News Update
July 21, 2010

Important Update on Contractural Arachnodactyly (CA) as of July 20, 2010 

The American Angus Association Board of Directors recognizes “Fawn Calf Syndrome” as a genetic defect and formally adopts a policy governing registration of known and potential carriers, click here for more information or visit www.angus.org.

World-Renowned Temple Grandin To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award At NCBA Summer Conference

World-renowned cattle-care advocate Temple Grandin will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) upcoming Summer Conference in Denver, Colo. Grandin, living with autism, has affected every sector of the beef industry by revolutionizing livestock care and food production practices at the international level. She recently gained recognition as the subject of the Emmy-nominated HBO film, Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes.

Grandin’s work has transformed the design of cattle handling facilities worldwide. Fifty percent of the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. Grandin played an active role in the development of animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry, and serves as an animal-welfare consultant for international companies like McDonalds, Wendy’s International and Burger King.

Grandin has published several hundred industry publications, book chapters and technical papers on animal handling, plus 45 refereed journal articles in addition to seven books. She currently serves as a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University where she continues her research while teaching courses on livestock handling and facilitydesign. Her book Animals in Translation was a New York Times best seller.

The award ceremony will take place Saturday, July 31, during General Session II. For more information about NCBA’s Summer Conference, visit: www.beefusa.org.

— Release by NCBA.

Leader-follower Grazing Adds Extra Beef Gains; Plan Will be Described at MU FSRC Field Day, Aug. 3

Beef calves gained an extra half-pound a day when given first chance to graze the next forage paddock, says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri (MU) Extension forage specialist. The plan is called leader-follower grazing.

In three years of tests, calves that were turned into the next ungrazed paddock ahead of their mother cows gained 1.5 pounds (lb.) per head per day.

Weaned calves that grazed paddocks without their mothers helping clean up the paddocks gained only 1 lb. per day. Those calves had to clean up after themselves.

“Leader-follower grazing allows animals with the highest nutrient demand to have the best-quality forage,” Kallenbach said. “The system may sound complicated, but it is easy.”

In rotational grazing systems, grazing animals are always ready to move to the next paddock as they learn that better-quality feed awaits them. Kallenbach will describe the system on a beef tour at an Aug. 3 field day at the MU Forage Systems Research Center (FSRC) near Linneus in Linn County. Other forage management tips will be shared.

In the leader-follower plan, calves, getting first pick, will select the best-quality forage in the paddock. Whether it is the top of a grass blade or the tip of a clover plant, calves learn quality quickly, Kallenbach said. When calves are moved to the next paddock, their mothers are turned into the paddock they left.

“The cows clean up the leftovers,” Kallenbach said. “Most cows can get by on lower-quality forage and not lose weight. Calves on the high-quality forage just keep growing.”

For the system to work, calves must be weaned for a couple of weeks so they are ready to graze and not trying to go back with their mothers.

“The plan is based on the first-bite theory we teach at grazing school,” Kallenbach said. “Livestock learn to take the first bite from the top of a plant then move to the next plant for the next first bite off the top. When all first bites are gone, they go back over the paddock, taking the second bites on each plant.

“With the leader-follower system, the calves get all of the first bites, the most nutritious feed. Then the cows are turned in for the second and third bites. The system balances out, as the smaller animals have lower intake needs. The larger cows need more dry matter intake.”

The move to the next paddocks is not based on what the calves have eaten but on what the cows have eaten. When the cows have grazed the paddock down to a residue of 2.5 inches (in.), the calves are moved forward, Kallenbach said. The cows follow.

The system works well with fall-born calves that were not weaned in April but kept to graze the spring grass flush. The extra grazing adds value to the calves that can be kept on the farm and marketed later in the season. The system grows more pounds to sell.

In spring-calving herds, calves can be kept for an extra 45-day period after weaning in the autumn. They can graze quality stockpiled pastures.

Both systems add calf gains on the farm before sale time. “This fits in our program to convince feedlot owners that what happens on the farm before going to the feedlot makes a difference,” Kallenbach said.

The MU FSRC field day is free and open to the public. On-site field day registration starts at 8:30 a.m.

The state grazing school will be Sept. 14-16 at MU FSRC. Registration for that free workshop is now open.

For driving directions or grazing school details, see http://aes.missouri.edu/fsrc/.

— Release by MU Extension.

K-State Beef Conference to Focus on Value Optimization

Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension will host the 2010 K-State Beef Conference Aug. 12 with the theme “Value Optimization.”

Registration will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the program at 9 a.m. in the Frick Auditorium of Mosier Hall in K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine Complex in Manhattan. In addition to on-site participation, attendees can register to view the conference live at Pratt Community College, Butler Community College or the WaKeeney Public Library. More information and online registration is available at: www.asi.ksu.edu/beefconference or by calling Charlotte Bruna at 785-532-1280.

The program includes the following presentations and speakers:

• Welcome — Ken Odde, Department Head, K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry;
  

• Challenges facing the cow/calf industry — Sam Hands, Triangle H Cattle Co.;
  

• Characterizing change in the beef industry — Justin Waggoner, K-State SW area beef specialist;
  

• What are buyers looking for? Presentations and panel discussion — Moderator: Larry Hollis, K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry with panelists Mark Harmon, Joplin Regional Stockyards; Tom Brink, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding; and Paul Branch, Superior Livestock;
  

• Backgrounding systems — Presentations and panel discussion — Moderator: Dale Blasi, K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry with panelists Gene Holthaus, Holthaus Farms; Rich Porter, Porter Farms; and Kenny Knight, Knight Feedlot;
  

• Pasture lease rates — Kevin Dhuyvetter, K-State Department of Agricultural Economics;
  

• Wet distillers’ storage: no bags, no forage required — Justin Waggoner, K-State SW area beef systems specialist; and
  

• What have we learned today? — Greg Henderson, Drovers magazine.

The early registration fee of $60 per person or $100 for two from the same family, ranch or organization is due by July 30. The registration includes conference materials, a noon meal and refreshments.

The 2010 K-State Beef Conference is co-sponsored by K-State Research and Extension, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and Quality Liquid Feeds.

— Release by K-State Research and Extension.