News Update
July 20, 2017
Predominantly Solid Black
Most Angus producers know there are 10 carcass hurdles to clear for Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand qualification, but black hide is not one of those. Rather, it has always been a prequalifying phenotypic requirement. It’s called the “Government Live Angus” (GLA), and it’s used for all Angus brands.
Nothing much changed for 39 years, and little will change this year, but a refining adjustment excludes about one in 1,000 previously eligible, says Mark McCully, CAB vice president of production.
USDA announced the updated definition in effect July 1, 2017, after a request from CAB and the American Angus Association this spring.
“It simply clarifies the intent,” McCully says.
The live specification was developed for Angus in 1978 as CAB became the first branded-beef program certified by USDA. Its language reflected a practical way for cattlemen, USDA and branded programs to identify Angus influence as “predominantly (51%) solid black.”
Continue reading this Angus Journal article online.
McKinney & Clovis for USDA Posts
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue July 19 applauded President Trump’s declaration of intent to nominate Ted McKinney for under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs and Sam Clovis for under secretary for research, education and economics.
Note: In May, USDA created the new position of under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs as directed by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Regarding McKinney:
“For our new under secretary position emphasizing international trade, I have always said that I want someone who wakes up every morning asking how we can sell more American agricultural products in foreign markets. Ted McKinney is that person. His longstanding background in agriculture, economic development and global issues will make him an unapologetic advocate for U.S. products in the world marketplace.”
Regarding Clovis:
“Dr. Clovis was one of the first people through the door at USDA in January and has become a trusted advisor and steady hand as we continue to work for the people of agriculture. He looks at every problem with a critical eye, relying on sound science and data and will be the facilitator and integrator we need.”
Read the full USDA news release online.
MU Researcher Finds Pigweed in Birdseed and Pollinator Mixes
University of Missouri (MU) researchers, under the direction of MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley, are finding that pigweed seed is popping up in birdseed in alarming numbers.
“It’s pretty shocking,” graduate student Eric Oseland told those attending the annual Integrated Pest Management field day recently.
Presence of pigweed seed, especially Palmer amaranth, alarms the agriculture community. Bradley calls Palmer amaranth the No. 1 weed to watch in Missouri. Last year, weed scientists found multi-herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth in Missouri.
Before 2008, seven counties in the Bootheel region of Missouri reported Palmer amaranth. By mid-July 2017, it had spread to at least 39 of Missouri’s 114 counties.
Learn more in the MU release online.
Essential Oils can Assist with Livestock Digestion, Study Finds
Kansas State University (K-State) researchers have found that essential oils can play a role in livestock health.
Essential oils are removed from plants and distilled into concentrated forms that distributors say support immunity and other functions of the body.
In a study, professors Evan Titgemeyer and T.G. Nagaraja found that limonene, which is in lemon oil, and thymol, which is in thyme oil, help combat a harmful bacterium in cattle stomachs. The bacterium, Fusobacterium necrophorum, makes dietary protein less available to the animal.
The results have been published in the Journal of Dairy Science and the Journal of Animal Science.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidance to minimize the use of some antibiotics in livestock. The FDA’s guidance aims to avoid exposing people’s food to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to Nagaraja, a university distinguished professor of microbiology in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
As the researchers started studying alternative treatments to antibiotic use, one of their team members, Eman Elkaweel, who was then a graduate student in animal science, suggested a substance that was new to the professors.
Read this K-State news release online.
Good and Lahmers Promoted to New Positions at Select Sires
Tony Good, former chief veterinarian at Select Sires Inc., has been promoted to vice president of production operations effective July 1, and Elizabeth Lahmers assumed the role of chief veterinary officer after serving as associate veterinarian.
Good began his employment at Select Sires by working summers while attending the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Ohio State University in the early 1990s. After his graduation in 1995, he became an associate veterinarian at Select Embryos and continued as a veterinarian at Select Sires until 2002. After taking a brief break to operate a private practice specializing in embryo transfer, he rejoined Select Sires in 2004 and was promoted to chief veterinarian in 2007.
During his time at Select Sires, Good has promoted information sharing among collection crews, developed the veterinary internship program and managed Select Sires’ biosecurity program by supporting diagnostic testing for more than 1,800 bulls. He has been instrumental in animal welfare guidelines and an audit program in partnership with Validus.
“I just want to serve the agricultural community that I grew up in, in the most positive fashion possible, with the most passionate team of people in the AI industry,” said Good.
For more information, read the Select Sires release online.
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.