Chuck Miller, North Carolina Livestock Leader Passes

Chuck Miller, North Carolina Livestock Leader Passes

Mr. Charles I. “Chuck” Miller, Jr. of Apex, NC passed away Saturday, September 15, 2007.

Chuck, a ninth generation livestock farmer, was born to Charles and Melba Todd Miller on August 31, 1944 in Wyo, NC. After graduating from Courtney High School, he attended N.C. State University where he majored in Animal Science. While there he was on the NC State Livestock Judging Team and became a member of the first ROTC Parachute Team. Upon graduation in 1968, Chuck began working for Central Carolina Farmers in Durham as feed and livestock specialist while assisting to manage their livestock market in Hillsborough.

Chuck began employment at the NC Department of Agriculture on January 1, 1970 as a Livestock Marketing Specialist. In 1973, Chuck became North Carolina’s First Horse Specialist. He worked with the NC State Fair for 35 years. One of his favorite aspects was working with the youth shows including the special show for special people. Chuck saw his first Junior Beef Heifer Show in Fort Worth, TX in 1971 and started the first Junior Heifer Show in NC in 1972.

Chuck traveled out of this country 51 times for the Department of Agriculture. He exported 36 shipments of livestock by plane and has been in 28 foreign countries. In 1978, Chuck was elected Livestock Grader of the Year for the United States Department of Agriculture. He served on a seven member committee to form the present USDA Feeder Cattle Grades. Chuck developed the nation’s first meat goat grades. In 1997, Chuck was named Employee of Year for the Department of Agriculture and received the Superior Service award two times. He enjoyed judging livestock shows statewide, nationally, and internationally.

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Creep Feeding Calculator

Creep Feeding Calculator

RopinÕ the Web

This calculator is intended to assist producers to determine whether creep feeding will be economically beneficial to the operation. Often, the decision is based solely on “the weight gain” expected. This calculator will show the economic gain expected.

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Sulfur Content in Feeds and Forages is a growing Concern

Sulfur Content in Feeds and Forages is a growing Concern

by: Stephen B. Blezinger Ph.D, PAS

Cattle Today

A number of years ago it was suggested by researchers that Sulfur levels in beef cattle diets could be a problem in several ways. One of these was seen in grazing cattle that consumed excessive levels of sulfur which resulted in a true sulfur toxicity, by the suppression of normal Thiamin (B-Vitamin) synthesis and by the depression of absorption of a number of trace minerals. Over recent years the focus on nutritional and physiological problems created by the intake of higher than desirable levels of sulfur has increased and today many producers are beginning to recognize a variety of these problems in their herds. Producers, nutritionists and veterinarians alike know that just as certain amounts of some minerals are needed in the diet, these same minerals can create a whole host of problems when received in excessive amounts. Sulfur is one of these minerals.

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N.D. Livestock Producers Warned of Bluetongue

N.D. Livestock Producers Warned of Bluetongue

Thebeefsite.com

North Dakota State University Extension Service livestock specialists are warning producers to protect their sheep and cattle against bluetongue, a viral, insect-transmitted disease.

Biting gnats spread the disease from animal to animal. Animals cannot contract the disease from other animals.

Earlier last week, the Montana Department of Livestock ordered sheep producers in Musselshell County not to transport sheep anywhere within or beyond county lines for the next 30 days because of a possible bluetongue outbreak. About 100 sheep have died in that south-central county since Aug. 26 and several initially tested positive for the virus. The Montana state veterinarian said he wanted to limit the movement of infected sheep so gnats wonÕt have the opportunity to bite an infected sheep and then bite a healthy sheep.

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New livestock club avoids premises ID

New livestock club avoids premises ID

Wet Mountain Tribune

A stamp of approval has been placed on the proposal to form another livestock club for youth to showcase their animals at the Custer County fair.

The county commissioners approved such a proposal during their regular meetings on Aug. 31 and Sept. 4-5.

During the meeting, fair board members and other interested persons presented a detailed plan regarding the club.

In brief, members of the newly formed club will follow the same rules and regulations for the showing and sale of livestock at the local fair as 4-H and FFA youth.

The need for alternative livestock club arose after state 4-H and FFA officials mandated all participants must obtain premises identification in order to show their animals at county and state fairs.

Premises ID registration lists the name and address of the ranch owner where the animal is being raised. The new regulation goes in effect next month.

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Preconditioning – Not Just About Vaccinations

Preconditioning – Not Just About Vaccinations

Thebeefsite.com

Preconditioning, by definition, is a vaccination, nutrition, and management program designed to prepare young cattle to withstand the stress associated with weaning and shipment to a backgrounding yard or feedlot. It is unfortunate that pre-conditioning is a term that has been loosely applied in the beef industry.

The lack of standardization has led to confusion, and in some cases abuses, by owners, buyers, and veterinarians. Part of the problem lies in a lack of communication between the buyer and seller. For any pre-conditioning program to be effective, the seller must communicate to the buyer what program was followed.

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Good Fertilizer Management Leads To Optimum Cool-Season Grass Production

Good Fertilizer Management Leads To Optimum Cool-Season Grass Production

Cattlenetwork.com

MANHATTAN, Kan. – As the weather turns cooler, cool-season grass pastures enter their most productive period of the year. For optimum production, producers need to apply sufficient fertilizer to these grasses, at the right time of year, said Dale Leikam, Kansas State University Research and Extension nutrient management specialist.

“Nitrogen, phosphorus, postassium, and sulfur are the nutrients which most commonly limit cool-season grass production in Kansas,” he said.

If cool-season grass pastures have not been sampled yet for soil test analysis, the K-State agronomist said, it should be done at once.

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Annuals – Rx for Drought

Annuals – Rx for Drought

by Ed Haag

Angus Journal

The image of a rancher participating in activities associated with farming and planting cereal crops might be irksome to some old-timers and cowboy purists, but in an age when inflated feed costs are the norm and drought-induced feed shortages could spell financial disaster, Montana State University (MSU) Range Specialist Dennis Cash believes that it is no time to be picky.

ÒAround here cereals have saved a lot of peoplesÕ bacon,Ó he says. ÒWeÕve had several years of drought, and the annual cereal forages were, by far, the best performers.Ó

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Cattle EDPs: A Bunch Of Bull

Cattle EDPs: A Bunch Of Bull

Cattlenetwork.com

Many of our cooperators are cow-calf producers. A common thread among cow-calf producers is that they need bulls. This may be the most critical decision made by cow/calf producers. How do you make this decision? I’ll share with you some of the steps I use when making the bull purchase decision.

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Options for hay sought

Options for hay sought

By Eddie Fitzgerald

Wilson Daily Times

Officials are telling livestock producers to make plans now to face a winter with a short supply of hay, regardless of what the weather may now bring.

Walter Earle, Wilson County agriculture extension director, said the extreme drought and freezes last April have made it difficult for cattle producers.

“The dye is cast,” Earle said. “Hay will be short. There is nothing the weather can do at this point in relation to hay. It can help the pastures, but the hay is pretty much gone.”

Wilson County produces about 5,000 acres of hay and 2,500 cattle, Earle said.

Livestock producers are worried about the upcoming winter, and those who are not should be, Earle said

Most of the calls the extension service is receiving about the drought and hay are concerned with how to bale and handle cornstalks that can be used for hay.

Earle suggests planning ahead, check with seed sources early because seed may be limited. Small grain should be planted by mid September, he said.

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Where is the beef from?

Where is the beef from?

KTIC

For consumers who know beef doesnÕt come from the grocery store or a specialty shop, they may think beef comes from only beef cattle. But about 20 percent of beef comes from dairy animals. And that is why it is important for both dairy and beef producers to maintain focus. Because, in animal agriculture ignoring business practices that can influence profitability can be harmful to business health.

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Cattle Preconditioning: When To Castrate?

Cattle Preconditioning: When To Castrate?

Cattlenetwork.com

Castrating calves at a younger age verses at weaning or older has been proven to be less stressful. If possible, producers are encouraged to castrate during the spring or fall to reduce infection and disease.

However, some calves are not born in conjunction with these time frames and must be castrated as soon as possible. The earlier a bull is castrated, the sooner he will overcome the stresses of this process and continue to grow.

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IRS report pinpoints ag trends

IRS report pinpoints ag trends

By Mike Surbrugg

Joplin Globe

Expenses are growing faster than revenue.

ThatÕs one of the trends found after the Internal Revenue Service prepared a report, ÒFarm Proprietorship Returns, 1998-2004,Ó to measure economic changes in the different types and sizes of farms.

The data is based on figures collected from income tax returns and does not identify any individual farm. It includes only a national view of agriculture.

In 2004, about 1.4 million farm proprietorship returns were filed with 70 percent showing a net loss. For every farm with a net profit, there were 2.4 returns that had a net loss.

The returns also showed gross farm income in 1998 of $93.3 billion, which increased to $101 billion in 2004, an increase of 8.3 percent. However, in the same time span, farm expenses climbed nearly 13 percent, from $101.2 billion to $114.3 billion.

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Stocker Cattle: Talk To Your Customers

Stocker Cattle: Talk To Your Customers

Cattlenetwork.com

Of course, doing something well that your customers donÕt care about at all is akin to being a top steam locomotive mechanic in the age of diesel. Consequently, the only way to know specifically what information has value to your customers is by asking them.

One method of discovering buyer demand for information, be it with current customers or perspective ones, is to conduct your own customer satisfaction survey. For current customers, ask them how they liked the cattle they bought from you and why. Ask them what information you passed along that they found the most useful and the least useful and why. Ask them how they see their demands for information changing in the future, and how quickly.

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USDA to open border to older Canadian cattle

USDA to open border to older Canadian cattle

Cattle industry leaders concerned about risks to U.S. producers

By Steve Miller,

Rapid City Journal staff

A federal government decision to open the U.S. border to older Canadian cattle makes it more likely that mad cow disease from that country will infect the U.S. cattle herd, congressional and cattle industry opponents say.

One cattle industry leader even said it could put U.S. consumers at greater risk.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced it plans to open the border in November to Canadian cattle older than 30 months of age.

Most animal scientists say mad cow disease, known scientifically as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, doesnÕt usually appear in cattle younger than 30 months.

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Tour Offers Tips for Emergency Forages

Tour Offers Tips for Emergency Forages

Indiana Prairie Farmer

The question in much of Indiana if you’re a livestock grower, with dairy or beef cattle, sheep or horses, is not how much will you have to pay for hay, but can you find it. Extremely dry weather and a devastating late April freeze in southern Indiana has left many forage producers with half a crop. Most who sell hay tell us they can’t even supply their customers.

In fact, some have resorted to shipping in hay from out of state, from places such as Wisconsin or Michigan. One problem is that since they buy sight-unseen, it’s difficult to judge quality or bale size over the phone.

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