News Update
May 11, 2009

Wyoming Hosts 2009 Range Beef Cow Symposium Dec. 1-3

This year’s XXI Range Beef Cow Symposium (RBCS) will take place Dec. 1-3 at the Casper Events Center, said Steve Paisley, University of Wyoming (UW) Cooperative Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

“With more than 30 speakers addressing beef production topics such as nutrition, marketing, health, reproduction, consumer demand and current industry issues, the RBCS is a great opportunity to listen to nationally recognized speakers on a wide variety of topics,” said Paisley, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science in UW’s College of Agriculture.

Started in 1969 at Chadron, Neb., and held every other year, the RBCS is organized by the animal science departments of Colorado State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, South Dakota State University and UW. The event rotates between Colorado, western Nebraska, western South Dakota and Wyoming. 

“The symposium has continued to grow in popularity and is now recognized as one of the premiere production beef cattle symposiums in the country,” Paisley said. Focusing on beef production issues in the Western states, the RBCS regularly attracts 800 to 1,200 attendees and more than 80 agribusiness booth vendors for the three-day event.

Paisley said one of the most popular aspects of the RBCS are the nightly “Bull Pen Sessions,” where the invited speakers are brought back as panelists and are available for informal question-and-answer sessions.

The symposium begins at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1, and concludes Thursday at noon. Additional information such as agenda, registration and lodging will be made available once final details are set. 

For more information, contact Paisley at 307-837-2000 at the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center near Lingle or spaisley@uwyo.edu.

— Release provided by University of Wyoming.

Proper Injection Sites to Remember at Calf-Working Time

The month of May is traditionally the time when “spring round-ups” take place. This is the time that large and small cow-calf operations schedule the “working” of the calves. As the majority of the calves reach their second month of life, it is time to castrate the male calves and immunize all of the calves to protect them against blackleg. Also, the new information suggests that in some situations, calves may be vaccinated for respiratory diseases such as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD).

Correct administration of any injection is a critical control point in beef production and animal health. There is a negative relationship between meat tenderness and injection sites, including injection sites that have no visible lesion. In fact, intramuscular (IM) injections, regardless of the product injected, may create permanent damage regardless of the age of the animal at the time of injection. Tenderness is reduced in a 3-inch (in.) area surrounding the injection site. Moving the injection-site area to the neck stops damage to expensive steak cuts. Therefore, cow-calf producers should make certain that their family members, and other hired labor, are sufficiently trained as to the proper location of the injections before the spring calf-working begins. Give injections according to label instructions. Subcutaneous (SQ) means under the skin; intramuscular (IM) means in the muscle. Some vaccines (according to the label instructions) allow the choice between intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SQ). Always use subcutaneous (SQ) as the method of administration when permitted by the product’s label. Remember to “tent” the skin for SQ injections unless instructed otherwise by the manufacturer. Proper injection technique is just one of many components of the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) effort that has had a positive effect on the entire United States beef industry.

Another important aspect of the BQA effort is keeping of accurate treatment records. Treatment records should include:

• individual animal/group identification;
  
• date treated;
  
• product administered and manufacturer’s lot/serial number;
  
• dosage used;
• route and location of administration;
  
• earliest date animal(s) will have cleared withdrawal period; and
  
• name of person administering the product.

Treatment records for cattle should be stored and kept for a minimum of three years after the animal(s) have been sold from your operation.

Beef producers are encouraged to learn and practice BQA Guidelines. You can learn more about the Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance program by going to the web site: http://oklahomabeefquality.com. The Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance Manual can be downloaded from the site. Examples of treatment records to be kept and stored are available from the Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance Manual or the Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance program web site.

— by Dr. Glenn Selk, Professor and Animal Reproduction Specialist, Oklahoma State University.

U.S.-EU Take First Step in Resolving Twenty-Year Beef Trade Dispute

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) last week announced a meaningful first step in the longstanding trade dispute between the U.S. and European Union (EU) over the use of growth promotants in cattle, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Under the current tariff-rate quota, the EU allows 11,500 metric tons (MT) of hormone-free, high-quality, grain-fed  beef imports each year from the U.S. Upon approval, this new accommodation provides for an additional 20,000 MT at zero duty. After three years, it will allow an extra 25,000 MT, for a total of 45,000 MT at zero duty.

According to NCBA, if the agreement is not carried out satisfactorily, the U.S. reserves the authority to reinstate carousel duties on EU exports to the United States.

The EU has cited the use of growth-promoting hormones in U.S. cattle as the reason for imposing a trade barrier on U.S. beef for the past 20 years.

— Adapted from a release provided by NCBA.

Overcrowding on Flu-Infected Farm Leads to Culled Hogs

According to Meatingplace.com, Canadian officials have culled 500 hogs on the farm where the H1N1 flu virus was detected, but not because the animals were sick, Alberta’s chief veterinarian said Saturday.

The official reportedly told the Canadian Press the animals were culled due to overcrowding issues. The entire herd of 1,700 pigs remained under quarantine but the population continued to grow and was running out of space, Meatingplace.com reported.

— Information provided by Meatingplace.com.

American Agriwomen Receive Grant for TV Show

American Agri-Women (AAW) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to produce a television program for farm and ranch women, which is planned to air nationwide in 2009.

Six months of programming is about completed, which will include 30-minute weekly programs to be shown four times each week. The programs are planned to air on satellite and cable networks, which reach an audience of more than 30 million nationwide.

Each weekly program will include information for women producers on a relevant topic to assist them in managing risk, such as estate planning or farm tax planning. Program topics will also include items such as educating consumers. In addition, each program will include a segment on the farm with an AAW member, addressing the theme for that week.

For more information contact AAW president Marcie Williams at president@americanagriwomen.org, or visit the American Agri-Women web site at http://www.americanagriwomen.org.

— Adapted from an American Agri-Women release.

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