Ohio Beef Newsletter Available

The May 16, issue # 537, of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter is now posted to the web at: http://fairfield.osu.edu/ag/beef/beefMy16.html

As a follow up to last week’s information on estrus synchronization and getting beef females bred in a timely fashion, this week we feature an article on a new CIDR protocol for heifers which Dr. Mike Day of Ohio State has cooperated on the development of.

Articles include:
* Fasten Your Seatbelt! There’s Ethanol Ahead
* New CIDR Based Synchronization System Gives Another Fixed Time AI Option
* Forage Focus: Grazing Livestock Affects Pasture Fertility

Stan
———-
Stan Smith
Program Assistant, Agriculture
OSU Extension, Fairfield County
831 College Ave., Suite D
Lancaster, OH 43130

e-mail:  smith.263@osu.edu
voice:   740.653.5419 ext. 24
fax:      740.687.7010
Visit:
Fairfield Co. OSU Extension – http://fairfield.osu.edu
OSU Beef Team – http://beef.osu.edu

Feeding Efficiency – Change in the Beef Industry

Feeding Efficiency – Change in the Beef Industry

by Bob Strong

Feedlot Magazine

“If we take new information and adjust our methods of operation, we have changed.” This is not a direct quote from Henry Gardiner but it is exactly what Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland, Kansas has done. In a 17 year period prior to 1977, Gardiner Angus bulls on feed for 140 – 150 days on a feedyard #4 ration were gaining 2.7lb/day and consuming 7.48lb of feed per pound of gain. Since 1977 their bulls on test for 85 days have been gaining 5.5-5.8 pounds on 40 percent less feed on a feedyard #3 ration.

According to Henry Gardiner, the improvement in genetic tools since 1977 in selecting sires and females has led to this change. Out of their 1,000 registered cow herd Gardiner Angus Ranch (GAR) selects the top four to five percent of their heifers for replacements to end up with 50 females who produce 70 – 75 percent of their registered calves by embryo transfer. In this manner they bring 50 new heifers, after their first calf, into the embryo transfer program each year to amplify genetic improvements. All of the GAR registered cow herd is sold within five years because of their rapid change in genetics. They also have 1,000 commercial Angus females, including yearling heifers. Around 60 percent of those females will produce registered calves from the donor herd using embryo transfer.

FULL STORY      PDF

Reproductive Efficiency

Reproductive Efficiency

Black Ink

Steve Suther

When you breed or turn out bulls with heifers or cows, you have certain expectations. Ideally, you want each of them to become pregnant, deliver an unassisted, healthy calf and raise it to half its momma’s weight six months later.

But since nobody runs cattle in an ideal world, you have to settle for what’s possible and profitable. It is not common for those with more than a few cows to wean 100% calf crops, but you might hear it said. Some details are usually left out, starting with a defined inventory of cows.

That’s like reporting wheat yields based on unspecified harvested acres rather than planted acres. It may sound better, but it doesn’t help you analyze and solve problems, or make more money.

Economic analysis requires a record of how many females had a chance to become pregnant, and what final number actually weaned a calf. This “weaning percentage” is the ratio of weaned calves to cows exposed. For more precision, these numbers should be in pounds rather than head. Either way, in most databases, the top 25% of producers ranked by net income manage no better than about 85%.

FULL STORY PDF

Care of Newly Purchased Young Bull

Care of the Newly Purchased Young Bulls

Dr. Glenn Selk, Extension Cattle Specialist, Oklahoma State University

Yearling Bulls

Yearling bulls should be well-grown but not too fat.  The energy content of a ration should be reduced if bulls are getting too fat.  Fat bulls may fatigue rapidly, contributing to fewer cows conceiving.

For a yearling bull to be used successfully, he should have reached puberty 3 to 4 months before breeding time.  The age of a bull at puberty depends on several interrelated factors, but size or weight and breed are probably the controlling factors.

The production of semen by a young bull largely depends on his overall growth as well as the development of his testicles and other reproductive organs.  The size of testicles and volume of semen produced are positively correlated.   

FULL STORY

Cattle Preconditioning Forum: Feed Bunk & Water Trough Training

Cattle Preconditioning Forum: Feed Bunk & Water Trough Training

Cattlenetwork.com

The profitability of a preconditioning program can hinge on calf weight gains during the preconditioning period. Feed costs typically account for a large proportion of preconditioning costs, so productive calf weight gains are needed to recover these costs. During weaning, calves must transition from a milk diet to a forage/concentrate-based diet. Calves exposed to eating from a feed bunk and drinking from a water trough prior to weaning may go on feed faster after weaning. Some calves leave the ranch having never seen a feed bunk or water trough.

FULL STORY

Animal Welfare 101

Animal Welfare 101

Animal Handling.org

Respect for animals used for food is a value that is contained in religious texts throughout history. Jewish, Islamic and Christian texts spell out the importance of respect for animals and, in some cases, prescribe how they should be processed for food. Many of these beliefs are the philosophical cornerstones of federal animal welfare regulations and voluntary animal welfare programs developed by a variety of organizations.

FULL STORY

Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling—Will It Benefit Consumers?

Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling—

Will It Benefit Consumers?

Barry Krissoff and Fred Kuchler

Amber Waves

Demands for mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for some retail food products have sparked considerable controversy. Proponents— primarily some cow-calf producer and fruit and vegetable grower/shipper associations—claim such labels would benefit consumers who are concerned about food safety, who wish to support U.S. producers, or who believe that U.S. foods are of higher quality than imports. Others—cattle feeder and hog finishing operators, meatpackers, processors, and retailers—argue that mandatory labeling will merely raise costs and bring few benefits.

FULL STORY

What are purchased replacement females worth?

What are purchased replacement females worth?

By Troy Smith

Beefquality.biz

Green grass isn’t the only thing sprouting since significant precipitation came to previously parched regions of cow country. If demand for replacement females is any indicator, optimism is growing too. Early spring saw bred heifer prices increase by as much as $200 per head.

In areas where herd-rebuilding was delayed by prolonged drought, more cow-calf producers are encouraged enough to pursue expansion or, at least, herd rebuilding. But a desire to increase herd numbers is not the only factor that affects the cost of replacement females. Even though calf prices remain respectable, they are trending lower. Time-worn rules of economics suggest that when calf prices are low and feed costs are high, purchasing bred replacements may be a better option than heifer retention.

FULL STORY

LEGALLY speaking

LEGALLY speaking

Where’s the (Choice) beef?

Western Livestock Journal

Since 2000, the IRS has nearly tripled the number of audits of tax returns filed by people making $25,000 to $100,000. Kevin Brown, the IRS deputy commissioner, stated that this is an effort to run a “balanced audit program.” Last year, the number of audits in this category was approximately 436,000, up from about 147,000 returns in 2000.

However, for people with incomes above $100,000, the odds of being audited are about 1 in 59, and for people earning $1 million or more, the odds of getting audited are about 1 in 16.

People who operate farms or ranches that generate tax write-offs continue to be audited fairly often because the IRS regards these taxpayers as “vulnerable.” Any endeavor that has some elements of a “hobby,” but which the taxpayer reports as a business, poses a red flag under the IRS hobby loss rule.

FULL STORY

Assembling an Implant Program That Fits Your Feeding System

Assembling an Implant Program That Fits Your Feeding System

John M. Bonner, Ph.D., Land O’Lakes

Beeflinks.com

Throughout most of the 70’s and 80’s I worked with technical marketing programs for implants. The subject of growth stimulating implants was and continues to be a “hot” topic. It has been noted that implanting is one of, if not the most, profitable management practices. In the 70s and 80s, the implant field offered what seemed like a lot of options – five products. Implant technique and proper placement were critical points that were stressed as key factors that affected maximum return for implant expense. Well, today we still know the value of an implant, but according to Pete Anderson Ph.D. there are now 22 products containing five different drugs in 13 different combinations of ingredient levels, sold by five different companies supplying 10 implant devices. Today the challenge is to match the implant program to the cattle, nutrition, management, targeted market and length of feeding period.

As more cattle are sold on carcass-based arrangements, the characteristics that determine carcass value are becoming important to a greater portion of the feeding industry. One of the most important characteristics is the percentage of cattle that grade choice. If the spread between choice and select grade carcasses is high, choice grade carcasses are worth much more than select grade carcasses. On the other hand, if the spread is low, there is very little economic incentive to produce a high percentage of choice carcasses.

FULL STORY

UT Beef and Forage Field Day Scheduled for June 14

UT Beef and Forage Field Day Scheduled for June 14

Cattle Today

Cattle management and hay production and storage will be on the minds of cattle producers attending the 2007 Beef and Forage Field Day. The event is being held on June 14 by the University of Tennessee at the Blount Unit of the East Tennessee Research and Education Center.

Activities will begin with a trade show at 7:30 a.m.

Following keynote presentations by Joseph A. DiPietro, UT vice president for agriculture, and Ken Givens, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, participants will assemble into groups to attend morning sessions that address how to select a commercial squeeze chute for cattle management, hay barn plans and planning, and profitable hay production. Time will be available for all participants to attend each session as well as to visit trade exhibits.

FULL STORY

South Georgia cattle affected by drought

South Georgia cattle affected by drought

Cade Fowler, WALB-TV

Tifton — A herd of cattle stands in a dry south Georgia field. This field in Tifton, like many throughout southwest Georgia has been deeply effected by a lingering drought

An estimated 65 percent of Georgia’s pasture land is in poor to very poor condition. The current drought comes on the heals of drier than normal weather last year, and that has severely affected hay supplies. This has many cattle producers concerned.

FULL STORY

Finding and Testing Low-Sugar Forage

Finding and Testing Low-Sugar Forage

by: Kathryn Watts, BS

The Horse

Did the brown, stemmy, over-mature hay you thought was perfect for your easy keepers make them even fatter? Are increased sugar concentrations in your pasture causing your pony’s recent bouts of laminitis, or increased muscle soreness in your equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSM)-afflicted horse? Could high fructan levels caused by recent frosty nights be the reason why several of your pastured horses experienced gas colic or diarrhea recently?

FULL STORY

Crafting a new farm bill

Crafting a new farm bill

By JONATHAN RIVOLI

Bismarck Tribune

As a top agriculture state, North Dakota has much at stake as Congress considers a new Farm Bill, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, said Monday.

Chairing a hearing in Bismarck, Conrad came looking for advice as he and colleagues craft the bill that will establish federal agriculture policy for the next five years.

The bill, which covers everything from price supports to rural economic development, will replace a 2002 Farm Bill that expires this fall.

Working off of a preliminary proposal from Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, Congress is busy adding its own priorities to the measure.

FULL STORY

Ranch’s grass-fed beef easy to sell

Ranch’s grass-fed beef easy to sell

Cattle, which fetch higher price, raised without additives

By The Associated Press

Billings Gazette

LANDER – The grass-fed and -finished cattle of the Twin Creek Ranch near Lander have just one really bad day.

That’s when they become T-bone steaks.

But after the calves are born until that time, they can expect to live pretty much as elk and bison live, maturing without ingesting pesticides and herbicides on the plants they eat, and without synthetic hormones and antibiotics pumping through their systems.

“I tell customers the only additives we have are fresh air, Rocky Mountain water and scenery,” Tony Malmberg said. He and his wife, Andrea, run the ranch.\

FULL STORY

Competition bill introduced in the House

Competition bill introduced in the House

Western Livestock Journal

A measure aimed at increasing competition in livestock markets was introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. The proposal, named “Captive Supply Reform Act, H.R. 2213,” is intended to increase competition in the cattle market by requiring contracts and marketing agreements to establish a base price. It would also require packers to bid against one another in an “open public manner.”

The bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-IA, chairman of the House Agriculture Livestock Subcommittee, and co-sponsored by Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D- SD, and Barbara Cubin, R-WY.

Cattle producer groups R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America and the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) were quick to commend the House for taking up the measure last week.

FULL STORY