News Update

January 03, 2018

Angus NWSS Coverage Available Online

American Angus Association members and livestock enthusiasts will soon head to Denver for annual Angus events hosted in conjunction with the 2018 National Western Stock Show (NWSS) from Jan. 8 to 13. With 112 years of tradition, the NWSS is highly regarded as one of the most competitive livestock exhibitions of the year.

Angus activities begin Wednesday, Jan. 10, and continue through Saturday, Jan. 13. Use the resources listed below to stay up to date with the latest show results and news provided by the NWSS and the American Angus Association.

Watch live coverage from the showring.
Access the show results website using a computer or cell phone.
Download the Angus Mobile app on a smartphone.
Join Angus on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.
Visit www.angus.org.
Purchase candid showring photos online.

Showring competition begins with the Angus Bull Sale Show at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, in the Stadium Arena. A panel of three judges will evaluate the bulls using a composite system to establish a sale order. Judges are Art Butler, Bliss, Idaho; Sam Carter, Arthur, Neb.; and Mike McGuire, Waverly, Ala.

Read this Angus news release in full online.

— Adapted from a release by Katy Holdener, Angus Communications.

Farm Groups Launch ‘Farm Town Strong’ Campaign
to Address Rural Opioid Epidemic

As farming communities face mounting challenges with the nation’s opioid epidemic, the nation’s two largest general farm organizations are teaming up to confront the issue. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Farmers Union (NFU) Jan. 3 announced a new campaign, “Farm Town Strong,” to raise awareness of the crisis’ impact on farming communities. The campaign will also provide resources and information to help farm communities and encourage farmer-to-farmer support to overcome the crisis.

The groups have launched a new website, FarmTownStrong.org, to provide easy access to information and resources that can help struggling farm families and rural communities.

The Farm Town Strong campaign comes on the heels of a recent survey commissioned by AFBF and NFU that highlighted how the opioid epidemic has hit farmers and farm workers especially hard. While just under half of rural Americans say they, a family member or friend have been directly impacted by opioid abuse, for farmers and farm workers it’s 74%. A strong majority of respondents also support increasing public awareness of anti-opioid resources and reducing the stigma that surrounds addiction to help solve the opioid crisis.

Learn more in the release online.

— Adapted from a release by the National Farmers Union and American Farm Bureau Federation.

Bumper Midwest Grain Crop

Plentiful grain supplies likely mean low crop prices for farmers but also lower costs for livestock producers looking for feed options through winter, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension grains marketing economist, College Station, said the expected drier weather pattern through winter could cause problems for cattle producers’ winter pastures and potential grazing, but abundant supplies of grains and subsequent low prices could mean lower feed costs for all livestock.

Corn prices should remain low and steady, he said, following heavy yields at harvest for U.S. and Texas producers.

“There was a whale of a corn crop this year,” he said. “Acreage was down, but with the varieties we have now and the techniques that farmers employ, those acres brought unprecedented yields.”

Sorghum, another important grain that creates feed, fuel and food for Texas and U.S. markets, also had a banner production year but is expected to garner low prices, he said. Corn and sorghum acres were lower in 2017 compared to the year before, but above-average yields contributed to high supply numbers and, therefore, lower price trends.

Read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Adam Russell, Texas AgriLife Communications.

Preparing Cornstalks for Grazing

Fall harvest is wrapping up in the Midwest and the Plains states. The residue left behind — cornstalks — offer cattle producers a cost-effective way to feed their livestock throughout the next few months. Kevin Glaubius, director of nutrition for BioZyme Inc., took time to answer questions about grazing cornstalks and being prepared from a nutrition standpoint.

How long can producers let their cattle graze cornstalks?

At 150 bushels (bu.) an acre, approximately 1 acre of cornstalks is needed to feed a cow for 30 days. To feed the same cow on cornstalks for 60 days, 2 acres are needed.

What kind of supplementation should producers think about when they turn out to cornstalks?

This depends on if you are grazing cows that are nursing calves or if you are grazing cows that are 3-4 months away from calving. With pairs, you will need to provide extra protein along with balanced vitamins and minerals, whereas with cows in the last part of gestation, a vitamin and mineral supplementation should meet requirements.

Continue reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Shelia Grobosky, BioZyme Inc.

Quality Grade Changes

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that it is updating the voluntary U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. USDA quality grades are used by companies to provide information to purchasers about meat’s tenderness, juiciness and flavor, and are a major factor in determining the value of beef and live cattle.

This update to the standards will provide companies using the USDA grading program with additional options — dentition or age documentation — to establish the maturity of animals and ensure that cattle 30 months old, or less, are included in the youngest maturity group recognized as “beef” (A maturity). Skeletal and muscular evidence will still be used to determine maturity for those animals greater than 30 months of age.

This change for voluntary beef grading activities was scheduled to be implemented Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. Companies using the USDA voluntary grading program must have done the following prior to Monday, Dec. 18, 2017:

1) Provide documentation to the AMS supervisor and graders describing how carcasses over 30 months of age (MOA) are identified and segregated within the plant.

Read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from a release by USDA AMS.

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