News Update

March 11, 2016

Cody Sankey Selected for Young Cattlemen’s Conference

Cody Sankey of Economy, Ind., will represent the American Angus Association and the business breed during the 2016 Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC), hosted June 1-9 by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

The annual event is considered the premier leadership development program within the cattle industry, and the Angus Foundation is proud to sponsor one attendee each year. Throughout the weeklong experience, YCC participants travel the country to witness all levels of beef production, hone their leadership skills and gain a better understanding of policy issues affecting cattlemen and women.

This year marks the 37th annual YCC, and to qualify, an individual must be nominated by one of NCBA’s affiliate members, be between the ages of 25 and 50, and be an NCBA member.

Read more in the complete Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jena McRell, Angus Media.

Protein Supplements for Cows

Winter pastures are often low in protein, which limits optimal microbial growth in the rumen. Rumen microbes ferment and break down the roughage in dried standing forages, straw or low-quality hay, converting it into usable complex carbohydrates, but they need adequate protein to do this.

Protein supplements (in cake or tub form) can help improve digestion of low-quality forages, says Lisa Surber, ruminant nutritionist at WestFeeds LLC in Bozeman, Mont. “Protein supplements can be in natural form or combined with non-protein nitrogen (NPN). If you are looking at two cubes with the same percentage of total crude protein, the major difference will be the sources of protein.”

A 30% protein cube can be created several ways.

“It could consist mostly of natural sources like soybean or canola meal, or fewer natural proteins and some NPN, or some mid- to low-protein coproducts combined with higher levels of NPN. Ingredient costs and performance will vary accordingly,” she says. “An example would be a 30% cube made with low-starch wheat midds, canola meal and NPN from biuret.”

— Adapted from an article by Heather Smith Thomas for Angus Media.

NCBA: Land Use Plans Are Detrimental to Rangelands

The NCBA and the Public Lands Council (PLC) along with the Idaho Cattle Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and Idaho Farm Bureau Federation filed an amicus brief March 8 regarding the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service’s (USFS) restrictive land management plans that came as a back door alternative to not listing the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act.

Brenda Richards, PLC president and federal lands rancher, said the associations are chiefly concerned these plans will undermine conservation efforts already underway by ranchers.

“It is critical for the livestock industry’s voice to be heard in this case, particularly because these plans have such a damaging impact to ranchers operating on or near public lands throughout the West,” said Richards. “The agencies made the right decision to not list the grouse, but these plans are detrimental to the conservation efforts already in place that have allowed the bird to thrive.”

For more information, please view the full NCBA news release online.

— Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Featherlite Trailers Named No. 1

Featherlite Trailers was honored as the No. 1 manufacturer of livestock trailers for 2015 at the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers’ (NATM) annual convention recently hosted in Las Vegas. The award was presented by Statistical Surveys Inc. This is the ninth consecutive year Featherlite has received this award for manufacturing the best selling livestock trailers.

Featherlite’s award was determined based on retail registrations of livestock trailers in 2015, according to Statistical Surveys data.

Featherlite livestock trailers, which include gooseneck trailers, bumper pull trailers, combo trailers and semi livestock trailers, are sold through Featherlite’s dealer network of nearly 190 across the United States and Canada. Featherlite is the nation’s original aluminum specialty trailer brand, having built its first aluminum livestock trailer in 1973.

— Adapted from a release by Featherlite Trailers.

Sandhills Cattlemen’s Conference

The second annual Sandhills Cattlemen’s Conference has been set for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 12 in the Ward County Coliseum south of Monahans on State Highway 18.

The multi-county event is a collaborative effort among the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in Ward, Winkler, Loving, Andrews and Ector counties and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) serving those counties, said Caleb Eaton, AgriLife Extension agent in Ward County.

“This conference will center on topics specific to ranching in far west Texas,” Eaton said. “We’ve been blessed with good rains over a lot of our normally dry area and much of the information presented will deal with topics relating to that. After the flooding on the Pecos River in 2014, discussions have resurfaced about the growing salt cedar issue along the river. Ranchers are asking about their control options and how to handle the resulting debris.

“Integrating stocker cattle into grazing plans is another area we’ll address as cow-calf operators are interested in that production aspect after the last few wet seasons.”

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

— Adapted from a release by Steve Byrns, Texas AgriLife Communications.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Media.

Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.