News Update
October 10, 2016
Value in Good Stockmanship
About 20% of people involved in the care and handling of beef cattle are “naturals.” Stockmanship comes easily for them, compared to the 70% of people who always seem to need supervision. The remaining 10% just should not be handling animals at all. Such was the opinion voiced by animal behavior specialist and Colorado State University Professor Temple Grandin during the fifth International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare (ISBCW) in Manhattan, Kan.
“Actually, cattle handling has improved immensely since the ‘bad old days, ’” allowed Grandin. “That’s good, because stockmanship matters.”
According to Temple Grandin, cattle have memories, but can still be surprised by novel experiences.
Grandin said people want to know the magic thing that makes handling cattle easy, whether it’s state-of-the-art facilities or something else. She tells them there is no “silver bullet” and advises them to “just think” and apply good management. Grandin believes successful stock handling often boils down to attitude. Handlers who approach the job with a bad attitude are likely to have trouble.
To read more, view the Angus Media news article online.
Pew Faults FDA Antibiotic Label Changes
The Pew Charitable Trusts said nearly one-third of labels for medically important antibiotics for food animals will not meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for judicious use even after the agency’s new guidelines are adopted.
The organization said its analysis found that more than 140 of 389 labels for medically important antibiotics are potentially problematic, while the remainder defines conditions for use in a manner consistent with judicious use standards. About three-quarters of the potentially problematic labels are for brand name or patented drugs.
FDA should announce a concrete plan and timeline for making all necessary label revision changes as quickly as possible, the organization said in its report.
FDA’s new guidelines were published in December 2013 and will take effect Jan. 1, 2017. The guidance asks animal drug companies to make two changes for antibiotics shared by humans and animals: remove indications for promoting growth from the labels of antibiotic products and require veterinarians to oversee the addition of these drugs to feed and water for any reason.
For more information, please view the release on www.meatingplace.com.
2017 National Ag Day Date & Theme
The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) will host National Agriculture Day March 21, 2017. This will mark the 44th anniversary of National Ag Day, which is celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. The theme for National Ag Day 2017 is “Agriculture: Food for Life.”
On March 21, 2017, ACA will host major events in the nation’s capital including a breakfast event at the National Press Club, as well as a Taste of Agriculture Celebration on the Hill. Additionally, the ACA will bring approximately 100 college students to Washington to deliver the message of Ag Day.
These events honor National Agriculture Day and mark a nationwide effort to tell the true story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us. A number of producers, agricultural associations, corporations, students and government organizations involved in agriculture are expected to participate.
For more information, view the news release online.
2017 Cattle Industry Convention Internships
Do you have a passion for the cattle industry? As a convention intern, you will represent our nation’s largest cattle organization, interacting with thousands of producers and leaders from every segment of the industry. Convention interns are offered a unique experience to gain firsthand experience in all areas of our business.
- Exclusive opportunity to network with and support over 350 trade show exhibitors.
- Assist at Cattlemen’s College, PAC events and committee meetings, Thursday night at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Friday night at the Grand Ole Opry.
Our intern positions provide a unique opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience and to interact with leaders from every segment of the cattle and beef industry. Although this is an unpaid work experience, NCBA will provide the student’s convention registration, lodging and certain meals while at Annual Convention.
For more information, view the NCBA news release online.
45th South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic
Live cattle demonstrations, calving season recommendations plus proper chuteside methods and other presentations are scheduled Oct. 28 at the 45th South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham, Texas.
The clinic will be hosted at the Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility, 1305 E. Blue Bell Road. The program is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and beef committees from Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Fayette, Grimes, Harris, Lee, Washington and Waller counties.
“The day is packed full of great presentations and live cattle demonstrations, including a judging contest for participants,” said Kara Matheney, AgriLife Extension agent for Washington County. “Following the live cattle demonstration, there will be hands-on activities including judging a class of bulls, visiting with trade show sponsors, and viewing the display cattle from area producers.”
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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.