage, more if the protein content is lower which is common. Excess milk production and cow size can significantly limit the carrying capacity of any ranch operation.

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Cattle Feeders reflect on 2006

Cattle Feeders reflect on 2006

KVII-TV (TX)

AMARILLO — The Texas Cattle Feeders Association held their year-end meeting Thursday to talk about the impact and changes the year 2006 has given them, and to also look forward to what is to come in the year 2007.

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K-State teams with agencies to fight Johne’s disease in cattle

K-State teams with agencies to fight Johne’s disease in cattle

AG Professional

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas cattle producers eager to prevent Johne’s disease in their herds now have some help, thanks to the Kansas Voluntary Johne’s Disease Control programs for dairy and beef cattle.

The programs, sponsored by K-State Research and Extension, the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine and the Kansas Animal Health Department, have been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help dairy and beef producers test their herds. The programs also can help producers develop management plans to reduce and prevent the disease.

To take advantage of the new program, producers should contact the Kansas Animal Health Department in Topeka at 785-296-2326. The KAHD can provide a list of Kansas Johne’s-certified veterinarians from which producers can choose a veterinarian to test their herd. The Kansas Animal Health Department will reimburse veterinarians a base fee for development of the herd risk assessment and herd management plans. Funds are also available to support diagnostic testing of a portion of the herd.

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Experts: Immigration raids could affect wages, meat prices

Experts: Immigration raids could affect wages, meat prices

ROXANA HEGEMAN

Theindependent.com

Associated Press Writer

WICHITA, Kan. — This week’s immigration raids on meatpacking plants in six states could fundamentally change the industry if crackdowns spread to other slaughterhouses, potentially forcing companies to pay higher wages and raising the price of meat for consumers, industry experts said.

Others see the current emphasis on enforcement in the meatpacking industry as the precursor to getting an immigration bill through Congress by demonstrating the government’s capability of enforcing laws at work sites.

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Produce more likely to be dangerous than beef

Produce more likely to be dangerous than beef

By THOMAS HARGROVE

Scripps Howard News Service

The worst E. coli infections in recent years did not directly involve beef.

At least 736 people were infected six years ago by contaminated watermelon served at the children’s buffet at two steakhouses in Milwaukee, Wis. It was the largest E. coli outbreak in recent years and caused the death of a young child.

But hundreds of other people got sick from items such as cucumber salad, unpasteurized milk, contaminated fruit juices and even gelatin, according to a Scripps study of food illness outbreak reports sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There’s a lot we are learning about E. coli these days,” said Paul Biedrzycki, Milwaukee’s director of disease control and prevention. “We’re finding that E. coli will persist even after the superficial handling and washing of produce that is supposed to occur. E. coli may be especially persistent on leafy greens and seed-producing fruits.”

For many years, health experts warned the American public that raw and undercooked beef is the primary cause of E. coli illness. Authorities are rethinking how the sometimes-deadly bacteria are transmitted. The source of most E. coli infections still is cattle, but the vehicles that deliver the disease to the public are changing.

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All Natural Beef Raised In Greene County

All Natural Beef Raised In Greene County

WITN-TV (NC)

Some former tobacco farmland is now grazing pasture for some natural beef cows. The cows are raised naturally, meaning no steroids and no antibiotics, but, of course that means production is smaller than conventional feedlots.

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AP Interview: Johanns says ethanol demand will squeeze farmers

AP Interview: Johanns says ethanol demand will squeeze farmers

LIBBY QUAID

Theindependent.com

WASHINGTON — Soaring corn prices are squeezing meat and milk producers, but consumers will not necessarily see higher prices at the grocery checkout, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in an interview Thursday.

Costly corn has made it more expensive to feed cows, chickens and pigs. Demand for ethanol, a fuel made from corn, has pushed the price of corn above $3 a bushel, the highest level in more than a decade.

That is bound to have an impact on farms and ranches, Johanns said.

“My best projection is that for a couple of years here, you are going to have a tug-and-pull between various industries,” Johanns told The Associated Press.

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