News Update
November 29, 2016
Should You Raise or Buy Heifers?
Much is beyond your control in the cow-calf business. Among the few you alone make is the call on replacement females. Will you keep and develop your own heifers or buy enough bred females from outside sources to maintain the herd size you want?
“The decisions should be based on long-term preferences,” said Iowa State University (ISU) economist and Extension livestock specialist Lee Schulz, presenting Nov. 6 at the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. “However, we live in a short-term world.”
Prices for heifer calves plummeted from as high as $225 per hundredweight (cwt.) a couple of years ago to perhaps $100 per cwt. in Fall 2016, Schulz noted. Bred heifers fell by a lower percentage, but still down a steep slope — perhaps $1,000 off the $3,000 peak in late 2014.
Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.
Trends for U.S. Proteins
U.S. beef exports are forecast to increase 7.5% by the end of 2016. But how does that compare to competing proteins? CattleFax Market Analyst Troy Bockelmann discusses trends in the U.S. protein market on this week’s episode of The Angus Report.
“In the latest release of the U.S. protein trade data, broiler exports were 590 million lb., up 22% versus a year ago. After a disappointing first half of the year U.S. broiler exports have been increasing each month since June and now are in a position to meet the 2016 forecast of a 3.5% increase vs. 2015.
U.S. pork exports were 415 million lb. in September, up 3% from a year ago and year-to-date pork exports are now up 44 million lb. or 1.2% from the same period in 2015.
U.S. beef exports came in at 214 million lb. for the month of September, up 30% compared to a year ago. By the end of 2016, total U.S. beef exports are forecast to increase 7.5% when compared to 2015.”
Watch the complete report on this week’s The Angus Report online. You can also catch the show at 1:30 p.m. CST and at 7:30 a.m. CST every Monday on RFD-TV.
Grand Giveaway at the Angus Convention
First-time Angus Convention attendees Kenneth and Carol Webb traveled to Indianapolis, Ind., to learn more about the Angus breed as they establish their own seedstock business in eastern West Virginia. They never imagined they’d be returning home with so much more.
The Webbs were the lucky winners of a complete livestock handling system, courtesy of Priefert Manufacturing and Tru-Test Group. The grand prize, valued at $26,700, included state-of-the-art handling equipment and the latest weighing and electronic identification technology to service up to 35 head.
Angus Convention participants, more than 2,000 cattle producers nationwide, were able to see the system firsthand on display in the Priefert Cattle Handling Demonstration Arena.
“I watched the cattle being worked in here and then walked around the chute, trying to figure out what I could get by with and what would help us out,” Kenneth Webb says. “I never dreamed I would own the whole system.”
Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.
Enriquez Highlights Global Changes Occurring
Juan Enriquez was introduced as a “thought leader” and “someone who lives in the future” as he was called to the stage to deliver keynote remarks kicking off the second International Genomics Symposium, which was hosted as part of the 2016 Angus Convention Nov. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind. The symposium was sponsored by Neogen GeneSeek Operations.
Enriquez is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the profound changes that genomics and other life sciences will bring about in business, technology, politics and society.
Enriquez shared a series of examples — from Uber to three-D printers — that have proven to be industry game changers.
Regarding Uber, he noted that in less than a decade the company has proven to be a formidable competition to traditional taxis, and today Uber is worth $68 billion. For perspective, that equates to the entire economy of Uruguay and is greater than the value of 70% of Fortune 500 companies. Uber is now more valuable than Ford, GM and Honda combined.
Read more in the Angus Media news article online.
Added Data from GeneMax Advantage
With sale season upon us, many of you will be making an investment in bulls for your herd. As you will notice in sale books, the majority of farms having sales will have made an investment in their bulls through genomic testing to enhance the expected progeny differences (EPDs) and improve their accuracy. This provides you, the buyer, an enormous added value through a more accurate set of EPDs for your bulls.
As a commercial cattleman, GeneMax® Advantage™ testing for your heifers can provide you the next level of genomic information to improve your herd. GeneMax Advantage is a genomic test available for commercial Angus females that are 75% or greater black Angus. In the past, commercial heifer selection was done by the “eyeball test” and possibly weaning or yearling weights. However, by utilizing GeneMax Advantage, you can take advantage of genomic testing as another tool in the selection of heifers.
For more information, view the Angus Media news article online.
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