News Update
April 23, 2010

What’s in Your Little Black Book?

The pocket-sized Beef Record Service (BRS)/AngusSource® black books contain a space for management records and calving dates and are again available for purchase through the American Angus Association.

The 2011 books are available in any quantity for $3 each and can be customized — free of charge — with purchases of 100 or more.

The books make great promotional gifts to commercial customers. Customized orders may include your operation’s logo and contact information foil-stamped onto the back cover, while standard orders feature the Association’s logo. Read more.

Annual Beef Cattle Standardized Performance Workshops Under Way

It’s one down and three to go for this year’s annual Texas AgriLife Extension Service-conducted 2010 Beef Cattle Standardized Performance Analysis, or “SPA,” workshops.

The dates, times and locations of the remaining three workshops, all of which have the same curriculum, are:

• May 5, 8:30 a.m., Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Vernon.
• May 20, 8:30 a.m., Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Nolan County, Sweetwater.
• June 8, 8:30 a.m., AgriLife Extension office in Brown County, Brownwood.

The SPA program measures individual operations and compares them to a pool of similar operations, according to William Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist at San Angelo. The resulting information is meant to help producers improve their operations from a strictly business standpoint by learning from others’ experiences.

“Participants will complete an in-depth financial and production analysis of their cow herd, specifically the calves weaned in 2009,” he said.

“This analysis will show them where they currently stand financially,” Thompson said. “Comparing their findings with other operations should help them more easily map out short- and long-term herd goals.”

Participants will be sent forms to organize data before the workshop. Confidentiality of the producer’s data will be maintained, he said.

After the analysis is completed, each participant will get an individual consultation with a specialist certified in the program, and guidance on developing and using the information to measure cow herd performance and cash flow. They will also get a “herd report card” that compares their herd’s performance to other herds. Software and supporting materials will be provided.

Event organizers ask participants to register for the workshop they select as early as possible, so they’ll have time to gather and organize the records and data needed to complete the analysis.

For more information and to register, contact Thompson at 325-653-4576 or w-thompson@tamu.edu or Stan Bevers at 940-552-9941, ext. 231.

— Release by Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

AgriLabs and American Animal Health Sign Long-Term Pasteurella Agreement

AgriLabs CEO Steve Schram today, April 23, announced the signing of a long-term contract with Jerry Payne, American Animal Health CEO, to market American Animal Health’s high-quality pasteurella vaccines.

Payne remarked, “AgriLabs is recognized as an industry leader in providing products and technical expertise for veterinarians and producers to most effectively manage their beef and dairy herds. We are proud that our products will continue to support AgriLabs’ core cattle vaccine capabilities.”

AgriLabs recently acquired the exclusive sales, marketing and distribution rights for the Pulmo-Guard family of pasteurella cattle vaccines: one-dose Pulmo-Guard PHM-1, Pulmo-Guard PH-M and Express 5-PHM from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.

“It is essential that we maintain the availability of these well-regarded vaccines for veterinarians and the cattle industry,” Schram said. “With ongoing uncertainties created by industry consolidations, veterinarians and producers should understand that AgriLabs will continue to supply them with the pasteurella products they rely on,” he continued.

Payne added, “This collaboration represents a major commitment by AgriLabs and American Animal Health. Cattle producers and veterinarians who have come to rely on these products can be assured that AgriLabs will continue to provide them with these high-quality pasteurella vaccines well into the future.”

— Release by AgriLabs.

Lush Pastures Posing a Gassy Problem for Cattle this Spring

As picturesque as cattle grazing lush pastures on Kentucky rolling hills may be, a closer look reveals a problem producers are having to deal with this time of year — bloat.

University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture Extension Forage Specialist Ray Smith said that recent good growing conditions have caused a lot of white clover to sprout in pastures and limited precipitation has slowed grass growth.

“Cattle are consuming greater quantities of white clover due to short grass, and that’s promoting legume bloat or frothy bloat,” Smith said. “Similar conditions can also occur when cattle are grazing wheat.”

Frothy bloat is different from gaseous bloat, which happens more when cattle are consuming grain, and it’s also more difficult to relieve.

“Usually frothy bloat happens when cattle are grazing forages that are high in soluble protein combined with rapid fermentation,” said Jeff Lehmkuhler, Extension beef specialist for the UK College of Agriculture. “It produces a stable foam in the rumen that blocks the normal escape of the gas from fermentation through eructation or belching.”

When the gas cannot escape, the cow’s rumen becomes distended, similar to blowing up a balloon, and that can affect the animal’s ability to breathe normally because of pressure against the diaphragm, added Michelle Bilderback, UK College of Agriculture Extension veterinarian.

Bilderback said that the stable foam has to be disrupted to allow the gas to escape.

“Saliva contains mucin, which has been shown to be key in disrupting and preventing the formation of this stable foam,” she said. “Wet, lush forages reduce chewing activity and saliva production.”

Risk is greater during periods when the forage is wet such, as when dew is present in the morning and evenings. Stimulating rumination by providing palatable, good-quality grass hay is believed to help prevent frothy bloat. Some researchers, however, have not shown this to be an effective means of preventing or reducing the severity of bloat.

So what can a producer do to help ensure that cattle don’t suffer from frothy bloat? UK researchers agree that a proactive approach works best, and if producers can strategize ways to prevent bloat in the first place, they won’t have to worry how to alleviate it after it occurs.

“We commonly use feed additives to prevent and reduce bloat severity,” said Roy Burris, Extension beef specialist for the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton. “Using ionophores has been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing the severity of bloat.”

Lehmkuhler said poloxalene is a proven bloat-preventing feed additive; however, it can be costly to feed. Producers commonly use poloxalene blocks for their convenience, but producers can also get poloxalene in a powder form to mix in supplements or mineral mixtures. During periods of severe bloat risk, Lehmkuhler said the target intake level of poloxalene is 2 grams per 100 pounds (lb.) of body weight.

“You can reduce it to 1 gram per 100 pounds of body weight as the risk to bloat diminishes,” he explained. “It is recommended that poloxalene be added two to three days prior to introduction into pastures that are at risk to promote bloat. Poloxalene must also be consumed on a daily basis, as there is no carryover protection.”

Producers can contact Burris, Lehmkuhler or a local Cooperative Extension agent for product recommendations. Most products are readily available from feed dealers who sell free-choice mineral mixtures. Some additives may be helpful but can also be costly to feed.

Other practical management strategies do exist, and they can reduce the incidence of frothy bloat.

“Ideally, the legume content of a pasture should be below 50% to reduce the risk of bloat throughout the grazing season,” Smith said. “Allowing legumes to mature to late bud, early bloom stage will also reduce the bloat risk.”

Bloat risk is reported to be higher for vegetative pre-bud stages.

“Moving cattle to pastures with less legume content and returning to pastures when the legumes have advanced in maturity might be an effective strategy if such diversity exists on your farm,” Lehmkuhler said. “You do want to avoid moving cattle to new fields with high legume content when they are hungry. Attempt to fulfill their hunger with high-quality hay if necessary before moving into legume pastures. It’s important to monitor cattle frequently throughout the day.”

Sometimes producers will face an emergency case of frothy bloat, and Bilderback stressed the importance of quick action and prompt treatment.

“Death can occur in as little as one hour after grazing begins, but is more commonly seen 3 to 4 hours after bloat starts,” she said. “If life threatening, your veterinarian may do an emergency rumenotomy (cutting a hole in the rumen) to relieve the pressure. If the animal is not in immediate danger, passing a stomach tube into the rumen and administering an antifoaming agent such as mineral oil may aid with the problem.”

For more information contact your county agricultural Extension agent and your veterinarian.

— Release by UK Extension.

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