Cull feeding scenario changed

Cull feeding scenario changed

Western Livestock Journal

— Higher costs may have reduced value of feeding cull cattle.

Producers have a variety of differing philosophies when it comes to handling cull cows. Numerous studies have shown that selling unproductive cows contributes a substantial amount of money to an operation’s bottom line.

According to the 1999 National Beef Quality Audit, cull cow marketing creates an average of 16 percent of ranch income. In some cases, it could be much more. Feeding culls is normally a proposition which is both risky and potentially rewarding, however, with this year’s drought and high fuel costs translating into increased feeding costs, the picture may have changed somewhat.

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Rising Sun crash victim remembered as ‘best man’

Rising Sun crash victim remembered as ‘best man’

By Tim Hillman, Rising Sun Recorder Editor(IN)

The deadly crash of Comair flight 5191 in Lexington, Ky. ,on Sunday morning sent shockwaves throughout the country, and to Rising Sun.

Among the 49 people killed was Rising Sun native Dr. Larry Turner, 51, son of Martha Turner and the late Roy O. Turner. The 1972 graduate of Rising Sun High School was class valedictorian before going to Purdue University, West Lafayette. “He was a great guy,” said long time friend Nancy (Driver) Chipman.

“He was the best man at our wedding.” Jeff Chipman chose Larry as his best man noting “our families grew up together.” Chipman heard of the tragedy on Sunday morning when Sam Fox (Turner’s brother-in-law) came to the United Methodist Church where the friends had attended. “We went to Purdue together but once he moved to Lexington he established himself there,” said Chipman. “We saw each other about once a year when he would come back to visit.

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Age Verification Good Marketing Tool

Age Verification Good Marketing Tool

Written by Rob Carnie

Discovermoosejaw.com

In fact, some believe age verification is a “vital” marketing tool as we take our livestock sector into the future.

With the possibility of mandatory age verification for beef cattle just around the corner in Alberta, Saskatchewan cattle producers should consider their own needs and cattle marketability in the coming months.

April 1, 2007, is the proposed mandatory age verification date for Alberta. With 75 per cent of Saskatchewan-fed cattle and over 65 per cent of feeder cattle going into the Alberta market, age verification makes good business sense for Saskatchewan producers, as well.

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Sorting Cows in the Fall for Efficient Winter Feeding

Sorting Cows in the Fall for Efficient Winter Feeding

By Glenn Selk

Oklahoma State University

Sound sorting concepts of the spring-calving beef cow herd in the fall should improve the efficiency of the feeding program throughout the winter. Any strategy that improves feed efficiency this year should be utilized so that short forage and feed supplies are used most effectively. Before we divide up the herd, it makes some sense to inventory the cows to be divided. How many cows of each age group do we have? Every herd will be a little bit different, but a Research Station Herd in North Dakota can give us data to use as a guideline. Dr. Kris Ringwall of the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center reported recently on the average percentage of cows in their herd (by age group) over the last 20 years.

This data points out that 17% of this herd over the years was in the “first-calf heifer” category. The also noted that 11% of the herd was 10 years of age and older. Fifteen (15%) percent of the cows were 2nd calf 3 year-olds. From this data they formulated three logical groups of cows to be pastured together for feeding efficiency:

Group 1: The two-year old first calf heifers. They have higher nutrient needs than other cows that are not growing. They are too small to compete with larger, older, boss cows for the supplement.

Group 2: The old cows (10 years and older) and the 2nd calf heifers. In addition, this group should include any of the middle aged cows that were thin and needed extra supplement. Cows that were Body Condition Score 4 or less would be considered.

Group 3: The remaining cow herd. This is the group that is mature in size and in adequate condition to enter the winter feeding period as at least Body Condition Score 5.

Even after deep culling, because of drought, many herds will still have some cows in all categories. The number of available pastures with some forage and adequate water may limit our sorting options. If only two groups are possible, putting groups 1 and 2 together would be the logical other combination. Ranchers, then want to be certain that the feeding program is adequate to have cows in each group calve as BCS 5 or 6 next spring. Visit with the local County or Area Extension Office for more detailed information about winter feeding recommendations.

Applications for Cattle Improvement cost share due soon

Applications for Cattle Improvement cost share due soon

The Leaf-Chronicle (TN)

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reminds area cattle farmers that, in order to receive priority funding for new projects, applications for Cattle Improvement cost share assistance must be turned in no later than Sept. 30.

“The Cattle Improvement Initiative has really taken off, and a lot of farmers have already applied for limited dollars to either purchase a new bull or invest in some new handling equipment, but there’s still time for others to apply,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens in prepared comments.

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Montana Angus Association hosts tour

Montana Angus Association hosts tour

Western Livestock Journal

The Northern Montana Angus Association welcomes you to the Big Sky Country of Northern Montana for three fun filled days where you will tour some of Montana’s finest Angus Herd operations.

This annual event of combined association and membership activities will kick off on September 20, 2006 with a golf scramble tournament that will start at 9:30 am and is being hosted by Universal Semen Sales of Great Falls, MT. Tour Registration will begin at 2:00 pm at this year’s headquarters, the Best Western Heritage Inn in Great Fall, MT. Other Wednesday activities will include a social with meal and entertainment, plus a CAB presentation starting at 5:00 pm.

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Fewer Cattle in the Gulf Coast Region after Katrina

Fewer Cattle in the Gulf Coast Region after Katrina

High Plains Journal

OMAHA (DTN) — Traditionally, the marsh areas of Louisiana are used for grazing cattle, but few have returned to the southern tips of Vermilion and Cameron parishes since Rita hit. Between Rita and Katrina, Louisiana farmers and ranchers lost about 30,000 head of cattle, according to state estimates.

Ronald Winch, a Pecan Island resident estimates he has less than one-fourth the cattle he had before the storms.

The Winch family and area neighbors found themselves in the midst of a roundup and rescue operation when Rita hit in the first week of September last year. The handful of families left on Pecan Island rounded up and hauled out about 2,300 cattle to higher ground. Cattle able to get out of the marshes were scattered for miles along Highway 82, the area’s only major roadway.

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ISU economist gets real with economic impact of corn-ethanol boom

ISU economist gets real with economic impact of corn-ethanol boom

Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa — There is no doubt that Iowa is in the midst of a corn-ethanol boom — with 27 plants currently processing corn, mostly for ethanol, and 24 either under construction, planned, or proposed.

But while ethanol will continue to be good for the Iowa economy, some projections being reported by farm state politicians and industry advocates — like one in an essay this year by former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle that the current U.S. production of 3.1 billion gallons of ethanol created 200,000 jobs — look too good to be true. They are according to an Iowa State University economist’s recent study.

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Ranchers: grass-fed rules could mislead consumers

Ranchers: grass-fed rules could mislead consumers

By LIBBY QUAID

Thespectrum.com (UT) / Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Meat-eaters usually assume a grass-fed steak came from cattle contentedly grazing for most of their lives on lush pastures, not crowded into feedlots.

If the government has its way, the grass-fed label could be used to sell beef that didn’t roam the range and ate more than just grass.

The Agriculture Department has proposed a standard for grass-fed meat that doesn’t say animals need pasture and that broadly defines grass to include things like leftovers from harvested crops.

Critics say the proposal is so loose that it would let more conventional ranchers slap a grass-fed label on their beef, too.

“In the eye of the consumer, grass-fed is tied to open pasture-raised animals, not confinement or feedlot animals,” said Patricia Whisnant, a Missouri rancher who heads the American Grassfed Association. “In the consumer’s eye, you’re going to lose the integrity of what the term ‘grass-fed’ means.”

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Cattle Learning Center offers new DVD on cattle handling

Cattle Learning Center offers new DVD on cattle handling

American Cowman

Cattle handling and improved profitability go hand-in-hand

Whether it involves doctoring, gathering or sorting, low-stress cattle handling, from birth to harvest, ultimately boosts cattlemen’s efficiency and profitability.

Now a new DVD, released August 25, 2006, through the Cattle Learning Center, helps cattlemen learn how to immediately put low-stress cattle handling techniques to work on their operations. The Cattle Learning Center is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and funded by a grant from Pfizer Animal Health.

Low-Stress Cattle Handling is a full-length instructional piece separated into three practical learning modules: Handling cattle on horse, on foot and with dogs. The program was born from the popular live cattle-handling demonstrations at the 2006 Cattlemen’s College, held in conjunction with the Cattle Industry Annual Convention.

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