News Update
Nov. 5, 2009

As Cows Eat, So Grow the Calves

Your cow herd checklist might look pretty sparse after the calves are weaned and rebreeding is confirmed. Maybe the cows regained some condition and they’re coasting now on crop residue. Next item would be what, calving?

More properly, the next item would be nutrition during late gestation. New results from the University of Nebraska’s West Central Research and Extension Center say the nutrition provided to cows in the months before calving can determine their calves’ future production.

This is called fetal programming. Read more.

Coppess Urges Farmers and Ranchers to Vote in County Committee Elections

Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Jonathan Coppess said today that the 2009 FSA county committee elections will begin tomorrow, Nov. 6, with USDA mailing ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 7, 2009.

“It is imperative that all eligible farmers and ranchers get involved and vote in this year’s county committee elections,” Coppess said. “County committee members will provide input and make important decisions on, among other things, the local administration of new disaster and conservation programs under the 2008 Farm Bill. I particularly encourage minority and women producers to get involved so that county committees fairly represent the producers of a county or multi-county jurisdiction.”

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farmers and ranchers who serve on county committees help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support loans and payments; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster payments for some commodities; emergency programs; and payment eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate nominations during the nomination period, which was held last summer and ended Aug. 3.

Eligible voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can obtain ballots at their local USDA Service Center. Dec. 7 is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 7. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2010.

Close to 7,750 FSA county committee members serve in the 2, 248 FSA offices nationwide. Each committee consists of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Approximately one-third of county committee seats are up for election each year.

More information on county committees, such as the new 2009 fact sheets and brochures, can be found on the FSA web site at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at your local USDA Service Center.

— Release provided by FSA.

Iowa Firm Recalls Roast Beef Deli Products Due To Mislabeling

Curly’s Food Inc., a Sioux City, Iowa, establishment, is recalling approximately 12,181 pounds (lb.) of roast beef deli products because they were inadvertently mislabeled and contain an undeclared allergen, soy, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. Soy is a known potential allergen that is not declared on the label.

The following product is subject to recall:

• Cases containing two (2) various size weight deli-faced pieces of “Healthy Ones, Medium Cooked Roast Beef, 97% Fat Free, No Fillers, No Artificial Flavors, Lower Sodium” in vacuum packaged bags. Each package bears a use by date of “01/03/2010” or “01/10/2010,” a case code of “30900-17856” as well as the establishment number “EST. 15878” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
  

The roast beef deli products were produced Oct. 5 and 12, 2009, and were distributed to retail-type delicatessens and Department of Defense Commissaries in California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The problem was discovered by the company following a product check. FSIS has received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an allergic reaction should contact a physician.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company Consumer Hotline at 1-800-722-1127. Media with questions about the recall should contact company Media Contact Keira Ullrich at 212-758-4048.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

— Release provided by FSIS.

Beware of Dirt Toxicity in Cattle

Cows are not birds. They do not have gizzards, and they do not need to eat dirt (gravel, sand, or soil) to physically digest the feed offered them. Yet, cattle eat dirt. Why? What happens when they do, and how much is too much?

Cattle that actively seek out and eat dirt are likely missing something important in their diet. In some cases, the missing ingredient may be effective fiber (long-stem hay) and these cattle will explore their environment to try and provide some relief. In other situations, cattle will eat dirt when they are deficient in minerals (salt, potassium, calcium, etc.). Cattle that actively eat dirt or sand are likely foraging for sources of minerals to meet their nutrient requirements.

It is nearly impossible to eliminate, or remove, all dirt from the diet. With blowing dust and soil accumulated during harvest, cattle that eat from the ground will be exposed to small amounts of dirt. Diet ash values ranging between 5% and 10% are common; however, we have observed a much wider range in the field. Dry hay, silage and some byproduct feeds tend to be the main contributors of ash to dairy cow diets.

Cattle that consume large amounts of dirt or rocks and have clinical “dirt-osis” may have blocked abomasums that are unable to move feed to the small intestines. The onset is usually slow and progressive over several days, perhaps a week, and up to 10% of the cattle in a group can be affected. Cattle may develop electrolyte imbalances because important electrolytes (chlorine and potassium) pool in the abomasum and cannot be pulled back into circulation by the small intestine. Ultimately, the cattle will perform poorly and lose weight.

Cows suffering from dirt-osis can have one or more of the following signs: Off feed (anorexia); nonresponsive or “depressed” attitude; reduced, stiff, mucus-like manure; inability to rise due to weakness, electrolyte imbalances, starvation; normal or increased respiratory rate with some ‘grunting.’

Specific tests for dirt-osis do not exist. Measuring the major electrolytes in blood often reveal low chloride, low potassium, metabolic alkalosis and sometimes low sodium. Cattle with low blood electrolytes are usually in the later stages of disease and have a poor prognosis.

One method to screen the herd is to grab feces with a gloved hand and feel for gravel or sand. Another method would be to put feces in a palpation (AI) sleeve, add a few cups of water, mash it up, and hang the sleeve with the fingers pointing down. If the tips of the fingers accumulate sand after a few hours, there may be a problem that requires further investigation.

Efforts to prevent large amounts of dirt in cattle diets will prevent losses to dirt-osis. Limiting the amount of dirt in feed through proper forage harvesting, storage and feeding will also reduce the consumption of bacterial pathogens commonly detected in dirt.

For a more detailed article on this subject, visit the University of Minnesota Extension dairy web site at www.extension.umn.edu/dairy and look for the article titled “Dirt-osis: dirt toxicity in cattle.”

— Release by University of Minnesota.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.