Land and Livestock Post, Dec. 1, 2012

December 1, 2012

Bullish on the herd To apply or not to apply?

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December 1, 2012

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The Land & Livestock Post

Dec. 7 High Plains Ag Conference in Lubbock to cover a wide range of topics

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

I

But it seems those dream jobs are few and far between.

When it comes to your cow herd, your bull has about the best gig around. But, you should make sure he’s not slacking off and actually doing the work he’s supposed to. In our cover story, we take a look at how you can manage your bull to make sure you get the most out of him.

We also have some news from the Noble Foundation about tax provisions as well as a few stories from Texas AgriLife on beef, cotton and other ag news.

Hope you enjoy this issue, and as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

December 1, 2012

“This year’s conference will address traditional crops for our area such as corn and grain sorghum, but we’ll also be taking a look at strawberry production and pigweed control,” said Robert Scott, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Lubbock County. “The topics are timely and I think it will be a day well-spent for those want-

• Corn Producers Board Association Update, David Gibson, Texas Corn Producers executive director, Lubbock • Sorghum And Wheat Production, Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Lubbock.

• AgriLife program updates, Robert Scott and Mark Brown, AgriLife Extension agents, Lubbock County.

• Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Debbie Slocum, Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide inspector.

• Pigweed Resistance and Lessons From 2012, Peter Dotray, AgriLife Research, Lubbock.

Individual registration is $35 by Dec. 3 and $45 thereafter. The fees include lunch.

For more information and to register contact Scott at 806-775-1680 or rj-scott@ tamu.edu.

n college, I had a roommate who had seven different jobs in one month.I have had four jobs in my life.I’m not quitting this one anytime soon, unless I get a call on my application for water-slide tester or there is an opening for beer-coldness assessor. I had thought of pursuing bikini inspector, but then I thought there may be some bikinis out there that just should not be inspected, (the thing about that industry: when it’s good it’s really good, and when it’s bad, it’s really, really bad).

So in the meantime, I’ll be here as your general ganager of the Land & Livestock Post.

It’s a good job, and I like it, but as I mentioned, I could be lured away if the right career opportunity presented itself.



LUBBOCK — Agricultural topics from traditional crops to strawberries will greet participants at this year’s High Plains Ag Conference.

The conference will run from from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dec. 7 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 E. F.M. 1294 in Lubbock.

ing to catch up on the latest developments in High Plains agriculture.”

The program conducted

by AgriLife Extension will offer five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units: one laws and regulations, one integrated pest management and three general. In addition, it will offer five Texas Certified Crop Adviser continuing education units: three crop management and two pest management.

The program’s topics and speakers will include: • Growing Strawberries on the High Plains Using High Tunnels, Russell Wallace, AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist, Lubbock.

• Corn Production and Drought Tolerant Varieties, Jake Becker, Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant, Amarillo.

From the General Manager

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News

Expiring tax provisions affect producers

By Dan ChilDs The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Agricultural producers make decisions each day using assumptions that are based on uncertainties such as weather, prices and government regulations. The summer of 2012 was filled with such dilemmas.

Our nation is suffering from the worst drought since the 1950s, with grain and oilseed markets spiraling upward and livestock markets adjusting downward. Our government has not produced a farm bill and the 2007 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30. In addition to this, important tax legislation is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. This article will discuss a few of the expiring tax provisions that are most important to producers.

The amount specified in IRS Code Section 179 (referred to as the election to expense) is scheduled to be reduced sub-

stantially. This election allows an agricultural producer to choose to deduct an amount of the purchase price of a business asset rather than recover the purchase price over a period of years through annual depreciation. It is a good tax-management feature. In 2010 and 2011, the maximum amount of the election was set at $500,000, with a phase out beginning when total purchases exceeded $2 million.

In 2012, the maximum election amount is $139,000, with a phase out beginning when total purchases exceed $560,000.

In 2013, the maximum election is scheduled to be reduced to $25,000, with a phase out beginning when total purchases exceed $200,000. The amount of the deduction elected is limited to the net business income. However, the IRS allows W-2 wages to count as business income.

IRS Code Section 168 is another provision that deals

with depreciation, specifically with additional 50 percent/100 percent (bonus) first-year depreciation. In 2008 through 2010, a taxpayer was required to deduct an additional 50 percent of the cost of certain qualified assets, after the Section 179 deduction if elected, for assets placed in service during the year unless they specifically elected out of it.

Congress changed the law in 2010 and added 100 percent bonus depreciation for assets purchased after Sept. 8, 2010, and placed in service before Jan. 1, 2012. The same law also provided for assets placed in service in 2012 to use only 50 percent bonus depreciation. No bonus depreciation is available for 2013, however.

The gain on certain capital assets that are sold after a minimum holding period is taxed at a lower rate compared to typical income tax rates. Most qualified capital assets have a minimum hold-

Berry crops can be profitable in Texas

By KaThlEEn PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

4

Be they black or blue, berries can be a profitable business provided growers plant suitable varieties and manage the challenges of these crops, an expert with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service said.

“Berries are a great crop in Texas,” said Monte Nesbitt, AgriLife Extension horticulture program specialist. “They can be grown for fun or for commercial purposes.”

Nesbitt addressed about 100 people at the recent Texas Fruit and Nut Orchard Conference in Bryan.

Blackberries can be a profitable business in Texas — provided growers plant suitable varieties and manage the challenges of this crop.

Blackberries, a type of bramble or caneberry, do well in Texas because they are improved varieties from wild dewberries that grow along roadsides in more southern areas of the state.

“Blackberries come into full production within two years of planting,” he said. “They bloom later in the spring and have a long harvest season that may last into the fall.”

The horticulturist estimated that about 70 percent of the expenses associated with growing blackberries are for harvest labor. The berries must be picked when ripe since they do not continue to ripen after being plucked from the vine, so having available labor throughout the harvest season is essential.

He said blackberry plants can produce for more than 20

years and may yield up to 10,000 pounds per acre when well managed. A pint basket may sell for $2.50-$4.95 each.

Blueberry farms also can be profitable, Nesbitt added, yielding 15 pounds per plant or 9,000 pounds an acre.

Nesbitt and AgriLife Extension horticulturists Jim Kamas of Fredericksburg and Larry Stein of Uvalde have produced a series of “how-to” publications aimed at helping potential growers learn how to produce more fruits and nuts in Texas. They can be found at aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/.

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ing period of 12 months. Cattle have a minimum holding period of 24 months. Individuals filing jointly in 2012 who are in the 10 percent and 15 percent brackets (taxable incomes less than $70,700) will not owe any tax on the gain of qualified capital assets sold during the year.

If taxable income is above $70,700, the income tax rate is 25 percent or higher depending on the level, up to a maximum of 35 percent. For these taxpayers, the capital gain tax rate is 15 percent. However, for 2013, the capital gain tax rate is scheduled to go from 0 to 10 percent for taxpayers in the 10 and 15 percent income tax brackets and from 15 to 20 percent for taxpayers in income tax brackets of 25 percent and above.

One other tax item related to estate taxes is set to expire at the end of 2012. This is the $5.12 million exemption, the maximum tax rate of 35 per-

cent on estates and the portability of any unused exemption to the surviving spouse.

The exemption amount is scheduled to be reduced to $1 million, the maximum tax rate increased to 55 percent and the portability of the unused exemption will not be available.

Congress has the ability to extend a portion or all of these tax regulations plus many others. All we know for certain, however, is the law as it currently stands and its implications for taxes for the remainder of 2012. What Congress will do related to tax regulations in future years is uncertain.

• Dan Childs is a senior consultant and agriculturaleconomistforTheSamuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

Texas cotton getting a genetic ‘tune-up’

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service



AgriLife Research cotton breeding program is to infuse new genes and gene combinations into the genetics and breeding research arena, “so that we can utilize natural genetic resources to help meet the many challenges breeding programs face.”

Transferring genes into a cultivated crop from a wild species “is like swimming upstream, one is fighting all sorts of biological and genetic barriers,” he said. For years, he and his longtime research assistant, Dwaine Raska, have been transferring the alien genes by a special

December 1, 2012

COLLEGE STATION — Can you imagine trying to build a competitive race car with old parts? Chances are, the entry would not fare well at the Indy 500. Very much the same thing might be said about today’s crops, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist.

“Contemporary crops such as Texas cotton are like finely tuned racing machines — they need high quality parts to perform optimally,” said David Stelly, Texas A&M AgriLife Research cotton geneticist in College Station. “And they constantly need new ones to replace ones that are no longer functional, as well as those that are still effective but no longer at the cutting edge of competition.”

Stelly said his role in the

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by David Stelly David Stelly, Texas A&M AgriLife Research cotton scientist, operates his studies year-round, using a mixture of three greenhouses year-round and two summer fields, one consisting of transplanted seedlings and another from direct-seeding into the soil.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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The grower’s requirements pose an extreme challenge for cotton breeding programs that release cultivated varieties, because producers must buy elite genetic types that are good-togreat for all traits, Stelly said.

Because of the ever-present pressure for rapid development of successful cultivars, U.S. breeding programs have historically relied heavily on previously developed cultivars and closely related lines as parents, he said. This recycling of genes from relatively few historically elite agricultural types of cotton has created a genetic “bottleneck.”

“We have excellent genetic types of cotton and excellent cotton breeders, but we need ‘new blood’ or new cotton genes,

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breeder to mold new, improved genetic types using the combinatorial ‘magic’ of Mendelian heredity,” Stelly said. “We are concomitantly developing high-throughput DNA marker methods for cotton to expedite that follow-through work with the chromosome substitution lines.”

Traditional methods

Traditional breeding methods are not very effective for infusing wild germplasm into cotton, he said, because during the back-crossing process, “we think that the alien genes get eliminated very quickly.”

Stelly uses a modified method for chromosome substitution to avoid those problems almost completely.

The effects differ among each alien chromosome, he said, ultimately depending on which genes are present on that substituted chromosome, and how they interact with the other approximate 58,000 genes found in Upland cotton.

Stelly said they are beginning to apply genomics tools to determine which genes are present,

which are expressed and how they interact. Once developed, the lines produced by the project can be screened and “used by anyone … and for essentially any trait subject to genetic control,” he said.

“The resulting advances will enable the baseline performances of cotton to be elevated, and could lead to unforeseen revolutionary advances.”

Stelly said one of the group’s main activities at present is to recruit partners — breeders, physiologists, pathologists — in studying these new chromosome substitution lines.

“We are actively seeking partners to help breed derived types that can help the research community pinpoint single-gene and multi-gene effects in manners complementary to other means of genetic analysis,” he said. “My expectation is that with the aid of marker-based selection, the cotton breeding community will be able to use these new kinds of wild germplasm resources far, far more effectively than in the past. It just keeps getting more and more exciting.”

December 1, 2012

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc. (979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

Extreme challenge

to create lots of new genetic combinations, of which a few are likely to yield significant improvements,” Stelly said.

While Texas leads the U.S. in cotton production — producing about 25 percent of the nation’s crop on about 6 million acres — there is competition to this No. 1 cash crop for the state, Stelly said.

“Industrial technologies and competition from synthetic petroleum-based fibers demand significant modifications and enhancements to cotton fiber physical and chemical properties, especially those that affect dying and high-speed processing,” he said.

Also, ongoing climate changes will alter the scope and scale of the challenges found in current production areas, and probably lead to production in new areas with new sets of biotic and abiotic problems, Stelly said.

“We can use genes to address these challenges and competition in the field,” he said.

Genetic improvements or modifications can help keep pests and pathogens at bay, fight off abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, water deficiencies, salt and nutrient deficiencies, Stelly said.

Stelly sees the opportunities for genetic improvements as almost unlimited — and very exciting.

“A key ingredient, in almost all scenarios, is the availability of ample amounts of genetic variation that is available to the



breeding process called “chromosome substitution.”

“Using chromosome substitution, we can target one pair of cultivated cotton chromosomes at a time, and replace it with the corresponding pair of chromosomes from a wild species chosen as the donor. On average, each substitution replaces about 2,000 cotton genes with donor genes,” Stelly said.

Having already developed chromosome substitution lines for many chromosomes from three donor species, Stelly is working in collaboration with a former graduate student, Sukumar Saha, now with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service unit at Mississippi State University, and his associates, to document their effects on cotton plant and fiber improvement.

Stelly noted that the chromosome substitution breeding and research was made possible only because of teamwork among researchers and research supporters, especially AgriLife Research, the Texas State Support Committee, Cotton Inc., the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Food and Fiber Research Commission and the Agricultural Research Service.

To significantly advance the cotton industry’s “racing machines,” breeders must shop around to find the best parts, and figure out how to optimize their contributions to performance, he said.

“Fortunately, nature provides a plethora of genetic variation,” Stelly said. “It’s up to us to find it, move it into agronomically useful types, and to figure out

how to use it wisely. Whether mechanical or genetic, making one change often requires that others be made to achieve superiority.”

Contemporary production of cotton in Texas and elsewhere requires cotton seed with superb genes, plus good production infrastructure and technology, superb growers and a good dose of luck, he said.

“If a grower sows cotton seeds lacking a fantastic set of genes that confer high production, high fiber quality, resilience to stresses, pests and pathogens, expectations for the crop would be less than good from the outset.”

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Cow clinic addresses feral hog control, weed crop

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

See CLINIC, Page 10

10522 FM 2095 • Gause, Texas 77857 Billy Stein • 979.200.1300 billy@fluhartyfarms.net

December 1, 2012

than perennial weeds.”

Baumann said this time of year is not the time to control warm season annual broadleaf weeds, such as doveweed or broomweed.

“By the time they have flowered, they have picked your pocket,” he said.

Products such as 2,4-D and Grazon P+D can provide control. Mechanical shredding is an option, but has to be done early and expense has to be factored, Baumann said.

“The longer you let weeds compete with forage g rass, BAUMANN the longer they are going to detract from forage production,” he said.

For annual weeds, Baumann suggests spraying at 4 to 6 inches in height. “If they get larger, they will require more herbicide and will have detracted more from forage production,” he said.

Regarding perennial weeds, mechanical shredding will get only a top kill, Baumann said.

Herbicides are much more effective on perennial weeds such as silverleaf nightshade or Carolina horsenettle.

Meanwhile, Doug Pierce, division chair for agriculture at Blinn College, provided tips on basic beef cattle selection.

He said skeletal soundness and body volume are key basic criteria to be used in profitable cattle selection.

As a side note, Pierce noted that an often overlooked “real-



BRENHAM — This year’s edition of the South Central Texas Cow Calf Clinic in Brenham featured a lot of optimism and interest in the outlook for beef cattle production in the months ahead — a stark contrast to 2011 when ranchers in Washington County and surrounding areas were devastated by drought conditions.

“When it rains, we all look smart,” said Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist from College Station, who moderated the event.

“There’s quite a bit of difference b e t we e n l a s t year and this CLEERE year.”

What’s different is a bumper crop of weeds across parts of Texas, and the trick to fend them off is to get to them early, said Paul Baumann, AgriLife Extension state weed specialist in College Station.

“From here to Dallas, there are a number of fields you can’t see a sprig of Bermuda because of all of the dove weed,” Baumann said.

When these weeds are at this growth stage, Baumann said they form an umbrella and not only “are they sucking up water, they are also intercepting sunlight which is critical for Bermuda grass growth.”

Baumann said to keep in mind “for every pound of weeds you control, you gain at least a pound of forage in return.”

“The key is to get the job done early on annual broadleaf weeds,” Baumann said. “Annual weeds have limited root systems and are easier to control

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin Doug Pierce,division chair for agriculture at Blinn College, provided tips on basic beef cattle selection.

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News Clinic, from Page 9 world” criteria is width of muzzle or “wide-mouthed cattle.” Pierce said he prefers wide-mouthed cows that are capable of consuming large amounts of forage like a machine.

“A cow is nothing more than Mother Nature’s hay baler,” he said. “The kids always laugh at me at Blinn when I say I like a cow with a wide mouth. She’s like a machine and width of muzzle always (allows) her to harvest and process more forage in a day — like a hay baler.”

Pierce said a cow must have the correct type of muscle or “beef” surrounding this sound skeleton.

“Muscle is what we sell in the beef industry,” said Pierce, but this muscle has to be designed in a way to facilitate fluid movement of the cow, not inhibit it.

“A good cow with skeletal soundness and proper body depth is capable of consuming large volumes of forage (if available) daily and produce beef,” he said.

In a live cattle demonstration, Pierce discussed in great detail what ranchers should be looking for when purchasing replacement cattle. Some points to keep in mind include evaluating how a cow stands, whether or not they are postlegged or buck-kneed, and the length of neck.

“Shoulder angularity and its effect on neck length is a good indicator of skel-

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin The feral hog,a nemesis toTexas ranchers,was one of the featured topics at this year’s South Central Texas Cow Calf Clinic in Brenham. etal soundness,” he said.

Feral hog biology and control methods also were discussed by Jim Cathey, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist and associate department head for wildlife and fisheries sciences at A&M. Cathey told attendees that female feral hogs are prolific breeders, cycling every 18 to 24 days if not already bred.

“They are just built to get little pigs out there in the wild,” he said.

Males average 180 pounds, while females average 150 pounds. Feral hogs generally run in groups with the female adult hogs called “sounders.” Cathey said it’s estimated there are 2.6 million feral hogs in Texas.

“Imagine how much more beef cattle or Bobwhite quail we could have if we didn’t have this many feral hogs in our state,” he said. “We’ve got too many of them, and we need to (get) rid of them.”

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Events Calendar December Dec. 1: Farm, Ranch & Construction Equipment Auction.

Sealy, TX. (979) 885-2400 Dec. 1: Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale.

San Saba, TX. Dec. 6: Jordan Cattle Auction Special Texas Brangus Breeders Association Bull Offering. San Saba, TX Dec. 8: 8th Annual Fall Female & Bull Replacement Sale. Navasota, TX. 936-825-6545 Dec. 8: 20th Annual Stockman’s Special All Breed Bull & Female Sale. Industry, TX. 979-885-2400

Coming up in the December 15th Issue of the Land & Livestock Post:

• Annual Holiday Issue

call today for your Christmas greeting ad.

• Annual Ag Directory Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?

Call Jesse Wright at (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

The Land & Livestock Post ď‚Ť December 1, 2012

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News

Git-R-Done

Make sure bulls are up to the task

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

B

ull power was discussed in the Oct. 1 issue of Land & Livestock Post with an explanation of its importance.

A bull contributes 50 percent of the genetics in calves born from 15 to 50 cows and the sire’s genetics become more concentrated if he is bred to his daughters and granddaughters.

Suggestions from several experts on how to select the right bull also were presented in the article. Once the right bull is selected and purchased, he must be managed so that he has every opportunity to produce at his potential.

A bull must be monitored to ascertain that he is performing as expected.

“In order for a sire to be a genetic asset under natural service conditions, he must find, travel to and successfully impregnate females in heat (estrus females),” said Bruce Carpenter of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension at Fort Stockton.

“It is not unreasonable to expect an extremely fertile bull to sire 60 or more calves in a short breeding season; whereas a truly infertile bull might sire none, even in a long breeding season. Fertility of most bulls is probably somewhere in the middle of these extremes.

“Fertile bulls are of greater economic value, not only because of the number of calves they can sire, but also because they tend to settle cows earlier in the breeding season, resulting in older and heavier calves at weaning.

Properly managing any given bull from weaning through maturity will maximize his inherent fertility and boost his contribution to overall herd productivity,” Carpenter said.

Herd health

12

Both male and female breeding animals must be kept healthy for maximum calf production. It is important for producers to work with their veterinarians to draft and execute a herd health plan that includes good biosecurity measures. Diseases affecting both young and mature bulls are essentially the same that occur in breeding females.

Photo by Robert Fears

Producers shouldn’t feed bulls the same way they feed cows. Bulls sometimes must walk long distances to service a cow and must be able to do so easily.

“A biosecurity plan to prevent introduction of diseases from outside the ranch is invaluable and should include options such as proper quarantine, disease testing and vaccinations,” said Dr. Tom Hairgrove of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension at College Station. “Be familiar with your neighbors’ operations and their management practices. Determine if there is a chance that their herds can transmit disease to your cattle.

“Good fences are one of the best disease preventative measures. If your cows and bulls comingle with your neighbor’s cattle even for a short period, costly diseases can be introduced into your herd,” Hairgrove said.

“A good vaccination program is an essential part of a biosecurity program,” Hairgrove said. “Males and

females should be vaccinated for diseases that put your herd at risk. Typically vaccinations include leptospirosis (Lepto), Campylobacter (vibria), bovine herpes virius (IBR), bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and possibly bovine trichomonas (trich). Designing an effective vaccination program begins with your herd veterinarian.”

Nutrition

Bulls have to be fed well to perform well. There is a tendency to feed bulls the same way cows are fed, even though their functions are different. A bull may be expected to breed 15 to 50 or more females by walking long distances over rough terrain. A nutritionally deficient bull will not deliver this type of performance.

“The first step in providing adequate

nutrition is determining the desired level of performance,” said Glenn Selk, professor of Animal Science and Extension Animal Reproduction Specialist at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. “Typically, young bulls have 160 days to grow from weaning to yearling age. Because of the growth potential of our current beef population, yearling bulls are heavier than 1,000 pounds. Young bulls need to have gains of 2.5 pounds daily. Moderate energy diets (those with grain) are needed to attain these performance levels.”

For young bulls not intended for gain testing, rations should include concentrates fed at a minimum of about 2 percent of body weight. Six hundred pound calves easily can consume about 10 to 12 pounds of grain with al-

See BULLS, Page 13

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 December 1, 2012

Photo by Robert Fears

Selecting the right bull and taking proper care of him will pay big dividends in herd reproduction.

Bulls, from Page 12 falfa hay or grass hay fed free choice. This will promote rapid growth without excessive fattening. Start the grain feeding gradually to allow rumen bacteria development.

As bulls increase in size, the amount of grain must increase to maintain the 2 percent of body weight level unless it is obvious that they need more high-energy feed. At this age, the bulls should grow rapidly, so they need 12 to 13 percent total protein in their diet. Depending on the kind and quality of roughage and grain being fed, a protein supplement may be needed in the ration to meet protein requirements.

“Yearling bulls should be well-grown, but not too fat,” Selk said. “Reduce the energy content of a ration if bulls are getting too fat. Semen production by a young bull largely depends on his overall growth as well as development of his testicles and other reproductive organs.

“Two-year-old bulls should have more of their mature size by breeding season, so their ration is not quite so critical.

A 1,300-pound 2-year-old will probably need to gain only one pound per day at this stage in his life. Active bulls may need 35 pounds of feed or more with five to seven pounds of grain in the ration. Continue to monitor total protein content of the

diet and keep protein concentration near 12 percent.”

For older bulls the ideal energy level during the prebreeding conditioning period depends on their body condition. If bulls wintered in good condition, five to seven pounds of grain may be adequate to build the desired energy reserve. If the bulls are thin, than they may need to receive 20 pounds or more of grain per head per day. Start the grain feeding gradually.

“Adequate levels of vitamin A are necessary for optimum semen production,” Selk said.

“Green-growing forages are high in vitamin A and cattle can store this vitamin for as long as seven months. Green color of hay is a good indicator of vitamin A. Because of its importance and reasonable cost, add a natural or synthetic source to supplemental feed or minerals to insure adequate levels.

“Bulls should also have access to free choice source supplemental phosphorus year round if they are grazing warm season pastures. A mineral supplement that contains one-half trace mineralized salt and one-half dicalcium phosphate is a good mixture.

“Adding 5 percent soybean meal to the mix will encourage greater consumption. Bulls grazing lush green winter pas-

See HEALTH, Page 14

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News Health, from Page 13 tures such as wheat will need a mineral program designed for small grains. Bulls on small grains pastures may need supplemental calcium and magnesium.”

Ability to breed

“Whether in young or mature bulls, a fertility assessment is required before breeding performance can be predicted,” Carpenter said. “For a bull to impregnate females, the requirements are more complicated than expected. Bulls in good overall health must still have enough libido (sexual urge or instinct) to pursue, mount and serve a female in heat. This involves travel over short or long distances in varying terrain, requiring sound feet and legs. Copulation requires a functional reproductive tract free of abnormalities.

Finally, quality sperm must be deposited.”

A good quality test for determining if a bull has the ability

to produce calves is a breeding soundness examination (BSE), best administered by a veterinarian. A BSE includes a structural correctness evaluation, physical examination of the reproductive tract and semen analysis. Conduct these examinations on young bulls before they are used for the first time and on all bulls about 60 days before the breeding season starts.

A structural correctness evaluation includes a general assessment of the skeleton, particularly the feet and legs.

Can the bull walk and get around OK? Mouth and teeth usually are evaluated because a bull must be able to eat if he is to meet performance expectations. Good eyes especially are important for bulls.

Research indicates that the primary stimulus for a bull to seek estrus females is his ability first to visually locate groups of sexually active females. Cows or heifers usually

See INVEST, Page 15

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________________________________________________________________________ Table 1. Scrotal scoring system and recommended scrotal circumference in centimeters for bulls of various ages. ( bulls without any Brahman genetics.)

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Invest, from Page 14 are sexually active when they are being mounted by other animals in the herd.

“Physical examination of the reproductive tract includes a determination of whether there is normal extension of the penis and if it is free of adhesions,” Selk said. “The ejaculate is observed for absence of pus.”

“Both testicles are observed for normal size and descension into the scrotum,” Carpenter said.

“The testicles are palpated for texture and the sheath, prepuce and accessory glands are evaluated. Finally, scrotal circumference is measured.

Bulls with larger testicles produce more sperm cells, reach puberty sooner and sire daughters that reach puberty at earlier ages.”

Scoring systems and recommended scrotal circumference for bulls of various ages are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

“Semen evaluation usually consists of microscopic examination of sperm for motility, concentration and normality,” Carpenter said. “Test kits, containing reducible dyes, can be used to test sperm motility and concentration by color changes. Computerized digi-

tal photographic lab systems are also available to evaluate sperm motility.

Following the BSE, bulls are classified either as satisfactory or unsatisfactory as potential breeders. Any bull classified as unsatisfactory probably should be re-tested before he is culled.

Libido is a vital part of bull fertility and has little or no association with results from a breeding soundness exam.

Extension specialists recommend exposing yearling bulls to a few cycling females prior to turning them in with the cow herd.

“Shy breeders, fighters, bulls that form a bond with one particular cow while ignoring others in heat and bulls that have poor mounting orientation will sire few calves and thus be quite costly,” Selk said.

It is highly recommended by experts in the cow-calf business that the necessary money be spent to buy good bulls that will produce top-of-the-market calves.

To protect this investment bulls must be fed properly, kept healthy and routinely monitored for performance through annual evaluations prior to exposing them to cows and observed visually during the breeding season.

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

16

News

Drought hurt Texas quail preservation efforts

By NormaN martiN Texas Tech University

Three years into a five-year project aimed at stemming a massive decline of quail in Texas, researchers with a conservation alliance based at Texas Tech University are finding that last year’s blistering drought didn’t help that rescue effort one bit.

“Even though we’ve seen improvement in this year’s reproductive efforts, it’s important to look at reality,” said Brad Dabbert, Quail-Tech Alliance research project director and associate professor in Texas Tech’s department of natural resources management. “We’re coming off one of the worst droughts on record and we’re seeing a corresponding reproductive failure. While environmental conditions improved during winter and spring, we can’t expect populations to rebound in a single year.”

Starting in 2009, Quail-Tech Alliance and Texas Tech designated a 38-county research area in west central and northwest Texas, an area that encompasses more than 22 million acres or roughly 10 times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Within each of the counties, one ranch is designated as an anchor ranch to serve as a field research or demonstration site.

Among the historic ranches on the list attempting to save the small bird, known as a northern bobwhite quail, are the 6666 Ranch, Guthrie’s Pitchfork Ranch, Vernon’s W.T. Waggoner Ranch, Collingsworth County’s Mill Iron Ranch and Archer County’s Circle A Ranch.

While the Lone Star state’s historic drought inhibited reproduction over most of the Rolling Plains last summer — exasperating bird deaths over the winter — researchers are encouraged to see many birds in reproductive condition this nesting season.

“It’s amazing what a little timely rain can do,” Dabbert said. “We’ve had reports of broods in many areas of the Rolling Plains.”

Meanwhile, this fall the team is taking a closer look at another factor affecting quail longevity: predators. It has initiated an ongoing program to monitor predator activity using cameras on the anchor ranches in the Quail-Tech Alliance program. The initial results still are being examined, but among the animals caught on camera are skunks, coyotes, raccoons and a bobcat.

Separately, the research team is closing rapidly its most recent construction phase, which includes a Lubbock research facility with indoor work areas and outdoor pens. So far, the team has been focusing on the production of wildstrain, parent-reared chicks.

“Chick releases on anchor ranches

See QUAIL, Page 17

The extended drought of 2011 hurt efforts to protect and restore Texas bobwhite quail.

Photo courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

The Land & Livestock Post

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Some of the released chicks are fitted with radio transmitters to monitor their survival and movements during the fall and winter. The goal is to place birds on the ground where habitat has been modified to be suitable for quail, but where drought or isolation has prevented timely colonization by wild populations.

The Quail-Tech Alliance, a partnership between Tech’s natural resources management department and Quail First, a Dallas-based non-profit organization, is conducting research and demonstration projects on an array of topics, including: • Investigating the potential benefits or detriments of supplemental feeding.

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News

Bee Synch can boost beef quality, ranchers’ profits

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

BEEVILLE — With national beef cattle inventory at lows not seen since the 1950s, the time could be right for producers of Brahman-influenced cattle to adopt a fixed-time artificial insemination method that could add thousands of dollars in net value to a calf crop, according to researchers.

Gary Williams, a reproductive physiologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station-Beeville, said the shortage of cattle nationwide has resulted in an increased demand for feedlot calves and a shortage of high-quality beef. This has created the perfect opportunity for beef cattle producers to consider adopting technologies that may improve production efficiency and profits.

“Bee Synch, a synchronization of ovulation technique developed for Bos indicus-influenced beef cows, yields fixed-time artificial insemination pregnancy rates of up to 55 percent and makes the use of AI more feasible for a greater number of producers interested

in using superior sires in their breeding program,” Williams said.

The research to develop the procedure was conducted in collaboration with Randy Stanko of Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Marcel Amstalden of Texas A&M University in College Station, and supported by Pfizer Animal Health and Select Sires.

“If you have the right genetic background in feedlot-destined calves, and retain ownership through the feedlot, the difference in price at slaughter between those and the average South Texas-sired calf can be as much as $350,” he said. “Multiply that out by hundreds and you are making some serious money. We are seeing some of the national steakhouse chains having problems getting high-quality certified beef. This synchronization method could be a lucrative option for some beef cattle producers to consider.”

The synchronization process is a modified five-day protocol developed previously at Ohio State University, Williams said. That procedure, known as “5-day Co-Synch + CIDR” has been shown to be “highly effective” for synchronization of

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Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo Bee Synch, a synchronization of ovulation technique developed for Bos indicus-influenced beef cows, yields fixed-time artificial insemination pregnancy rates of up to 55 percent. ovulation in Bos taurus beef cows (English and Continental-derived breeds), yielding fixed-time artificial insemination pregnancy rates of 60 percent or greater.

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limit the amount of cattle handling required to achieve it,” he said.

Synchronization of ovulation and fixed-time artificial insemination is becoming an increasingly prominent choice for astute cattlemen, Williams said.

“Although it is unlikely in the near future for such technology to overtake traditional South

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Texas management that uses natural service, the expansion of the national and international market for quality beef, and the current shortage, is creating increased opportunities for producers,” Williams said.

Natural service sires representing Angus, Hereford and other similar breeds noted for meat quality are already being

December 1, 2012

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo One of the main concerns from ranchers considering adoption of artificial insemination types of technologies is the number of times required to pen cattle, labor costs and stress-related conditions associated with cattle handling.The Bee Synch process, however, requires that the cow come through the chute only three times, including artificial insemination.

nation.”

Williams said cleanup bulls, turned in seven to 10 days later, can be used to service those not conceiving beginning about three weeks after artificial insemination as they will still be synchronized. Alternatively, another round of artificial insemination can be used before bulls are turned in.

“Using Bee Synch, the ability to infuse highly-desirable genetic traits for meat quality into commercial beef cattle production in the southern U.S. should become an increasing reality,” he said.



that Williams developed calls for an additional injection of prostaglandin at the start of the five-day synchronization protocol, which reduces the lifespan of a hormone-producing structure on the ovary.

“This improves synchrony and boosts pregnancy rates,” Williams said. “Importantly, the modified procedure does not involve additional cattle handling and utilizes synchronization products already available from Pfizer Animal Health.”

Williams said one of the main concerns from ranchers considering adoption of these types of technologies is the number of times required to pen cattle, labor costs and stress-related conditions associated with cattle handling. The Bee Synch process, however, requires that the cow come through the chute only three times, including artificial insemination.

“This is more attractive to ranchers wanting to use AI to improve herd genetics and marketability, but also wanting to

used extensively in southern beef herds. Using semen from superior artificial insemination sires from these breeds is the next logical step. Alternatively, Brahman-influenced composite breeds carrying genes for increased meat quality can also be used.

“If Brahman-influenced cows are handled in a minimal-stress environment, are in good body condition (a minimum body condition score of 5, on a 1-9 scale), and are at least 45 days post-calving, you can routinely get 50-55 percent of these cows pregnant with a single insemi-

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The Land & Livestock Post  December 1, 2012

News Livestock Market Reports

Brazos Valley

Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Nov. 6 sale: Head: 688 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $190$240; 300-400 lbs., $185-$215; 400-500 lbs., $184-$194; 500600 lbs., $164-$164; 600-700 lbs., $140-$143; 700-800 lbs., $120-$135.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $171$195, 300-400 lbs., $146-$175; 400-500 lbs., $135-$164; 500600 lbs., $122-$144; 600-700 lbs., $116-$130 700-800 lbs., $117-$123.

Slaughter bulls: $82-$90.

Slaughter cows: $60-$83.50.

Bred cows: $990-$1,475.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,400$1,460.

Buffalo

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Marketing’s Nov. 3 sale: Head: 1,243 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $225$260; 200-300 lbs., $190-$220; 300-400 lbs., $185-$218; 400-

500 lbs., $165-$205; 500-600 lbs., $135-$180; 600-700 lbs., $125-$160; 700-800 lbs., $120$134.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $175$230; 200-300 lbs., $155-$225; 300-400 lbs., $150-$212; 400500 lbs., $135-$182; 500-600 lbs., $120-$170; 600-700 lbs., $118-$155; 700-800 lbs., $110$126.

Slaughter bulls: $75-$90.

Slaughter cows: $55-$82.

Bred cows: $975-$1,690.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,000$1,690.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Nov. 7 sale: Head: 355 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $200$225; 300-400 lbs., $180-$215; 400-500 lbs., $150-$200; 500600 lbs., $140-$155; 600-700 lbs., $125-$140; 700-800 lbs., $117-$125.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $190$210; 300-400 lbs., $150-$180; 400-500 lbs., $140-$175; 500-

600 lbs., $128-$160; 600-700 lbs., $124-$145; 700-800 lbs., N/A. Slaughter bulls: $73-$83.

Slaughter cows: $55-$78.

Stocker cows: $1,010-$1,380.

Cow/calf pairs: N/A.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Exchange’s Nov. 8 sale: Head: 916.

Steers: 300-400 lbs., $185$225; 400-500 lbs., $180-$210; 500-600 lbs., $145-$180; 600700 lbs., $125-$160.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $160$215; 400-500 lbs., $140-$200; 500-600 lbs., $125-$175; 600700 lbs., $120-$160.

Slaughter bulls: $87-$97.

Slaughter cows: $62-$81.

Stocker cows: $800-$1,600.

Cow/calf pairs: $950-$1,700.

$205; 400-500 lbs., $150-$193; 500-600 lbs., $129-$167.50; 600-700 lbs., $110-$150.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $130$190; 400-500 lbs., $125-$180; 500-600 lbs., $117-$153; 600700 lbs., $111-$136.

Slaughter bulls: $87-$92.

Slaughter cows: $62-$74.

Stocker cows: $800-$840.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,080$1,110

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Auction Co.’s Nov. 3 sale:

Head: 1,271.

Steers: 150-300 lbs., $150$280; 300-400 lbs., $150-$235; 400-500 lbs., $125-$215; 500600 lbs., $120-$182.50; 600700 lbs., $115-$155.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $135-$260; 300-400 lbs., $130-$187.50; 400-500 lbs., $120-$172.50; 500-600 lbs., $115-$157.50; 600-700 lbs., $115-$139.

Slaughter bulls: $80-$97.

Slaughter cows: $50-$80.

Stocker cows: $850-$1,425.

— Special to The Post

Milano

Results of the Milano Livestock Exchange’s Nov. 6 sale: Head: 429.

Steers: 300-400 lbs., $152-

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By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

global inventory of greenhouse gases.”

Casey said determining these numbers now also will help make sure any future regulations that might be imposed are based on scientific findings.

“But little research has been conducted into the emissions of these greenhouse gases from beef cattle feedyards and particularly as it applies for the climatic conditions, ration formulations and management practices of Texas High Plains feedlots,” he said.

His AgriLife Research study was set up to determine the range of nitrous oxide and methane emission rates from feedlot pen surfaces; to obtain an understanding of seasonal, temporal and spatial variability of emission rates within pens; and to gain insight into the fac-

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tors that influence and control emission rates, such as moisture content, days since rainfall and nitrogen content.

In his study, the emissions

December 1, 2012

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo

Ken Casey, Texas A&M AgriLife Research air quality engineer in Amarillo, takes a sample from a non-flow-through non-steady-state chamber to test for nitrous oxide and methane emissions.

work is needed to investigate factors that influence emission rates, Casey said.

Knowing the production and release mechanisms that influence these emissions will help the industry to develop management systems that could reduce the emissions, he said.

For instance, if reduced storage of manure in pens lessens anaerobic conditions, that could result in lower methane emissions, Casey said. And reduced nitrogen excretion – possibly through feeding less nitrogen – could reduce the nitrous oxide emitted.

Accurate and well-designed emission measurements from well-characterized types of manure and manure management systems will be needed to reduce the uncertainties, he said. These measurements must account for temperature, moisture conditions, aeration, manure nitrogen content, metabolizable carbon and duration of storage.



AMARILLO — An accurate estimation of nitrous oxide and methane emissions from beef cattle feedlots is an increasing concern given the current and potential future reporting requirements for greenhouse gas emissions.

Ken Casey, Texas A&M AgriLife Research air quality engineer in Amarillo, is working on an ongoing study to quantify the nitrous oxide and methane emission rates from pen surfaces at two commercial beef cattle feedlots in Texas.

This research was supported in part by an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, AgriLife Research and Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

To put these in perspective, nitrous oxide and methane have global warming potentials of 310 times and 21 times that of carbon dioxide, respectively, Casey said. This means these gases trap more heat within the atmosphere than carbon dioxide per unit weight.

“These greenhouse gases contribute more toward climate change but are not concerns for human or animal health at the concentrations that exist in and around feedyards,” he said.

“But they need to be studied because we need to know how much is being emitted before we can accurately determine what contribution feedyards are making to the national and

from the pen surfaces were measured on 20 sampling days from June to October 2011, Casey said. The air samples were collected from the chambers’ headspace at 0, 10, 20 and 30 minutes using syringes, transferred to evacuated vials and analyzed with a gas chromatograph.

From the nitrous oxide and methane concentrations, emission fluxes were calculated.

Casey said the study showed nitrous oxide and methane flux generally increased with increasing manure pack temperature. Following a rain, nitrous oxide flux would spike and then was followed by a decline to pre-event levels over three to six days.

The nitrous oxide flux increase due to a rain was approximately 100 times greater than the temperature response, he said.

While this study is quantifying nitrous oxide and methane emission rates from pen surfaces in cattle feedlots, further

The Land & Livestock Post

News Climate-related emissions from feedyards monitored

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The Land & Livestock Post

The Land & Livestock Post

News Wheat growers face hard decisions this winter

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

COLLEGE STATION — Texas wheat growers may have some hard decisions to make this winter because of market and weather uncertainties, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marketing expert.

Much of the uncertainty in prices stems from the drought.

Most of the state’s wheat got a boost from late-summer, early fall rains, with much of the crop emerged, and some already grazeable, said Mark Waller, AgriLife Extension economist in grain marketing and policy in College Station.

“From a traditional standpoint, grain prices are high,” he said. “We’ve been trading in a kind of sideways pattern since June, if you look at future market prices. A lot of that is because grain supplies are tight, and not only wheat supplies. If you look at what happened with the drought in the Midwest, we’re likely to see pressure for more wheat to go toward feeding because there is a shorter corn crop.

“Some of those look like relatively profitable decisions now,” Waller said. “With prices at these levels they at

least have something to consider — it’s better than having low prices, but there’s a lot of uncertainty right now.”

And there’s continued uncertainty when it comes to winter weather. As recently as late August, forecasters, including those at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, were expecting a stronger-than-average El Niño to develop in the tropical Pacific. A strong El Niño would have increased the chances for a wetter than average winter, which is exactly what the crop needs, Waller said.

Most experts agree, he said, that because soil-moisture levels were severely depleted during the 2011 drought, this year’s crop will need greaterthat-average rainfall to show an average performance.

“The markets by this time would usually start to decline, but we’re still looking at enough uncertainty, especially with changes in the weather forecast, that we may not see as much rainfall as earlier expected this year,” he said.

More information on the current Texas drought and wildfire alerts can be found on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Drought Task Force website at agrilife.tamu.edu/ drought/.

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