News Update
September 29, 2017
Throw Your Calves a
Weaning-time Potluck
You know the feeling of being at a big party or potluck? Everywhere you turn there’s food, food and guess what? More food. You think, “This must be heaven!” The same should be true for your weaned calves. They should encounter feed and water at every turn during weaning so they find feed sources and start eating and drinking quickly.
“When cattle are stressed, they often quit eating,” says Lee Dickerson, senior cattle consultant with Purina Animal Nutrition. “The sooner you can get your calves to eat, the less likely they are to get sick. A few adjustments to your weaning-time nutrition program can make a huge difference.”
Roth Family to Establish $10 Million Fund
for Those Impacted by 2012 Plant Closures
The Roth family announced Sept. 26 it is establishing a $10 million fund to benefit former employees of the Beef Products Incorporated (BPI) companies and communities that were negatively affected by plant closures in 2012. BPI was forced to lay off approximately 750 employees and close three of its production facilities in Amarillo, Texas; Garden City, Kan.; and Waterloo, Iowa, at that time as a result of the false reporting regarding the companies and lean, finely textured beef.
“We remain committed to our employees and communities and so are dedicating $10 million to benefit the employees who lost their jobs in 2012,” noted BPI founder Eldon Roth. “While it took us longer to get here than we had hoped, we are pleased to finally be able to reconnect with those former employees and see what we can do to help them continue to recover.”
Rich Jochum and Jennifer Letch, corporate administrators for the companies will be coordinating efforts for review of applications for the funds from former employees with the help of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and other organizations in the affected communities.
For more information, read the full news release online.
Tips for Harvesting Low Dry Matter Corn Silage
In many regions, corn silage harvest is delayed by weeks, which forces producers to make a decision: Harvest wet, immature corn or delay and take a risk on the weather.
“Producers may have to get their crop in when they can,” says Bob Charley, forage products management, Lallemand Animal Nutrition. “Delay may risk running up against wetter fall weather, making the ground too wet. Harvesting at the right stage of maturity is the overriding factor in producing high-quality silage, but Mother Nature doesn’t always provide the perfect window of opportunity.”
When harvesting low dry matter (DM) corn, Charley recommends adding a research-proven silage inoculant to reduce losses and increase digestibility.
For crops below 30% DM (or above 70% moisture), a research-proven homolactic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant containing strains like Pediococcus pentosaceus 12455 can help achieve a fast front-end fermentation. P. pentosaceus 12455 can be found in Biotal® Plus II, which has been shown to provide an 18% higher DM recovery compared to controls in independent trials.
For immature crops harvested above 30% DM, producers should consider a combination inoculant like those containing homolactic LAB strains plus selected heterofermentative strains proven to benefit silage management.
Learn more in the full Lallemand news release online.
Local Ranching Event Scheduled for Oct. 4 in Alice
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) will host a ranch gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, at the Jim Wells County Fairground Merchants Building in Alice, Texas. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a complimentary beef dinner.
The event is free and open to the public.
TSCRA will give an update on recovery efforts following Hurricane Harvey, discuss the impact of the storm on area cattle raisers and make producers aware of relief resources that are available.
TSCRA Special Ranger Steve Martin will also be on hand to provide a law enforcement update and offer ranchers information on how they can keep their livestock and equipment safe and secure. Attendees will receive an update on recent government affairs activities, as well as cattle fever tick issues facing local ranchers. Other areas of interest to cattle raisers and the community will be discussed, as well.
Please RSVP to 800-242-7820, ext. 192, or rsvp@tscra.org.
The Jim Wells County Fairground Merchants Building is located at 3001 S. Johnson Street, Alice, TX 78332.
Read the TSCRA news release online.
Local Ranching Event Scheduled
for Oct. 5
in Hondo
The TSCRA will host a ranch gathering on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, at the Hermann Sons Steakhouse in Hondo, Texas. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a complimentary beef dinner.
The event is free and open to the public.
TSCRA Special Ranger Robin Clark will be on hand to provide a law enforcement update and offer ranchers information on how they can keep their livestock and equipment safe and secure. Attendees will receive an update on recent government affairs activities, as well as cattle fever tick and chronic wasting disease (CWD) issues facing local ranchers. Other areas of interest to cattle raisers and the community will be discussed, as well.
Please RSVP to 800-242-7820, ext. 192, or rsvp@tscra.org.
The Hermann Sons Steakhouse is at 577 Hwy. 90E, Hondo TX 78861.
The ranch gathering is sponsored by Elanco, Capital Farm Credit and official Arrowquip dealer, Lyssy and Eckel Feed in Hondo.
All members of the press are invited to attend.
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