News Update
Feb. 4, 2009

19 Employees on Leave Due to Allegations of Impropriety at Iowa Labs

Nineteen employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Ames, Iowa, laboratories are on administrative leave beginning today due to alleged actions involving the use of veterinary credentials to purchase medications for human use so that other employees might be provided with low-cost prescription drugs.

“This is a very serious situation that requires immediate and decisive action,” Vilsack said. “Effective today, 19 employees who have been identified in the investigation as participating in the alleged improper conduct or having knowledge of such conduct are being placed on administrative leave until a complete review of the evidence provided by OIG (Office of Inspector General) is conducted. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot release the names of any employees involved and, since the investigation is ongoing, there are limits to the amount of information we can provide at this time.

“Additionally, it is possible that more employees will be identified. Accountability is of the utmost importance in our laboratories, which are internationally renowned. In an effort to be fully transparent and reaffirm the trust of the American public, our stakeholders and trading partners, we have commissioned two third-party reviews — one of the laboratory processes at the Ames facility and the other of the management processes.

“The laboratory review has been completed, and although we are still in the process of thoroughly evaluating the results, we are gratified to see that it affirmed the laboratory is generally functioning very well and successfully fulfilling its responsibilities. The management review, which we expect will provide insight regarding how USDA can prevent such situations from recurring, is ready to commence. Unless privacy or security concerns dictate otherwise, both reviews and any corrective actions taken as a result of them will be available to the public once they are complete. There is no evidence that any test results or other official laboratory activities were compromised in any way by this alleged activity.

“As I said upon arriving at USDA, I have made it a priority to support President Obama’s charge to establish and adhere to rigorous ethical standards that meet the expectations of U.S. citizens and taxpayers. I am committed to this charge and with the support and hard work of all USDA employees, I am confident that we will uphold the American people’s trust.”

— Statement provided by USDA.

Countdown Begins to 2009 World Ag Expo

In less than a week, the world’s agricultural community will gather in Tulare, Calif., for the 42nd annual World Ag Expo, Your International Passport to Agriculture.

To save time and money at the gate, attendees can register online at www.worldagexpo.com (discount prices are offered through Monday, Feb. 9). All attendees and exhibitors must register online or at the gate to enter World Ag Expo.

An estimated 100,000 attendees from 67 countries are expected to attend World Ag Expo, the largest annual agricultural show of its kind with more than 1,600 exhibitors and 2.6 million square feet of show grounds.

To alleviate traffic congestion, attendees and exhibitors can use the free Park & Ride with shuttle service to World Ag Expo. Shuttles operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from:

• Preferred Outlets at Tulare, Prosperity and Hwy. 99, Tulare
  
• Tulare Airport, Ave. 200 and Hwy. 99, Tulare
  
• Tulare County Fairgrounds, 851 S. O St., Tulare
  
• Mid-Valley Cotton Gin, 21978 Rd. 36, Tulare
• First Assembly of God Church, 3737 S. Akers St., Visalia

Attendees can purchase tickets for their chance to win the $30,000 grand prize Toyota Tundra at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Toyota exhibit area. Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $5 each at worldagexpo.com or from FFA students at World Ag Expo. Funds raised will benefit FFA chapters in the Central and San Joaquin Regions. No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway.

Attendees will also be able to participate in free seminars this year with each day carrying a different seminar emphasis. International trade seminars will take place Tuesday, Feb. 10, general agricultural seminars will take place Wednesday, Feb. 11, and irrigation seminars will take place Thursday, Feb. 12. Seminar schedules are listed at www.worldagexpo.com.

World Ag Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 10 and 11 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 12.

Tickets are $10 online before Feb. 9 or $12 at the gate. Three-day badges are $27 online before Feb. 9 or $30 at the gate.

Managing and Developing Young Beef Bulls

There are as many ways to feed and develop young beef bulls as there are seedstock producers. There are many and varied reasons that bulls are managed and fed the way they are. Whether bulls are developed on the ranch, in a commercial facility, or at a central bull test, they are usually fed to gain 2.8 to 4.0 pounds (lb.) daily from weaning to one year of age. One of the most common complaints from beef producers is the run-down condition of young bulls after their first breeding season.

Most young bulls will lose condition and weight during their first breeding season. However, minimizing the loss of body weight and condition will extend the bull’s usefulness and productivity, especially during the initial breeding season.

Can bulls be overconditioned and/or underconditioned before the first breeding season? The answer is probably yes. One might think overconditioned young bulls are better than underconditioned bulls because if they are overconditioned and they are expected to lose condition during the breeding season, at least they will still be in good condition at the end of the breeding season. Overconditioned bulls entering the breeding season may be less active during the breeding season, especially if the breeding season occurs during the heat of summer.

The same could be said for underconditioned bulls in that their activity may be limited. It is almost like the porridge being too hot, too cold, or just right. The idea is to develop and manage young bulls so that they are “just right” for the breeding season. In other words, they are in their “working” clothes and “toned” ready to perform their duty. In most cases, feeding and managing bulls to be in body condition score 6 (1=emaciated; 9=obese) at the start of their first breeding season is adequate. Body condition score 6 equates to body fat of about 20%-23%. This body condition isn’t different for the target body condition of 1st-calf-heifers at their first calving.

As average daily gain (ADG) increases, the amount of feeds high in energy, usually feeds high in starch, in the diet increases. As bulls are fed to a higher ADG, the likelihood of increasing body fat also increases. As bulls are pushed to higher ADG, care must be taken to ensure and control digestive upsets that can affect the liver in the form of liver abscesses, feet in the form of founder, and rumen integrity. Not managing the feeding program to eliminate digestive upsets has the potential to reduce the longevity of young bulls.

We have used distillers’ grains and corn gluten feed (CGF) in our bull development diets. Distillers’ grains and corn gluten feed have been used as both a protein and energy source. In the process of producing ethanol and fructose (corn syrup), the starch in corn is removed. The remaining byproduct is greater in protein, energy, and phosphorus compared to corn. Removing some starch in the diet and replacing it with essentially a high-fiber energy source reduces the incidence of digestive upsets.

In addition, if some corn byproducts are used, it is likely that phosphorus can be removed from the supplement. In most cases calcium will be needed in the supplement. In growing bull diets, it would be critical that the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio not be below 1.6:1. As always, feeds that are used in the diet need to be priced competitively into the diet.

Care of young bulls after the breeding season is important. Bulls should weigh 75%-80% of their mature weight at the start of the second breeding season. If mature weight of a young bull is estimated to be 2,000 lb. and at the beginning of his first breeding season he is 1,300 lb. (65% of mature weight) and he loses 200 lb. during the first breeding season, then to be 75%-80% of his mature weight by the start of the next breeding season, he needs to gain 400 lb. to 500 lb.

Between the end of the first breeding season and the start of the second breeding season, young bulls need to gain about 2 lb. per day. Native grass quality is peaking and starting on the decline in July and August, and bulls will gain about 1.5 lb. per day without supplementation. Young bulls will need some supplemental energy and protein before the second breeding season.

Consider not waiting until just prior to the second breeding season to get young bulls back in their working clothes and at the desirable weight. For a spring breeding season, consider feeding these bulls some protein and energy beginning about Christmas time. Starting this early allows you to put weight back on gradually with smaller amounts of a high-energy feed. This doesn’t have to be accomplished in a drylot and could be fed on pasture or when the bulls are grazing corn stalk residue.

This doesn’t suggest young bulls be pampered in an “artificial” environment. It does suggest to at least give them a chance to be productive and remain in the herd as long as you want them there. The bull battery is an expensive investment. Manage the young ones so that you get a reasonable return on that investment.

— by Rick Rasby, professor of Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, at http://beef.unl.edu/stories/200902020.shtml.

Personnel Management Conference Scheduled for March

A personnel management conference will be hosted March 3-4 by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at the Waxahachie Civic Center, 2000 Civic Center Ln., in Waxahachie, Texas.

The fee for “Effective Employee Management for Agribusinesses” is $125 for the first participant from a business and $100 for each additional person if registered by Feb. 19, said Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo. After Feb. 19, the fee will be $150 per participant.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. both days and adjourn at 5 p.m. March 3 and 3 p.m. March 4. Co-sponsors for the event are Select Milk Producers, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Southern Region Risk Management Education Center, Texas Association of Dairymen, AgTexas Farm Credit Services and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association.

The two days of conference speakers, sessions and curriculum are designed for agricultural managers who deal with the challenges of human resources management, Amosson said.

“This is a great opportunity to learn from some of the most well-known personnel management experts in the country, including Bernie Erven from Ohio State University and Gregory Billikopf from the University of California, among others,” he said.

“This is the fourth time we’ve been able to offer this top-flight personnel management conference for agribusinesses,” Amosson said. “In a six-month post survey, 90% of the previous attendees indicated they had altered one or more of their practices based on what they learned from the conference. It’s a conference you can’t afford to miss.”

Topics that will be addressed include:

• Developing an Effective Organization Culture;
  
• Ag Enterprise Managers: Can You Manage Your Employees Like Other Industry Managers Do?
  
• Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law;
  
• Managing Cultural Differences;
  
• Becoming a Better Boss;
  
• Dealing with Problem Employees: Performance Evaluation and Employee Selection;
  
• Compliance Issues with a Non-Citizen Workforce;
  
• Conflict Management; and
  
• What Are We Going to do Different?
  

Checks and money orders should be made payable to Texas AgriLife Extension Service Conference Services, and mailed to Texas AgriLife Extension Conference Services, Acct. #222100-60025, 2139 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-2139. To register online, go to http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu. For registration questions, call AgriLife Extension Conference Services at 979-845-2604. If additional information is required, contact Jane Planchon at 806-677-5600 or japlanchon@ag.tamu.edu.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.