News Update
April 20, 2011

The $ Connection Between Cattle Health and Breed

There is a big dollar difference between cattle that stay healthy and those that don’t. In this report from Certified Angus Beef LLC and the American Angus Association, Larry Corah of Certified Angus Beef discusses the cost, using data from the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF). Click here to watch a video news release by Certified Angus Beef LLC and the American Angus Association.

The April Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA is out

The April Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA was emailed yesterday. If you signed up for the EXTRA, but didn’t receive the email, you may need to add bulletinextra@angus.org and bulletinextra@angusbeefbulletin.com to your safe sender list. Follow this link to get to the April edition: http://bit.ly/fWep7g.

If you aren’t signed up to receive the EXTRA, we hope you’ll follow the link and sign up using the sign-up area in the right-hand column of the Front Page.

Make Stockers Better

Good stocker operators think about how to make their cattle better for the next segment in the beef business. Many of them gathered at the “Backgrounding for Quality” field day near Hamilton, Kan., last month to learn more about what feeders want and how to get there.

Jerry Bohn, general manager of Pratt (Kan.) Feeders, shared his experience with the group.

“If you want a premium price, you must have premium cattle. Make them better,” he said. “If you have a story to tell a buyer, you’ll be in good shape.”

Any story must be backed by facts, of course.

“That helps us help them,” Bohn said. “We need to know if they are nutrient-sufficient before we create a feeding program.”

Pfizer veterinarian Mitch Blanding said past feeding level and health programs go hand in hand. “We often overlook the role nutrition plays in prevention,” he said. “We can have everything else in place for health, but if you neglect nutrition, it doesn’t matter what else you do.”

The educational program was presented at the Collinge Ranch, and stocker operator Mike Collinge shared his strategy.

“We like to move them through the system as often as possible,” he said. “I really believe how we handle them here will affect how they perform after we gather them off grass. Feedback from the feedyards says this system pays off big time.”

Besides that proactive health stance, the ranch crew is simply around and observing the cattle often.

Bohn confirmed that program has long-term benefits down the line. “One important thing to us is, how easy are these cattle to handle? Are they used to people and horses and feed trucks? How they are handled at a place like Mike’s here has a huge impact on disposition, and disposition is also very important to us.

“We like it when we don’t have to worry about one jumping the chute when we work them or one of my guys getting run over by an ornery one in the pen,” he said. “But most importantly, calm cattle feed better; and they perform better in the packing plant.”

Most of the cattle fed at the Pratt yard are marketed on a value-based grid, and Bohn pointed out that avoiding discounts is the key to making money in such a system.

“You don’t have as many dark cutters with calm cattle, and that’s a big discount we want to avoid,” he said.

The only way to know if your ranch practices are beneficial to the feedyard is to ask.

“The surest way to get carcass data back is to own them through the feeding phase,” Bohn said, but it’s not the only way. He suggests talking to the feeder up front to see if they’re willing to give you performance and carcass data feedback.

“The information-sharing business is getting better,” he said. “Sharing is good for everyone involved.”

The field day was sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Pratt Feeders. For more information, search “Backgrounding for Quality” on the Black Ink Blog at www.blackinkwithcab.com.

— Release by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) .

Broadband Investments To Spur Job Creation and Economic Opportunity

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 20 support for telecommunications projects in seven states to improve broadband service to rural residents and businesses.

“Investment in broadband technology will create jobs across the country and expand opportunities for millions of Americans. Broadband provides the opportunity for rural Americans to receive improved educational services, health care, and public safety. These USDA broadband loans provide rural communities the level of financial assistance required to make them full partners in the digital age and keep them competitive on a local, national and global level,” said Vilsack.

Jonathan Adelstein, the administrator of USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service, made the announcement on Vilsack’s behalf. He spoke in Denver at a workshop on ways to bring broadband to unserved or underserved rural areas.

In all, USDA is announcing almost $40 million in loans for projects in seven states. The telephone companies and cooperatives that have been selected to receive the financing will construct more than 1,000 miles of Fiber-To-The-Premises (FTTP) systems. Funding for each project is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan agreement. A complete list of utilities that were selected for funding is below:

Georgia
Pembroke Telephone Co. Inc.; $11,954,000

Illinois
Alhambra-Grantfork Telephone Co.; $8,775,000
Woodhull Telephone Co.; $3,403,000
Oneida Telephone Co.; $2,619,000

Iowa
Minburn Telephone Co.; $2,921,000

Kansas
Zenda Telephone Co. Inc.; $2,950,000

North Dakota/Montana
Reservation Telephone Cooperative; $2,293,000

Oklahoma
Medicine Park Telephone Co.; $4,236,000

Visit www.rurdev.usda.gov for additional information about the agency’s programs or to locate the USDA Rural Development office nearest you.

— Release by USDA.

FSIS Announces Final Rule for Interstate Shipment of State-inspected Meat and Poultry Products

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a final rule that will broaden the market for smaller state-inspected plants. By participating in this voluntary cooperative interstate shipment program, select establishments will have the option to ship meat and poultry products bearing an official USDA mark of inspection across state lines.

“We’re excited to announce this new rule that offers smaller plants the opportunity to expand their market and sell their products to new customers,” said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. “Allowing these state-inspected establishments to ship their products across state lines has the potential to expand rural development and jobs, increase local tax bases, strengthen rural communities, and ensure that food is safe for consumers.”

In participating states, state-inspected establishments selected to take part in this program will be required to comply with all federal standards under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). These establishments will receive inspection services from state inspection personnel that have been trained in the requirements of the FMIA and PPIA.

To view the final rule, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Interim_&_Final_Rules/index.asp or visit the Federal Register online at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/. 

— Release by USDA.

Governor to Proclaim Environmental Stewardship Day at Earth Day Signing

In celebration of Earth Day April 22, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead will proclaim June 21, 2011, as Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day.

Each year, Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day marks the date of the Environmental Stewardship Tour hosted by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA). The annual tour features a ranching family whose natural resource stewardship practices contribute to the environment and enhance productivity and profitability. This family is also awarded the $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award, which will be presented at the WSGA’s Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show in June in Laramie, Wyo. The Leopold Conservation Award in Wyoming is presented by the Sand County Foundation (SCF) and its partners, WSGA, Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. and Peabody Energy.

The 2011 recipients of the Leopold Conservation Award are Ryan and Teresa Fieldgrove of Buffalo. “We believe it is important to honor Wyoming families like the Fieldgroves who are committed to living as responsible stewards of the land,” said Jim Magagna, executive vice president, WSGA. “Earth Day is a time to remind the public that ranchers are the true stewards of Wyoming’s natural resources.”

The Leopold Conservation Award in Wyoming is made possible through the support of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Farm Credit.

For more information or to attend the Environmental Stewardship Tour June 21 on Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day, please call WGSA at 307-638-3942 and speak with Kosha Olsen.

— Release by WSGA.

Spencer Joins WSU in Baxter Chair Position, Aims to Beef Up Reproductive Science

Tom Spencer has joined the Washington State University (WSU) Department of Animal Sciences as the new Baxter Professor of Beef Research. A nationally and internationally recognized leader and researcher in the field of reproductive biology, Spencer has repeatedly demonstrated a strong ability to advance the fundamental sciences in uterine biology and pregnancy and apply those findings to relevant applications that advance the reproductive efficiency of livestock.

“I am honored and excited to join the Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology at WSU, and eager to work with WSU scientists and the Pacific Northwest livestock industry to solve relevant problems that impact livestock production enterprises as well as human health,” Spencer said.

The long-term goal of Spencer’s research program is to discover and understand key hormonal, cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating development and function of the uterus and placenta. Fundamental knowledge gained from the pursuit of this goal will advance understanding of basic uterine biology and pregnancy, as well as provide the basis for rational design of therapies aimed at the prevention and treatment of infertility and pregnancy loss in domestic animals and humans.

— Release by WSU CAHNRS MNEC.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.