News Update
March 01, 2018
Montana Angus Farm
Recognized for Historic Angus Herd
Clarence Van Dyke started Van Dyke Angus Ranch in Manhattan, Mont., in 1955 before passing it along to his sons, Lee and Keith. The American Angus Association is proud to recognize Lee and Clarence’s herd as a recipient of the Historic Angus Herd award as a way to showcase their commitment to the Angus breed. This award is presented to active Angus breeders and immediate family members who have been in continuous production of registered Angus cattle for 50 years or more.
Clarence settled on the Angus breed because he had a goal to build the best cows possible, and that tradition of excellence continues today. The first cattle were purchased from Fred Happen and John Huffine of Bozeman, Mont. From a humble beginning, Clarence started as a test herd for ABS.
“Over the years, he produced and raised many industry-leading bulls such as VDAR New Trend 315 and VDAR Lucy’s Boy,” said Tim Crabtree, nominator of Lee and Clarence Van Dyke for the Historic Herd Award. “Van Dyke Angus remains committed to breeding the best Angus cow possible, and Lee believes that function comes first.”
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
William F. ‘Bill’ Brown Named Dean of the
College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources
William F. “Bill” Brown, a researcher and administrator at the University of Tennessee, has been named the new dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR) at Texas Tech University.
Brown has served as the dean for research and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee (UTIA) since 2008. His office provided support and oversight to all research activities within the UTIA while coordinating with academic programs and extension within seven academic departments.
“I am honored to be selected for this position and excited to join Texas Tech University and the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources,” Brown said. “CASNR is a national leader in preparing and placing workforce-ready students, discovering groundbreaking knowledge and technologies to enhance people’s lives, and engaging in public service. With a long history of personalized instruction and attention to student learning, a new strategic vision and a desire to increase research funding with public impact, CASNR is in an excellent position to advance student outcomes, deliver discoveries and serve the public in new and exciting ways.”
For more information, read the news release online.
Trade Shuffle Poses Risk for U.S. Beef Exports
While the U.S. beef industry is well positioned to capitalize on a growing global middle class and an improving economy, trade uncertainty could hamper the United States’ ability to capture market share in the coming years, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division.
The U.S. beef herd is expanding, bolstered by low input costs, and so is the demand for beef around the world. However, approximately 80% of beef exports are sold to countries that could be affected by ongoing trade pact negotiations. Trade deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) are either being renegotiated or the United States has dropped out of the agreement altogether.
“Beef production in the U.S. is on the rise, and export outlets have never been more important,” said Trevor Amen, industry analyst with CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. “However, the U.S. is threatening to retreat from key trade deals, and the U.S.’s beef exporting competitors are forging their own deals with major global beef importers.”
Read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Nitrate Poisoning in Cattle
Consuming forage with high nitrate levels can be dangerous for ruminants, says Russ Daly, Extension veterinarian and associate professor at South Dakota State University.
Signs of acute nitrate poisoning include labored breathing, muscle tremors or twitching, staggering gait/incoordination, weakness, etc. These animals generally have blue mucous membranes, due to lack of oxygen in tissues; fast breathing; high pulse rate; weakness and other signs of oxygen shortage because red blood cells lose their ability to carry oxygen.
“Body cells are unable to work properly if they don’t have oxygen. The animal dies of suffocation, but from the inside. The ultimate effect depends on how much nitrate the animal consumed in feed and how accustomed they are to eating feed with higher-than-normal nitrate levels,” he explains.
You may notice animals with signs of nitrate poisoning, but, in most cases, you just find the animal dead. “They usually consume enough nitrates to die fairly rapidly. They don’t last very long without the ability to carry oxygen in the blood,” says Daly.
“We were taught in vet school that one of the clinical signs is brown-colored blood, but it’s not often that we find the animal in time to check this.”
Keep reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
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