News Update
June 26, 2017
Investing in the Future: Heifer Development for Longevity
Although the principles for sourcing replacements hasn’t changed for many years, new technologies, improvements in genetics, and the ever-changing market have affected the way producers select and develop replacement heifers. Justin Rhinehart, associate professor and extension beef cattle specialist within the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee, discussed the importance of selecting and developing replacement heifers to improve longevity.
Rhinehart focused on heifer development and longevity during the second general session of the 2017 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Convention hosted May 31-June 3 in Athens, Ga.
Rhinehart explained that there are three basic options for selecting replacement heifers: retaining heifers from each calf crop and breeding in house; taking an entire calf crop to market and purchasing bred or open heifers; and retaining heifers from a calf crop and having them custom-developed by an outside individual.
Continue reading this Angus Media news article online.
Emergency Grazing in Drought-Stricken Montana, N.D. and S.D.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue June 23 authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. All or parts of these states are experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions — indicated as categories D2 and D3 on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
CRP is a voluntary program administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land and, when needed, provide emergency relief to livestock producers suffering the impacts of certain natural disasters.
Emergency grazing is authorized to begin immediately and extends through Sept. 30, unless conditions improve. Producers must work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop a modified conservation plan that is site specific, including the authorized grazing duration to reflect local wildlife needs.
For more information, read the full USDA news release online.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 3%
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on June 1, 2017. The inventory was 3% above June 1, 2016.
Placements in feedlots during May totaled 2.12 million head, 12% above 2016. Net placements were 2.05 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds (lb.)were 400,000 head, 600-699 lb. were 315,000 head, 700-799 lb. were 529,000 head, 800-899 lb. were 550,000 head, 900-999 lb. were 235,000 head, and 1,000 lb. and greater were 90,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.95 million head, 9% above 2016. Other disappearance totaled 70,000 head during May, 5% below 2016.
View the full USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) report online.
Land Lease Negotiations
The Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Land Use Survey Center, based in the Kansas State University (K-State) Department of Agricultural Economics, has published the results of the 2017 Kansas Bluestem Pasture Survey. The survey was conducted in 14 counties in Kansas, considered bluestem counties, and has been a benchmark for negotiating pasture lease rates in Kansas.
“Extension agents across the state have used the survey results as a starting point for rates when they are helping draft a lease,” said Leah Tsoodle, director of the center. “This report is also useful to absentee landowners in their lease negotiations. The survey research is specific to the Flint Hills region of the state as well as to the type of pasture. However, it provides some data about pasture lease rates in Kansas that is not available elsewhere.”
Read the K-State news release online.
Bermuda Grass Program Slated for June 27 in Floresville
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present a Bermuda Grass Stem Maggot and Hay Management Program June 27 in Floresville.
The free program, sponsored by the AgriLife Extension offices in Atascosa, Bexar and Guadalupe counties, will be from 5:30-8 p.m. at Wehe Farms, 559 County Road 406.
“We have had sufficient rain and the conditions have been favorable for growing Bermuda grass,” said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent, Wilson County. “This program will help inform those wanting to produce Bermuda grass hay about control of one of the more persistent pests affecting it — and how to maintain hay quality.”
Davis said attendees will be meeting outdoors in the corner of a hay field and may want to bring their own lawn chair.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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