News Update
March 30, 2012
New Calves and Green Grass: That's Not All Spring is About
Cattle producers look forward to spring with the arrival of a new calf crop, warmer temperatures, green grass and making plans for starting the cycle all over again. Part of that planning is getting the cow herd ready for the breeding season. According to Joe Campbell, professional services veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI), prebreeding preparations, including vaccination with products like Express FP and TrichGuard, are critical to getting the best performance from the cow herd.
Disease risk not only affects the dam, but also the developing fetus, says Campbell. "Proper vaccination of the cow prebreeding maximizes the level of immunity of the cow and her soon-to-be-developing fetus better than any other time in the cycle."
For replacement heifers, initial vaccinations need to start six to eight weeks prior to the start of breeding, with a dose that covers modified-live virals, leptospirosis, campylobacter (vibrio) and trichomoniasis. Boosters, when needed, can be given two to four weeks later, which would be approximately 30 days prior to breeding.
If the cow herd is already on a modified-live viral vaccination program, then cows should be vaccinated approximately 30 days prior to breeding. If a producer is beginning a vaccination program for the first time in a cow herd, he or she should follow the same protocol as for the heifers, with initial vaccinations six to eight weeks prior to the breeding season, followed by a booster two to four weeks later.
When you are considering which vaccines to incorporate into your prebreeding protocol, Campbell recommends using both TrichGuard, the only vaccine available to reduce the damaging effects of trichomoniasis, and the Express FP family of vaccines. The expanded Express FP labels being introduced this spring offer 12-month duration-of-immunity against persistently infected (PI) calves caused by BVD Types 1 and 2 and against disease caused by BVD, as well as a 12 month duration-of-immunity against abortion due to IBR virus.
"Taking the time to put together a good health program and putting it into practice at the right time can result in greater returns and protect your investment of both time and money," Campbell concludes.
To learn more about the BIVI approach to cattle health, visit the company's "Prevention Works" website.
New Nutrition Labels on Meat and Poultry Make Decisions Easier
On March 1, a new rule of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) took effect requiring nutrition labeling on major cuts of raw meat and poultry products.
"The labels will make it easier to make decisions about what types of meat and poultry to purchase," said Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri (MU) Extension.
The new nutrition facts label lists total calories, calories from fat, total grams of fat and grams of saturated fat. The labels also provide information about protein, sodium, cholesterol and some vitamin and mineral information.
Previously, the label on a package of ground beef would list the percentage of fat present in the beef, but that wouldn't tell you how much fat or total calories per serving.
"For example, you know that 90% lean ground beef has less fat than 80% lean, but there is no way of knowing exactly what that means from a nutritional standpoint," Roberts said.
The new labels tell you how many calories you are getting from a 4-oz. serving of the product.
For example, one serving of 90% lean ground beef contains 200 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 22 grams of protein.
By contrast, the 80% lean hamburger provides 280 calories, 22 grams of total fat, 9 grams of saturated fat and 19 grams of protein.
"When you have this type of information, it makes it easier to understand why there is a price difference, and it makes it much easier to make a decision based on nutritional value," Roberts said.
The average American should consume around 2,000 calories per day. Roughly 55%-60% of the calories should come from carbohydrates, 30% from fat and 10%-15% from protein, she said. This comes out to 67 grams of total fat, and no more than 16 of those grams of fat should be saturated. Protein should be around 50-75 grams per day.
"The new labels on meat arm the consumer with one more tool to make the best decisions for their health," Roberts said. "I think there are many people, especially those with certain health conditions, who will greatly benefit."
For more food and nutrition information from MU Extension, including features, answers to frequently asked questions and learning opportunities, go to www.missourifamilies.org/nutrition/.
Farm Banks Increased Ag Loans, Added Jobs in 2011
The banking industry continues to be the major source of agricultural credit, providing more than half of all outstanding farm loans, according to the American Bankers Association (ABA) annual Farm Bank Performance Report. The nation's 2,185 farm banks increased farm and ranch lending $3.8 billion or 5.6% in 2011, for a total outstanding balance of $72.3 billion.
"The growth in farm loans shows banks continue to meet the credit needs of both large and small farms and remain the most important supplier of agricultural credit," said John Blanchfield, senior vice president and director of ABA's Center for Agricultural & Rural Banking.
Farm banks added 6,327 jobs in rural America since 2007, a 7.8% increase, and employed a total of 86,984 men and women at the end of 2011.
"Farm banks posted solid performance in 2011, reflecting the overall strength of the agricultural economy," said Blanchfield. Pre-tax income rose 25.3%, the second consecutive annual increase, while equity capital increased 10.9% to $40.4 billion and asset quality continued to improve.
"As vital, tax-paying members of their communities, farm banks continue to provide opportunities for rural Americans to finance farms, ranches, businesses and homes, while adding jobs and supporting the agricultural economy," Blanchfield said.
New this year, the Farm Bank Performance Report now provides regional summaries:
- The Northeast region (264 banks) increased farm loans 6.5% and employment by 2%.
- The South region (585 banks) reported improved profitability and employed more than 22,000 men and women.
- The Cornbelt region (641 banks) increased farm loans by 6.6% and employment by 2.9%.
- The Plains region (491 banks) increased return on equity by 50 basis points and employed more than 20,000 men and women.
- The West region (196 banks) noted a 2.2% increase in jobs along with improved capital and profitability.
Read the 2011 Farm Bank Performance Report at http://www.aba.com/aba/documents/
communications/FarmBankReport2011.pdf.
Watch a video summary of the report by John Blanchfield on ABA's YouTube channel or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Anl03UEn_Q.
"Farm banks" are defined by ABA as FDIC-insured banks whose ratio of domestic farm loans to total domestic loans is greater than or equal to 14.61% in 2011. While previous reports were limited to banks under $1 billion in assets, institutions over this threshold are now included as they are important providers of credit to farmers and ranchers and are growing in number.
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