News Update
April 28, 2014
Make Note of 2014 NJAS Deadlines
National Junior Angus Show ownership and entry deadline is May 15.
The National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) is the highlight of the year for many involved in the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA). This year, the event is being hosted in Indianapolis, Ind. “Angus in the Heartland — You gotta love it!” will take place July 6 -12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Pay special attention to deadlines, which have been moved forward on the calendar, to make sure documents are completed in a timely manner.
Thursday, May 15
- Ownership and entry deadline for the 2014 NJAS. Requirements and rules can be found online.
- NJAA writing, photography, creative writing and graphic design entries due.
- Entry and recipe deadline for the American Angus Auxiliary-sponsored All-American Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) Cook-Off.
Sunday, May 25
- Deadline to submit NJAA career development contest résumés and public speaking contest speech outlines. Complete contest information is also available online.
Sunday, June 1
- NJAA Board candidate applications due. Visit the NJAA website to learn more about Board member responsibilities.
- Entry deadline for state delegate names for NJAA elections.
- Deadline to submit names for the NJAS showmanship contest.
Visit the www.angus.org/njaa for more information and deadlines. Junior members can save time by submitting their entries online. Please note there are no exceptions to any of the ownership and entry deadlines.
Stockgrowers Question Park Service for Cancelling Public Meetings on Proposed Buffalo Expansion
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association was angered Thursday, April 24, to learn that officials at Badlands National Park had cancelled nine of 10 public meetings this week with little or no notice to the impacted public.
Bob Fortune, president of the Stockgrowers from Belvidere, made the following statement in response to the cancelled meetings.
“The only plausible explanation for cancelling nine public scoping and input sessions scheduled throughout the communities affected by the buffalo expansion is that the Park Service does not believe this to be a viable management plan for these lands.
“This proposal to introduce buffalo in the south unit of the Badlands National Park is going to displace people from their private land and destroy the livelihood of several family ranches. We have been told repeatedly by Park Service staff that attending these meetings was our opportunity to provide input on the Park Services proposal.
“Whether the Park Service is unable, or just unwilling, to defend their proposal to the public, the decision to cancel these public meetings is unacceptable. South Dakota Stockgrowers Association has no confidence that this scoping process is being done with the integrity that should be given to a decision with such serious impacts to the lives and livelihoods of ranchers and tribal members.”
The reintroduction of buffalo to the south unit of the Badlands National Park is one of three pieces that are currently moving forward to impact the 133,000 acres of grazing land. The proposal from the park would allow buffalo to graze on the acres being vacated by ranchers who received eviction notices from the Pine Ridge tribal authorities. The creation of a tribal national park would require congressional action through legislation that has been drafted for circulation in Washington, D.C., but is not available to the public.
K-State Cattle Feeders College Planned for May 22 in Sublette
Taking the information right to the people who do the work — that’s one way to describe the agenda for the Kansas State University (K-State) Cattle Feeders College planned for Thursday, May 22. The event, designed for anyone working in the cattle feeding industry, will be hosted at the Haskell County Commercial Building, 600 S. Fairground Rd. in Sublette, Kan.
The event kicks off with registration at 5 p.m. and a sponsored dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by the presentation of the “Top Hand” Cattle Feeding Industry Employee awards.
“We designed Cattle Feeders College to bring continuing education right to the employees who keep our beef industry operating,” said Justin Waggoner, beef systems specialist with K-State Research and Extension.
The evening includes the Industry Perspective session, which this year is “Managing of High Risk Cattle: Thinking Outside the Shots!” by Dan Thomson, Jones professor of production medicine, K-State College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Cattle Crew session will cover “Building a Better Stock Horse and Cattle Handling” (live demonstration) by Scott Bagley of Bagley Performance Horses, Dimmitt, Texas.
The Mill and Maintenance Crew session will feature “Feed Mixer Technology” by Mark Cooksey with Roto-Mix LLC in Dodge City, Kan., and “Truck Service and Maintenance” by Mark Holderness with Dodge City International, also in Dodge City.
There is no cost for dinner or to attend the event, thanks to sponsors Merck Animal Health, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Animal Health International, Roto-Mix, Dodge City International and the K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. However, preregistration is required by contacting Justin Waggoner at 620-275-9164 or jwaggon@ksu.edu or Lacey Noterman at 620-675-2261 or lnote@ksu.edu. More information is available online at www.southwest.ksu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
United States Cattle on Feed Down 1%
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.9 million head on April 1, 2014. The inventory was 1% below April 1, 2013. The inventory included 7.07 million steers and steer calves, up 2% from the previous year. This group accounted for 65% of the total inventory.
Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.71 million head, down 6% from 2013.
Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.80 million, 5% below 2013. Net placements were 1.73 million head. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds (lb.) were 425,000; 600-699 lb. were 290,000; 700-799 lb. were 465,000; and 800 lb. and greater were 615,000. Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 1.66 million, 4% below 2013. Marketings for March are the lowest since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 65,000 during March, 20% below 2013.
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