Baxter Black: CASTAWAYS (CIGARETTES)

There they stood out on the loading dock at the back of the administration building. Huddled behind a dumpster to protect themselves from the biting wind, they shivered, occasionally glancing over their shoulders at the solid metal door.

People that walked by glanced at them then quickly looked away. It could have been a picture from a depression-era hobo camp, or a group of refugees waiting for a food distribution truck. I ambled up to the crowd and said, “Gotta light?” (Just a joke, folks.)

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Livestock Haulers Become Modern Day Trail Bosses

Clifford Mitchell

Cattle Today

Livestock transportation has made many strides over the years. From the trail drives of the days of old, to the rail car and finally, modernized hauling rigs that took advantage of this country’s vast highway system to get from point A to point B.

No matter what era, from the Trail Boss to the modern day cattle hauler, these ramrods are a rare breed. Although the business of livestock transportation has changed vastly through the years, the kindred spirits who claim to be masters of the trail could be the same men through the ages. Today, it’s still a business where a man’s word is his bond and firms depend on a third party to get their product to town in a reasonable amount of time.

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King Ranch symposium offers pre-event cattle handling training

High Plains Journal

Demo’s offer unique methods designed to improve daily livestock work

"Entertaining, educational and informative–just great!" from a Springfield, Ill., beef producer.

"I liked your practical methods which anyone can use–how they save time and money, too. Also, your message about how we cattlemen can help the (beef) industry was very important. One of the top programs I have ever been to." from a Abingdon, Va., cattleman.

These are just two comments from participants who have attended seminars by Stockmanship and Stewardship clinicians Curt Pate, Dr. Ron Gill and Todd McCartney. Everyone who handles livestock will benefit from this unique educational program offered during the King Ranch Institute’s Pre-Symposium Training, Oct. 29 and 30 in Kingsville, Texas.

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Red Angus Association plans 2008 convention

Prairie Star

The Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) is holding its 54th National Convention September 17th n 19th, 2008 at the Little America Hotel in Cheyenne, WY. This annual event draws Red Angus seedstock producers, commercial customers and advocates of the breed from across the country as well as Canada and several other foreign countries.

This year’s event features a Commercial Cattlemen’s Symposium to be held from 1:00 n 5:00pm on Wednesday the 17th. The key topic of the symposium will be cowherd efficiency and the importance of selecting for genetics to help lower the maintenance requirements of cattle throughout the cattle cycle.

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Analyst: USDA cattle reports won’t impact markets much

Brownfield Network

Peter Shinn

USDA released it monthly cattle on feed and semi-annual cattle inventory reports Friday afternoon. Cattle-on-feed came in at 96% of last year, with placements of 91% and marketings at 92%.

DTN Chief Livestock Analyst John Harrington told Brownfield none of those numbers will surprise the trade too much. And in terms of market impact, Harrington said the cattle-on-feed report is "kind of dead on arrival, almost."

Harrington added that he doesn’t think much more of the market impact of the cattle inventory report. USDA pegged the U.S. beef cow herd at 1% below a year ago, exactly as the trade expected. But according to Harrington, USDA’s estimate of this year’s calf crop, at less than half-a-percent smaller than last year, doesn’t make much sense.

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David Burton: Take time to beef up your calves

Springfield News-Leader

Beef cattle producers can during the summer boost the weaning weights of calves born in late winter or early spring, according to Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

"Mid-summer is not a very desirable time to work cattle, but some practices sure pay off with extra weight this fall," said Cole.

Among the economical practices Cole recommends for nursing calves are deworming, growth-promoting implants for non-breeding animals and external parasite control.

"The benefits from these could add 40 to 50 pounds additional weight come weaning time," said Cole.

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The Northwest Sustainable ranching Bureaucrat, cowboy swap jobs to learn how each helps the land

RICHARD COCKLE

The Oregonian

Bryan Arroyo pauses to examine a woodpile at the lonesome Skull Creek cabin in southeastern Oregon’s sun-baked high desert. The top of the woodpile is decorated with grisly, bone-white cow and elk skulls.

Stacy Davies, foreman of the million-plus-acre Roaring Springs Ranch, leaves the shade of his pickup and strolls over, scuffing puffs of dust with his cowboy boots.

"This is rattlesnake country," he cautions. "You don’t want to go stirring in a woodpile here."

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