Land and Livestock Post

February February 2016 2016 —- Issue Issue 11

The pickings’ good

Embryo transfers enhance good genetics PAGE 12

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSON RECOVERY HELP

JAMES THOMPSON BOUNTIFUL BRIDGE

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JAMES THOMPSON BURNING ISSUES

JAMES TICK ... THOMPSON TICK ... TICK

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Straight fromhelp Publications the horse's bouncemouth. back from disasters.

Straight from Liability fears the block horse's beneficial mouth. prescribed burns.

Straight Pharr International from the horse's Bridgemouth. headed to No. 1.

Straight Ticks bring from cattle the horse's fever from mouth. south of the border.

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February 2016 - Issue 1

ď‚Ť

The Land & Livestock Post

News From the General Manager

T

his issue should be hitting racks and mailboxes right around Feb. 1. Therefore, I will do all you gentlemen a favor and remind you that Valentine’s Day is in two weeks.

If you are anything like me, you just read that and made a mental note that you will remember in about 13 days.

Now, I’ve done my due diligence in reminding you all, but I understand that in the next two weeks a lot of things may happen. I mean, you probably are going to sleep over a dozen times between now and then, so how can you be expected to remember?

Here is another tip: take the Walgreens sticker off the box of chocolates.

Luckily for us guys, the commercial market understands that we forget.

That is why places such as Walgreens, CVS, H-E-B, and even roadside tents,

offer a plethora of Valentine’s gifts to help you steer clear of the doghouse.

If you do forget, I suggest picking up something, be it a stuffed pink monkey or some wilted carnations — anything they have on hand is better than the alternative.

I once thought I could get away with a surprise Valentine’s dinner. The idea came to me after I passed up several roadside tents, JESSE WRIGHT a Walgreens and an H-E-B on the way home on Feb. 14 one year. “Let’s go to dinner!” I offered, when I arrived home empty-handed.

I thought I was going to get away with it, because she seemed excited. But, after stopping at three of the finest restaurants in town, only to find them

Funds available for prescribed burns near Sam Houston National Forest Special to The Post

The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership is providing $60,000 to landowners near the Sam Houston National Forest for prescribed burning.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.

The funds reimburse eligible landowners who have taken measures to reduce grass and brush, enhance ecosystems and protect homes and communities from wildfire through strategicallyplanned prescribed burning.

“Overgrown vegetation contributes to wildfires that damage the ecosystem.

“Using prescribed fire helps return the ecosystem back to its natural state,” said Andy McCrady, fuels coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Through prescribed fire, landowners contribute to community safety.

“Wildfire behavior is more problematic and harder for firefighters to control when there are excessive dry fuels.

“This is even more problematic when these hazardous fuels are near homes and communities,” McCrady said.

Texas A&M Forest Service offers grants directly to landowners to reimburse the cost of certified and insured prescribed burn managers conducting the burns.

“This program allows trained specialists to conduct effective, cost-efficient methods to remove dangerous fuel loads,” McCrady said.

The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership brings together Texas A&M Forest Service, USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Eligible landowners must live within 10 miles of the Sam Houston National Forest.

Priority areas consist of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker counties.

For more information and to apply for the prescribed burning grant go to www.tfsweb.tamu. edu/jointchiefs.

The Land & Livestock Post

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completely booked, she began to catch on. For some reason, women just don’t want a Valentine’s dinner at Denny’s, even if they have heart-shaped pancakes.

Any way you cut it, you probably are going to have to fork over some money this Valentine’s Day. But, luckily for you, our cover story has some information that may save you a few dollars down the road. Embryo transfer is a process that can deliver superior genetics at a fraction of the cost of purchasing extra or superior dams. We take a look at the process and the ways you can utilize it in your operation.

We also have information about calving season in our Vet’s Voice feature, as well as a lot of other stories and information from around the agricultural world.

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

• For more information about content or advertising,contact Jesse Wright at jesse. wright@theeagle.com.

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News Materials for Goliath and other disaster victims available

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

When winter storm Goliath tore through Texas in late December it brought more than heavy snow, ice and wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. It brought the death of an estimated 23,000 dairy cows and other livestock, as well as great deal of personal and financial devastation to many people.

To help those in Texas and elsewhere affected by Goliath and other disasters, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has identified a number of publications by its agency and other cooperative Extension programs throughout the nation addressing some of the emotional and financial issues resulting from a disaster.

These publications, as well as other publications to prepare for and recover from disasters and emergencies, can be found at the Texas Emergency and Disaster Extension Network, or Texas EDEN, at bit.ly/1OmofPI. “Natural disaster events are stressful, and those involved can experience both emotional and financial stress,” said Rick Peterson, AgriLife Extension family life specialist in College Station.

“It is important to remember that in times of high stress to take steps to monitor the emotional and physical health of your family, co-workers and yourself.”

Peterson, who recently gathered information on publications providing guidance and resources for those affected by Goliath and other disasters, is a marriage and family therapist.

He has seven years experience working as a crisis intervention specialist with the Kansas Agricultural Mediation Service.

He has counseled farmers on a number of issues, including stress due to financial hardship, and has coordinated long-distance interventions with sheriff offices to assist despondent farmers.

4

Peterson said the recent blizzard and aftermath likely has increased the amount of stress and strain for many producers and their families.

“Before I became a therapist, I was involved in farming and dairy,” he said.

Peterson said for livestock owners and workers, the grief over the loss of animal life may be compounded with fear and insecurity about their future livelihood.

“Feelings of loss, grief, anger, anxiety and depression are normal reactions to a disaster, but it’s important to understand these feelings and learn how to best deal with the stressful conditions.”

He said there are tried-andtrue methods of handling the emotional aftermath of a disaster, and people affected can take positive action to manage stress and build “an emotional and financial recovery plan.”

Peterson gave tips on how people can better communicate under stressful conditions, manage their stress and find help for themselves or others.

“People should communicate frequently and be clear and direct in their communications.

It’s important not only to be an active listener but to heed nonverbal messages as well as those spoken. You should be positive in your communications and speak honestly and openly.

“To manage stress, you can talk to a family member or friend or, if necessary, seek professional guidance.

“Talk with someone about your feelings, whether it’s anger, sorrow or another emotion, even though it may be difficult. You can also seek help from a professional counselor who has experience with post-disaster stress.”

Peterson said it’s also important not to blame yourself or feel responsible for a disastrous outcome or to be frustrated because of any inability to help one’s self or others.

“It’s vital after a disaster that people take steps to promote

their own physical and emotional well-being by healthful eating, rest, exercise and relaxation.

“Try to maintain a normal family and daily routine and limit any additional demanding responsibilities for yourself or your family. It’s important not to withdraw and to maintain those relationships with friends and family.

“Family and friends, as well as religious institutions and clergy, can be excellent sources of support and comfort after a disaster,” Peterson said.

Peterson said it’s also important that friends and family try to help people they know who are in distress but seem to be unable to handle their situation.

Peterson suggested specific publications from AgriLife Extension and other cooperative Extension services to help those

affected by Goliath and other disasters: • “Stress in Adults After a Disaster: Warning Signs and Management,” AgriLife Extension.

• “Managing Stress, Anger, Anxiety and Depression on Dairy Farms,” Colorado State University.

• “Taking Charge: All About Stress,” Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

• “Recognize and Manage the Stress of Farm Life,” Ohio State University Extension.

• “Stress Management After a Disaster,” University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

• “Getting Through Tough Financial Times,” University of Illinois Extension.

• “Farm and Ranch Family Stress and Depression: A Checklist and Guide for Making Referrals,” Colorado State Extension.

• “Referring a Person for Help,” University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign.

He also offered the following links for finding professional assistance: • The Therapist Locator, listings of marriage and family therapists by zip code, city and state, therapistlocator.net/iMIS15/therapistlocator/.

• Psychology Today, listings of psychologists, therapists and counselors by state, therapists. psychologytoday.com/rms/.

• Texas Department of State Health Services, listings of local mental health centers in Texas, www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhsa/ lmha-list/, • Behavioral Health Collaborative of New Mexico, listings of behavioral health providers in New Mexico,www.newmexico. networkofcare.org/mh/.

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Fear of legal liability limits use of healthy prescribed burns

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Increased legal liabilities may be limiting prescribed fire use for brush control, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

management: exploring linkages between liability, regulations and prescribed fire,” was published in the December issue of the Ecological Applications journal.

The paper was developed by

AgriLife Research study, “Legal barriers to effective ecosystem

See FIRE, Page 6

Texas A&M AgriLIfe Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter

COLLEGE STATION — Due to the potential liability factor, private landowners and managers tend to shy away from the use of prescribed fire for maintaining rangeland and forest ecosystems in spite of the known benefits, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

This is a concern, said Bill Rogers, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research professor in the department of ecosystem science and management in College Station, as fire historically has played an important role in achieving land management objectives, and eliminating its use could have detrimental effects.

A paper summarizing an

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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News Fire, from Page 5 Carissa Wonkka, who completed her doctoral work with Rogers.

Urs Kreuter, an AgriLife Research rangeland scientist, also contributed to the report.

“This paper is a novel approach,” Rogers said. “It utilized Carissa’s law degree and her ecological expertise in order to assess how different legal liability standards adopted by various states in the southeastern U.S. markedly influences the respective landowners and managers use of prescribed fire as an ecological management tool.”

“The ramifications for this work should extend well beyond the regions examined and will provide sound evidence for the increasingly recognized importance of integrated or interconnected ecological, economic and socio-political influences on natural resource management,” he said.

Rogers said this work highlighting the effects the legal landscape is having on private land prescribed burning and the liability-related disincentives involved sheds light on the constraints that can influence the effectiveness of ecosystems management efforts.

“Ecologists and land managers need to be aware that regulations and liability concerns may create legal barriers that inhibit the use of prescribed fire, and thus, necessitate greater education of both the public and policymakers regarding the essential role fire plays in these ecosystems,” he said.

Prescribed fire is a cost-effective tool that allows for tailoring of range and forest restoration and management, Rogers said.

Without it, valuable timber species such as loblolly pine have been replaced by less economically desirable species in southeastern forests.

In the grasslands of the Great Plains, prescribed fire prevents shrub encroachment, lower forage productivity and a degradation of habitat for wildlife, he said.

In addition, fire suppression and limited prescribed burning has resulted in the accumulation

See BURNS, Page 7

6

Funds for prescribed burns near Sam Houston National Forest available Special to The Post

The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership is providing $60,000 to landowners near the Sam Houston National Forest for prescribed burning.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.

The funds reimburse eligible landowners who have taken measures to reduce grass and brush, enhance ecosystems and protect homes and communities from wildfire through strategicallyplanned prescribed burning.

“Overgrown vegetation contributes to wildfires that damage the ecosystem. Using prescribed fire helps return the ecosystem back to its natural state,” said Andy McCrady, fuels coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Through prescribed fire, landowners contribute to community safety.

“Wildfire behavior is more problematic and harder for firefighters to control when there are excessive dry fuels.

“This is even more problematic when these hazardous fuels are near homes and communities,” McCrady said.

Texas A&M Forest Service offers grants directly to landowners to reimburse the cost of certified and insured prescribed burn managers conducting the burns.

“This program allows trained specialists to conduct effective, cost-efficient methods to remove dangerous fuel loads,” McCrady said.

The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership brings together Texas A&M Forest Service, USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Eligible landowners must live within 10 miles of the Sam Houston National Forest.

Priority areas consist of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker counties.

For more information and to apply for the prescribed burning grant go to www.tfsweb.tamu. edu/jointchiefs.

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Burns, from Page 6 of fuels in both forests and encroached grasslands, increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

Landowners, however, are hesitant to utilize this tool as they may open themselves up to a potential lawsuit in the event that a prescribed fire causes injury or property damage, the paper’s developer Wonkka said. Prescribed burning is regulated by state law and states apply one of three liability standards to lawsuits involving prescribed burns: strict liability, simple negligence and gross negligence.

• Strict liability is the most stringent standard and holds burners liable for any property damage caused by an escaped prescribed fire, regardless of the action of the burner.

• Simple negligence standards require the burner to practice reasonable care, and it requires the plaintiff to show negligence on the part of the defendant in order to collect damages in a lawsuit. This is the most common liability standard.

• Gross negligence, the most lenient liability standard, holds that if the burner follows outlined regulations, the plaintiff must show reckless disregard by the burner in order to collect damages.

Recognizing the considerable ecosystem changes that have resulted from prolonged fire suppression policies and the need to make this tool available as a management option, many states, especially in the southeastern U.S., have undergone statutory reform to promote safe use of prescribed fire, Wonkka said.

The purpose of these statutory reforms, often called “right to burn” or “prescribed burning” acts, is to encourage use of controlled fire for resource protection, public safety and land management, she said.

“We explored the relationship between prescribed burning laws and decisions made by land managers by taking advantage of a natural experiment to compare landowner-prescribed fire use in contiguous counties with different regulations and legal liability

standards,” she said.

They found private landowners in counties with gross negligence liability standards burn significantly more acres than those in counties with simple negligence standards. In addition, no difference existed between counties with statutorily mandated regulatory requirements and those requiring only a permit to complete a prescribed burn.

“We believe lawmakers attempting to develop prescribed burning statutes to promote the safe use of prescribed fire should consider the benefits of lower legal liability standards in conjunction with regulatory requirements that promote safety for those managing forests and rangelands with fire,” Wonkka said.

She said ecologists and land managers could prepare better and motivate stakeholder groups who influence prescribed fire policies with this understanding of how policy regulations and liability concerns create legal barriers inhibiting the implementation of effective ecosystem management strategies.

“Our results show that private landowners are more likely to use prescribed fire for managing their properties and burn a greater proportion of private land in counties where their state has adopted gross negligence liability standards, compared with landowners in counties who are subjected to state-mandated simple negligence legal standards,” Wonkka said.

Regulatory requirements, such as adequate firebreaks, personnel, equipment, written burn plans and certified prescribed burn managers on-site do not decrease the amount of burning on private land, Wonkka said.

“In fact, these types of regulations, in conjunction with lower liability, will make prescribed fire more available to landowners and managers while providing some safety assurances for neighbors,” she said.

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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News

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kathleen Phillips

Students in the Enology 421 class at Texas A&M University learn to make and market wine.

A college class full of excessive ‘wining’

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

C

OLLEGE STATION — Finishing up college finals never tasted so good — at least for the 30 students in the Enology 421 class in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Their final exam for the fall semester was to uncork a bottle of wine they carefully crafted and creatively named over the past few months and convince a panel of judges to “raise a glass” to their product.

Two expert winemakers and one consumer representative independently picked the Fall 2015 favorite to be Chene Lisse, French for smooth oak, which the student winemaker team said was the aim for the taste profile of their batch.

But chances are other winemakers in the class will yield a good grade — no matter the outcome of their batch — for learning in-depth about the chemistry of the fruity liquid in addition to the typical aroma and taste sought by consumers, according to their professor, Greg Cobb. instructor for the course,

8

also known as Principles and Practice of Wine Science.

“There’s a lot of interest in Texas wine,” said Cobb, Texas A&M plant physiologist and enologist, who originally became interested in teaching the course because of the scientific principles involved. He now acknowledges the importance of the product for the state.

“It would take about 18,000 acres of vineyards to produce enough grapes to meet the demand for Texas wine in this state,” he said.

While the course may sound on paper like a three-month party bouncing around wineries and tasting rooms across Texas on field trips and ending with a personal vat bottled with giftable labels, Cobb assured the course includes a rigorous look at the science behind the popular beverage.

“I spend time working in wineries so I can learn more and add to the course,” said Cobb, who started the class in 1998.

“They all start with the same basic kit, but this year for the first time I gave them a catalog

See WINES, Page 9

February 2016 - Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

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Aerial photo courtesy of Pharr International Bridge

An AgriLife study shows the Pharr International Bridge will soon surpass the bridge at Nogales, Arizona, as the No. 1 land port of entry for produce into the United States.

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PHARR — The Pharr International Bridge is on the verge of toppling Nogales, Arizona, as the longtime, No. 1 U.S. land port of entry for Mexican produce-laden trucks, according to a new study by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Commercial truck traffic has been diverted from Arizona to Texas thanks to a new highway in Mexico that has created a

Wines, from Page 8 of additives that can be used in winemaking so they could come up with their own flavors. The taste they end up with can be quite different among the class teams on the final.”

Among the techniques students learn is how additives can intermingle for different flavors. Cobb said, for example, students are taught to taste the difference between vanilla extract by itself and with sugar added.

“We have one class where I mix up a series of chemical additives instead of wine,” he said.

shortcut through the Rio Grande Valley to lucrative markets in the eastern U.S., according to Luis Ribera, an AgriLife Extension agricultural economist in College Station.

The study, done by AgriLife Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research’s Center for North American Studies in College Station, shows an increase in trucks through South Texas, especially the Pharr International Bridge, and a much smaller yearly in

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“They learn to taste different things out of context so they can start to detect the different components.”

Regardless of the judges’ choices, the students seemed pleased to part with their unopened bottles, which most said were targeted for gift giving to family and friends. They also indicated the class may impact future job choices.

Among the class of 30 students, Cobb said, six have indicated an interest in a career of winemaking, while others have expressed interest in the marketing or grape production side of the business.

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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News The live calf on the ground is the most important concern

By Dr. MereDyth Jones Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

A

s a cow-calf producer, one of your busiest times of year is calving season. It’s a high-stakes time, where the results of work and decisions made throughout the year are realized. Bull selection, heifer selection, nutrition planning, vaccination choices — it all comes down to this: the live calf on the ground.

Seventy percent of the beef calves that die between birth and weaning either are born dead or die within 24 hours of birth. The most common cause of these deaths is calving difficulty, with studies documenting 60 percent to 70 percent of these calf losses being due to difficult births. Additionally, calves born after a prolonged delivery are 2.4 time to 6 times more likely to become ill in the immediate postnatal period than calves born without difficulty. It is critical for the life and health of the calf, and the reproductive health of the heifer or cow, that timely and proper intervention occurs to minimize the negative impact of prolonged deliveries.

So what causes a prolonged or difficult calving? In beef cattle, the single most common cause is an oversized fetus relative to the dam’s size. This is most often appreciated in heifers, but is seen in mature cows as well. The second most common cause is incorrect positioning of the calf. This may include the head or a leg being turned back, the calf being backwards, or other position which makes passage through the birth canal impossible. Other more rare causes include the presence of twins, anatomic abnormalities of the calf, or a uterine torsion or twist in which the exit from the uterus is blocked by a tight twist. Rapid detection and cor-

10

Vet’s Voice

rection of these abnormalities is necessary in cattle for which normal delivery does not occur.

In order to know how to determine if a cow or heifer needs assistance in delivering her calf, an understanding of the normal calving process is required. The first stage of labor is a preparatory phase in which uterine contractions begin and the fetus moves into position. During this time, the dam may separate herself from the herd or begin to act uncomfortable. For heifers, this stage may last 12 to 48 hours, while in cows, three to eight hours is more typical. The mark of the end of this first stage is the “water bag” breaking. Stage 2 labor is the phase in which the dam moves into full labor, with active abdominal pressing in order to expel the fetus. In heifers, this may last one to four hours or in cows, 30 minutes to one hour. Once the calf is out, the third stage of labor is initiated, during which continued uterine contractions expel the placenta, which takes six to 12 hours.

Cattle are masters at hiding problems. What should be done during each stage of labor to help ensure that problems are identified early? It can be difficult to detect the first stage of labor in some animals, but when a heifer or cow is noted to be standing off from the herd around the anticipated time of calving, she should be moved to an area where she can be monitored closely for evidence of the water bag breaking or active labor. If this preparatory phase

is prolonged, it may indicate that labor cannot be initiated normally and the cow or heifer should be evaluated.

Common causes of cattle not entering the second stage include a breech presentation of the calf or a uterine torsion. More commonly, delays in the progression of labor occur during the second phase.

As stated above, Stage 2 labor never should last more than four hours and most animals will have their calf delivered within two hours. In general, if the calf is not delivered within two hours after the breaking of the water bag and the onset of active pushing, intervention is indicated. A skilled individual thoroughly should clean the vulva and, with clean hands and arms, perform a vaginal exam to determine whether or not the cervix is fully dilated and the position and relative size of the calf. Only once the position of the calf is correct and the calf is determined to be small enough to be delivered, assistance may be provided by means of manual traction or use of a calf puller. Great care should be used in how chains or straps are placed on the calf’s limbs and how much pressure is applied to a calf in the delivery attempt, as severe damage can be done to the calf’s limbs or to the cow with the use of excessive force. For those with little experience in successful calf delivery, a veterinarian should be called two hours after the onset of labor for determination of the most appropriate next step.

Once the calf is delivered, the cow should be monitored for passage of the placental membranes. If passage does not occur in 12 hours, the cow should be monitored closely for general attitude and appetite.

Failure to pass the membranes

Photo by Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

There are many factors that can casue a difficult or prolonged calving. It is important to know when to intervene for the saftey of the calf and cow or heifer. can set up a uterine infection that can cause serious illness or reduction in subsequent fertility. If at any time the cow becomes ill or the membranes are retained longer than three days, even in a healthy-acting cow, your veterinarian should be called as infection of the uterus may occur and prevent future reproductive success.

February 2016 - Issue 1

Delaying intervention during calving difficulty can mean loss of the calf and sometimes the cow or heifer. Close and regular monitoring of cows and heifers during the calving season allows for early recognition of problems and provides an opportunity to intervene when the likelihood of success is significantly greater.

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News

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AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana

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As passenger cars line up in the foreground to enter the U.S., commercial trucks can be seen in the background entering inspection facilities at the Pharr International Bridge.

Bridge, from Page 9 crease in traffic at the Nogales, Arizona International Bridge.

“Mexico’s Highway 40, which basically connects Mazatlan on the Pacific Coast to Matamoros, across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, fully opened in late 2014, early 2015,” Ribera said. “Because of that, predicted growth in truck traffic through South Texas didn’t really materialize until this year. But it did so in a big way.”

Ribera said truck traf f ic through the Pharr bridge in the first 10 months of 2015 increased 36 percent over the previous year, while Nogales increased by only 13 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

“Back in 2010, all bridges in South Texas combined overcame the Nogales International Bridge in truck traffic,” he said.

“But since then, the Pharr bridge alone is seeing a large increase in traffic, while Nogales is seeing much smaller increases.”

In 2015, an average of 10,991 trucks per month crossed the Pharr bridge, while 11,664 passed through the Nogales bridge.

“That’s a difference of only 673 trucks per month between Pharr and Nogales,” Ribera said. “The year before there had been a difference of over 2,200 trucks, so the trend is showing that Pharr will soon surpass Nogales as the largest single port of entry for

trucks with fruits and vegetables from Mexico.”

Ribera said increased traffic has an economic ripple effect for the area.

“It means that some brokers are moving or already moved their businesses from Nogales to Pharr,” he said. “Increased traffic also means more jobs and a demand for more warehouses, gas stations and truck stops, as well as an increase in money from the government for infrastructure construction and maintenance.”

Luis Bazan, bridge director at the Pharr International Bridge, said total truck traffic, including agricultural and non-agricultural, north and southbound, is now over 1 million trucks per year.

“These numbers are a blessing,” he said. “We are growing at a rapid pace and the reason, whi ch we emphasize to our bridge end-users and commercial decision-makers, is that by going through our bridge, trucks save time and money.

“Trucks coming from the Pacific Coast of Mexico can eliminate 3,000 miles and 16 hours of travel time, round trip, depending on their destination on the northeastern corridor of the U.S.,” he said.

Bazan said keeping up with the ever-increasing commercial traffic through the Pharr bridge means promoting the bridge to Mexican businesses, working

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February 2016 - Issue 1

11

News

Terrific transfers

Increasing the influence of good genetics

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

D

o you have a few cows in the herd with outstanding genetics? Do you wish they could deliver more than one calf every year?

If you do, embryo transfers should be considered. Through embryo transfer, a cow’s genetics can influence several calves annually instead of just one. In addition, embryo transfer probably is less costly than buying additional superior dams and doesn’t require any additional feed.

Embryo transfer is the process of removing one or more embryos (fertilized eggs) from the reproductive tract of a donor female and transferring them to one or more recipient females. The entire process involves breeding a donor cow (usually by artificial insemination), flushing embryos from the donor, and injecting embryos into recipient cows.

“[Embryo transfer] has recently gained considerable popularity with seedstock dairy and beef producers,” said Tom Troxel of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension. “Most of the applicable embryo transfer technology was developed in the 1970s and 1980s; however, the history of the concept goes back much farther.

“Initially, embryos were recovered from valuable donors and transferred to recipient animals using surgical procedures. It was not until non-surgical methods were developed in the late 1970s that embryo transfer grew in popularity.”

Craig Barton of Champion Genetics talks about the ABCs of successful embryo transfers, which are: • Overcome challenges to success • Flush embryos not money • Help improve pregnancy rates

12

Photos by Robert Fears

The most effective way to breed donor cows is by artificial insemination. Embryo transfer probably is less costly than buying additional superior dams and doesn’t require any additional feed. On the cover: The big advantage of embryo transfer is that an increased number of calves can be produced each year with genetics contributed by one exceptional cow.

Each of these suggestions is discussed in the following paragraphs.

Challenges to success Selection of the right donor deter-

mines the success and benefits of embryo transfer. “Female donors should be of superior genetic worth and marketability to justify embryo transfer costs,” said Jamie Larson of Mississippi State University. “Mating decisions should be

February 2016 - Issue 1

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made considering the genetic worth and economic value of potential calves. The reproductive potential of a donor female must also be acceptable.

See EMBRYO, Page 13

The Land & Livestock Post

News Embryo, from Page 12 “An ideal donor female has had regular estrous (heat) cycles beginning at a young age, routinely conceives with no more than two inseminations, maintains a 365-day or less calving interval, calves without difficulty, is free of reproductive abnormalities and disease, and has no conformational or known genetic defects,” Larson said.

“Good nutritional management of these females is critical for productivity as embryo donors. This involves managing body condition and providing proper nutrients, including minerals that are important to reproductive function.”

“Egg production in a cow is on a bell curve by age,” Champion Genetics’ Barton said. “Heifers are on one tail of the curve and older cows on the other; therefore the middle-aged cows at the top of the curve produce the most eggs. One of the reasons that young females are not recommended for embryo transfer is that flushing virgin heifers is stressful on their ovaries.

Photo by Robert Fears

One of the few disadvantages of embryo transfer is that donor cows have to be penned several times for superovulation treatments.

“Good egg producers can be identified by an [Anti Mullerian Hormone] test which has been shown to indicate the amount of ovarian follicular reserve.

Follicles are the basic units of female reproductive biology, composed of cell aggregations in the ovary. They contain a single oocyte (immature ovum or egg).

Females with low levels of [Anti Mullerian Hormone] respond poorly to reproductive treatments,” Barton said.

“To maximize embryo survival in the recipient female following transfer, conditions in the recipient reproductive tract should closely resemble those in the donor,” Troxel said. “This requires synchronization of the estrous cycles between the donor and the recipients, optimally within one day of each other.”

Superovulation of the donor cow is a challenge to success, because the pro-

See TRANSFER, Page 15

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News Traffic, from Page 11 with his Mexican bridge counterparts and working with the governments of Texas, the U.S. and Mexico to increase infrastructure to keep the operation running smoothly.

“We take the show on the road, I like to say,” Bazan said.

“We spend some funds on traditional advertising, but we make a great effort to attend major business conferences in Mexico to meet our future customers face-to-face. We go to the end-user.

“It would make no sense to improve facilities on our side if Mexico didn’t also improve theirs and we didn’t coordinate traffic, so we communicate constantly,” he said.

Since opening in 1994, the 3.5 mile long Pharr bridge near McAllen has expanded and has plans to expand even more to keep traffic moving smoothly and efficiently.

14

“In the last three to four years, we’ve added two additional commercial lanes for trucks for a total of six, and two more are planned,” he said. “We plan to open two more entry lanes with super booths for commercial trucks, meaning the height of the personnel in the booth will be at the same height of the truck driver in his cab.”

Also on the drawing board is a truck parking and staging area that will sideline trucks while waiting for closer inspections and reduce traffic bottlenecks, as well as two new exit booths, including one for wide-load trucks, and facilities for inspections of produce by U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists.

“It’s important to reduce wait times as much as possible,” he said, “because downtime translates into losses of billions of dollars over time.”

Bazan said about 60 percent of all fresh produce shipments from Mexico that cross through Texas

AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana

More than 1 million commercial north and southbound trucks cross the Pharr International Bridge yearly. now comes through the Pharr bridge and traffic through South Texas ports of entry are expected to increase by another 40-50 per-

cent in five years.

“The Pharr International Bridge is here and it’s here to stay,” he said. “We’re always

February 2016 - Issue 1

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working to add any new facilities that will augment what we have in order to make importing operations run more efficiently and smoothly.”

“When we opened in 1994, we didn’t expect this rapid growth.

But by 2003, we were moving 400,000 northbound trucks through this bridge, and in 2014 we jumped to over half a million.

Southbound trucks also increased to over half a million between 2003 and 2014, so we now have a combined north and southbound traffic of well over 1 million trucks per year. All traffic, but especially truck traffic, will only continue to increase with time, as more business develops in Mexico and beyond.”

Compared to last year, Ribera cited an overall increase in truck traffic of 21 percent from January through October for all Valley bridges, including those at Pharr, McAllen, Rio Grande City, Progreso, Brownsville and Los Indios.

The Land & Livestock Post

News Transfer, from Page 13 cess steps require exact timing and cattle have to be handled twice daily.

“Superovulation is the release of multiple eggs at a single estrus,” Troxel said. “Cows properly treated can release as many as 10 or more viable eggs at one estrus. Approximately 85 percent of all normal fertile donors will respond to superovulation treatment with an average of five transferable embryos.”

The basic principle of superovulation is to stimulate extensive follicular development through the use of follicle-stimulating hormone. Combinations of hormones are administrated over several days to stimulate superovulation. In addition to follicle-stimulating hormone, Prostaglandin F2a is used to allow the cow to come into heat.

Embryo transfer technicians often have their own preferred protocol, but an example is depicted in Table 1.

“Begin the embryo transfer process with a donor that is open and at least 60 days post calving,” Barton said. “Super ovulate the donor, bring her into heat and breed her with three straws of semen as indicated in Table 1. Flush out the embryos seven days post breeding.”

Flushing embryos

Flushing embryos, not money, requires selection of the right donor and a proper procedure conducted by a skilled technician.

“The donor’s body condition score should be no less than 4 and she should have been vaccinated for the prevalent diseases such as Blackleg, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Leptospirosis and Bovine Viral Diarrhea),” Barton said.

“Multimin 90, a supplemental source of zinc, manganese, selenium and copper is recommended as well as Vitamin A, D,

and E. In addition, they should be on a good reproduction mineral program that includes all the required macro and micro elements.”

“To collect embryos non-surgically, a small synthetic rubber catheter is inserted through the cervix of the donor cow and a special medium is flushed into and out of the uterus to collect the embryos (Figure 1),” Troxel said. “This is done seven days after estrus. The collection procedure is relatively simple and can be completed in 30 minutes or less without harm to the cow.”

“Flushing media is allowed to flow into the uterine body, where the technician massages the uterus to allow the fluid to pick up any embryos present,” Larson said. “The fluid is then allowed to flow out of the uterus and through a very fine filter that traps the embryos. This process is repeated many times by the technician, sometimes focusing on one uterine horn and then the other.

“The filter used to capture the embryos is rinsed to collect them in a dish. This dish is placed under a microscope so the technician can locate and retrieve each individual embryo. Once all embryos are found, they each receive a twonumber classification according to developmental stage and quality grade. After classification, embryos are ready to be transferred or frozen for later use. Around eight transferable or six freezable embryos per flush can be expected, on average. However, some females will produce fewer embryos and others can produce 30 or more quality embryos in one flush.”

loaded directly into 0.25 cubic centimeter plastic straws and transferred using a rod similar to an artificial insemination rod,” Larsen said. “Most [artificial insemination] rods are designed to use 0.5 cc, but those used to inseminate with sexsorted semen are designed for 0.25 cc straws.

“To thaw frozen embryos, the straw should be removed carefully from the tank, held in the air for 10 seconds, and then placed in a water bath between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is cooler than the temperature used to thaw semen.

The straw should remain in the water bath until all ice has melted, approximately 30 seconds. The cap is removed from the straw and loaded into the transfer rod, and then a transfer sheath is placed over

See HANDLING, Page 16

From Embryo Transfer in the Beef Herd by Jamie E. Larson and Jane A. Parish, Mississippi State University Extension Service

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Pregnancy rates

Pregnancy rates are improved by properly handling embryos and selecting the recipients.

“When embryos are to be transferred fresh, they are

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News Figure 1 - Reproductive tract of a cow

Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology of the Cow by Jack C Whittier, University of Missouri Extension

Handling, from Page 16 it. The rod is passed through the cervix, and the embryo is

deposited in the uterine horn on the same side that ovulation occurred,” Larson said.

“It is as important to choose

February Feb.4 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, San Saba, TX Feb.6 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show 60th Annual Select Breeders Quarter Horse Sale, Fort Worth, TX Feb.6 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Invitational 29th Annual Commercial Heifer Sale, Fort Worth, TX Feb.12 Thomas Charolais Inc. Spring Bull & Female Sale, Raymondville, TX Feb.13 Charolais For Profit Bull Sale, Columbus, TX Feb.13 San Antonio Rose Beefmaster Classic Sale, San Antonio, TX Feb.13 Bradley 3 Ranch 58th Annual Angus Bull Sale, Estelline, TX Feb.17 All Breeds Bull & Commercial Female Sale, San Antonio, TX Feb.18 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering, San Saba, TX Feb.20 7P Ranch Simmental Sale, Tyler, TX

the right recipient cows as it is to select the appropriate donor,” Barton said. “Desired qualities of the recipient fe-

males are very similar to those required of the donor. Recipients should be mature cows, three to six years old and not nursing a calf.

“The cows should exhibit good temperament and have good body condition scores.

They should be in good health and free of disease including Johnes and leucosis. Donors should be wormed and vaccinated as recommended by the local veterinarian.”

Barton said that odds of lower pregnancy rates will occur if the following decisions are made: • I want to use fewer straws of semen. It’s really expensive and I only have one.

• I want to use sexed semen.

(Fertilization rate with sexed semen likely will be decreased.)

• My cow hasn’t bred in a couple of years, so I want to use her as a donor.

• I just bought my recipients at the sale barn.

• My recipients are the ones that didn’t calve this year.”

Embryo transfer offers an economically method of increasing the number of calves born each year with genetics contributed by the same exceptional cow.

Monsanto to build cotton seed unit in Lubbock LUBBOCK (AP) — Monsanto says plans to build a $140 million cotton seed processing plant in Lubbock, where nearly 40 percent of the nation’s cotton is planted.

The St. Louis-based company said in a news release the plant will be its primary hub for cleaning, treating and bagging its brand of cotton seed, Deltapine, from growers with whom they contract. The seed then will be resold.

Feb.26 Rutherford Ranch Angus Bull Sale, Buda, TX

Mar. 4 Ideal Video Productions Customer Appreciation Brangus Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 17 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Feb.27 44 Farms Angus Bull Sale, Cameron, TX

Mar. 5 Genetic Edge Brangus Sale, Houston, TX

Feb.27 Jordan Cattle Auction Early Spring Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Mar. 5 Beefmaster Promotional Group Haltered Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 19 Tested by Time Brangus Sale at Mound Creek Ranch, Leona, TX

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Mar. 5 Foundation Angus Alliance Sale, Luling, TX

Mar. 1 TSSA Simbrah/Simmental Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 49th Annual All Breeds Commercial Range Bull Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 49th Annual All Breeds Commercial Range Female Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 Lowline Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 International Brahman Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 3 Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX Mar. 4 Houston Magic XVI Beefmaster Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 4 Houston Futurity and Beefmaster Classic Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 5 W4 Hereford Bull & Commercial Female Sale, Morgan, TX

Mar. 19 Bluebonnet Classic Santa Gertrudis Sale, Hallettsville, TX Mar. 19 ABBA National F1 and Brahman Sale, Caldwell, TX

Mar. 5 South Texas Cattle Marketing’s Spring Gathering Female Replacement Sale, Nixon, TX

Mar. 19 M6 Spring Charolais Bull & Female Sale, Alvarado, TX

Mar. 9 RA Brown Ranch Inaugural Spring Bull Sale, Throckmorton, TX

Mar. 24 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering, San Saba, TX

Mar. 10 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering - Cattleman’s Kind Simmentals, San Saba, TX

Mar. 25 Best of the Test Bull Sale, Navasota, TX Mar. 26 Little Robe Angus Bull Sale, Higgins, TX

Mar. 10 Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Expo Production Bull Sale, Wichita Falls, TX

Mar. 26 Bar A Cattle Co. Limousin Sale, Schulenburg, TX

Mar. 12 Triple L Black Hereford Sale, Waxahachie, TX

Mar. 26 East Texas Angus Extravaganza Sale, Center, TX

Mar. 12 Evans Angus Female Sale, Proctor, TX

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed? Call Jesse Wright (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

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Photo by Jason Tidwell

Female cattle ticks preparing to lay eggs. These ticks can transmit serious diseases to cattle. They can cross the Rio Grande from Mexico on cattle, white-tailed deer and other wildlife.

‘Tick-ing’ bombs from south of the border can carry southern cattle fever United States Department of Agriculture

The economic impact of cattle fever ticks, including the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, was so severe in the late 1800s that the U.S. Department of Agriculture started an eradication program in the early 1900s to eliminate the deadly disease bovine babesiosis that is transmitted by this parasitic pest.

Although cattle fever ticks were declared eradicated in the United States in 1943, today they are still common in Mexico and can hitchhike on stray livestock, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife that cross the Rio Grande into Texas.

At the Agricultural Research Service’s Tick and Biting Fly Research Unit in Kerrville, scientists are looking for ways to get rid of this pest for good.

A new vaccine may help.

Insect physiologist Felix D. Guerrero and his colleagues made a significant discovery while sequencing the complicated, massive cattle tick genome, which contains about 2.5 times the DNA of the human genome. Sequencing the genome allowed them to determine the exact sequence of the entire set of tick proteins.

“We identified several proteins that might be good targets to exploit to try to disrupt the cattle tick’s function, and in doing so would likely kill it or at least impact its survival,” Guerrero said.

“One of those proteins was aquaporin.”

Aquaporins are water channels that assist the tick in excreting the large amount of water it ingests with a blood meal, he adds. Aquaporins are

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Key Facts • Cattle fever ticks transmit serious diseases to cattle and are becoming resistant to most chemical controls.

• Wildlife can carry these ticks from Mexico into the United States.

• The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has patented a new, effective tick vaccine. present in all higher organisms, including arthropods and mammals.

Guerrero and his fellow scientists developed a recombinant tick aquaporin protein vaccine and partnered with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation — Embrapa — to test the vaccine’s ability to protect cattle against infestation.

Molecular biologist Renato Andreotti and his team at the Embrapa National Center for Beef Cattle Research in Campo Grande, Brazil, put animals infested with a known amount of cattle tick larvae into two pens. One group was vaccinated with the aquaporin vaccine and the other group was not vaccinated. Researchers compared the number of adult ticks produced on each vaccinated and unvaccinated cow.

“In two trials, we saw a 75-percent and 68-percent reduction in the number of ticks on vaccinated 1-year-old Holstein calves,” Guerrero said.

“This demonstrated that the aquaporin protein

See TICKS, Page 21

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News Think of your replacement heifers as valued ‘employees’

By RoBeRt Wells The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Replacement heifers are the hot topic at most rancher gatherings these days. Where to find quality, dependable and reasonably priced females is always a concern.

All too often, producers still are selecting and developing their replacement females the same way dad and granddad did 75 to 100 years ago. This method still can work if you are not too concerned about the profitability of your cattle operation, but we have better, more reliable and profitable methods available for selecting and developing females for the cattle business today. Proper selection will affect ranch profitability for the next 10 to 12 years, the productive life of that heifer. Treat replacement heifers as a valued employee in your ranching business, and she will be a more profitable member of your ranch team in the future.

Consider selecting and training a heifer like you would an employee.

“Interview” the heifer as you would a new ranch hand. Make a list of all the traits that you want your heifer to have in order of economic importance and make sure she is able to meet most, if not, all the traits. If she doesn’t have all the desired traits, decide if you can “train” her to fit your needs. Does that training involve giving her proper vaccinations or more feed to achieve a desir-

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able body condition score prior to calving?

If she does not have the desired traits, you should not hire her for the job on your ranch. If she is the wrong type or the first calving date is too late, then it does not matter how cheaply you can buy the heifer, she simply does not fit your program.

One option available to modern-day ranchers that was not available to granddad is to DNA test the heifer before making a commitment to her. This is one of the best ways to make sure you are hiring the right female for the job that will be successful with the job description she has to work within.

Next, you need to keep in mind that every employee requires a training period to learn the job; a heifer is no different. This involves making sure she has had correct and timely vaccination and deworming after she arrives on the ranch and before calving season. Additionally, you will need to make sure you continue to feed her to reach or maintain a body condition score of 6 by calving. A score of 6 is important in order for the heifer to be able to rebreed in a time with the early calvers of the main cow herd.

This is a difficult task for the replacement heifer since she is lactating, still growing, and trying to go through the process of uterine involution and healing, all while she is losing her baby teeth.

Even a properly developed heifer can have calving difficul-

to be successful in her job, they must initially fit the job position and then be trained properly to do the job. In order to have a good “employee,” you must consider the following characteristics for your new employee to work for you: phenotype, genetics/breeding (DNA test), health and vaccinations, sire of gestating calf and expected first calving date, how was she developed, and finally, price.

The old adage is very true, your cows must work for you 365 days a year, so make sure she fits the environment and management in which she is expected to work.

Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Treat replacement heifers as a valued “employee” in your ranching business. ty or not rebreed if the buyer of the heifer does not keep her on a high enough plane of nutrition

through the second breeding season.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Marketing options for cattle discussed at BIG Conference

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

WACO — From traditional livestock auctions to online sources, cattle producers have a variety of options to choose from when marketing cattle, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

Jason Banta, beef cattle specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton, gave a broad overview of marketing options at the recent Blackland Income Growth Conference in Waco.

Banta said the biggest impact on income in a cattle operation is percentage of calves weaned.

Other pieces of the equation include how many pounds the calves weigh and price received per pound.

“Condition of cows at calving time has the biggest impact on pregnancy rates,” Banta said.

“You want those cows to be at a body condition score of 5 or better.”

Genetics also play an important role as well as input costs.

Cull cows and cull bulls account for 10 to 15 percent of producers’ income.

“There’s value in these animals, and we need to market these animals to maximize the value,” Banta said.

There are several marketing channels, such as traditional livestock auction markets and online sources where a producer can post a classified ad.

For feeder calves and stocker cattle, Banta said producers can use livestock auction markets or sell through special preconditioning sale venues.

“You’d be surprised how far you can haul some cattle and get them into a preconditioning sale.

The key is to go with one that has a good reputation to capture that premium.”

There are also video auction services as well as having someone come to your ranch and buy direct.

“Out of all of these options,

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Jason Banta, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist, said the biggest impact on income in a cattle operation is percentage of calves weaned. it has to fit your operation and knowledge base,” he said.

When using auction markets, producers who have 15 to 30 better quality calves can call the barn ahead of time so the barn can advertise and help better market the calves.

“Some will let you pull tags early,” Banta said. “This is a good way to get a group of calves you have and sell them together before buyers who might be looking for a good group. They like this instead of having to pick them out one by one throughout a sale day or at multiple sales.”

Factors affecting the selling price of calves include color.

Banta advised against producing calves with spots or paint colors.

However, replacement females with stripes, such as a Braford cross, will bring a premium.

“We sell cattle on perceived breed type,” he said. “There are significant discounts if you have more influence of a breed that is not wanted by order buyers.”

Recommendations include no more than one-quarter Bos Indi-

cus, at least one-quarter British and no more than one-half Continental.

“The industry wants medium to large frame cattle,” he said.

Banta said time of year also can affect prices paid. Spring typically brings some of the higher prices for weaned calves and cull cows, while fall will bring the lowest since many cattle operations are selling at this time.

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News Low market prices already affecting Valley’s 2016 crop outlook

By Rod Santa ana Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

EDINBURG — As Rio Grande Valley farmers prepare to plant seeds for this year’s row crops in the coming weeks, many are scratching their head over what to plant, according to Brad Cowan, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Hidalgo County.

“Commodity prices are not good,” he said. “That poses a huge challenge: Growers don’t know what to plant. Right now they’re hoping something will happen to bump up the price on a crop before planting.”

Commodity prices are low worldwide, thanks to a “perfect storm” in the global economy, according to Luis Ribera, an AgriLife Extension agricultural economist in College Station.

“There’s a worldwide economic slowdown,” he said. “China is not importing as much commodities as they used to. Overall, we had a good production year last year, so commodity stockpiles are high. That’s created a perfect storm for a drop in commodity prices across the board.”

But farmers farm, and something’s got to go in the ground, Cowan said.

“Valley growers have to plant something. They try hard to plant the crop that fits their operation and returns the most profit,” he said For some, that likely will be cotton.

“We’re hearing that there will be more cotton this year than the 65,000 acres planted in the Valley last year,” he said. “One reason is cotton growers can try to compensate for low prices by increasing their yields.”

Cowan said with improved cotton varieties and the success of boll weevil eradication efforts, higher yields are indeed possible.

“We’ve been having good cotton yields lately, the last two years,” he said. “Some growers have managed to produce four bales per acre. With each bale

20

weighing about 500 pounds, some have been meeting that 1-ton cotton goal that before the decline in boll weevils was just a dream here.”

Harvesting three to 3.5 bales per acre for irrigated cotton is no longer rare, Cowan said.

“To produce four bales per acre, a lot of things have to fall in place just right,” he said. “But without having to worry about boll weevils, getting three bales per acre is becoming more common. There are more bolls of cotton on the plant at harvest when boll weevils aren’t around to knock them off.”

On the plus side, rains that fell throughout the fall are going to help, no matter which crop is planted.

“Many growers have good soil moisture to work with this year,” Cowan said. “That helps get a crop off to a good start, because some years the soil is so dry that it’s a real challenge to grow a healthy crop.”

A wet year may mean growers will plant more corn, he said.

“Corn acreage here may see an increase because some dryland growers who don’t have the ability to irrigate will plant corn,” Cowan said.

One crop that has been steadily increasing in acreage in the Valley over the years likely will not be a candidate for growers this year.

“Nobody is offering sunflower contracts. Last year we planted about 30,000 acres, a lot of it in the McCook area, but this year

AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana

Modular bales of cotton awaited ginning last year at the Port of Harlingen.Low commodity prices could result in more cotton acres planted in the Lower Rio Grande Valley this year. there seems to be an oversupply of it. Those companies that usually buy sunflowers are just not buying, but hopefully that market will come back soon.”

Sesame also seems to be stored in large enough quantities that acreage here also will shrink. But some soybeans will be planted, Cowan said.

“Prices are down for soybeans from last year, as well as other feed grains,” he said. “But growers should consider planting soybeans because it’s a good rotation crop that helps replenish the soil.”

Grain sorghum, one of the area’s largest crops, also is a tricky proposition.

“The wild card there is the sugarcane aphid, which can drastically reduce yields,” Cowan said.

“In 2014, growers here had to spray a lot of insecticides to manage populations, but not in 2015 because insect populations were low. By contrast, North Texas growers had to spray heavily in 2015.”

As a result of not knowing what insect pressures 2016 will bring, growers are considering dropping grain sorghum this year, he said.

It’s not a rosy picture, but Cowan said there is always hope.

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Dec. 12 sale.

Head: 1,607 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $200$300; 300-400 lbs., $300-$400; 400-500 lbs., $400-$500; 600700 lbs., $600-$700.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $200$300; 300-400 lbs., $300-$400; 400-500 lbs., $400-$500; 600700 lbs., $600-$700.

Slaughter bulls: $85-$115.

Slaughter cows: $40-$79.

Bred cows: $1,100-$1,750.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,275$2,100.

Brazos Valley

Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Jan. 12 sale.

Ticks, from Page 17 shows promise as an antigen in cattle vaccines to help prevent cattle fever tick infestations.”

Only a limited number of acaricides (chemicals that kill ticks) are available to cattle producers,

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

President - Crystal Dupré .....................................................Ext. 4613 Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown.........................................Ext. 4656 Sales and Marketing Director - Sean Lewis .......................... Ext. 4740

Head: 779 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $205$270; 300-400 lbs., $195-$265; 400-500 lbs., $180-$223; 500600 lbs., $155-$187; 600-700 lbs., $140-$182; 700-800 lbs., $145-$151.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $190$225; 300-400 lbs., $175-$207; 400-500 lbs., $155-$187; 500600 lbs., $140-$168; 600-700 lbs., $130-$152.

Slaughter bulls: $80-$100.

Slaughter cows: $55-$78.

Bred cows: $1,350-$1,850.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,525-$2,000.

Jordan

Results of the Jordan Cattle Company’s Jan. 14 sale.

Head: 4,077 Steers: Under 200 lbs., $200-

and ticks have developed resistance to most, including pyrethroids, organophosphates, and amitraz, Guerrero said. Vaccines provide an alternative to chemical acaricides for tick control.

“Presently, only one anti-tick vaccine is commercially available, and it’s produced in Cuba.

Our work aims to provide new vaccines for the cattle industry,” he said.

Although Texas ranchers follow eradication program guidelines and treat their cattle, infested wildlife can keep a cattle fever tick infestation going, Guerrero said.

Cattle fever ticks transmit the

$245; 200-300 lbs., $210-$240; 300-400 lbs., $200-$238; 400500 lbs., $185-$225; 500-600 lbs., $170-$210; 600-700 lbs., $155-$189; 700-800 lbs., $145$166.

Heifers: Under 200 lbs., $180$295; 200-300 lbs., $180-$220; 300-400 lbs., $180-$310; 400500 lbs., $160-$190; 500-600 lbs., $140-$182.50; 600-700 lbs., $130-$169; 700-800 lbs., $120-$156.

Slaughter bulls: $80-$103.

Slaughter cows: $60-$86.

Bred cows: $850-$1,750.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,800$2,200.

Buffalo

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Jan. 9 sale. agents that cause bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis, which kill cattle.

“Our research goal is to provide tools for U.S. ranchers to help control cattle fever ticks and prevent reinfestation of the United States,” Guerrero said.

“This new vaccine is one more step toward meeting that goal.”

• This study by Sandra Avant, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff, was published in Parasites and Vectors in 2014.

“New Vaccine May Control Cattle Ticks” was published in the January 2016 issue of AgResearch Magazine.

Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ...............Ext. 4721

Head: 200 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $225$290; 200-300 lbs., $215-$290; 300-400 lbs., $195-$245; 400500 lbs., $160-$225; 500-600 lbs., $150-$190; 600-700 lbs., $140-$172; 700-800 lbs., $135$152.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $235$280; 200-300 lbs., $175-$240; 300-400 lbs., $155-$215; 400-500 lbs., $135-$200; 500600 lbs., $132-$180; 600-700 lbs.,$130-$157; 700-800 lbs., $110-$141.

Slaughter bulls: $85-$115.

Slaughter cows: $40-$83.

Bred cows: $1,100-$2,150.

Cow / calf pairs: $1,275$2,500.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Jan. 7 sale.

Head: 358 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $210$255; 400-500 lbs., $200-$235; 500-600 lbs., $190-$210; 600-

TE PRIVA Y T A E TR

rk An a l C

700 lbs., $160-$188.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $175$230; 400-500 lbs., $165-$215; 500-600 lbs., $160-$195; 600700 lbs., $150-$180.

Slaughter bulls: $90-$100.

Slaughter cows: $55-$75.

Bred cows: $1,100-$2,000.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,100.

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Jan. 9 sale.

Head: 1,190 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $160$470; 300-400 lbs., $150$247.50; 400-500 lbs., $140$230; 500-600 lbs., $135-$215; 600-700 lbs., $125-$171.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $170$400; 300-400 lbs., $140-$220; 400-500 lbs., $130-$195; 500600 lbs., $130-$180; 600-700 lbs., $120-$170.

Slaughter bulls: $75-$105.50.

Slaughter cows: $45-$74.

Bred cows: $800-$1,375.

— Special to The Post

CARC ASS DATA

gus Ranch L.L. Since 1952 CROCKETT, TEXAS

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Finance Director - Rod Armstrong.........................................Ext. 4605 Production Director - Mark Wilson........................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Greg Parker ........................................Ext. 4752

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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TIFTON 85 HAY: Premium quality, large net wrapped bales, $60 each, 400 available, located near Cobb Branch Rd, Franklin, TX 77856, 281-793-8433

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February 2016 - Issue 1

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