SimTalk Early Fall 2015

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PA I D Lebanon Junction, KY 40150 Permit #4

VOLUME 23 – NO. 4

Linking SimGenetics to Commercial Cattle

Table Of Contents

IN THIS ISSUE 8 Opportunity and a Good Banker

By Dan Rieder, Contributing Editor

12 Nine Steps to Starting Out or Expanding

By Will Townsend, ASA Director of Commercial Operations

18 Reducing Risks for BRD Courtesy of Washington State University

24 Issues to Consider in Bull Leasing

By Cari Rincker, Esq

30 Body Condition Scoring Originally published by Virginia Cooperative Extension May 1, 2009

DEPARTMENTS 38 From The Director of Education 40 Industry Update 78 Calendar of Events 82 Rates & Policies 84 Ad Index

About the cover: Simmental replacement heifers are hazed toward fresh pastures.

Photo by Willie Altenburg, Fort Collins, CO.

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2 Simmental Way Bozeman, Montana 59715-9733 USA 406- 587-2778 • Fax: 406-587-8853 register@simmgene.com Business Manager Linda Kesler

CEO/Co-Editor Dr. Wade Shafer

National Ad Sales Nancy Chesterfield

Co-Editor Paulette Cochenour

Production Manager Jim Largess

Accounts Receivable Randall Mealer

Contributing Editor Dan Rieder

Design & Production Joel Coleman Cynthia Conner

Advertising & Editorial Assistant Rebecca Price

ASA Publication, Inc., Board Chairman Dale Miller Vice-Chairman Susan Russell

Tim Smith Brian DeFreese Bob Lanting

Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Wade Shafer

American

Simmental Association

1 Simmental Way Bozeman, Montana 59715-9733 USA 406-587-4531 • FAX: 406-587-9301 Canada Publications Agreement Number: 1875191

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Committee Bob Lanting, Chairman Dale Miller, Vice Chairman Tim Smith, Treasurer Susan Russell Brian DeFreese Dr. Wade Shafer, Executive Vice President Jim Butcher: Immediate Past Chairman North Central Area: Dr. Calvin Drake (2016)

Published By the Register

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3.8 14.9 -.41 .09 -.085 .67 143 72

540 Deep Creek Road Manhattan, KS 66502 785-587-5968 cdrake@interkan.net

JW Brune (2017) 414 E 700 Road Overbrook, KS 66524 785-865-6624 jwbrune@embarqmail.com

Erika Kenner (2017) 440 6th Avenue SE Leeds, ND 58346 406-581-1188 erika.kenner@gmail.com

Claye Kaelberer (2018) 4215 County Road 85 New Salem, ND 58563 701.220.3124 kaelbererranch@outlook.com

Eastern Area: Gordon Hodges (2017) 1025 Pineview Farms Drive Hamptonville, NC 27020 336-469-0489 pvfghodges@yadtel.net

Cliff Orley (2017) 1486 Mt. Wilson Road Lebanon, PA 17042 717-269-0128 corley01@comcast.net

Brian DeFreese (2018) 7643 St Rd 25 S West Point, IN 47992 765-491-7421 bdefrees@purdue.edu

Barry Wesner (2018) 1821 W 700 S Chalmers, IN 47929 219.863-4744 wesnerlivestock@yahoo.com

Western Area: Robert J. Lanting (2016) 2181 B. North 2300 East Twin Falls, ID 83301 208-655-4257 lant4257@filertel.com

Susan S. Russell (2016) 24614 Road G Sugar City, CO 81076 719-267-3265 wwfeed@centurytel.net

Dale Miller (2017) PO Box 174 Gildford, MT 59525 406-376-3109 7dm0174@ttc-cmc.net

Michael Forman (2018) 2451 Number 81 Road Ellensburg, WA 98926 509.929.0312 trinity@fairpoint.net

South Central Area: Tim Smith (2016) PO Box 330 Giddings, TX 78942 512-587-7896 smithgenetics1@gmail.com

Dr. Gary W. Updyke (2017) 107030 S. 4250 Road Checotah, OK 74426 918.843.3193 garyupdyke38@gmail.com

Fred Schuetze (2018) P. O. Box 968 Granbury, TX 76048 817.894.0563 bhr@speednet.com

Jon Willis (2018) 2876 Simmental Lane Marietta, OK 73448 580-276-4884 jonwillis99@yahoo.com

B21 BD: 1-8-14 • Purebred Simmental Bull Dikemans Sure Bet x GW Lucky Break

A342 BD: 11-13-13 • Purebred Simmental Bull Hook’s Yukon x L382 (Nichols Blk Destiny)

A437

Calving Ease Sire

BD: 12-23-13 • ½ SM ½ AN Bull EF Complement x Mr 7P K278 (Rains Limit Up)

A402 BD: 12-14-13 • ½ SM ½ AN Bull Connealy Counselor x Dikemans Sure Bet

A384

Calving Ease Sire

BD: 12-3-13 • ½ SM ½ AN Bull EF Complement x Gambler

A424 BD: 12-20-13 • Purebred Simmental Bull Gibbs Crimson Tide x Mr 7P K278 (Rains Limit Up)

7P Ranch got its name from the seven members of the Prud’homme family. From the start, the ranch has always been a family endeavor. Joe and his wife, Mary, who passed away in 2009, along with their sons Joey and Steven, and daughters Carol, Sharon and Sheila worked together to build and grow the 7P Ranch legacy. Although Joey, Steven, Carol, Sharon and Sheila now have their own families and careers, Joe, with their support, has continued the steadfast goal of 7P Ranch — to produce practical cattle for practical cattlemen.

7P Ranch is one of the largest and longest running SimGenetic programs in the United States offering functional cattle produced with proven genetics from decades of extensive use of A.I. Since the start of the Simmental breeding program in 1974, 7P Ranch has registered over 10,000 head of cattle with the American Simmental Association — something very few ASA members can say. This long running commitment to Simmental and the cattle business in East Texas helps make the 7P program a solid and special one. It only takes one tour of the ranch with Joe to appreciate the years of breed improvement and feel his love and passion for this business.

7P Ranch is and always has been in it for the long haul. After all these years you can bet that the guesswork is taken out of the genetics. We invite you to come help us celebrate this milestone, our 40th Consecutive Annual Production Sale.

Joe and the entire Prud’homme family would like to thank all our faithful buyers over the years.

For additional information on our 40th Annual Production Sale and for the full story of 7P Ranch, go to our website at www.7pranch.com.

A412

A389

BD: 12-18-13 • ½ SM ½ AN Female MC Upward x LCC Bright Light AI’d to Mr NLC Entrepreneur

BD: 12-9-13 • ½ SM ½ AN Female Quarters Ambush x L382 (Nichols Blk Destiny) AI’d to Mr NLC Entrepreneur

A395 BD: 12-10-13 • Purebred Simmental Female THSF Freedom x Black Joker AI’d to Hook’s Yellowstone

1:00 P.M. – Bulls Sell First • Lunch at 12:00 Noon A381

At the ranch, Tyler, Texas Located one mile south of I-20 on FM 757 midway between Tyler and Longview.

Selling 75 Black and Red Purebred Simmental and Black SimAngus™ Bulls

Selling 75 Black and Red Purebred Simmental and Black SimAngus™ Females

• Yearling to Two-Year-Olds • All are polled • Most are A.I. sired by breed leaders in both Simmental and Angus • These bulls have been developed on a highforage diet — they are ready to go to work

• Bred Cows and Bred Heifers — some will have calves at side by sale day • All are polled • Most are A.I. sired by breed leaders in both Simmental and Angus and most sell with the service of proven A.I. sires • Guest consignments from TAG Simmental Ranch, Pittsburg, TX and Alfred Bayer & Sons, Muenster, TX

Selling 50 Commercial Females

• All are true F1 Brahman x Hereford • All were raised at 7P Ranch using Hereford bulls on our commercial Brahman cows — the disposition is excellent on these heifers • Majority will sell as bred heifers — AI’d to calving ease Black Angus bulls and cleaned up with Black Angus bulls • All are Brucellosis vaccinated, all are wormed, all are up to date on all vaccinations • All bred heifers will be pregnancy checked by a licensed veterinarian • These heifers will sell in uniform groups, sorted as to like kind and pregnancy status

Catalogs available on request. Click on our website, for more and updated information: www.7pranch.com View on-line catalog and videos of our sale offering starting October 7 at www.CattleInMotion.com

The sale will be broadcast live and internet bidding will be available.

To view and bid on this sale online, go to www.CattleInMotion.com

BD: 12-3-13 • Purebred Simmental Female Gibbs Crimson Tide x Mr NLC Superior AI’d to Hook’s Yellowstone

A330 BD: 11-8-13 • ¾ SM ¼ AN Female PMS Principal (Dream On) x Mytty In Focus AI’d to WS Prime Beef

Auctioneer: Mark Tillman 210-216-6754 TX LIC# 9642

Sale Consultants: Warren Garrett • 903-316-2889 Bruce Van Meter • 770-547-1433 Impact Marketing & Management, Inc. Marty Ropp 406-581-7835

Opportunity and a Good Banker Hard work, a friendly loan officer and the foresight to capitalize on fortuitous opportunity are the keys to a Montana commercial operation.

Haying season with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountain Front.

By Dan Rieder

M

ark Hitchcock, who ranches in a semiremote region on the eastern slopes of Montana’s rugged Rocky Mountain Front, was a self-described “country kid who wanted to be a rancher all my life.” He had grown up in the farming towns of Choteau (pronounced Show-Toe, population: 1,694) and Bynum, where his dad worked for an implement dealer.

“At an early age I had been been told repeatedly that there was no way that I could become a rancher without some kind of family jump-start,” he recalls. “After high school, I started a little haystacking business and figured that wasn’t much of a life, so I enrolled at Northern Montana College and earned an Associate of Science degree in Farm and Ranch Management.”

After graduation, he returned to the Choteau area, got married and started a family. A few years later, after brief stints working for a number of

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area ranchers, Hitchcock and his family settled on a place near the nearby village of Dupuyer (pronounced Duh-poo-yer, population: 86).

Incidentally, Dupuyer is a French word for the tallow on the back of a bison’s hump.

“The rancher I was working for decided to run for County Commissioner, moved to town, and left me to run the ranch between 1981 and 1994.

Then, we had an opportunity to buy a small mercantile in Dupuyer. Through that process, my wife and I divorced. Shortly thereafter, the opportunity presented itself for me to lease that ranch and that’s where we now live,” he said.

During the decade of the 1990s, he experienced a series of life-changing events that occurred in rapid-fire order. Not only was he leasing his current ranch, but he had remarried and also purchased a Loomix dealership, which he continues to run out of Dupuyer, delivering feed with his own small fleet

Hitchcock’s cowherd on their winter feedground.

of trucks. Since then, he’s leased another large ranch, and a couple of smaller pastures. Double M cattle spend much of the summer grazing high on the Rocky Mountain Front to the west. “We do business under the name of Double M Livestock and Feeds,” he added.

“Today, we’re running a herd of 600 cows, supporting three families (his two sons and their families are major partners in the family operation) and operating the Loomix dealership,” he says with obvious satisfaction. “We found a way to become successful ranchers without the major expenditures associated with land purchase. I own exactly one acre and it is located in town. Every bit of our pasture and hay land is leased.”

He traces his success to a number of factors.

“You have to have someone who believes in you, and in my case, it was my banker. You also have to have the opportunities, which came along when I needed them, and finally, you have to be willing to endure hard work and long hours.”

Hitchcock and his wife, Joy, have a blended family of six children and 14 grandchildren.

His oldest is Chad, who is home on the ranch, married to Jaley, a school teacher at a local Hut-

terite Colony and a professional breakaway roper.

Their two children are Tripp and Tayla.

Daughter Trina Bradley, who runs a photography business on the side, and her husband, Peter, run a 300-cow ranch near Valier and have three children: Samantha, Shayna and Kadence.

Second daughter Crystal is a speech pathologist in Ronan, Montana, and her husband, Christian, works for the nearby Polson school district. Their sons are Myles and Luke.

His youngest, Tim, also works on the ranch, but recently bought a manure truck and loader, and custom cleans corrals on the side. He’s married to Brandy, a stay-at-home mom for three small children: Trae, Ryder and Desi.

Joy is the mother of two: daughter, Teresa, is married to Eric Inabnit, a welder in Kalispell, while she is employed as an office manager. Their two boys are Logan and Max. Her son, Scott Henke, is married to Kristine.

He is a diesel mechanic for a John Deere dealership in Conrad, while she is a hospital receptionist and coder. They’re the parents of Elise and Mason.

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The Historical Perspective

The Breeding Philosophy

Hitchcock’s first encounter with Simmental occurred clear back in 1978, when he purchased 12 registered Fleckvieh females. “That experience went south in a hurry,” he reports. “I’d paid $333 apiece for two-year-old heifers and sold their calves that fall for a dollar a pound. I thought ‘why isn’t everybody in the cattle business?’ It wasn’t long before interest rates ballooned up to 19 to 20% and the price of cattle dropped out of sight.”

Over the period when he was working for wages, Hitchcock would occasionally accept cattle as part of his compensation, enabling him to build up a small herd of about 40 commercial Angus females. Because there was plenty of grass available on the ranch, the owner approved a plan that allowed him to buy cow/calf pairs in the spring, graze them all summer and then sell them in the fall.

“We also dabbled in hogs, selling 400 to 500 weaner pigs each year. My kids did most of the work — we’d just buy pigs and summer them. Hogs were a good cash flow at that time and basically, got me going financially. We got out of the pig business when the local grizzly bear population developed a craving for fresh pork,” he laughed.

Because of their proximity to the famed Bob Marshall Wildnerness, grizzlies and wolves can be a major concern. “The grizzlies follow the creek down into the valley and come right through our yard,” he explained. “I’ve been here 35 years and as far as I know, we’ve only lost one calf to them. The wolves walk right through our cattle and we have yet to lose anything to them. I’m dreading the day when those predators’ appetites change from venison and elk to beef. I believe that will happen eventually.”

In 2008, Hitchcock made a conscious decision to introduce halfblood SimAngus™ bulls. “A close friend had been using crossbred bulls for several years and I really liked his calves, they were long, lean and black,” he recalled. “You couldn’t tell them from Angus, other than the fact that they were real performers.”

Some of his neighbors and friends have questioned his decision to use halfblood bulls. “I have found that if we keep those good, crossbred heifers in our herd, we get milk, hybrid vigor, growth, added ribeye, fertility and docility all from the Simmental influence. By crossing them with Angus, we maintain moderate size — I prefer 1,200 pound cows, rather than those 1,500-pound monsters,” he states.

“With this combination, we’re producing 700 pounds of steer calf when we ship on the first of October. Because we’ve been keeping one-quarter Simmental x three-quarter Angus replacement heifers for several years and continue to breed them back to halfbloods, we end up with calves that are three-eighths Simmental — five-eighths Angus,” he explained.

“To help maintain our Angus base, we synchronize and AI our heifers to top-of-the-line Angus bulls. Our current bull battery of 30 bulls includes one Angus herd sire and three Angus heifer bulls. The remainder are mostly SimAngus, although we have acquired an occasional higher percentage Simmental bull,” he continued.

Among their primary seedstock sources are Open Gate Ranch at Fairfield, Hills Ranch at Stanford, and the Hayes Ranch at Wilsall.

Double M calves have been shipped to the same feedlot at Lester, Iowa, for the past six years. “They go on feed in October and are slaughtered at 14 months of age, averaging 1,350 pounds. The owner of that 2,000-head feedlot is a young man named Keith Mosher, who really likes the performance of Simmental-cross calves,” he reported.

Hitchcock admits a personal preference for black cattle. “We don’t keep any red animals even though they may be outstanding. We just try to keep them all black.”

The Hitchcock crew raises all of its own hay, about 2,000 tons annually, including some irrigated alfalfa.

“We’re also one of our own best Loomix customers. We put that feed out there as soon as the grass dries up in the fall and starts losing its protein. When we wean our calves, they’ve got a pretty good mineral buildup. When they go the feedlot, they’re ready to go to work,” he said.

“Our intent is to hold our balance of genetics between Angus and Simmental about where they are,” he summarized. “I am very pleased that we can sell 700 pound steers off the cow with no creep feeding.”

T

S

cock.

Mark and Joy Hitch

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NINE STEPS TO STARTING

OUT OR EXPANDING IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS Coordinated by Will Townsend, ASA Director of Commercial and Industry Operations

Will Townsend

W

hether you’re just starting out in the cattle business or somewhat established, developing and expanding your operation can be a daunting task. However, if cattle production (seedstock, commercial, feedlot, etc.) is your chosen profession, herd, ranch and operation development and expansion may be exactly what you need. I’ve interviewed a number of professionals in the cattle business that have had exceptional success at starting and/or expanding a cattle operation and compiled some key points that they suggest to help producers in this endeavor.

1. Is the Business Sustainable?

Before you even get started, it is important to question the sustainability of your potential business so that your time, effort and money are not wasted. James Brown with Cargill has studied business development and expansion and knows what it takes to be successful and, more importantly, what can lead to a lack of success.

James points out that “Most people go back to the family farm/ranch for the lifestyle, but if it’s not a sustainable business, it’s not a sustainable lifestyle.” This is sometimes a difficult question to face but a serious one.

2. Recognize and Utilize Opportunities The “self-made man” is an American icon. Everybody either is or will become a self-made man in their own mind. The rags-to-riches stories offer what we view as the true American stories. However, even if you didn’t come from rags you will likely still view yourself as a selfmade man. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, he points out there is really no such thing as a self-made man. All success stories are a result of the effects of one’s environment and the opportunities that environment offers. Numerous stories of success and fame of great individuals were cited by Gladwell including Bill Gates, Beethoven, the Beatles, star athletes, and many others. Each of these cases showed a large environmental effect and opportunities that were offered to nobody else. It becomes quite humbling when we realize that so much of who and what we are today has to do with something other than us being “self-made” individuals.

I truly believe that it is only by God’s grace that we face any of the opportunities presented to us.

Is this to say that these individuals did not contribute to their very own success? Not at all. What separated these people from the rest and made them great were not just the opportunities they were given, but the fact that they recognized and utilized those opportunities.

Andrew Sunderman of Sunderman Cattle Company is a young producer that has built and grown both a feedlot and cow/calf operation in Nebraska. When I asked Andrew what tips he would give to young producers trying to get into the cattle business, he said, “Get in three years ago.” Although Andrew was joking, there is something to be learned from that statement. Timing is everything. Opportunities often only present themselves within a small window. That is why it is so important to recognize and utilize them in a timely fashion.

Often these opportunities come in the form of people.

It may be a wiser choice to partner with someone such as family member rather than start off on your own. Use the experience and wisdom that those around you have to offer. Many times we feel it necessary to prove ourselves by doing everything on our own. That’s the definition of a self-made man, right? What you will notice is the most successful people will take every opportunity they can to get help from others. I can personally relate to this. I’ve admired my father, grandfather, and uncle so much that I once had a desire to follow them exactly in their footsteps. I wanted to start my very own cattle business from scratch and make it very successful, just like they did. However, I have a great deal of respect for these men and how they got to where they are. In fact, I figured that, best-case scenario, I would end up right where they are given the same amount of time as I don’t know that things could be done much better than how they did it.

The other option was to pick up where they left off. To CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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NINE STEPS TO STARTING OUT OR EXPANDING

IN

THE CATTLE BUSINESS

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use what they had built as a launching pad and keep building up. To honor what they had built by taking it to even higher levels. This sort of mindset is common among most successful people in all industries. One of my favorite quotes is by Sir Isaac Newton exclaiming “If I see further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

3. If Everyone is Doing It, Be Cautious Almost everyone you talk to is doing something that nobody else had done before (at least in their own mind).

The reality is that most people are doing the same thing, some just better than others. Some of the most successful people in any industry separate themselves from the pack by doing something completely different. This is the sort of opportunity we need to keep our eyes open for. In addition, doing the same thing as everyone else can be a very bad idea at times. Here’s James: “Mass changes in industries occur for two reasons: fads and structural change. If everyone is changing because of structural change, such as movement from loose hay to round bales, get on board, but if everyone is making a change because of a fad (i.e. Buffalo in late 1990s) be cautious.”

4. Look for Something Nobody Else Sees Typically the reason the majority moves at the same pace is because they view things similarly. For example, when we are talking about land investments these days, we all see that most land investment don’t pencil out for the production that the land has to offer. That is why most of us don’t purchase the land. However, there is a minority that is expanding and some quite rapidly. How? Is their pencil sharper? They likely saw something that you missed. Maybe it was an additional revenue stream.

Maybe they see it as a future investment and are leasing other ground in order to run enough cows (more than the purchased land can support) to pay for the land.

Maybe they saw a way to get irrigation to the land making it more productive. Remember, if a piece of land ever came up for sale that easily penciled out, it would be sold before you could even called the banker.

Andrew Sunderman has been able to expand his cowherd rapidly and profitably when grass prices in Nebraska are some of the highest in the country through dry-lotting cows. This may not work for everyone but simply train your eye to see things differently than others and to think outside of the box.

Another individual I interviewed saw the opportunity to purchase a large ranch that was used by a grazing association but did not have the collateral to do so. He got to know some of the producers in the grazing association and realized they were interested in a ranch elsewhere in Montana. Therefore, he purchased shares in the grazing association to use as collateral to purchase the ranch they were interested in and then made a land trade for the ranch he wanted. This is pretty creative and may never work again. However, he saw something nobody else saw, recognized an opportunity and seized it.

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5. Make it Pencil This seems obvious but I think it needs to be stated.

Some of the most successful business people in the world have the unbreakable habit of putting the pencil to everything. In reality, this is how we recognize opportunities or weed out what is not a great opportunity at all. I would also add to not be lazy in regards to this step.

Go into detail instead of using rough figures. You may be surprised at what will actually pencil out and what will not. James Brown stresses this saying “Make quantitative based decisions and carefully document your financial performance and plan. Quantitative based decision making breeds confidence in lenders and presents potential opportunities.”

6. Have a Purpose or Vision Expansion for the sake of expansion may leave you disappointed. Countless people will tell you that more land, cattle and money does not necessarily lead to more happiness. Make sure you know what you are shooting for. If it is to support more family, know how big you need to be to support that family. If it is to make cattle production your only job, know how big you need to be to provide enough income. If you are serving God, be sure you are always seeking His will. If you are trying to serve a larger customer base, have an accurate idea of how large of a customer base.

7. Communicate Your Vision James Brown says “People want to help and inspire young people in agriculture, but if you never communicate your visions and goals to others, you may miss out on many opportunities.” This goes right along with recognizing opportunities. Other people will take you further than you ever could have gone on your own. With the average of age agriculture producers being around 60 years old and an increased interest of getting young men and women in agriculture production, people are looking for ways to help you. Make sure they know you are looking for ways to be helped.

8. Know when to say “No” Remember, your resources (time, money, energy, etc.) are extremely limited and valuable. As you study the most successful people in the beef industry or any other industry for that matter, you will see that one of the things they all have in common is focus. They do not get side-tracked with fads or anything that does not have to do with their vision. Here’s James: “Because success is as much as defining “what you won’t do” as “what you will do.” For example, if your goal is to be a large seedstock operator, raising show cattle may not be a good use of your time and resources.”

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NINE STEPS TO STARTING OUT OR EXPANDING

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Recap

9. Have a Backup Plan This is not to say that you should lose focus and waste time and other resources on things other than your vision. On the contrary, a backup plan can be completely in-line with your vision. You simply need to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. Preparation is key in this business. Even if you never use your backup plan, being prepared will give you confidence that will help you perform the task at hand better. James Brown says “Always have a backup plan that can be put into place if plan A fails. Young people commonly lose valuable time by putting all their eggs in one basket and not knowing what to do if the original plan fails.”

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Is the Business Sustainable?

Recognize and Utilize Opportunities If Everyone is Doing it, Be Cautious Look for Something Nobody Else Sees Make it Pencil Have a Purpose or a Vision Communicate Your Vision Know When to Say “No” Have a Backup Plan ST

“Genetic Trends for Fullblood, Simbrah, and Hybrid Simmental Populations: — Genetic Trends for Fullblood, Simbrah, and Hybrid Simmental Populations (1993-2013) By Jackie Atkins, Ph. D., Director of Science and Education In the April edition of the Register, we published an article reviewing the genetic trends of Purebred Simmental cattle from 1993 to 2013. Due to space restraints we were unable to dig into similar data for Fullblood, Simbrah, and hybrid Simmental populations but wanted to showcase this data here on the tREG blog.

An extended electronic version of the Register going beyond the bounds of print to delve deeper into the stories of Simmental and SimGenetics’ producers, programs, and happenings.

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Spotlight on the Connors State College Beef Show Team — “Responsibly developing the next generation of cattle enthusiasts is a process, much like halter-breaking a weaned calf. Little, slow steps eventually become big, sure strides.”

BIOSECURITY ON THE RANCH TO

REDUCE RISKS FOR BOVINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE

Developed by Washington State University Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Extension, March 2013. By Authors: D. Moore, S. Kerr, A. Allen, J. Wenz

What is biosecurity?

Biosecurity includes those sets of management practices that prevent disease from entering the farm or ranch or prevent disease from being transmitted between animals. When you look at a cowcalf ranch, the extensive nature of the range the cattle inhabit can make the thought of biosecurity impractical. However, even large ranches can implement some disease prevention practices to reduce the risks for their cattle.

We think that if we keep cattle vaccinated, we can increase their resistance and prevent any disease problems. However, pathogens can overwhelm or even evade the immune system (Srikumaran et al., 2007). Nevertheless, there are certain things we can do to help reduce a herd’s exposure to the agents that cause bovine respiratory disease (BRD), regardless of the extent of the range.

Preventing BRD disease agent transmission Even if a herd is vaccinated, overwhelming exposure can still result in disease.

BRD usually begins when an environmental stressor suppresses immune function.

Lung inflammation caused by the combined effect of viral and bacterial infection causes clinical signs that can progress to fatalities.

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We do not really know the real risk of exposure to pathogens on ranches.

However, we do know that even if a herd is vaccinated, overwhelming exposure can still result in disease. Thus, anything we can do to reduce exposure is in the best interest of the herd.

The first step is to understand the agents of the Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) complex. BRD, also called shipping fever, is a common cause of illness and death in cattle, especially calves. BRD is considered a complex because many different pathogens are known to cause respiratory disease and many factors can contribute to the development of clinical signs (Merck 2011).

What disease agents are involved?

Viruses Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Parainfluenza‐3 Virus (PI‐3) Bacteria Pasturella multocida Histophilus somni Mannheimia hemolytica Mycoplasma bovis BRD usually begins when an environmental stressor suppresses immune function (Gulliksen et al., 2009). Examples of environmental stressors include: weaning, transportation, castration, dehydration, hunger, crowding, weather, parasitism, and respiratory irritants. Malnutrition and/or other infections (such as persistent infection (PI) with Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus) can also affect immune function (Stevens et al., 2007). When animals’ defense mechanisms are compromised, they a are susceptible to viral infections. Viral infections damage lung tissue and encourage secondary infections with bacteria.

The resulting lung inflammation caused by the combined effect of viral and bacterial infection causes the clinical signs that can progress to fatalities (Callan and Garry, 2002).

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BIOSECURITY ON THE RANCH TO

REDUCE RISKS FOR BOVINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE

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How are these disease agents transmitted?

New Replacement Heifers BRSV — This virus can be spread by aerosolized Purchased calves secretions from the respiratory tract and other Purchased colostrum secretions by direct or close contact. Seasonal facNeighbor cattle tors related to commingling, housing and changes Wildlife (Urcan‐Chmiel and Grooms, 2002). in atmospheric pressure may intensify the results of infection.

The following graphic provides an overview IBR — The IBR virus can be carried by non sympof potential sources of new disease agents to tomatic or clinically affected animals and spread the herd.

Purchased through direct contact, coughing, nasal discharge Outside Purchased Leased Replacement and in the semen of infected bulls. Aerosol contaCows Bulls Heifers mination of feed or water by cattle secretions is also possible.

Purchased Calves BVDV — The BVD virus can be spread to unborn Visitors calves in utero, by bulls to cows and heifers Suppliers Feed through the venereal route or even artificial insemination, and by direct contact with infected animals. Contaminated equipment and needles Purchased can also spread the virus between animals Colostrum (USDA, 2007).

PI 3 — The parainfluenza virus is usually spread Wildlife through aerosol droplets.

Pasteurella multocida — This bacterium is often Neighboring a normal inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract Stocker Herds and gains access to lungs when host defenses are Cattle (Cows & Bulls) impaired.

Bibersteinia trehalosi — This bacterium is likely similar to infections with Pasteurella.

What are the risks for transmitting disease between groups of animals on a ranch?

Mannheimia hemolytica — This bacterium is also a normal inhabitant of the nasopharynx and Many ranchers consider their operation one invades the lungs when host defenses are impaired. premise. However, there are a number of different systems and groups of animals on a ranch. The Histophilus somni — This agent is also spread first group to consider is purchased replacements by the aerosol route. (heifers, cows and bulls). Not only do they repreMycoplasma bovis — This disease agent is spread sent a risk to the rest of the herd by possibly hardirectly through calf to calf contact, on fomites boring new disease agents, they may be at risk for such as drenching equipment and balling guns; “ranch diseases” they have not seen before. After it is short lived in the environment. their transport to a new ranch, housing them in Many BRD agents are normal inhabitants of an isolation facility for rest and adjustment to cattle and only a few are likely to be transmitted surroundings would be advantageous for them between animals. However, if an animal has not and the resident herd. been exposed to a specific version of the agent — For some disease agents, keeping younger and like flu strains in people — exposure to that new more susceptible animals away from older ones can strain might result in disease. help prevent disease transmission. For example, What are the risks for introducing disease younger calves exposed to older ones in group housonto ranches? ing have a higher risk for BRD. Wintering cows and The biggest risk for introducing disease onto a heifers in separate lots and then moving cows and ranch is through contact with new animals. New heifers into clean, separate calving lots can reduce animals include: pathogen loads. To reduce pathogen build up at Purchased or leased bulls calving time, calving could be done on pasture or on stubble fields, as opposed to in a barn.

Purchased cows

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What are the things that prevent BRD agents from being transmitted?

The following management practices can be used to decrease exposure to new BRD pathogens (Moore et al., 2008): • Reduce the risk of infected animals being introduced into a herd.

• Bring in animals from uninfected herds only.

• Bring in animals from herds that vaccinate to protect against BRD viral agents.

• Avoid purchasing animals from sale barns.

• Test new animals for persistent infections with BVD and cull positive animals. Even short term exposure to BVD PI animals can increasethe number of calves that become ill.

• Isolate new animals for a minimum of 14 days (ideally for 30 days) before allowing contact with resident animals.

• Sanitize housing areas and cattle equipment to reduce pathogen build up.

• Isolate sick animals because they are likely to shed pathogens in high numbers.

• Prevent contact with neighboring cattle of unknown infection status.

• Avoid overstocking, particularly during winter feeding and calving season.

Keep in mind that airborne viruses can be dispersed for more than 12 feet from their source.

Biosecurity practices are helpful in reducing a herd’s disease risk. Without the bug, there can be no disease. However, because of the nature of the BRD complex, strategies such as assisting the immune system need to be combined with reducing the risk of disease transmission. This assistance includes providing excellent herdwide nutrition, instituting an effective vaccination program, minimizing stress, and treating affected animals promptly.

References: Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex. The Merck Veterinary Manual. 2011. Merck, Sharpe and Dohme Corp.:Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. URL: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.js p?cfile=htm/bc/121205.htm.

Accessed August 29, 2012.

Callan, R. J. and F. B. Garry. 2002. Biosecurity and bovine respiratory disease. Vet Clin Food Anim. 18:57 77.

Gulliksen, S. M., E. Jor, K.. I. Lie, T. Loken, J. Akerstedt and O. Osteras. 2009. Respiratory in fections in Norwegian dairy calves. J Dairy Sci. 92:5139 5146.

Moore, D. A., M. L. Merryman, M. L. Hartman, and D. J. Klingborg. 2008. Comparison of published recommendations regarding biosecurity practices for various production animal species and classes. J Am Vet Med Assoc 233(2):249 256.

Srikumaran, S., C. L. Kelling and A. Ambagala.

2007. Immune evasion by pathogens of bovine respiratory disease complex. Animal Health Research Reviews,8, pp 215229 doi:10.1017/S1466252307001326.

Stevens, E. T., D. U. Thomson, G. H. Lonergan, and N. Lindberg. 2007. Effects of short term exposure of feeder cattle to calves persistently infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus. Bovine Practitioner.41(2):151 155.

Urban Chmiel, R. and D. L.. Grooms. 2012.

Prevention and control of bovine respiratory disease. J. Livestock Sci. 3:27 36.

USDA:APHIS Veterinary Services, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health. 2007. Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Info Sheet. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/ emergingissues/downloads/ bvdinfosheet.pdf

ST

The biggest risk for introducing disease onto a premise is through contact with new animals.

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ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN

BULL LEASING

By Cari B. Rincker, Esq. There are many reasons why a cattleman may choose to lease a bull. Oftentimes, these transactions are done “on a handshake”; however, memorializing the terms of the lease can protect both parties, help articulate a clear agreement, and provide a roadmap for resolving disputes to preserve a business relationship. This article illuminates the salient points that should be considered in your bull lease.

1. Identification.

The Bull(s). The lease should be clear on which bull(s) are subject to the lease. If the bull is registered with a breed association, it is recommended to include the breed registration number and a copy of the registration paper as an addendum. Cattlemen should consider putting the approximate weight and body condition score of the bull at the time of the Agreement; in some cases, the bull owner will include a photograph of the bull to illustrate his condition on or around the date of delivery.

The Cows. In most cases, bull leases should be clear on which females the bull will be bred to. In some instances, a detailed list of the cows, their identification numbers, dates of birth and breed may be attached as an addendum to the lease. This may be important for multiple reasons: (1) to show that the bull will not be overworked, (2) to demonstrate that the bull will or will not be used on virgin heifers, or (3) the bull will not be bred to unapproved cows owned by the breeder or third parties.

Bull Use Location(s). The bull lease should be clear where the bull will be housed. Will the bull be on pasture on the breeder’s property? Will the bull transfer among three different properties owned or rented by the breeder?

2. Delivery.

How is the bull being transported from the bull owner’s property to the breeder’s property? Who is paying for the expense of the transportation and bearing any risk of loss, injury or illness of the bull during the delivery time? Are there penalties for late delivery? Will the bull be transported to a bull stud once a month during the lease? It is also recommended that both parties agree to comply with transportation laws for the truck and trailer and any animal welfare laws that apply to the transportation of livestock, including the “Twenty-Eight Hour Law”.

3. Term.

The term of the lease and procedures for extending the term should be clear.

4. Payment Terms.

Bull leases should have unambiguous payment terms. What is the rate, timing for payment, payment method(s) and instructions, and penalty for late payment (including interest). Some bull leases require a security deposit for $X to help insure the delivery of a healthy bull at the end of the term.

5. Option to Purchase.

Will the breeder have an option to purchase the bull at the end of the lease or is this a “rent-toown” contract for a bull?

6. Insurance.

The bull may be insured to cover risks relating to the death, injury or illness of: (a) the bull, (b) other animals caused, by the bull, or (c) people, caused by the bull. This coverage may be included in the Farmowner’s Comprehensive Liability Policy, coverage by specialized and targeted livestock insurance, or another type of commercial insurance; however, the parties to the bull lease should address this issue.

7. Representations.

Are the parties making any representations to the other party? For example, the bull owner might be representing the bull’s ownership, breed, pedigree, Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) according to the breed association, genetic DNA markers, health, fertility, and structural soundness. If the bull owner represents that the bull tested positively for a certain genetic marker then the bull owner should make sure that the lease acknowledges that genetic DNA tests are not 100% accurate and the bull owner is not taking responsibility for any error by the tester. On the flip side, the breeder may represent the health of his/her cowherd, the breed or age of the cows, certain nutrition programs, and that the animal handling practices used on the cattle operation are in compliance with federal and state animal welfare laws.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN BULL LEASING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

8. Record-Keeping.

Are there any record keeping requirements under the lease? For example, is the breeder required to keep any feeding or breeding records?

Does the breeder have to supply the bull owner with any data on the progeny (e.g., weaning weight, yearling weight, genetic DNA markers)?

9. Veterinary Care.

The issue of veterinary care should be addressed in the bull lease. It is recommended that the breeder be required to call the bull owner immediately if a medical issue ensues. Do the parties have a list of approved veterinarians? If there is an emergency, can the breeder use any available veterinarian?

Who will pay for reasonable and necessary veterinary expenses?

10. Care of the Bull.

Parties to a bull lease should consider adding language concerning the care of the bull. Is the breeder required to use certain management techniques or nutrition programs? Is there a penalty if the bull is delivered back to the bull owner at the term malnourished or has experienced a significant loss of weight? Unless otherwise agreed, there should be a clause restricting the breeder from taking the bull to a bull stud or otherwise collecting his semen.

11. Risk of Loss, Injury or Illness.

Who is bearing the risk of loss, death, injury or illness to: (a) the bull, (b) other animals, caused by the bull, or (c) people, caused by the bull. Is there a penalty if the bull is injured (either with or without the fault of the breeder) so as to make the bull unserviceable to other females (including but not limited to him being crippled, unsound, or injured sheath, penis or scrotum)? As noted above, how should risk of loss, injury or illness be addressed while the bull is being transported between farms and ranches?

supply a veterinarian approved and signed “Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation” as proof that the bull is a “Satisfactory Potential Breeder”. On the other hand, the breeder may guarantee that the cows are healthy.

Warranties on health and fertility are common if the payment terms are directly related to confirmed pregnancies. Conversely, the bull owner may want to specifically state that he does not warrant that the semen is fit for a particular purpose or that the bull’s semen will result in the production of a calf or that the progeny will result in congenital birth defects.

13. Termination.

Under what circumstances can either party terminate the bull lease? For example, many bull leases allow for the termination of the lease if either party materially breaches the contract.

Furthermore, there could be a clause saying that either party could terminate the lease giving the other party X days written notice.

14. Confidentiality.

This issue of confidentiality should be discussed when negotiating a bull lease. If the parties haven’t already signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, do they want the terms of the bull lease to be confidential? Will any exceptions to this confidentiality apply and for how long should the obligation of confidentiality apply?

15. Dispute Resolution.

Few bull leases address dispute resolution and they should — just ask anyone who has been a party to law suit. Litigation can be long and expensive. Parties should consider having a mediation clause requiring the parties to a bull lease to use an experienced agriculture mediator to help facilitate a settlement of the dispute. If mediation is futile, the parties should consider having a binding arbitration clause under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

12. Warranty/Guarantee.

16. Relationship of Parties.

Is either party making a warranty or guarantee?

Perhaps the bull owner wants to give a warranty that the bull is of a certain breed and free of genetic birth defects. Most breed associations have posted online the genetic testing status of registered bulls, which can be included as an addendum to the lease, illustrating that the bull is pedigree-free, tested free or assumed-free of genetic birth defects. If a warranty to the bull’s fertility is made, then the bull owner should

In most cases, the contract should be clear that the bull owner and breeder are not forming a partnership, joint venture, agency, or any other formal business association. As an exception, if the bull lease includes a provision that the parties will sell the progeny from the bull and split the proceeds, then this is a partnership — instead of a “bull lease” the parties should have a “general partnership agreement”. Put simply, when two or more people go to business together and share profits CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN BULL LEASING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

then they have formed a partnership. This is an important concept to understand because general partnerships are often times formed in the livestock community, sometimes inadvertently.

Partners can legally bind other partners. If it is not your intent to form a partnership then make sure your lease includes a simple clause clarifying that it is a lessor/lessee relationship vs. a partnership.

17. A Few Other Provisions.

If the bull owner and the breeder are in different states, it is paramount that the contract should say what the choice of law is (e.g., New York, Illinois, Texas). Is there any exclusivity between the parties?

Can the agreement be modified in writing? How will the parties handle Acts of God (e.g., tornado, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fire)? Can the bull be subleased?

As you can see, there is no “one-size fits” bull lease that is suitable for every transaction. That’s why it is dangerous for cattle producers to pull a form off the Internet, fill in a few blanks, and hope that it’s “good enough.” Bull leases should be care-

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fully tailored for the unique needs of your operation and the circumstances surrounding a particular transaction. It behooves cattle producers to hire an attorney to help craft a suitable bull lease. Cattle producers can help keep legal costs down by using this checklist and working through all the issues with the other party before consulting an attorney.

Even if an attorney is not used as the draftsman, cattlemen should try to memorialize the terms of the bull lease in writing.

Editor’s Note: Cari Rincker is the owner of Rincker Law, PLLC, a national general practice law firm concentrating in food and agriculture law with offices in New York and Illinois. She is currently the Chair of the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Agriculture Law Committee. She grew up on a Simmental beef cattle operation in Shelbyville, Illinois, served as an American Junior Simmental Association trustee and interned with the American Simmental Association.

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BODY CONDITION

SCORING BEEF COWS Dan E. Eversole, Extension Animal Scientist, Virginia Tech Milyssa F. Browne, Graduate Student, Virginia Tech John B. Hall, Animal Scientist, Virginia Tech Richard E. Dietz, Animal Scientist, Virginia Tech This article was originally published by Virginia Cooperative Extension May 1, 2009

Overview Body condition scoring (BCS) is a useful management tool for distinguishing differences in nutritional needs of beef cows in the herd. This system uses a numeric score to estimate body energy reserves in the cow. Research indicates that there is a strong link between the body condition of a cow and her reproductive performance.

The percentage of open cows, calving interval, and calf vigor at birth are all closely related to the body condition of cows both at calving and during the breeding season.

All these factors play an important role in the economics of a beef cow-calf operation and help determine the percentage of viable calves each year. Monitoring body condition using the BCS system is an important managerial tool for assessing production efficiency.

Body Condition Scoring System

Figure 1. Areas useful for visually determining BCS in beef cows.

(Oklahoma State University)

Body condition scores are excellent indicators of the nutritional status in beef cows. Ideal liveweight varies from cow to cow whereas ideal body condition (BCS 5-6) is the same for all cows. Also, body condition can be measured in the field without gathering or working cattle.

Body condition scores are numbers used to estimate energy reserves in the form of fat and muscle of beef cows. BCS ranges from 1 to 9, with a score of 1 being extremely thin and 9 being very obese. Areas such as the back, tail head, pins, hooks, ribs, and brisket of beef cattle can be used to determine BCS (Figure 1).

A cow in ‘thin’ condition (BCS 1-4) is angular and bony with minimal fat over the backbone, ribs, hooks, and pins. There is no visible fat around the tail head or brisket. A cow in ‘ideal’ condition (BCS 5-7) has a good overall appearance. A cow with a BCS of 5 has visible hips, although there is some fat over the hooks and pins and the backbone is no longer visible. Cows with BCS of 6 or 7 become fleshy and the ribs are no longer visible.

There is also fat around the tail head and in the brisket.

An over-conditioned cow (BCS 8-9) is smooth and boxy with bone structure hidden from sight or touch. She may have large protruding fat deposits (pones) around the tail head and on the pin bones. Be aware that gut fill due to rumen contents or pregnancy can change the appearance of moderately fleshy cows, especially over the ribs or in front of the hooks. Visual indicators of each BCS are listed in Table 1, and example photos of BCS 1-9 are illustrated in photos 1 through 9.

Long hair can often make it difficult to correctly evaluate the body condition score of a beef cow or heifer. When the hair on the cow is long, palpating the specific areas of fat deposition is particularly important, as shown in Figure 2. Cows should be palpated over the back, ribs, and over the horizontal processes of the backbone (edge of loin). ‘Thin’ cows will have a sharper feel in these areas than cows with moderate or fat body conditions.

Table 1. Reference table for body condition scores.

Reference point

1

Physically weak yes Muscle atrophy yes Outline of spine visible yes Outline of ribs visible all Outline of hip & pin bones visible yes Fat in brisket and flanks no Fat udder & patchy fat around tail head no

Body Condition Scores 4 5 6

7

8

9

no slight yes all

no no slight 3-5

no no no 1-2

no no no 0

no no no 0

no no no 0

no no no 0

yes no

yes no

yes no

yes no

yes some

slight full

no full

no extreme

no

no

no

no

no

slight

yes

extreme

2

3

no yes yes all

(Modified from Pruitt, 1994.)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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BODY CONDITION SCORING BEEF COWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

It is important to be aware that the breed of beef cow can have a strong influence on where body fat is deposited. For example, Bos taurus breeds and crossbreds will show a more uniform distribution of fat across the ribs, whereas Bos indicus cattle may have very little fat over the ribs but will deposit fat over the hooks and pin bones.

Photo 1: BCS 1. Emaciated with muscle atrophy and no detectable fat. Tail head and ribs project predominantly.

Animal physically weak.

Photo 2: BCS 2. Poor condition with muscle atrophy and no detectable fat. Tail head and ribs prominent.

Figure 2. Specific anatomical areas used in determining BCS in beef cows.

(Adapted from Herd and Sprott, 1986.)

Photo 3: BCS 3. Thin condition. Slight muscle atrophy.

All ribs visible. Very little detectable fat.

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BODY CONDITION SCORING BEEF COWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

Photo 4: BCS 4. Borderline condition. Outline of spine slightly visible. Outline of 3 to 5 ribs visible. Some fat over ribs and hips.

Photo 7: BCS 7. Good, fleshy appearance. Hips slightly visible but ribs and spine not visible. Fat in brisket and flanks with slight udder and tail head fat.

Photo 5: BCS 5. Moderate, good overall appearance.

Outline of spine no longer visible. Outline of 1-2 ribs visible.

Fat over hips but still visible.

Photo 8: BCS 8. Fat, fleshy and overconditioned. Bone structure not visible. Large patchy fat deposits over ribs, around tail head and brisket.

Photo 6: BCS 6. High moderate condition. Ribs and spine no longer visible. Pressure applied to feel bone structure.

Some fat in brisket and flanks.

Photo 9: BCS 9. Extremely fat, wasty and patchy. Mobility possibly impaired. Bone structure not visible. Extreme fat deposits over ribs, around tail head and brisket.

Photos 1, 3, and 9 courtesy of Florida Cooperative Extension; Photo 2 courtesy of Dee Whittier, D.V.M.; Photos 4, 5, 6,7, and 8 courtesy of Milyssa Browne.

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Guidelines for Body Condition Scores On average, most beef cows score in the range of 3 to 7 throughout the year. A cow is expected to be in optimal body condition (BCS 5-7) before calving. She may lose condition after calving and possibly into the breeding season. She may gain condition and weight as weaning approaches (assuming there is adequate forage) and continue gaining fetal weight and any needed body condition in late gestation.

Body condition should be evaluated and recorded three times a year: at weaning, 60-90 days before calving, and at calving. By assigning BCS scores at the time of weaning, the cows can be sorted for appropriate feeding. Grouping cows by feed requirements and feeding them accordingly can help each of them reach BCS 5-7 by calving. Scoring cows 60-90 days before calving allows you to evaluate your dry cow nutritional program while allowing enough time prior to calving for "emergency feeding" if needed. Although body condition should be evaluated at calving, it may be difficult to increase body condition since lactation requires most of the energy a cow consumes. If environmental conditions at the time of calving are mild, cows may be able to reach BCS 5 or 6 by breeding time. However, this is unlikely to occur when the weather is cold or high quality feeds are limited.

Liveweight should not solely be used as an indicator of nutritional status of beef cows in a herd. Research indicates that body condition is a more reliable indicator of nutritional status than liveweight. Most herds have cows that range in age, frame size, and muscling all of which impact the weight of the animals. Therefore, only using liveweight may over- or under-estimate the amount of body fat. Liveweight is also affected greatly by gut fill and pregnancy. Weight and body condition will vary depending on the physiological state of the cow, forage quality and availability, and the body condition of the cow.

Table 2. Problems associated with "thin" or "fat" body condition Thin Condition BCS 1- 4 Fat Condition BCS 8-9 1. Failure to cycle

1. Costly to maintain

2. Failure to conceive

2. Increased dystocia

3. Increased calving interval

3. Impaired mobility

4. Increased days to estrus

4. Failure to cycle

5. Decreased calf vigor

5. Failure to conceive

Failure to conceive is the most important factor contributing to the reduction of net calf crop. Conception rates are dramatically compromised in cows that are BCS 4 or less.

Economically, BCS directly affects net calf crop and the success of a beef cow-calf operation. There is a significant difference in profit margin in percent calf crop between BCS 4 cows and BCS 7 cows.

Research indicates that the body condition of a cow influences days to first estrus after calving and calving interval. A beef cow must conceive within 82 days of the birth of her calf to maintain a 12-month calving interval.

Figure 3 illustrates that 91% of the beef cows with BCS >5 at calving showed signs of estrus by 60 days postcalving, whereas only 61% of beef cows with BCS 4, and only 46% of beef cows with BCS <3 showed estrus. The percentage of cows cycling by 80 days postpartum is an important factor affecting calving interval. The rectangular box in Figure 4 shows the critical breeding time in order to achieve a 12-month calving interval. This figure demonstrates the differences in postpartum cyclicity for beef cows at different condition groups. Calving interval is a function of many aspects of reproduction including conception rate and percent cyclicity. If the cows are not cycling, they are not going to conceive, which lengthens the calving interval and negatively impacts profits.

Figure 3.

Importance of Body Condition In order to manage a beef cow-calf operation in the most cost-efficient way, producers must be aware of the body condition of their herd.

Research indicates that the body condition of beef cows is related to many critical aspects of production such as conception rate, days to estrus, calving interval, and milk production. When cows are extremely thin (BCS < 4), they are not only reproductively inefficient, but they are more susceptible to health problems.

Cows at BCS 1 are in a life-threatening situation and need immediate attention. Cows that are over-conditioned (BCS 8-9) are the most costly to maintain. Twoyear-olds with BCS 8-9 may encounter dystocia (calving difficulty) due to the excessive fat in the pelvic area.

Table 2 lists many of the production problems associated with cows and heifers in ‘thin’ or ‘fat’ condition.

Nutritional Programs Using Body Condition Scores Since feed costs make up roughly 60% of the cost of a cow-calf operation, different feeding programs can be used to achieve the best reproductive performance without high costs. Choosing a calving season that is most compatible with your forage program is the first step in maximizing cow condition and reproduction. Understand that the changes that occur in body weight and condition are normal in the production cycle of the cow.

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BODY CONDITION SCORING BEEF COWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Table 3. Recommendations 90 to 100 days prepartum to achieve a BCS of 5 to 7 by calving.

Desired Condition Score At Calving Recommendations 1

5

2

5

3 4 5

5 5 5-7

6

5-7

7 8 9

5-7 5-7 5-7

Needs to gain in excess of 350lb. Economics questionable.

Needs to gain 300 to 350 lb.

Economics questionable.

Needs to gain 200 to 300 lb.

Needs to gain 150 to 200 lb.

Needs to gain weight of fetus and placenta 100 lb.

Needs to gain weight of fetus and assorted tissues 100lb.

No weight gain needed.

Can probably lose 50 to 100lb.

Can probably lose 100 to 200lb.

(Modified from Beverly, 1985.)

A medium-framed beef cow that is open will gain or lose approximately 75-100 pounds for each body condition score change. For example, a medium-framed beef cow with a BCS 5, weighing 1100 pounds, will be a BCS 3 and weigh approximately 900-950 pounds with a loss of 150-200 pounds and a decrease of two body condition scores.

Moreover, an additional 100 pounds is typically gained during the last trimester of gestation for fetal growth and uterine development. Table 3 shows body condition scores and weight change recommendations for cows achieving a desired BCS of 5-7 90 to 100 days before calving. This is the critical time when the producer has the ability to put condition back on a ‘thin’ cow or restrict feed intake of a ‘fat’ cow.

Maintaining and feeding beef cows to attain a BCS in the optimum moderate range (BCS 5-7) allow beef cows to achieve maximum reproductive performance while feed supplementation costs are held to a minimum. In most situations, it is not economically feasible to supplement the entire herd if only half of the cows will respond to the higher level of nutrition. Separating cows based on BCS and feeding them accordingly are good managerial strategies. This should be done at or soon after weaning to allow 2 to 5 months of feeding prior to calving.

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Summary Achieving a BCS of 5 or more before calving and throughout the production cycle is the key to a profitable cow-calf operation. Many producers waste profits by over-feeding cows in adequate condition when only part of the herd needs extra energy and supplementation. By sorting and feeding groups based on BCS, the economics of the operation improve. Producers need to pay attention to stocking rates and pasture quality. Overstocking and poor forage quality can lead to ‘thin’ cows.

As research indicates, monitoring cow condition directly impacts the reproductive performance of the herd. As mentioned above, failure to conceive is the most important factor in reducing net calf crop. Keeping cows in adequate condition throughout the production cycle can improve reproductive performance and positively impact the economics of the operation. The BCS system is relatively easy to learn and can be implemented in any farm situation. Please take the time to learn how to use this system and begin taking advantage of the benefits it has to offer. For help with the BCS system, contact your local Extension agent.

References Beverly, J. R. 1985. Reproduction in beef cattle as related to nutrition and body condition. Kentucky roundup of reproductive efficiency in beef cattle. pp.1-12.

Herd, D. B. and L. R. Sprott. 1986. Body condition, nutrition and reproduction of beef cows. Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Texas A & M Univ.

B-1526.

Pruitt, R.J. 1994. Personal Communication. South Dakota State University, Brookings.

Selk, G. E., R. P. Wettemann, K. S. Lusby, and R. J. Rasby. 1986. The importance of body condition at calving on reproduction in beef cows. OSU Agric.

Exp. Sta. Publ. 118:3163-3169.

Westendorf, M., C. W. Absher, R. W. Burris, N. Gay, J. T. Johns, and J. D. Miksch. 1988. Scoring beef cow condition. Kentucky Extension Service. ASC-110.

Wiltbank, J. N. 1983. Maintenance of a high level of reproductive performance in the beef cow herd.

Vet. Clin. N. Am. Large Anim. Proc. 5:41-57.

ST

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

By Jackie Atkins, Ph.D. We greatly anticipate the upcoming Fall Focus in Gettysburg, PA, which is being jointly hosted by the American Simmental Association and the Pennsylvania Simmental Association. This meeting will have something for everyone. The first day, Monday, September 14, will bring speakers from all over the country to talk genetics and animal breeding, beef advocacy, marketing opportunities, retail value, and farm succession planning.

Monday evening, registrants are invited to a dinner featuring guest speaker, Congressman Frank Lucas.

Our goal for the educational session is to arm seedstock breeders and commercial cattlemen with information to confidently make genetic selection decisions, market their product, promote the beef industry, and plan for security of future generations.

The meeting will continue the following days, September 15â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17, with open committee and board meetings.

Guests are invited to attend local historical tours, including: the Gettysburg battlefield, Eisenhower National Historic Farm, the Shriver House in downtown Gettysburg, and a farm walk with local SimGenetic cattle. The meetings and tours are free but we ask that people pre-register

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to help plan for seating and meals. For more information, go to www.fallfocus.org. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the meetings, we plan to record the sessions and host them on our website for your viewing pleasure.

ST

INDUSTRY UPDATE Steak In Demand

Young Ranchers Becoming Rare

Consumers were more willing to pay extra for steak during recent months, according to the latest Food Demand Survey conducted by Oklahoma State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

The December survey, for instance, found an increased willingness to pay for all products except chicken breast and ground beef, which declined by 2.71% and 2.81% respectively. The largest increase in the survey was steak at 11.43% or $7.80 per pound.

Also showing an increased demand were pork chops, deli ham and chicken wings.

A recent study published in the Society for Range Management journal paints a bleak picture of the future of ranching in the West. According to the study, at the current rate of agricultural aging, there won’t be any ranchers under the age of 35 by 2033.

The average age of farm and ranch operators has been steadily inching up over the course of the last 50 years. The proportion of operators in three different age groups: under 34, 35-54; and over 55 years, is escalating drastically towards the older age groups.

It is estimated that by 2050, the average age of owner/operators will be 60.

Food Trends Projected Recently 500 dieticians were asked to provide their thoughts about food trends for 2015. The food experts said that kale and coconut will remain among the leading “trendy” food choices, but seeds and nuts will claim the top two “superfood” slots for this year.

High-quality protein also will become a priority, although there is no consensus on what qualifies as high-quality. Most consumers believe that means animal-based protein. However, many dietitians recommend fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts and legumes as primary protein sources.

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Beginning Farmers/Ranchers Supported The US Department of Agriculture has announced the availability of more than $18 million in funding to assist in the education, mentoring and enhancement of sustainability of the next generation of farmers/ ranchers.

Administered by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, the program awards grants to organizations implementing programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers, including workshops, educational teams, training and technical assistance through the US. CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

October 3, 2015 1:00 PM Rolling Hills Farms Sale Facility Belle Center, Ohio Sale Consignors: Rolling Hills Farms, Ferguson Show Cattle, Erv-N-Del Farm, Chippewa Valley Angus, Isler Family Simmental

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INDUSTRY UPDATE CONTINUED

Consumers Binge in New Year Despite well-intentioned resolutions to “eat better and lose weight,” people buy the greatest amount of food immediately after the holidays, according to a study by a University of Vermont researcher.

The study found that consumer spending on food increases by 15% over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years, with most of increased attributed to higher levels of junk food. However, shoppers buy even more food after New Years, the equivalent of a 9% increase in calories above the holiday levels.

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Two new reports from the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging show little change in fast-food portion sizes and production formulation during the period from 1996 and 2013.

Researchers compared calories, sodium, saturated fat and trans-fat content of the menus of three popular fast-food chains.

Average calories, sodium and saturated fat content stayed relatively constant — at high levels.

The exception was a consistent decline in the trans-fat content in the three restaurants’ French fries.

Decline in Farmland Value Forecast 9079 Traveler 6807 x Erica Safe to Upgrade

0098 Connealy Thunder x Lyons Pride Dynasty Safe with heifer to Bandwagon Contact us today for a Sale Book!

Bob, Nancy, Bill and Marcia Hoovler 3437 State Route 67 • Belle Center, Ohio 43310 937-464-9913 • www.rollinghillsfarmssimmentals.com Bob Hoovler 937-538-1329 • Marcia Hoovler 937-538-1537

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Sale Managed By

Doug & Debbie Parke Drew & Holli Hatmaker 153 Bourbon Hills • Paris, KY 40361 859-987-5758 • 859-421-6100 Cell pleent@aol.com www.parkelivestock.com

With crop prices at 30-year lows and interest rates expected to inch up over the next few years, some agricultural analysts are predicting that the steady increases in farmland values over the past few years may soon be coming to an end.

A decline in cash rental rates is also very likely, according to the analysts. If current price projections hold true, cash rental rates are expected to drop by 5% to 10% over each of the next three years.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

INDUSTRY UPDATE CONTINUED

No-Till Use Increases The USDA Economic Research Service has released data that shows no-till production systems are increasingly being used on corn, soybeans and wheat, the three largest US crops, by acreage.

While these practices are being used more and more, they are not necessarily used every year. Field level data show that farmers often rotate no-till with other tillage methods. Advantages of no-till include higher organic matter and greater carbon sequestration, but only if it is used continuously over a number of years.

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USDA Under Congressional Scrutiny

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Despite outspoken promises of a reduced overall budget, Congress apparently wants to spend millions on an outside study of USDA. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has expressed his frustration with the some of the policy riders included in the recent $1.1 trillion funding bill that Congress passed in late 2014.

Those policy restrictions include: blocking the Secretary from creating a new beef checkoff to preventing the Farm Service Agency (FSA) from eliminating non-functional small offices nationally. Vilsack had already dropped the idea of a new checkoff before the bill was passed. Closing the local FSA offices is a political hot potato, even though dozens of such offices have no staff, and many others have a single employee.

Marinating With Beer Many experienced cooks utilize beer in cooking and researchers in Europe report that marinating meat in beef prior to grilling could reduce formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which in some studies has been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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DBL 29G T18 • ASA# 2385142 Dam of SVF Allegiance Conv Embryos by BC Lookout (will be Homo Black and Polled)

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SIMTALK

45

INDUSTRY UPDATE According to the research report, black beer showed the highest inhibitory effect, reducing formation of PAH by 53%, followed by non-alcoholic beer, which had a 25% an inhibitory reduction.

Beef Cow Inventory Up 2% The USDA inventory of the US beef cowherd increased by 2% from a year ago, taken as a positive sign that expansion among herds across the nation is well underway. In Texas alone, 7% more beef cows were report compared to last year, an increase of 270,000 head.

CONTINUED

The 2014 US calf crop was estimated at 33.9 million head, up 1% over 2013. Also, the number of milk cows in the US increased by 9.3 million head. Of the 89.8 million cows and calves in the US 39 million were cows and heifers that comprise the brood cow battery.

COOL Lawsuit Dismissed Much to the chagrin of the Canadian and Mexican Cattlemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizations, NCBA and the US Packing Industry, a lawsuit on Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) has been dismissed in US District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit, originally brought by the American Meat Institute had been filed in July of 2013.

A study by Auburn University had demonstrated that COOL had no negative impact on imports of slaughter cattle and did not significantly affect imports of feeder cattle, contrary to arguments made by the plaintiffs. Still to be resolved is a decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which had found COOL to be discriminatory.

Extra Lean Beef Endorsed Retailers now have the opportunity to help identify eight different extra lean items as options for part of an overall healthy diet, using one of the most trusted nutrition icons on food packaging today.

The Beef Checkoff Program has announced that extra lean ground beef that is at least 96% lean, is now certified by the American Heart Association to display its recognized and highly respect Heart-Check mark. Other cuts that qualify (all USDA Select Grade) are: Bottom Round Steak, Sirloin Tip Steak, Top Sirloin Petite Roast, Top Sirloin Strips, Top Sirloin Filet, Top Sirloin Kabob; and Top Sirloin Steak, Boneless, Center Cut. CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

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SIMTALK

The collection of feed intake is difficult and, for many breeders, far too expensive.

By working together, we can develop the means to leverage DNA in the genetic prediction of intake.

ASA currently has intake records on roughly 3,500 head, collected largely on carcass merit program cattle fed at the University of Illinois. This project came to a close 5 years ago.

Very little intake data has been submitted since the University of Illinois project.

To develop effective DNA predictions, we must ramp up our collection of intake data.

The ASA aims to collect feed intake data coupled with the carcass merit program starting in 2015 and we need your help.

We ALL will benefit from the collection of this data â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ASA members, membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; customers and the industry.

Your gift to the American Simmental Simbrah Foundation, earmarked for the Feed Intake Project will help make collecting feed intake data a reality for ASA.

For more information, call or email: Fred Schuetze, Research Fundraising Chairman 817.894.0563 bhr@speednet.com

To receive a: free subscription of SimTalk:

Stay informed.

Subscribe for free to receive the SimTalk Magazine.

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• Subscribe on-line — www.simmental.org or • Complete and fax — 406.587.9301 or • Drop in the mail

Published four times annually, SimTalk is a glossy, full-color publication with a circulation of 50,000+ targeting commercial users of SimGenetics. Advertising in SimTalk provides a unique opportunity to brand and trademark your program to thousands of potential customers. If you are serious about communicating with the commercial beef business, consider an advertising presence in every one of our four annual issues.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

Meat Markets Struggling

Foods Most Prone to Pathogens

A number of factors have combined to create major challenges for beef, pork and poultry markets in the US. Those causes include supply and demand, domestic and international factors, and short and long term considerations.

International demand for US meat is being dampened somewhat by the strong dollar, which makes US product more expensive on the global market. In the case of pork, falling US prices due to over production have complicated marketing. The West Coast labor dispute, which is now resolved, also caused a major disruption in the flow of meat exports.

More than 80% of cases of a certain E. coli illness have been linked to beef and vegetables grown in rows, according to a recent government report. Salmonella infections have been traced to a wider variety of foods, ranging from tomatoes and sprouts to poultry, beef and pork.

The report is based on nearly 1,000 outbreaks between 1998 and 2012 from four major foodborne bacteria: Salmonella; Escherichia coli O157; Listeria Monocytogenes; and Campylobacter. The report reveals that 74% of Campylobacter illnesses came from dairy or chicken; 82% of E. coli O157 came from beef or row crop vegetables; and 81% of listeria illnesses were caused by fruit or dairy.

Hide Industry Hits New Levels The US hide, skin and leather industry established new records in 2014, exporting more than $2.85 billion worth of cattle hides, pig skins and semi-processed leather products. According to USDA, China was the largest buyer of cattle hides, followed by Korea, Taiwan, Mexico and the European Union.

US companies, including producers, processors, brokers and dealers, regularly export more than 90% of total US production of these items and are ranked at the top of raw materials suppliers to the global leather manufacturing industry.

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Cheap Oil Impacts Beef Demand Cattle producers and beef consumers may be beneficiaries of existing cheap oil and gasoline, primarily because it translates into reduced costs for the rancher/producer and for distribution centers.

The current global food system is highly fuel and transport-dependent. During recent years, the prices of food and fuel have risen and fallen moreor-less in tandem. Oil is used to fuel farm equipment, to transport other inputs to the farm, to transport farm output to the consumer, and is often used in agricultural chemicals.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

JFK Becomes First Animal Terminal John F. Kennedy Airport in New York will become the first privately-owned animal terminal in the world. Cleverly, it will be called “the Ark.” The $48 million project is expected to create 180 jobs and generated $108 million in revenues over its 30-year span.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has signed a long-term lease with Ark Development to design and build the 178,000 square food animal cargo facility at JFK. The Ark, which is projected to open in early 2016, will follow high standards for “comprehensive veterinary care and quarantine services, according to a press release.”

Farm Facts Each US farmer produces food and fiber for 154 people. American farmers produce 16% of the world’s food on just 10% 0f the land surface. Agriculture is the nation’s largest employer with more than 21 million people involved in some phase.

Food is most affordable in the US, where consumers spend less than 10% of their income on sustenance.

An acre of land, which is roughly the size of a football field, when adequate water, sun and fertilizer is available, can produce up to 7,500 pounds of corn or 1,800 pounds of wheat.

Job Opportunities for Ag Grads

Red and Black Heat Tolerant SimGenetic Cattle Simbrah – SimAngus™HT – SimAngus™ and Simmental

Bulls and Replacement Heifers for Sale Private Treaty.

Call us or see our website for details.

Our Cattle are bred to take the HEAT, HUMIDITY and INSECTS in challenging environments while maintaining fertility, performance and carcass quality.

ZZ

Beef Prices Trending Upwards

FILEGONIA CATTLE COMPANY

Joe Mercer 327 CR 459 Lott, TX 76656

www.filegoniacattle.com • bethmercer1974@gmail.com

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ASA

Beth Mercer

Home/Office: 254-984-2225 Cell: 956-802-6995

According to an article by the highly respected McClatchy Newspapers, job opportunities for agricultural graduates are plentiful. Both large and small companies are eager to hire the new graduates. Job posting boards, on-campus interviews and career fairs for students show the same general trends.

USDA, in conjunction with Purdue University found that 54,400 jobs open each year for agricultural and natural resource jobs, and that only 29,300 graduates are available to fill them. Those jobs also ranked number five on a list of highest paying college degrees for 2015, with an annual starting salary of $51,200. Engineering, computer science, math and sciences, and business were ranked first through fourth.

PERFORMANCE R E C O R D S

According to the latest consumer price and spending data report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, food-price trends continue to rise faster than other animal-based foods. The consumer price index for beef and veal increased by 19% during 2014.

Also, the report indicates that for the first time, spending on food away from home totaled $67.4 billion, outpacing food consumed at home, which was listed at $64.1 billion. Much of the away-from-home spending was attributed to lower gasoline prices as consumer dollars were freed up for spending on other services and products.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

Lewistown, Montana Jim Butcher 406-350-0467 www.gatewaysimmental.com

Wisdom, MT 59761 406-689-3122

Blake Huntley

Jeff and Shere Koch Big Timber, Montana 406-932-4091

Koch Cattle

Hook Farms

John Raftopoulos 2991 Pine Ridge Dr. Craig, CO 81625 970-326-8620

Diamond Peak Cattle Co

Tom and Shannon Hook 11333 180th St. • Tracy, MN Cell: 507-829-5283 Ed Schmidt, Herdsman 507-530-2635 hookfarms@mvtvwireless.com

H/F H/F

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Nichol’s Legacy G151 Sire: Hook’s Shear Force 38K C&D Tracy

Homozygous Black Homozygous Polled

■ The pedigree, genetic profile and phenotype are all in place for Beacon to replace his legendary sire . . . the torch is passed.

■ Beacon is big-footed, softstructured and possesses more performance punch than most high $API sires.

■ One of the few bulls to surface in recent history with so many traits in the top percentiles of the Simmental gene pool.

■ #2 $API and #1 $TI homozygous black and homozygous polled purebred bull in the Simmental breed.

ASA#: 2854180 PB SM

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

Consumers Willing to Pay for Beef The willingness of consumers to pay for beef products along with deli ham jumped 8-15% during February, according to a recent Oklahoma State University Food Demand Survey. Survey respondents said they expected to pay $7.92/pound for steak and $4.54/pound for ground beef.

Deli ham is the one meat product that registered the biggest gain in willingness-to-pay increasing by 15% from a year ago with consumers agreeable to pay $2.78 per pound. Those same consumers were willing to pay $5.05/pound for chicken breast â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the same figure as in 2014.

Americans Pay Less for Food During the period between 1960 and 2007, the share of disposable income spent on food at home

by Americans fell from 17.5% to 9.6%. The share of income spent on food purchased in grocery stores declined from 14.1% in 1960 to a mere 5.5% in 2007.

At the same time, the percent of income spent on food at restaurants, fast food stores and other awayfrom-home outlets, increased from 3.4 to 4.1%.

However, over the past few years, food price inflation has been greater than overall inflation, making food more costly. In 2013, Americans spent 5.6% on food at home and 4.3% on food away from home.

Net Income to Decline USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently released estimates forecasting net farm income to fall for the second year in a row, by nearly one-third during 2015. Much of the decline is attributed to falling crop prices and increased expenses.

Projections call for net farm income to fall from $108 billion in 2014, to just $73.6 billion during the current year, a lost of 32% and the lowest level since 2009. In contrast, net farm income reached an all-time high of $129 billion in 2013. Cattle producers are forecast to see a moderate increase in income, while poultry will be near levels of last year.

Beef Production Down in 2015 Through February, US beef production is down by 5.2% from the previous year. Total cattle slaughter was down by 7.0%, including a 6.4% decrease in steer slaughter and an 8.7 % decrease for heifers. Total cow processing is down by 6.6%, although dairy cow slaughter is up by 4.0%.

However, carcass weights are up across the board.

Steer carcass weights are up by 19 pounds, with heifers up by 15 pounds. Cow carcass weights were up by 29 pounds, primarily the result of more mature dairy cows being culled.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

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SIMTALK

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

Organic Gaining on Conventional Beef The market share for organic or natural beef continues to increase, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. For instance, in 2010, the natural share of the market was at 1.6%. During April of 2014, sales were slightly over 4%, and during the fourth quarter of 2014, the organic share had mushroomed to 6.3%.

Whether conventionally or organically grown, the nutrients contained in a 3-ounce serving of beef are unchanged. But, conventionally grown beef may have been implanted with growth promotants. One study showed that beef from non-implanted steers had 5 nanograms/500 grams of estrogenic activity compared to implanted steers which had 7 nanograms/500 grams.

UC Davis Named Top Vet School

RX Prescription composites Bred to take the HEAT and produce a quality product

US News and World Report has recognized the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis as the nation’s best veterinary school. Ranked second was Cornell University, followed by Colorado State, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, and the University of Pennsylvania.

The UC Davis School annually cares for more than 48,000 animal patients and educates more than 500 veterinary students plus residents and grad students, and was ranked second in 2011, the last time vet schools were ranked.

NCBA, Sheriffs Partner Up A partnership has been formed between the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Sheriffs’ Association who have agreed to work on collaboratively on issues that impact both organizations.

According to a joint statement, “cattle producers and local sheriffs’ offices interact on a daily basis addressing issues of criminal trespass or activity, animal welfare, and the operation of motor vehicles in local communities.” Other issues of common interest include border security, private property rights and transportation policies.

HSF Con-29Z 35Z 49B

ASA# 2929694

This outstanding SimAngusTM bull is being used to make SimAngusTM HT. He was enrolled in CMP this spring.

Owned jointly with Sue Eden. Check out his data! Semen available.

SIMBRAH Sarah J. (Sally) Buxkemper 2617 CR 400 Ballinger, Texas 76821 USA 325-442-4501 sbuxkemper32@gmail.com www.rxsimbrah.com

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SIMTALK

Bulls and Heifers for sale by Private Treaty.

BRD Targeted From Genetic Standpoint Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) or shipping fever, is regarded as the most expensive health problem facing the cattle industry today. The disease complex is caused by a number of related factors including stresses such as weaning, transportation, exposure to new viral and bacterial agents and acclimatization to a new location.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

Because the incidence of BRD has remained virtually unchanged for decades, a group of researchers from several land-grant universities are approaching the problem using genetics. It is now possible to track regions of the genome which may be associated with animals that are less susceptible to the disease. The project is led by Dr. James Womack of Texas A&M University and includes scientists and educators from the University of California-Davis, Colorado State University, the University of Missouri, New Mexico State University, Washington State University and USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agricultural Research Service.

Traceability Regs Face Modification USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has proposed a series of amendments to its Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) regulations. The proposal would modify how the agency approves livestock marketing facilities that receive animals in interstate commerce.

It would also provide clarification on how livestock can move to these facilities without official identification or before an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection is issued. The rule change was recommended by a working group of Federal and State animal-health officials.

New Antibiotic Discovery According to sources at Northeastern University in Boston, a newly discovered antibiotic eliminates pathogens without encountering any detectable resistance, a finding that challenges long-held scientific beliefs and holds great promise for treating chronic infections like tuberculosis and others.

Reportedly, the discovery marks the first instance of an antibiotic to which resistance by mutations of pathogens have not been identified. The research team that worked together to make this startling finding consisted scientists from Northeastern University; the University of Bonn (Germany); Novo Biotic Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, MA; and Selcia Ltd. of England.

Warmer Climate Impacts Infectious Diseases The appearance of infectious diseases in new places and in new hosts, such as the West Nile virus and Ebola, is a predictable result of climate change, according to researchers as the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebrska.

In a recent article published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a warning was issued that more such illnesses are likely to emerge as climate change shifts habitats and brings wildlife, crops, livestock and humans come into contact with pathogens to which they have never before been exposed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

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SIMTALK

THANK YOU to all the purchasers of CNS Pays To Dream T759 semen during the fall and spring breeding seasons. We are extremely excited about the progeny sired by Pays To Dream. His heifers are making phenomonal cows as they age.

His bulls are also doing tremendous, having sired 2015 Denver Grand Champion Bull, LLSF Pays to Believe ZU194. I have discontinued collection of Pays To Dream and have a limited supply remaining. Call early to reserve your order as I expect to run out by the end of 2015. Semen may be ordered through Cattle Visions.

Mr. CCF Vision ASA# 2705828 The next great Purebred Simmental Bull Owners: Rustic Hills Cattle Company Hartman Cattle Company C&C Farms

Larry Johnson, Owner: 812-304-0361 239 E. 750 S. â&#x20AC;˘ Fort Branch, IN 47648 greatones@rustichillscattle.com Bill Couch, Herd Consultant: 812-664-0017

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTINUED

GM Cows Help Fight Diseases

Trusting Most of Science

SAB Biotherapeutics, a biotech company, has developed a herd of genetically modified cattle that have been engineered to produce “fully human” antibodies. The cattle are then treated with vaccines to target diseases such as hantavirus, and Ebola is expected to follow.

An estimated 30-60 liters of plasma can be collected from these animals each month, according to the company, translating into 500 to 1,000 human doses per month per animal. Tests on hamsters with hantavirus has shown considerable promise.

Recently released study findings by the Pew Research Center indicate that Americans recognize and respect the achievements of science, but take issue with scientific findings related to certain topics.

Generally speaking, the study found that there is broad public support for government investment in science. Seventy-nine percent of adult consumers said science has made life easier and a majority are positive about science’s impact on health, food and the environment. Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are one large area of disagreement with 88% of scientists believing they are safe for consumption, compared to just 51% of the general population.

Low Oil Prices Affect Excess Fats Very low oil prices means that owners of greasy spoon restaurants no longer are able to cash in on their excess fats. When a barrel of crude oil was priced over $100 a barrel, restaurants earned as much as 50 cents a gallon for dirty fryer oil, which was being used to produce such treats as French fries and chicken nuggets.

Recycling businesses eagerly purchased used soy, peanut and canola oils for processing into biofuels. However, the good times for the leftover fat rapidly declined when the price of crude oil dipped into the $50 range.

Extending Ground Beef Shelf Life Researchers at the University of Missouri are making progress in finding ways to extend the shelf life of ground beef. They have found that store lighting plays a big role in how long meat retains its bright red color that shoppers favor. Discolored meat accounts for a considerable amount of lost revenue each year in the form of markdowns.

CONTINUED ON 66

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INDUSTRY UPDATE It was found that meat color changes more rapidly under flourescent and to a lesser degree, LED lights, while meat not subjected to light kept its color longer.

Apparently, fluorescent lights produce higher temperatures, causing the meat to turn darker sooner.

Chipotle Courting Controversy The Chipotle Mexican Grill, which specializes in burritos, continues to inspire controversy with their pro-animal welfare program and outrageous advertising campaigns. The chain, which now has 1,600 restaurants across the US, promotes their “Food with Integrity” menu, using beef and pork from animals on a vegetarian diet.

Chipotle’s website claims “we have put a lot of work into poking, prodding, convincing and occasionally applying guilt to ranchers in order to get more and more suppliers to meet out standards.” The company also funded the notorious “Farmed and Dangerous” TV miniseries which framed meat production as good vs. evil.

CONTINUED

Carl’s Jr. Goes Organic The fast-food restaurant chain Carl’s Jr., has announced that it is now serving the “All-Natural Burger,” featuring “grass-fed, free-range beef that has no added hormones, antibiotics or steroids. The company’s press release claims that it is the first fast-food chain to offer such a product on its menu.

The All-Natural sandwich may be topped with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, pickles ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. A single burger order has been priced at $4.69 and a double is $6.99.

Customers will also be able to substitute the all-natural patty for any burger on the menu, for a small additional charge.

Allflex Acquires SCR Engineers, Ltd. Allflex, generally regarded by many as a global leader in livestock identification, has announced the acquisition of SCR Engineers, Ltd., a company headquartered in Israel that is known for cutting edge livestock monitoring.

SCR will operate independently as part of the Allflex Group, helping producers use equipment and predictive analytics to improve productivity.

The acquisition is viewed as a significant step in facilitating the adoption of effective, proven monitoring systems by North American producers.

CONTINUED ON 80

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SIMTALK

Pine Ridge Ranch Pine Ridge Ranch Pine Ridge Ranch www.washingtonsimmental.org www.oregonsimmentalassociation.com Angus • SimAngus

8925 SW Green • Culver, Oregon 97734 Home: 541-546-8171 • Cell: 541-948-3521 E-mail: mike@barckcattle.com • Fax: 541-546-6420 www.barckcattle.com

billtravis@bigplanet.com

www.simbrah.com TM

9876 PLANO RD. DALLAS, TX 75238 Office: 214-369-0990 Cell: 214-850-6308

• Simmental

Mike & Paulette Forman Ellensburg, WA 98926 509-968-4800

Mike, Margo, Crystal, & Katelyn Alley

ATHENS, TX

Jane and Bill Travis

Robb & Debbie Forman Ellensburg, WA 98926 509-201-0775

Generations of Excellence Sale March 5, 2016

www.trinityfarms.info

www.missourisimmental.com Bulls for your heifer expansion with top of the breed genetics, SimAngus™, Balancers (GvAn) PBG Bull Sale

www.coloradosimmental.com

November 7, 2015 March 26, 2016

www.georgiasimmental.com

PHILLIPS FARMS

Simmentals

Roy L. Phillips 770-547-9584 Home: 770-745-7331 Fax: 770-773-9657 phillipsfarmsga@bellsouth.net 104 Manning Mill Rd. • Adairsville, GA 30103

Windsor Livestock Auction

All 18-month-old and forage developed to settle more early in the season.

Fall calving bred heifer mates to run with the best.

Harriman Santa Fe (Bob) Montrose, MO • 660-492-2504 bharriman39@hotmail.com

LUCAS CATTLE CO. Registered Simmentals, SimAngusTM & Angus Cattle Forrest & Charlotte Lucas, Owners Cleo Fields 417-399-7124 RT 91 Box 1200 Brandn Atkins Cross Timbers, MO 65634 417-399-7142 Office 417-998-6878 Jeff Reed Fax 417-998-6408 417-399-1241 www.lucascattlecompany.com Visitors Always Welcome

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5831 Highway 7, Wibaux, MT 406-588-3371 nlcsim@midrivers.com www.nelsonlivestockco.com

www.oklahomasimmental.com

Watch for our Annual Bull Sale April 16, 2016.

Willis Simmentals 5759 Enville Road Marietta OK 73448 willissimmentals@arbuckleonline.com

Quality Simmental Breeding Cattle 10 miles east on Hwy. 32, 1/4 mile north on Enville Road.

Prickly Pear Simmental Ranch Birthplace of the first Polled Black Simmental Bull Made in Montana Sale • February 6, 2016 Troy Wheeler, Cattle Manager: 406-949-1754 Don and Nancy Burnham • Gary Burnham 2515 Canyon Ferry Road • Helena, MT 59602 ASA No. 174 E-mail: burnhams@mt.net

Hill’s Ranch Simmentals Box 186 Stanford, MT 59479 406-566-2479

Bobby 580-276-2781 (ph. & fax)

www.breedingcattlepage.com/ INSimmAssoc/index.htm

Mark, Jame, Anna & Peter Krieger PO Box 145 Universal, IN, 47884 www.kriegerfarms.com

812-239-5102, Mark mark@kriegerfarms.com 812-208-0956, Jame jame@kriegerfarms.com 269-470-7553, Anna 812-208-8224, Peter

Jon 580-795-4601

Lazy U Ranch Dave & Debbie Umfleet 20858 West 10th St N • Haskell, OK 74436 918-693-9420 • davelazyu@aol.com TM Simmental Bulls & Females Simmental & & SimAngus SimAngusTM

Annual Sale First Sunday in October

Bull Sale • March 1, 2016

hillssimmentalmt@yahoo.com • www.hillsimmental.com

SYS SIMMENTALS

Peck Simmentals

Gary Sys 9400 205th Ave. SW Douglas, ND 58735 701-722-3244

Breed of Excellence

Available by Private Treaty SimAngus™ Bulls, Bred Cows and Heifers Bill & Marianne Peck 129 Yellowstone Trl • Whitehall, MT 59759 406-287-5669 • pecksimm@gmail.com www.pcksimm.8m.net

www.northdakotasimmental.com

SIMMENTALS T TN Kevin & Lynette Thompson

5125 53rd St. Almont, ND 58520 701-843-8454 www.tntsimmentals.com Annual Bull Sale • Friday, February 12, 2016 Visitors always welcome.

Only 15 miles off I-94

K

R

ENNE

Roger, Jeanette, & Erika Kenner

5606 57th St. NE Leeds, ND 58346 Phone 701-466-2800 Erika 406-581-1188 erika.kenner@gmail.com Fax 701-466-2769 www.kennersimmental.com

SIMMENTALS

SRF Simmentals Roger Roger and and Susan Susan Finke Finke family family 35500 35500 114th 114th Ave. Ave. NW NW • • Berthold, Berthold, ND ND 58718 58718 701-453-3157 701-453-3157 Roger Roger • • 701-453-3105 701-453-3105 Todd Todd email: email: srf@srt.com srf@srt.com

Edge of the West Bull & Female Sale February 8, 9, 2016 2015 Terry Ellingson & Family

Curtis Olafson 13043 84th St. NE Edinburg, ND 58227 701-993-8240 or 8450 Performance colafson@polarcomm.com Predictability www.bataolafson.com Personal Service

Phone: (701) 384-6225

5065 125th Ave. NE • Dahlen, ND 58224 tellings@polarcomm.com • www.ellingsonsimmentals.com Annual Production Sale, February 20, 2016

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www.breedingcattlepage.com/ TNSimmAssoc/

Slate Farms &

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O M P A N Y

Female Select Sale/Herd Bull Select Sale Visitors Always Welcome

Steve Slate 4437 Highway 49 W Vanleer, TN 37181 931-206-5026 slatefarms@att.net www.slatefarms.com

www.illinoissimmental.com Owner: Jim Berry

Commercially Targeted Seedstock

Cattle Manager: Robbie Duis 815-858-4129 6502 Rt. 84 South Hanover, IL 61041 815-591-3731

www.wildberryfarms.net

Our Business Is Bulls Anthony Rhodes Larry and Suzy Rhodes 9350 Rte 108 Carlinville, IL 62626 217-854-5200 rhodesangus@royell.org www.rhodesangus.com

www.nesimmental.com

)

(

Triangle J Ranch Darby & Annette Line 35355 Arrow Road • Miller, NE 68858 308-627-5085 Darby Cell Just 30 minutes of I-80 www.trianglejranch.com

Annual Production Sale last Sunday in January

JC

JF

Jock & Brenda Beeson 100 Wohlers Drive Crawford, NE 69339 308-665-1111 (home) 308-430-2117 (mobile) 308-430-0668 (mobile) Email:wcsbeeson@bbc.net

JC

Western Cattle Source

J&C SIMMENTALS Black Simmental Bulls & Females Purebred to Percentage Jay & Kim Volk • 402-720-7596 Clark & Leslie Volk • 402-720-3323 Bob & Jeanette Volk • 402-720-0469

20604 US Hwy 30 • Arlington, NE 68002 volkjk@aol.com • www.jandcsimmentals.com Consigns to Ladies of the Valley – October 18, 2015

J&C Online Female Sale – November 10 & 11, 2015

J&C Annual Bull Sale – January 30, 2016

Berger’s HerdMasters Angus x Simmental Hybrids Both Red and Black

James, Merlin, and Delores Felt, Renee & Matt Schulte

Loren & Peggy Berger 308-532-0939 9339 E. Autogate Rd. 308-520-3836 Stapleton, NE 96163 berger@nque.com www.bergersherdmaster.com

57977 857 Road • Wakefield, NE 68784 402-287-2488 home • 402-369-1069 cell delores@feltfarms.com • www.feltfarms.com Herdsman, James Felt 402-369-0513 cell • jamesfelt02@gmail.com

Foxy Ladies Bred Heifer Sale November 28, 2015 • West Point, NE Ohlrich/Felt Farms Bull Sale February 6, 2016 • Norfolk, NE

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FORSTER FARMS Just 20 minutes off I-80

Verlouis Forster Family 74096 Road 434 Smithfield, NE 68976-1039 Ph/FAX 308-472-5036 Verlouis Ph 308-876-2316 Alan Email: alan_forster@hotmail.com

“Red and Black, Polled, Pigmented Simmentals”

402-643-4429 402-641-2936 Cell 303 Northern Heights Drive • Seward, NE 68434 a.sloup@juno.com Nick, Andrea, www.sloupsimmentals.com Shane, Shelbi, Brevin, Natalie Join us at the Farm, October 17, 2015 and Haylie for our 21st Annual Production Sale.

Ralph Brooks Cassidy Brooks 7440 Lake Elbo Rd. Manhattan, KS 66502 C: 785-556-0385

www.kansas-simmental.com

ROCK CREEK RANCH B L A C K , P O L L E D S I M M E N TA L S

Cow Camp Ranch Kent, Mark and Nolan Brunner 3553 Upland Rd. Lost Springs, KS 66859-9652 785-466-6475 Kent 785-466-1129 Nolan Black and Red Purebreds 785-258-0173 Mark Angus nolan@cowcampbeef.com SimAngusTM Halfbloods

www.breedingcattlepage.com/ Simmental/iasimmassoc/

Spring Bull Sale - Friday, February 26, 2016

Jim & Jean Houck, 250 Road 392, Allen, KS 66833 • 620-443-5700 Jeff & Lori Houck, 3031 Road G, Americus, KS 66835 • 620-443-5751 Toll Free 866-687-4656 • www.houckrockcreekranch.com

THE MOSER RANCH SimAngus • Simmental • Angus

M

Harry & Lisa Moser & Family Wheaton, KS 66521 Phone 785.396.4328 www.moserranch.com

Jass Simmentals

24th Bull Sale • November 14, 2015

Reds and Blacks Available Steve, Alan & Mark Jass 1950 Quincy Avenue • Garner, Iowa 50438 641-587-2348 or 641-587-2174 641-860-0645(c) or 515-689-6219(c)

Joe Mertz 785-456-9650 Bob Mertz 785-456-9201 Harold Mertz 785-456-9605 7160 Zeandale Road Manhattan, KS 66502

www.jassimm.com • email: jassimm@comm1net.net

www.rivercreekfarms.com

26th Annual Production Sale February 10, 2016 Annual Production Sale March 18, 2016

Simmental Angus SimAngusTM

Steve & Mary Gleason • Jake, Becky, Ben, Joe & Sam 12410 Blazingstar Rd • Maple Hill, KS 66507 Phone: 785-256-6461 • Steve: 785-640-8060 • Jake: 785-640-8062 www.Sunflowergenetics.com

Dixson Farms, Inc. Carol Dixson, Kevin Dixson, & Lyle Dixson, D.V.M.

www.texassimmentalsimbrah.com

www.breedingcattlepage.com/ vsa/index.htm

13703 Beaver Creek Rd • Atwood, KS 67730 785-626-3744 • drlyle@live.com www.dixsonfarms.com

DX

Kaser Brothers Simmental Stephen Kaser H 785-346-5181 • C 785-346-6077 629 County 388 Drive Osborne, KS 67473

SIMBRAH Sarah J. (Sally) Buxkemper

2617 CR 400 Ballinger, Texas 76821 325-442-4501 sbuxkemper32@gmail.com www.rxsimbrah.com

Heat Adapted Cattle Simbrah TM SimAngusTM TM SimAngusTM HT Simmental

Renewed, Needs new design, this logo belongs to the Rocky Hollow in MS

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TRAXINGER

Reds, Blacks • Bulls and Females Private Treaty Sales

“Mark of Performance”

Mike and Terri Traxinger 11176 – 406th Avenue Houghton, SD 57449 Home: 605.885.6347 Mike’s cell: 605.294.7227 mtrax@nvc.net www.traxinger.com

www.southdakotasimmental.com

Eichacker Simmentals Lanting Enterprises, LLC

Contact us about our Private Treaty Sales.

2181 B N 2300 E Twin Falls, ID 83301-0643 208-655-4257 208-731-6646 Bob’s Cell 208-655-4371 John’s Home lant4257@filertel.com

ES

25446 445th Ave • Salem, SD 57058 Steve & Cathy Eichacker 605-425-2391 or 605-421-1152 email: es@triotel.net Annual Bull Sale • March 4, 2016

Kipp Julson • 605-351-9088 48672 252nd St • Sherman, SD 57030 doublejfarms@alliancecom.net www.doublejsimmentals.com Females by Private Treaty in the Fall.

Bulls for sale by Private Treaty.

Benda Simmentals Jim and Jay Benda 26106 366th Ave. Kimball, SD 57355 605-778-6703

Jim: 605-730-6703 (Cell) Jay: 605-730-0215 (Cell) bendaranch@midstatesd.net

Black and Red Breeding Stock

Promise Land Ranch Mike & Cathy Stoltey Family 374 Promise Lane • Plummer, ID 83851 208-686-1515 (H) • 208-699-2335 (M) plrlivestock@gmail.com

Genetics That Work

JRW Farms, LLC Richard Woolwine, Owner 562 Marson Trigg Road Seminary, MS 39479

Brad Woods 601-441-0539 Johnny Ingram 601-408-4186 www.mnsimmental.com

www.jrw-llc.com

Sargeant Farms

1103 Artesia Road Starkville, MS 39759 Home: 662-323-0744 Cell: 662-418-0686 Office: 662-324-7721

Simmental Cattle BULLS

AND FEMALES AVAILABLE

BY PRIVATE TREATY

Owner • Howard E. Sargeant Box 400, Forest Lake, MN 55025 651-464-3345 • 651-464-2662

Dr. Lynn Aggen Office: 507-886-6321 Mobile: 507-421-3813 Home: 507-886-4016

Performance with Quality

Matt Aggen Mobile: 701-866-3544 Home: 507-772-4522 Email: mattaggen@hotmail.com

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Farm Manager: Adam Trest 52309 Fleming Logging Road Sandstone, MN 55072 320-245-2830 • 320-630-3608

Harmony, MN 55939 www.oakmfarm.com

Mikell & Mary Cheek Davis, Owners

Farm Manager: Alex Gardner 662-769-2577 www.littlecreekcattle.com

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 5 12-13 12 13 15 16 19 17-19 20 21-23 24 26 26 26 28 28

NC Fall Harvest Sale — Union Grove, NC Wildcat Creek Ranch Complete Dispersal — Peabody, KS (pg. 59) Silver Towne Farms 29th Annual Production Sale — Winchester, IN (pg. 43) Field of Dreams Production Sale — Hope, IN Houck Rock Creek Ranch Fall Private Treaty Bull Sale — Allen, KS (pg. 56) Bullseye Breeders Bull Sale — Modesto, CA (pg. 73) Family Matters Sale — Auburn, KY (pg. 29) Heart of Texas Simmental/Simbrah Association Fall Fest Online Sale — DVAuction.com Illini Elite Simmental Sale — Shelbyville, IL (pg. 39) Alamo City Simbrah Sale — Alamo City, TX Circle Ranch’s Beef Solutions Fall Roundup Bull Sale — Ione, CA (pg. 81) 48th Annual Black Harvest Calf Sale — Valparaiso, IN Head of the Class Sale — Louisburg, KS (pg. 79) Martin Farms’ “Open House at the Farm” Sale — Lyles, TN (pg. 15) Hoffman Ranch Female Sale — Thedford, NE The Genetic Harvest Sale — Janesville, WI (pg. 45)

OCTOBER 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 12 13 14 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 20-21 21 23 23-25 24 24 24 24 25 26 26 27 30 31 31 31 31 31

Fred Smith Company’s Annual Sale — Clayton, NC Bar 5 Extravaganza “Frozen Genetics Sale” — Markdale, ON Bar 5 Extravaganza Fall Production Sale — Markdale, ON Buckeye’s Finest Sale — Belle Center, OH (pg. 42) Midwest Fall Round-Up Sale — Lancaster, WI (pg. 19) Rhodes Red Angus Fall Female Fiesta Sale, Emporia, KS (pg. 76) The Harvest at Krieger Farms — Universal, IN (pg. 51) Tulsa State Futurity — Tulsa, OK Wasinger Cattle Company’s Online Sale — www.CWcattlesales.com Belles of the Bluegrass, Mt. Sterling, KY (pg. 84) Legends of the Blue Ridge Sale — Atkins, VA (pg. 17) Mark Yazel Cattle Company’s Fall Highlight Sale — Vinita, OK (pg. 37) New Day Genetics’ Fall Sale — Osceloa, MO (pgs. 46-47) Factory Direct Female Sale — West LaFayette, IN Burlap and Barbed Wire Female Sale — Clay Center, KS (pgs. 74-75) R.A. Brown Ranch Horse Sale — Throckmorton, TX (pg. 83) R.A. Brown Ranch 41st Annual Bull and Female Sale — Throckmorton, TX (pg. 83) Anchor D Ranch “Pasture Treasures Female Sale — Rimbey, AB (pg. 60) MN Beef Expo-White Satin On Ice — Minneapolis, MN 21st Annual New Direction Sale, Seward, NE (pgs. 40, 70) 76th IBEP Performance Tested Bull Sale — Springville, IN Circle M Farms’ 1st Annual Production Sale — Grand Saline, TX (pg. 27) Fain Angus Sale — Dewy Rose, GA MN Beef Expo-All Breeds Sale — Minneapolis, MN Route 66 SimGenetics Road to Success Sale — Strafford, MO (pg. 65) Tennessee Fall Showcase Sale — Lebanon, TN (pg. 77) Ladies of the Valley Sale — West Point, NE (pgs. 28, 70) The Black Label Event, Volume VI — Grandview TX (pg. 33) “We Ride Together” Online Heifer Sale — Shirley, IN Volk Livestock’s Genetic Option Sale — Norfolk, NE Buckles and Banners Sale — West Point, IA Simbrah Synergy VIII — Giddings, TX Flying H Genetics Bull Sale — Butler, MO (pg. 1) Midwest Made Production Sale — Ames, IA Pennsylvania Fall Classic Sale — Waynesburg, PA Simbrah Synergy Sale — Giddings, TX (pg. 2) Heartland Simmental Performance with Class Sale — Waverly, IA Rust Mountain View Ranch’s “Queens of the Pasture” Production Sale — Turtle Lake, ND — (pg. 63) The Female Sale at Eby Ranch — Emporia, KS Williams Cattle Co.’s Show Heifer and Donor Prospect Sale — Follett, TX 21st Annual Hokie Harvest Sale — Blacksburg, VA 7P Ranch 40th Annual Production Sale — Tyler, TX (pgs. 6-7) Drake Cattle Co. Lady Diva Sale — Centerville, IA Michigan Simmental State Sale — St. Louis, MI (pg. 66) The Magnolia Classic 2015 — Starkville, MS (pg. 67) Yon Family Farms’ Bull and Female Sale — Ridge Spring, SC

NOVEMBER 1 1 5 6

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Hawkeye Simmental Sale — Bloomfield, IA Rudow Farms’ Female Sale — Pana, IL RS&T Simmentals’ “Lovely Ladies Online Sale” — www.cwcattlesales.com Bull Power Sale — Colbert, GA CONTINUED ON PAGE 80

CALENDAR

CONTINUED

NOVEMBER 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 9 10-11 12-14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 16 21 21-24 21 21 21 21 21 22 22 24 27 28 28 28 28 29 29 29

(Continued) Ludvigson Stock Farms Herdbuilder Bull Sale-Fall Edition — Shepherd, MT Irvine Ranch 11th Annual Production Sale — Manhattan, KS (pg. 85) Land of Lincoln Sale — Altamont, IL Pigeon Mountain Simmental's Fall Bull Test Sale — Rome, GA Professional Beef Genetics Open House Bull Sale — Montrose, MO (pgs. 52, 68) Rhodes Angus Female Sale — Carlinville, IL Western Showcase Sale — Moses Lake, WA Nelson Livestock Outcross Opportunities Mature Cowherd Dispersal — Wibaux, MT (pg. 57) J&C Simmentals’s Online Female Sale — DPOnlinesales.com (pg. 70) Two Fast Nickels Online Bull Sale — www.cattleinmotion.com Deer Creek Farm’s Simmental Sale — Lowesville, VA Gibbs Farms’ 10th Annual Bull and Replacement Female Sale — Ranburne, AL (pg. 89) JRW LLC’s Fall Bull and Female Sale — Seminary, MS Moser Ranch 24th Bull Sale — Wheaton, KS (pgs. 53, 71) Trauernicht Simmental Nebraska Platinum Standard Sale — Beatrice, NE Hudson Pines Farm "Living Legacy XI" — Campbellsburg, KY Ohlde Advantage Focus on the Female Sale — Marysville, KS (pg. 62) NAILE Select Sale — Louisville, KY Buckeye Best of Both Worlds Sale — Newark, OH LMC “Giving THANKS” Donation Online Sale XI — www.cattleinmotion.com Missouri Simmental Association’s Fall Harvest Sale — Springfield, MO Shenandoah’s Shining Stars — Quicksburg, VA “Southern Excellence” Bull Sale — Wadley, AL (pg. 25) Timberland Cattle’s SimAngus™ & Black Angus Bull Sale — Vernon, AL Value By Design Female Sale — Anita, IA North Central Fall Classic — Hubbard, IA Red Dirt Divas Female Sale — Marshall, OK J-6 Ranch Female Sale — Grand Island, NE Ruby Cattle Co. “Livin The Dream” Production Sale — Murray, IA Bridges “Passion for Progress” Bull Sale — Rayle, GA Foxy Ladies Bred Heifer Sale — West Point, NE (pg. 70) Genetic Perfection Sale — Fremont, NE Grass-Lunning Simmentals’ Female Sale — Leroy, MN Cow Time Sale — Wahoo, NE Diamond M Female Sale — Hiwatha, KS The Chosen Few — Gilmore City, IA

DECEMBER 2 4-6 5 5 5 5 6 9 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 19 19 19 28-29

T-Heart Ranch Fall Female Sale — La Garita, CO (pg. 64) Hoosier Beef Congress Junior Show and Sale — Indianapolis, IN A December to Remember at Pleasant Hill Farms — Rockfield, KY Jewels of the Northland Sale — Clara City, MN Montana’s Choice Simmental/SimAngus™ Sale — Billings, MT (pg. 22) Next Step Cattle Co.'s Carcass Merit Bull Sale — Auburn, AL Welsh Cattle Company’s Female Sale — Macomb, IL Double Bar D Farms Female Sale — Grenfell, SK Driggers Simmental Farm’s Bull Sale — Glennville, GA Hartman Cattle Company’s 20th Customer Appreciation Sale — Tecumseh, NE North Alabama Bull Evaluation Sale — Cullman, AL North Dakota Simmental Association’s Showcase/Classic Sale — Mandan, ND Purdue Golden Girls Cow Sale — West Lafayette, IN Sandeen Cattle Company’s “Buildin’ A Brand” Female Sale — Blakesburg, IA Paulsen Show Cattle’s Divas & Donors "The Elite" Sale — www.paulsencattle.com Money Makin’ Mommas Sale — Ames, IA Pride of the Prairie Sale — Chandlerville, IL South Dakota Source Sale — Worthing, SD St. Nick’s Eggstravaganza Online Embryo Event — EDJEAuctions.com

JANUARY 2016 16 16 18 19 23 27 30 30 31

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SimMagic On Ice — Denver, CO University of Florida Bull Test Sale — Greenwood, FL National Western "The One-Volume XXIII" Sale — Denver, CO (pg. 45) Wild Wild West Simmental Sale — Brighton, CO Forster Farms 37th Annual Production Sale — Smithfield, NE Sioux Empire Farm Show and Sale — Sioux Falls, SD Double J Farms' 42nd Annual Private Treaty Simmental Bid Bull Sale — Garretson, SD (pg. 72) J&C Simmentals’ 21st Annual Bull Sale — West Point, NE (pg. 70) Triangle J Ranch Annual Production Sale — Miller, NE (pg. 70)

SIMTALK

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INDUSTRY UPDATE CONTINUED

Zilmax Gets FDA Approval Merck Animal Health has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a second feeding method for the beta agonist Zilmax and has made significant progress on its Five-Step Plan to Ensuring Responsible Beef.

The newly approved label allows for feeding Zilmax to cattle through a single feeding instead of the previously approved continuous feeding method, and provides a targeted lower dose. Called “component feeding,” it is the first in-class component feeding approval for a beta agonist.

Hershey Company Moving to Beef Snacks According to a recent news report, the Hershey Company, widely known for being a premier candy manufacturer with global name recognition, has announced that it is moving into the snack foods sector with the acquisition of Krave Jerky, a Sonoma, California-based company.

Krave is position as a leader in production of premium jerky with the distinction of offering such unique flavors as black cherry barbecue, basil citrus and lemon garlic. Analysts are debating whether or not the move is in response to declining demand for chocolate products or recognition of growing potential for protein snacks.

T

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Ad Sales Staff For All Your Advertising Needs

S

Rates and Policies

imTalk is an 8 1/8 x 10 7/8 inch publication produced by the Register, the official publication of the American Simmental Association. Published four times annually, SimTalk is a glossy, full-color publication with a circulation of 50,000+ and targets commercial users of SimGenetics. Advertising in SimTalk provides a unique opportunity to brand and trademark your program to thousands of potential customers. If you are serious about communicating with the commercial beef business, consider an advertising presence in every one of our four annual issues.

Space and four-color rates for SimTalk: Space Rates

Nancy Chesterfield 406-587-2778 nchesterfield@simmgene.com

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SimTalk Deadlines for Publication:

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Late Fall 2015 January 2016 March 2016 Early Fall 2016

Sales Close

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Camera Ready

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ASA/SimTalk Membership Directory 2016 Deadlines for Publication: May 2

International Sales

Jeff Thomas 406-581-8859 Jeffthomas138@gmail.com

Subscriptions • Domestic $50/year • First Class $100/year • All International $100/year (US)

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Send all ad materials to: register@simmgene.com or Fax: 406-587-8853 A non-refundable fee of $50.00 will be assessed if a client does not meet deadlines or if the client commits to advertising and cancels after the deadline or if the ad must be dropped to ensure on time publication.

Advertising materials (including photos) must be in SimTalk office by the dates listed above.

SimTalk, which mails by bulk rate, assumes no responsibility for actual receipt date.

Design Charges Advertising rates are for camera-ready ads only.

Additional design charges will apply to any ad that is designed by ASA Publication, Inc. Layouts & Proofs Although every effort will be made to provide proofs on all ads, proofs are guaranteed only if all ad material arrives in SimTalk office prior to deadline.

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Advertising Content SimTalk and its staff assume no responsibility or obligation to verify the accuracy and truthfulness of advertising copy submitted to SimTalk. However, SimTalk reserves the right to reject any advertising copy or photo which SimTalk deems unsuitable for publication for any reason, including copy or photographs which are false or misleading. SimTalk assumes no responsibility for the accuracy and truthfulness of submitted print ready ads. Advertisers shall indemnify and hold harmless SimTalk for any claims concerning advertising content as submitted. Advertising containing pedigrees or statements regarding performance must conform to records kept by the American Simmental Association. Copy deviating from official records may be changed as necessary without advertiser consent.

Editorial Policy Opinions expressed are the writers’ and not necessarily those of SimTalk. Photographs are welcome, but no responsibility is assumed for material while in transit or while in the office.

ASA PUBLICATION, INC 2 Simmental Way Bozeman, Montana 59715-9733 USA 406-587-2778 • Fax 406-587-8853 register@simmgene.com

AD INDEX Alabama Bagents, Mike & Lora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Boyd Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 41 Bradshaw, Don . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Chris Lipscomb Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Dearmon Fork Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Genex Custom Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Gibbs Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 J&W Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Martin Cattle Sales, Larry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Moore Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 R&K Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Southern Excellent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sullivan Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Wells Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Whelan Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

National Western Stock Show . . . . . . . . . . . 45 T-Heart Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 68

California

Florida

Bruin Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Bulls Eye Breeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Circle Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Diamond Oak Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . 73 Flood Bros. Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Gonsalves Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

BIA Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Colorado

Illinois

Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch, LLC. . . . . . . 68 L-Cross Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Lechleiter Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Allied Genetic Resources . . . . 5, 7, 22, 23, 38, 44, 46, 47, 54, 57, 64, 81, 87, 88, 89, IBC Black Diamond Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Bramlet Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Can Am Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Fox Creek Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hillstown Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hopewell Views Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Illini Elite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 JR Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lashmett, Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lewis, Justin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Rhodes Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 47, 70 Rincker Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Wildberry Farms Simmental Cattle . . . . 70, 87 Wright-Way Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Georgia C&C Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Impact Marketing & Management, Inc. . . . . . 7 Phillips Farms Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Dream On x Lucky Dice Bred to LMF Revenue

84 30

T1

Better Than Ever x WHF Summer S240 Donor sells open with heifer calf

4

W

36

4

Indiana

Soul Patch x 6I6 Due to United

Clover Valley Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 29 Gold Buckle Cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Krieger Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51, 69 Merrill, Ryan and Amanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Neal Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Rustic Hills Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Secondino, Jame Krieger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Silver Towne Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Trennepohl Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Wesner Livestock Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Iowa

Sale managed by:

SM

LLC

Doug and Debbie Parke Drew and Holli Hatmaker 153 Bourbon Hills Paris, KY 40361 859-987-5758 859-421-6100 Cell pleent@aol.com

Look for catalog online at: parkelivestock.com

91 A6 C2 1

2 C9 0

B2 Connealy Capitalist x Sheza Unforgettable

Raisin Cain x Veritas Bred to United

7

Upgrade x Built Right Bred to Premium Beef

23

Knight Time x Eston Due to Graduate

B2 0

36 53

7

Brink Fleckvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Ruble Cattle Services . . . . . 17, 19, 25, 66, 77 Stanley Martins Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Premium Beef x Sheza Sassy Girl

Allegiance x Reflections

Consignors: Swain Select Simmental 502-245-3866 Wayward Hill Farm 859-351-4486

Misty Meadows Farm 502-593-5136 Reality Farms 502-667-0142

Welsh Simmentals 270-427-4717

Double Diamond 859-588-9122

Rocking P Livestock 606-584-7581

Stephens Beef Cattle 606-782-7640

Kansas Advantage Angus Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 ART-JEN Simmental Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Brooks Simmental Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Burgman Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 75 Burlap and Barbed Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 75 Cow Camp Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Dixson Farms, Inc. Simmentals . . . . 71, 74, 75 Focus On Females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Gold Bullion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Head of the Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Hofmann Simmental Farms . . . . . . . 71, 74, 75 Irvine Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Jensen Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Kaser Brothers Simmental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Moser Ranch, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 71 Ohlde Bros. Cattle Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Rhodes Red Angus, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 River Creek Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 71 Rock Creek Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 71 Sanders Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 SEK Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 CONTINUED ON PAGE 86

84

SIMTALK

AD INDEX Kansas (continued) Sunflower Genetics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 TO Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Wildcat Creek Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Kentucky Belles of the Bluegrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Double Diamond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 DP Sales Management, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 29, 40, 42, 79, 84 Family Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 KenCo Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Misty Meadows Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Reality Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Rocking P Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Stephens Beef Cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Swain Select Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Wayward Hill Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Welsh Simmentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Louisiana Global Fleckvieh Genetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Robinson Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Rugged R Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Michigan Freedom Run Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Michigan Angus Association . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Michigan Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . 66 Triple Z Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Minnesota Eberspacher Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Mississippi JRW Farms, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Little Creek Farm, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . 67, 72, 90 Rockhill Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Tanner Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Missouri Cattle Visions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 61 Flying H Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Genex Custom Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Harriman Santa Fe (Bob) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

STANLEY MARTINS FARMS

CONTINUED

Lucas Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68, 78 Moriondo Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 New Day Beef Genetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 47 Professional Beef Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Route 66 SimGenetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Steaks Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Windsor Livestock Auction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Montana Bulls of the Big Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 69 Gateway Simmental & Lucky Cross . . . . . IBC Genex Custom Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hill’s Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Miller Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Montana Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . 22 Montana’s Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Nelson Livestock Company . . . . . . . . . . 57, 69 ORIgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Peck Simmentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Prickly Pear Simmental Ranch . . . . . . . . 4, 69 Universal Semen Sales, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Nebraska Berger’s HerdMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 BF Black Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 79 CRR Simmentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Felt Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Flying H Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Forster Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Gengenbach Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Hartman Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 J&C Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 70 Ladies of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 NP Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sandy Acres Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Sloup Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 70 Triangle J Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Western Cattle Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Zeis Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

New York Hudson Pines Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

North Dakota Dakota Xpress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Ellingson Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 James Creek Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Keller Broken Heart Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Kenner Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Olafson Brothers Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Rust Mountain View Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 SRF Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 SYS Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 TNT Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Oklahoma

DDD Stacey Mac Sired by Wesdrums Andrew It takes superior females to produce superior bulls

Please google stanleymartinsfarms for more information.

Stanley Martins 141 Hwy 18 • Postville, IA 52162 563-419-2444 (c) • 563-864-7305 (h)

86

SIMTALK

BK Cattle Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Brorsen Bluestems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Diamond Tail Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Dillon, Tyler & Judy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Double R Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Eden, Sue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Lazy K Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Lazy U Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Mark Yazel Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Morris Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Ratcliff Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Tuell Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Willis Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Ohio Buckeye’s Finest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Chippewa Valley Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Erv-N-Del Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Ferguson Show Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Isler Family Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Phelps Farms-Scheiderer Farms. . . . . . . . . 28 Rolling Hills Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Select Sires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 56

Oregon Bar CK Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

South Dakota Benda Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Double J Farms Simmental Cattle . . . . . . . . 72 Eichacker Simmentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Genex Custom Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 S/M Fleckvieh Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Traxinger Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Werning Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Tennessee KenCo Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Martin Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 70 Red Hill Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70, 88 Slate Farms & Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . 70 Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Tennessee Fall Showcase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Tennessee Junior Simmental Futurity . . . . . 77 Tennessee Simmental Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Tylertown Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Texas 7N Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7P Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7 Bayer, Alfred & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Bois d’Arc Land & Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Brush Country Bulls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54, 58, 71 Burch Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 CattleInDemand. . . . . . . . . . 27, 33, 59, 62, 76 Circle M Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 East Texas Simmental/ Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Filegonia Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Flying F Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Fullblood Simmental Fleckvieh Federation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Heart of Texas Simmental/ Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Johnson Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 McCrary Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Monte Christo Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Pine Ridge Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 68 R.A. Brown Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Reavis Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 RX Simbrah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 71 Shipman, Jered, Auctioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Simbrah Synergy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Smith Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Southwestern Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 TAG Simmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tilman, Mark, Auctioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Triple J/Carpenter Ranch Partnership . . . . . . . 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 88

AD INDEX

CONTINUED

Legends of the Blue Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Virginia Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . . 17

Accelerated Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, IBC Genex Cooperative, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 23, 44, 56, IBC LRW Simmentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Midwest Fall Round Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Wisconsin Simmental Association . . . . . . . . 19

Washington

Canada

Trinity Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Anchor D Ranch Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Double Bar D Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Utah Double M Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Virginia

West Virginia Mountain Top Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Wisconsin ABS Global, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 23, 72

Associations American Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . . IFC, 22, 48, 49, 50 American SimmentalSimbrah Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

East Texas Simmental/ Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Fullblood Simmental Fleckvieh Federation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Heart of Texas Simmental/ Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Michigan Angus Association . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Michigan Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . 66 Montana Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . 22 Tennessee Simmental Simbrah Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Virginia Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . . 17 Wisconsin Simmental Association . . . . . . . . 19

Livestock Services ABS Global, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 23, 72 Accelerated Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, IBC Allflex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Allied Genetic Resources . . . . 5, 7, 22, 23, 38, 44, 46, 47, 54, 57, 64, 81, 87, 88, 89, IBC Allied Online Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 American Live Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Bohrson Marketing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Cattle Visions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 61 CattleInDemand. . . . . . . . . . 27, 33, 59, 62, 76 CattleInMotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 DP Sales Management, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 29, 40, 42, 79, 84 DVAuction . . . . 4, 22, 29, 37, 42, 43, 53, 58, 67, 79, 84 Eberspacher Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 73 GeneSeek a Neogen Company. . . . . . . . . . 22 Genex Cooperative, Inc. . . 13, 23, 44, 56, IBC Genex Custom Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Impact Marketing & Management, Inc. . . . . . 7 International Genetic Solutions (IGS) . . . . IFC LivesAuctions.TV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 ORIgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Ritchey Livestock ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Ruble Cattle Services . . . . . 17, 19, 25, 66, 77 Rural.TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Secondino, Jame Krieger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Select Sires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 56 Shipman, Jered, Auctioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Superior Livestock Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Superior Productions . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 64, IBC Tilman, Mark, Auctioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Windsor Livestock Auction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Miscellaneous ASA Performance Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 69, 70, 71, 85, 88 ASA Publication, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ASA Science Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 70 Carcass Merit Program (CMP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 68, 70, 85, 88 Feed Intake Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Have you Herd?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 69 Sales Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 SimAngusâ&#x201E;˘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 SimGenetics Profit Through Science . . . . . . . IFC, 22, 66 SimTalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 50 Total Herd Enrollment (THE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 tReg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 71 William Kenneth Ambrose Memorial Heifer Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . 15

ST 88

SIMTALK