News Update
July 19, 2013
NJAS Teaches Youth Carcass Value
Hundreds of quality Angus cattle made the trip to Kansas City, Mo., for this year’s National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), but the steers entered in the carcass contest never made the trip into the showring. The contest, sponsored by Briarwood Angus Farms, is geared toward giving juniors a chance to analyze the animals’ carcass data after processing and learn about the end product of the industry — beef.
National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members weighed their steers and sent them to an area processing plant. The animals were ranked according to carcass merit, and the top steers were announced as part of the NJAS award ceremony July 10 at the American Royal Complex.
“As with all of our NJAA contests, the educational value for our Angus youth participating in the NJAS Carcass Steer Contest is immeasurable,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “The harvest data collected from their steer’s carcass helps them gain a better understanding of the quality and economic value of the end product they’ve produced from the labor, time and money they invested in feeding the animal. This is absolutely invaluable as a teaching tool for Angus youth and the generous financial support from Briarwood Angus has helped make this educational experience for these Angus youth possible and rewarding.”
For more information, please view the full release here, or watch for full NJAS coverage in the September issue of the Angus Journal.
The August Angus Journal is posted online
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Confirmed Cattle Deaths Due to Blackleg
A bacterial infection that often occurs during drought has claimed cattle in herds in Lonoke and Sebastian counties, Tom Troxel, associate head of animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said July 18.
Deaths were confirmed by the diagnostic lab of the state Livestock and Poultry Commission, he said. The disease is caused by Clostridium chauvoei “and is easily and inexpensively prevented by a vaccine,” Troxel said.
Blackleg typically appears during times of drought.
“With the dry conditions and the short supplies of forages, cattle are grazing closer to the ground,” he said. “When this occurs, it is common for cattle to ingest small soil particles that may contain the blackleg bacterium.”
Blackleg usually affects young cattle between 6 months and 2 years of age, but it’s not unusual for adult cattle to die from the infection.
“The bacteria can cause severe lameness, depression and fever, but the most common symptom is sudden death,” Troxel said. “Other outbreaks of blackleg have occurred following excavation of the soil, which suggests that disturbances in the soil may expose and activate blackleg bacterium.”
The vaccine to prevent blackleg costs about 70¢ to 80¢ per dose.
“If you compare the cost of the vaccination to the value of a calf — $650 to $750 — it makes perfect sense to vaccinate all calves,” he said. “The loss of one calf valued at $700 would pay for 1,000 does of blackleg vaccine.”
As with any medication, it is very important to read and follow the label directions. Some blackleg vaccinations required two vaccinations 4 to 6 weeks apart. If the label states a second vaccination is required, the second vaccination must be given in order for the calf to be protected. If the second vaccination is not given, the calf is not protected against blackleg and is susceptible to the disease.
NFU President Discusses International Food Aid Reform
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson participated in a panel discussion about proposed reforms to the U.S. international food aid system. The panel, entitled “Proposed Reforms to U.S. Food Aid: Framing the Debate,” was hosted by FoodPolicy.us.
“At the time when food aid was enacted, we had a large oversupply of grain and accompanying low market prices,” said Johnson. “The government was purchasing or receiving and physically holding significant stocks, and aid had a dual purpose of getting rid of these stocks and helping vulnerable people around the world. Today the government does not own grain stocks. Our food system has changed drastically in the past 50 years; naturally, our system of international aid must evolve as well.”
The president’s fiscal year 2014 budget proposed a variety of reforms in the area of food aid. Overall, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates the proposed reforms would create an estimated $155-215 million in annual gross efficiency savings and $105-$165 million in net efficiency savings, allowing the agency to serve an additional two to four million people in need each year. The reforms propose to require at least 55% of emergency food assistance continue to be in the form of U.S. commodities, and up to 45% may be acquired through local and regional purchasing.
“Ultimately, if we truly want to end global food insecurity, we must consider what is going to best serve local farmers, local economies, and hungry people,” said Johnson.
NFU President Participates in Fly-in, Promotes RFS
NFU President Roger Johnson participated in a fly-in earlier this week through NFU’s membership in the Fuels America coalition. The group gathered to discuss the so-called blend wall, E15 and progress on the cellulosic ethanol front. The event was hosted by Fuels America, in cooperation with Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., and Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, as part of a series of educational briefings on what’s really happening with the renewable fuel standard (RFS).
“The RFS must be maintained to provide for a stable policy environment for the development of the next generation of biofuels,” said Johnson.
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ensures that choices at the pump are available to Americans. With the RFS opening up the fuel market to new fuel sources, the renewable fuel industry has been able to deliver economic, national security and environmental benefits.
“American farmers and rural communities will continue to benefit from the expansion of the industry with new markets for farmers and the creation of good-paying jobs,” said Johnson.
Protein Supplementation for Late Spring Calving Cows
Hot temperatures and very little moisture appear to be in the forecast for most of the Nebraska Panhandle for the remainder of the summer. The drought of 2012 and reduced precipitation in 2013 have resulted in very little growth in the native warm-season grasses in these pastures.
Blue grama and buffalograss are two of the warm-season staples of the Panhandle. Unfortunately, they tend to also be shallow-rooted, and with limited water availability, they will have significantly reduced forage growth. The native cool-season grasses such as western wheat and needleandthread, as well as introduced species such as crested wheatgrass are now mature and will not contribute much to forage quality from now through the summer.
Research near Sidney, Neb., has indicated pastures containing predominantly crested wheatgrass with some blue grama and buffalograss were as low as 45% TDN (total digestible nutrients) and 5% crude protein in August in previous years. For producers who calve in late April through early June, this may create a problem for the breeding season. The decreasing plane of nutrition from forage available combined with the demands of lactation and growth on young cows and heifers may cause a decrease in conception rates.
Research has shown that adequate nutrition is especially important for heifers and young cows just prior to and during the breeding season to achieve acceptable pregnancy rates. Protein supplementation just prior to and during the breeding season when forage quality is low has resulted in increased pregnancy rates for these classes of cattle. As little as 1-2.5 pounds of 27% protein cubes may be all that is necessary to significantly improve conception rates.
Rick Funston at the West Central Research and Extension Center has presented a webinar that is available at beef.unl.edu titled “Cost Effective Replacement Heifer Development” that shares highlights of the benefits of strategic supplementation.
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