News Update
Jan. 13, 2011

Angus Activities Continue at National Western Stock Show

Today’s Angus events at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) included the Angus Junior Show that started at 8 a.m. The American Angus Association is posting results of the shows at www.angus.org/showresults.

Angus producers are also encouraged to stop by the Association’s Listening Post in the Yards. Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) staff members will be there to discuss Association programs or the cattle industry.

Some highlights from yesterday as posted on the American Angus Association Facebook page:

• In the National Western Angus Bull Sale Show, Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla., won grand champion with Lot 25. Spruce Mountain Ranch, Larkspur, Colo., won reserve grand champion with Lot 28. During the sale, 27 bulls grossed $186,750 to average $6,917. At $25,000, the high-selling bull was Lot 25, EXAR Pro V One 9962B, purchased by Olson Cattle Co., Hereford, Texas. At $16,500, the second-high-selling bull was Lot 13, EXAR Combo 0503B, purchased by Stine Angus Ranch, Cherokee, Okla.
• Curtis and Ann Long of Briarwood Angus Farm, Butler, Mo., purchased the Foundation Angus Heifer Package for $50,000.
• In the ROV bull show, grand champion honors went to DAJS Shockwave 612, owned by
• Jennifer Ewing and Matthew Ewing, both of Rushville, Ill.; and Katy Satree, Montague, Texas. Reserve grand honors went to Lazy JB Top Shelf 9000, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm Inc., West Grove, Pa.; and Britney Creamer, Montrose, Co.

Manage Cattle in Cold Weather This Winter

Bitter cold temperatures and extremes in wind chills likely will continue this winter in the High Plains and upper Midwest regions of the U.S. These conditions are particularly stressful for groups of cattle that have not adequately acclimated to such conditions, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) beef specialist said.

The most susceptible animals are newborn calves in cow-calf operations and new cattle arriving in feedlots, said Terry Mader, UNL beef cattle specialist at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord. Cattle that lack body condition for insulation also may be at risk from cold weather.

“Most cattle can easily handle cold weather conditions if they are dry and maintain dry hair coats, even if temperatures are sub-zero,” Mader said. “The most adverse conditions occur around freezing (32°) when cattle get wet and the pens turn sloppy and muddy. The presence of moisture or mud on the animal draws heat from the animal’s body at a much faster rate than when the animal is drier in extreme cold temperatures.”

One plus for cattle producers and feeders, Mader said, is that since cold temperatures and some snow have been around for several weeks, most cattle are generally already acclimated to current conditions.

Mader said the ideal wintertime temperatures for feedlot cattle are around 20°. At these temperatures, the snowfall that does occur is normally drier and will blow off the animal. Feedlot surfaces also remain firm and allow cattle easier access to feedbunks.

“Most cattle by this time in the winter have developed their winter coats and are able to withstand wind chills well below zero,” Mader said.

Healthy, dry, well-conditioned and well-fed cattle can handle wind chills of 40° F below zero, but tissue damage may start to occur when wind chills drop to around 60°below zero.

There are a number of things that can be done in feedyards and other cattle holding areas both before and after major weather events.

Mader recommends that managers smooth or knock down rough frozen pen surfaces with a blade or harrow. Sharp edges that form when cattle tracks freeze can cause bruising of the feet which can lead to foot injury.

“When pen surfaces are rough, cattle don't make their way to feed or water often enough which can cause decreased performance,” he said.

Bedding such as wheat straw, corn cobs, or cornstalks also can be used to help insulate cattle from the cold ground during severe cold outbreaks.

Mader said these are better for bedding than hay-like materials because they are less palatable. Cattle will be less likely to eat the bedding and more likely to stay on the ration provided in the bunks. In feedyards, apply bedding after feeding to minimize bedding consumption.

Accumulation of snow in the pens can cause cattle bunching or piling on, which can lead to increased death losses. Therefore, when heavy snowfall or drifting snow does occur, Mader recommends removing the snow from the pens before the next storm arrives.

It is important to keep feedlot animals from going off feed during even the worst of weather conditions, Mader said. Erratic feed intake can result in digestive problems and loss of performance, possibly even death in severe cases.

Cattle that are within 30 to 45 days of slaughter are particularly prone to go off feed and can be difficult to get back on feed. Moving cattle to a higher roughage storm ration may be advisable to keep the cattle on feed, even though UNL studies have shown that more energy in the form of grain is needed to maintain performance.

Depending on shelter provided, it may be better to sacrifice a little performance initially to prevent the entire pen from going off feed.

Finally, current feed costs suggest that it is cheaper to keep an animal dry, through good maintenance of pens and use of bedding, vs. trying to feed the animal extra feed that will be required for maintenance if the animal has a wet or partial wet hair coat.

For more information concerning proper care for cattle, contact Mader at 402-584-3812.

— Release by UNL Extension.

Estrus Synchronization Planner Now Available to Beef Producers at No Charge

Thanks to financial support from a multistate Extension group, beef producers are now able to get the Bovine Estrus Synchronization Planner at no charge. Garland Dahlke of the Iowa Beef Center (IBC) at Iowa State University (ISU) said the Beef Reproduction Task Force decided that providing the spreadsheet tool for free was a good way to share expertise with producers and be better able to offer assistance and updates. Access and additional information are available through the IBC website.

“We know that this is a popular tool among producers and we want them to have the most up-to-date breeding and scheduling information,” Dahlke said. “In addition to the most current version, we also provide a wealth of supporting documents so people can get the most from the product. We at IBC appreciate being asked to host this data and spreadsheet access and look forward to working with producers everywhere.”

The Beef Reproduction Task Force comprises Extension beef and other specialists from eight universities: ISU, Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, South Dakota State University, University of Missouri, University of Illinois and University of Florida. The group’s objectives include improving understanding of physiological processes of the estrous cycle, procedures available to synchronize estrus and proper application of these systems. The Estrus Synchronization Planner is one result of this collaboration designed specifically for use by cattle producers.

“Those who’d like to download the planner are asked to register with their name, address and e-mail address,” Dahlke said. “This is primarily for us to be able to provide updates to those we know are using this tool. Your information will not be shared outside the task force and is not available for other purposes by anyone else.”

To learn more about the Estrus Synchronization Planner and to register for access to the spreadsheet itself, visit the IBC website at www.iowabeefcenter.org/estrus_synch.html.

IBC was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from ISU Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org or check out the IBC blog at http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/iowabeef/.

— Release by ISU Extension.

USDA To Publish Proposed Rule on New Nutrition Requirements for School Breakfast and Lunch Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will publish a proposed rule today, Jan. 13, in the Federal Register that revises meal patterns and nutritional requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in an effort to align them with the 2005 “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” as required by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

The proposed changes are based on recommendations from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine in the report “School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children.”

This proposed rule would increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals and reduce the levels of sodium (less than 1,500 mg per day) and saturated fat (less than 7% of total calories) in meals.

Written comments will be considered for 90 days after publication and may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov/ or by mail to Julie Brewer, Chief, Policy and Program Development Branch, Child Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 640, Alexandria, VA 22302-1594.

To view the proposed rule, click here: .www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-00485_PI.pdf.

— Release by the American Meat Institute (AMI).

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