News Update

September 8, 2016

Angus Hires Regional Manager
for Colorado, Nebraska

Angus breeders in Colorado and Nebraska are welcoming Drew Feller of Wisner, Neb., as the territory’s new regional manager for the American Angus Association. Before officially beginning his role Sept. 6, Feller greeted many producers during the Nebraska State Fair.

Regional managers are the boots-on-the-ground for the Association and serve throughout 13 membership regions across the United States. As a partner for Angus breeders and others who rely on Angus genetics, Feller will be responsible for helping cattle producers identify herd goals, learn new programs and services, and drive quality within their operations.

“A fifth-generation cattleman from Nebraska and a product of the National Junior Angus Association, Drew brings to the team a wealth of industry knowledge, energy and a true passion for the Angus breed,” says David Gazda, Association director of field services and regional manager in the southeast.

— Adapted from a release by JD Rosman, Angus Media.

Developing Economical Heifers

Mark Enns, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, says 60% to 75% of beef cattle production costs are associated with feed requirements for maintaining the cow herd. While many tools are available to help Angus breeders select animals with a lower maintenance requirement, how can producers still maximize heifer growth rates?

“The ability to select for lower maintenance and still early growth rates is a challenge, especially without the right tools to do that,” says Enns. He adds that process will look similar to what the industry did when they selected for low birthweights and high yearling weights.

Learn more on this week’s The Angus Report online. You can watch the show at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CST each Monday on RFD-TV.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

Bovine Anaplasmosis Study

The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KSVDL) is looking for Kansas cattle producers to participate in a study to determine the prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis in cow herds within the state and to investigate management risk factors associated with blood test results.

Bovine anaplasmosis is a blood disease caused by Anaplasma marginale which can cause adult-animal sudden death, abortion, weight loss and a reduction in performance. Animals that become infected and survive become lifelong persistently-infected carriers. As carriers, they often show few or no symptoms and serve as a source of infection to the rest of the herd. Because of the nature of the disease, some herds remain at an unknown infection status.

Several studies have been completed assessing the prevalence of the disease in several U.S. states, but none have been completed in Kansas.

For more information, view the K-State news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Audrey Hambright, K-State Research and Extension.

Why Not Grow?

As the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand looks toward the 38th anniversary of that first pound sold on Oct. 18, 1978, it’s both humbling and satisfying to look back. I’d guess most of us are a bit amazed at the impact this brand has had on the whole beef industry and how that served our mission of increasing demand for registered-Angus cattle.

You can measure growth in many ways. Count the licensed CAB partners or the growing number of countries where our brand is sold. Look at research that documents consumer brand loyalty. We can add other metrics, but none are as straightforward and paint as vivid a picture of that trajectory as simply plotting global CAB sales volume over time.

Since 1978, there have only been four years when those pounds did not increase. The most recent was 12 years ago after foreign markets closed in the wake of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) discovery in the United States. Yet, every year since then saw more tonnage sold, ultimately setting nine consecutive yearly records with a 10th virtually assured in 2016.

Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.

— Adapted from an article by John Stika, Certified Angus Beef LLC.

Guarding Against Cattle Theft

Special Ranger John Cummings, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), was a recent guest on Angus Talk, a weekly radio program on Rural Radio, Channel 147. Tune in at 10 a.m. CST each Saturday morning on SiriusXM Radio.

Q: No one likes to see cattle theft or other rural crimes in the news, but it happens. Angus breeders can take steps to mitigate their risk. Here to share more about this topic is John Cummings, a special ranger with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. How long has the TSCRA been helping beef producers protect their property?
A: TSCRA was formed in 1877, so that’s 139 years of honoring and protecting the ranching way of life. That’s what we do. We’re livestock producers and come from ranching backgrounds, so we’re here to protect the ranchers.
Q: How many rangers are there?
A: We have 30 rangers in Texas and Oklahoma, commissioned by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Texas and by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in Oklahoma, so we have full law enforcement powers in both states.

— Adapted from an interview by Doug Medlock, Angus Media.

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