News Update

August 26, 2014

Consign bulls to the NWSS Bull Sale

The American Angus Association is now accepting consignments for the 2015 National Western Angus Bull Sale at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo. The sale is set for Wednesday, Jan. 14, and producers can save $50 by acting now.

Consignments received on or before Sept. 15 are $400 per head. From Sept. 16 through the Oct. 1 entry deadline, the fee is $450 per head. All consignments must have Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR^®) performance information to be eligible.

All bulls born before Jan. 1, 2014, must have passed a complete breeding soundness examination (sometimes referred to as a BSE), including both physical and semen, within 30 days of the sale.

The official AHIR adjusted yearling weight EPD (if applicable) must meet the breed average for nonparent sires.

For more information, please contact David Gazda, sale manager, at 706-296-7846. For entry forms or questions please contact Ashley Mitchell in the Events and Education Department at 816-383-5149 or amitchell@angus.org.

— Adapted from a release by Carrie Heitman, Angus Media Center.

Peterson Announces New Agriculture Committee Staff

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson announced Aug. 25 that Matt MacKenzie, Evan Jurkovich and Mike Stranz have joined the House Agriculture Committee Minority staff.

“A knowledgeable, experienced staff is important to the work we do on the House Agriculture Committee,” Peterson said. “These new hires will allow us to keep a close eye on USDA’s implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, address regulatory concerns impacting our farmers and ranchers and continue the committee’s work to reauthorize the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission). I welcome Matt, Evan and Mike to the committee.”

Matt MacKenzie, Counsel: MacKenzie joins the committee from the office of Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, where he worked as counsel, focusing on financial services, budget and tax issues. He also served as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn.

Evan Jurkovich, Professional Staff: Jurkovich comes to the committee from the office of Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, where he most recently served as senior policy advisor on issues including energy, environment, agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, science/technology, small business, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), animal welfare and telecommunications.

Mike Stranz, Professional Staff: Stranz joins the committee from National Farmers Union, where he served as a senior government relations representative, developing strategies to implement the organization’s policies on a broad portfolio of agriculture issues. Stranz served a similar role at Wisconsin Farmers Union.

— Adapted from a release by the House Agriculture Committee Democrats.

Reducing the Risk of Calf Scours in Fall-Calving Herds

Fall calving in the Southern Plains has several advantages. One of the least-discussed advantages to fall-calving is the reduction of risk to an outbreak of scours.

Neonatal calf diarrhea (commonly called “calf scours”) is one of the most costly disease entities in the beef cattle business. Fall-calving herds have the help of the hot, late summer sunshine to reduce the buildup and spread of the pathogens that cause calf diarrhea. However, whether you have spring or fall-calving cows (or both), there are some key management procedures that will reduce the likelihood of a scours outbreak in your calves. These procedures are meant to decrease the pathogen exposure to the newborn calf.

1) Calve in clean and dry areas.
2) Calve heifers earlier than the cow herd.
3) Avoid congregating:
1. a) Avoid hay feeding in calving pastures by setting aside pastures during the summer to stockpile forage for utilization during calving time.
2. b) Move pairs to larger pastures promptly.
3. c) If hay is fed, use hay feeders and move feeders frequently.
4) Use biosecurity and biocontainment measures for all herd additions:
1. a) Isolate, quarantine and perform appropriate tests on all herd additions.
2. b) Introduce pregnant herd additions at least 30 days prior to the start of calving season. This will allow time for exposure to new pathogens, antibody development and secretion of antibodies into the colostrum.
3. c) Do not add calves to the herd until the youngest calf in the herd is more than 30 days of age. Buying a calf at a livestock auction or from a dairy for a cow that has lost a calf can introduce diseases that your herd may not have immunity against.
5) Isolation and treatment:
1. a) Remove sick calves from the herd immediately. One sick calf can produce overwhelming pathogen exposure by shedding as many as 100 million bacteria or viruses per milliliter of feces (500 million bacteria and/or viruses per teaspoon of feces).
2. b) Visit with your local large animal veterinarian to determine the best treatment options for the pathogens affecting your calves.
3. c) Treating the sick calves should occur after handling the well calves. Clean and disinfect all equipment. Clothing, boots, gloves, etc. worn while treating sick calves should not be worn when handling well calves.

— Adapted from a release by Glen Selk, Oklahoma State University.

Tyson Foods Sponsors College Aggies
Online Scholarship Competition for Second Straight Year

For the second year, the Animal Agriculture Alliance is pleased to welcome Tyson Foods Inc. as a sponsor of its annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. CAO, an agriculture outreach and education scholarship competition, will launch Sept. 8, 2014, for the sixth year.

“The entire Tyson Foods team added so much vivacity, expertise and positivity to the College Aggies Program,” said Alliance Vice President Emily Meredith. “From donating a truckload of protein to the club — Montana State University Collegiate Stockgrowers — that collected the most food during the ‘Give Back’ challenge, to hosting the winners at their Arkansas headquarters, to interacting with the participants on Twitter; the Tyson team does it all and we’re grateful for the contributions they’ve made to this program.”

The CAO program, which began in 2009, is designed to enable college students with an interest in agriculture to become confident, proactive and creative communicators using social media tools.

For more information, please view the full release here..

— Adapted from a release by Emily Meredith, Animal Agriculture Alliance.

Eng Symposium to Explore Innovative Practices
in Cow-calf Systems

Exploring expansion of cattle herds will be discussed at the 2014 Kenneth and Caroline McDonald Eng Foundation Symposium, scheduled Sept. 18-19 at the Embassy Suites Riverwalk, 125 E. Houston St. in San Antonio, Texas.

“Innovative Intensification in Cow-calf Systems” is the second annual symposium to be sponsored by the Eng Foundation. Texas A&M University will host the event, which includes participation by researchers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) and Oklahoma State University (OSU).

The Kenneth & Caroline McDonald Eng Foundation was established in memory and as a legacy to Caroline who loved life, cattle and cattle people, and as an avenue to help future scholars while enhancing beef cattle research.

The symposium will feature current research that explores how cattle producers can meet industry challenges and opportunities.

“Expansion of the cow herd is crucial to the long-term sustainability of beef production in the United States,” said Tryon Wickersham, Texas A&M University associate professor of animal nutrition in the department of animal science and one of several speakers. Wickersham will present “Managing Energy Requirements in Confined Cows.”

AgriLife Extension Sets Central Texas Cow-calf Clinic
Sept. 17 in Lampasas

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the multi-county Central Texas Cow-calf Clinic Sept. 17 at the Lampasas County Farm Bureau building, 1793 N. U.S. Highway 281 in Lampasas, Texas.

The program is a combined effort of the AgriLife Extension staffs in Lampasas, Burnet and Llano counties, said Heath Lusty, AgriLife Extension agent in Lampasas County.

The day opens with registration from 8:30-9 a.m. and will conclude with a hamburger lunch at 12:30 p.m.

The first presentation is set for 9 a.m. and features “Ranch Security-Protecting Your Property and Cows,” by Marvin Wills, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) ranger, Gatesville.

“We’ll also have Dr. Pete Fincher, Texas Animal Health Commission Region 6 director, Lampasas, speaking on the current vesicular stomatitis situation in horses and cattle, especially since cases have been found in neighboring Williamson County recently. He will also touch on any other livestock-related health concerns or regulations producers in our area need to be aware of,” said Lusty.

Lusty said the remaining program talks will include “Seedstock Update for the Commercial Cattleman,” by Parker Friedrich from Stephenville, American Breeders Service beef technical specialist and owner of Friedrich Angus Marketing and Consulting, and “Central Texas Weather Outlook” by Bob Rose, Lower Colorado River Authority meteorologist, Austin.

Individual preregistration is $20 by Sept. 12. Preregister by calling the AgriLife Extension office in Lampasas County at 512-556-8271.

For more information, call Lusty at 512-556-8271 or the AgriLife Extension offices in any of the participating counties.

For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.

— Adapted from a release by Steve Bryns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, intern, Angus Journal.

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