News Update

October 4, 2017

Angus Hires Three
to Communications Group

The American Angus Association announces three additions to the communications group. JD Rosman and Ali Luety join the team as communications specialists, and Max Stewart joins as a video production specialist.

Rosman joined the team in June as a communications specialist after he graduated in May from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications.

Stewart comes to the team to put his creative mind to work on producing high-quality videos for the Association. He graduated from Kansas State University this past August with a bachelor’s degree in business management and entrepreneurship.

Luety joins the team from Agri-Pulse Communications where she had been interning since May. She graduated in 2017 from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.

Continue reading this Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Clint Mefford, Angus Media.

Daily Livestock Report Beef Production and Use

On an annual basis, U.S. commercial beef production this calendar year is projected at about 26.3 billion pounds (lb.), an increase of 4.2% compared to 2016’s. Livestock Marking Information Center (LMIC) forecasts for 2018 and 2019 are for annual increases of 3%-5% and 1%-4%, respectively. Turning to quarterly production levels, just like for pork, year-over-year increases in U.S. beef production are forecast throughout 2019.

Underlying the expected ramp-up in beef output are higher cattle slaughter levels and heavier average carcass weights. Slaughter increases will be driven by larger calf crops and proportionally more heifers and cows in the harvest mix. Heavier animal weights simply reflect the long-term trend.

Regarding demand, the export markets for beef will remain critical. Forecasts call for continued annual increases in tonnage sold to foreign countries. However, as with pork, exports may only continue to grow in-line with production levels. That is, U.S. beef export tonnage (meat only, not variety meats, hides, etc.) may not grow significantly as a percentage of pounds produced.

Read the full report online at www.dailylivestockreport.com.

— Adapted from a release by Len Steiner, Steiner Consulting Group.

Prep for Parasites Before the Feedlot

Cattle on pasture pick up parasites. Worm level in any group of cattle depends on how heavily contaminated the pasture is and whether the cattle have natural resistance to nematode infections. Calves have not yet developed much resistance and tend to have heavy parasite loads if pastures are contaminated. Worm eggs passed in manure hatch into larvae that migrate onto grass.

Severe infections often result in decreased growth, rough hair coat, reduced performance, decreased appetite, and sometimes diarrhea and weight loss. Even if cattle are not showing clinical signs, strategic deworming improves performance and weight gain in beef herds.

Cattle are usually dewormed after arrival at feedlots. One treatment is usually all that’s needed, as they have minimal exposure to worms in a feedlot environment. Studies during the 1960s and 1970s showed that unexposed or uninfected calves gained weight more rapidly than infected or infected and medicated calves. Infected medicated calves that were dewormed at feedlot entrance gained 4% faster than untreated counterparts. Later studies showed that of all available pharmaceutical technologies, deworming had the greatest effect on production efficiency and cost of production.

— Adapted from an article by Heather Smith Thomas for Angus Journal.

Herd Health Affects Reproduction

For conscientious cow-calf producers, an important part of any herd health program is managing risk associated with reproductive diseases — those that threaten establishment and maintenance of pregnancy and may hinder fertility. In a presentation delivered during the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) symposium Aug. 29-30 in Manhattan, Kan., Kansas State University veterinarian Gregg Hanzlicek discussed some of the more prominent diseases responsible for abortion and low fertility.

Hanzlicek said many producers are familiar with campylobacter (vibriosis) and leptospirosis, which are contagious bacterial diseases commonly known to be responsible for abortions in cattle. While they may be aware of anaplasmosis, producers may not know that this bacterial infection can affect reproduction.

“Anaplasma infection typically is not a fertility issue,” said Hanzlicek, allowing that it is possible, however, for the infection to result in late-term abortions or stillborn calves.

“Cows can become so anemic that not enough oxygen reaches the fetus, which dies,” Hanzlicek explained. “Or, the organism may be transmitted to the fetus, which typically results in abortion.”

Learn more in this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Troy Smith for Angus Journal.

Minimize Three Main Types of Stress

The definition of stress is the sum of reactions that influence an animal’s homeostasis, explained Reinaldo Cooke, associate professor at Oregon State University. Cooke detailed the implications stress may have on female reproductive systems on Aug. 29 at the 2017 ARSBC symposium.

Cooke began by defining homeostasis as any action that takes you outside your comfort zone. Anything that takes you away from a comfort zone is a type of stressor. He described three main types of stress:

Physiologic stress is when an animal gets sick or catches a disease.
Physical stress is applied if an animal receives an injury.
Psychological stress happens when an animal senses fear.

When the body encounters stress, two systems are engaged, he said. Sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response are engaged to bring the body back into homeostasis.

As soon as an animal is faced with stress, the body begins to produce cortisol at a higher rate than it produces epinephrine.

“Cortisol goes up and stays up much longer than levels of epinephrine,” said Cooke. “It is the main link between stress and productivity in livestock.”

For more information, read the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Katy Holdener, American Angus Association.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Media.