News Update
December 9, 2015
National Western
Angus Bull Sale Approaches
The American Angus Association will host its annual Angus Bull Show and Sale Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, during the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo. An annual tradition, it is the only Association-managed sale hosted throughout the year.
“We’re looking forward to another tremendous Angus bull sale during the National Western,” says Association Regional Manager David Gazda, who also serves as sale manager. “The 2016 sale consignors range from all regions of the country and are presenting a fantastic offering of Angus genetics.”
Browse the NWSS Angus Bull Sale book online to read more about the more than 50 bulls being sold Jan. 13. The event begins at 8 a.m. MST in Stadium Arena, where the following judges will evaluate the bulls: Scott Bayer, Ringle, Wis.; Mark Nikkel, Maple Hill, Kan.; and Jake Tiedeman, North Platte, Neb. They will rank the animals using a composite system to determine sale order.
After the grand and reserve grand champions are selected, attendees will be invited into the showring, where prospective buyers can preview the bulls before the sale.
For more information, please view the full Angus news release online.
American Farm Bueau President Statement
on PRRS-resistant Hogs
“Today’s (Dec. 8) announcement of a health-enhanced pig able to resist the PRRS virus is a critical scientific breakthrough in hog farmers’ battles against the disease and is a real game changer for the pork industry.
PRRS is an incurable viral disease that causes reproductive failure in sows, reduces growth of young pigs and causes premature death in piglets; PRRS annually causes an estimated $664 million in lost productivity. Being able to fight this disease through advance genetic technologies will mean healthier animals, more efficient food production and more efficient risk management options for producers.”
USCA Remains Committed to COOL
United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) President Danni Beer urged lawmakers and cattle producers to continue to stand strong in their support of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) in spite of the announcement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on acceptable retaliatory tariffs by Mexico and Canada.
“Today’s ruling represents a reduction of approximately $2 billion from the originally submitted claims by Canada and Mexico in the form of retaliatory tariffs against COOL. The new figure of $1.01 billion still falls short of providing an accurate representation of the actual ‘harm’ to Mexico and Canada via COOL; especially given the stable and even increased beef imports from Canada to the U.S. While still an inaccurate representation of the market, today’s announcement and reduction of initially inflated figures provides a starting point for discussions.”
For more information, please view the full USCA release online.
— Adapted from a release by the United States Cattlemen’s Association.
KLA Members Elect Officers
A Greenwood County seedstock cattle producer and a Clark County rancher and farmer have been elected to serve as officers for the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA). Members chose Matt Perrier of Eureka as president and David Clawson from Englewood as president elect during the group’s annual business meeting Dec. 4, at the KLA Convention in Wichita.
Perrier represents the fifth generation of his family’s registered-Angus and ranching operation. Dalebanks Angus started as a sheep farm in 1867. It has continuously maintained a registered-Angus herd since 1904. Today, the seedstock cattle operation focuses on producing genetics for the commercial cow-calf producer.
Clawson is a fourth-generation rancher and farmer with ties in various family partnerships. The Clawson Ranch Partnership, with his brother, Dan, includes a cow-calf business and an irrigated and dryland farming operation. The stated purpose of this partnership is to “sow, nurture and grow” not only food for the world, but also people.
For more information, please view the full KLA news release online.
CreatingConnections Module Focuses on Feedlot Stockmanship
Stockmanship is critical to the health and well-being of cattle and ultimately, the success of an operation. This means producers must continually put an emphasis on enhancing these vital skills and reiterating their importance to everyone who works with the animals.
Merck Animal Health is committed to supporting cattlemen in their efforts to make continuous improvements through its CreatingConnections™ Educational Series. The second module is now available at www.creatingconnections.info, and features leading cattle-handling experts who provide valuable insights on achieving excellent feedlot stockmanship.
“In this video, our focus is on building the animal’s confidence and trust, so that the cattle are willing to work naturally for the stockman,” says Paulo Loureiro, veterinarian for Merck Animal Health. “Cattle don’t understand words, but they understand your posture, attitude and behavior. So, using proper distance, angle and speed when approaching cattle in the feedlot are keys to getting them to move how and where you want. The end goal is to benefit the animal, but also make our customers’ jobs more rewarding.”
For more information, please view the full Merck news release online.
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