May 15, 2012
Insuring the future PLANNING AHEAD FOR A POTENTIAL DROUGHT PAG E 10 FOOD SUPPLY SAFE FROM BSE
IT'S NO FLUKE
Mad Cow Disease reported in California.
Dr. Wikse talks liver ямВuke prevention.
CONTROVERSIAL BAN REMOVED
STRATEGIC PLANNING NEEDED
PAGE 4
Restrictions on young workers dropped. PAGE 8
PAGE 12
Use caution in rebuilding cattle herds. PAGE 19
2
May 15, 2012 âœŞ
The Land & Livestock Post
The Land & Livestock Post
News From the General Manager
M
worked all summer and save money. I had a lot of anger toward insurance back then, and even today I wince sometimes at my premiums, but I know now that it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. In this issue we cover drought insurance. After going through a year like we just had, it is a good idea to be prepared for the worst. Our cover article goes into detail on the options you have and how it can help you manage your pastures. ’Til next time,
✪ May 15, 2012
y first vehicle was a 1983 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe pick-up truck. It had a straight six and a threespeed, column-shift transmission. It didn’t have an air conditioner, but it came with an AM radio. I learned a lot from that truck. JESSE WRIGHT I learned how far you could go on E, and I learned a gas can and comfortable shoes are good things to have. And I learned about insurance. If I was to drive, then I paid my own gas and insurance. Insurance premiums for a 16-year-old male are outrageous. I
Your SOURCE for Top Quality Registered and Commercial Brangus Cattle Proud Members of
Circle Land & Cattle Co., Ltd. Bobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch Spring Valley Ranch • Windy Hill Ranch • Vista Ridge Ranch
located just off Hwy. 6 and OSR 1415 East OSR • Bryan, Texas 77808 Office: (979) 776-5760 • Fax: (979) 776-4818 Website: www.circlexbrangus.com Steve Densmore, Cattle Mgr., (979) 450-0819, cell • (979) 778-1055, home Chris Duewall, Operations Mgr., (979) 777-6803, cell
3
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
News Officials: Food supply safe after cow found with BSE By TRACIE CONE and GOSIA WOZNIACKA Associated Press
HANFORD, Calif. — The discovery of mad cow disease in a dead dairy cow came soon after it arrived at a nondescript building in the heart of California’s dairy country. The finding is the first new case of the disease in the U.S. since 2006 and the fourth ever discovered in the country. The test was performed when the animal was brought to the building, a transfer facility for a processing plant near Hanford. The cow had died at one of the region’s hundreds of dairies. A plant official said the cow hadn’t exhibited outward symptoms of the disease: unsteadiness, incoordination, a drastic change in
• See COW/Page 5
Ag Commissioner Staples says Texas beef herd is safe Special to The Post
AUSTIN — “As the nation’s leading producer of cattle, Texas is closely following recent news from California regarding detection of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “It’s important for domestic consumers and foreign trading partners to note the animal did not enter into the food chain, and the American food supply is safe and has not been impacted by this recent detection. “Thanks to a firewall of safeguards in place, American consumers can remain confident our food supply is the safest in the world, and Texas beef is as safe as ever,” Staples said.
texaslandhomes.com Charlie Neff
Broker/Realtor®
979-828-4000
REDUCED
DROUGHT INSURANCE FOR HAYLAND & RANGELAND
September 28, 2012 Deadline for 2013 Policy Year
Kinchole. LLC.
AGRI-INSURANCE
Hondo, TX 78861 • www.myagri-insurance.com
(830) 426-4175 or (800) 467-3274
CALL FOR A QUOTE!!
Tootie Ilse • Hondo, TX • (830) 317-4175 Connie Giesenschlag • Caldwell, TX • (979) 224-2973 WITH AGENTS IN DRISCOLL, FREER, BRACKETVILLE, COTULLA, PLEASANTON & LA VERNIA
The Leading Seeded Forage Bermudagrass in America!
TEXAS TOUGH + Brand BERMUDAGRASS
“I planted ten acres of Texas Tough + Brand Bermudagrass in April and received rain immediately after seeding. No additional rainfall was recorded for 45 days. However, once good rainfall came at the beginning of June, seeds germinated with an excellent stand. I began grazing my horses in early August when Texas Tough + was two feet tall with stolons five feet long, and continued grazing through the Fall. I will plant more Texas Tough + this year.” -Donald Creed- Belton, TX
EAST TEXAS SEED COMPANY P.O. BOX 569 • TYLER, TX 75710-0569 (903) 597-6637 • FAX (903) 595-0106
www.easttexasseedcompany.com • seeds@easttexasseedcompany.com CALL (800) 888-1371 FOR DETAILS
4
AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL SEED DEALER
The Land & Livestock Post
News
✪
Cow From 4 behavior or low milk production. When the animal arrived at the facility with a truckload
of other dead cows on April 18, it met criteria for government testing: older than 30 months and a fresh corpse. “We randomly pick a number of samples throughout the
• See BSE/Page 6
Annual Equine Edition: » June 15thth « Ad Deadline May 31stst
May 15, 2012
AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, John Walker
A truck enters Baker Commodities transfer station in Hanford, Calif., where a cow with mad cow disease was discovered last month. Health authorities said the animal never was a threat to the nation's food supply.
Contact
Jesse Wright 979-731-4721 / jesse.wright@theeagle.com
4400 East Hwy 21, Bryan, TX 77808 • Insure a percentage of avg. rainfall on hayable land or native pasture • Now based on RAIN GAUGES measured by NOAA • Insurance of native pastures NETTED as much as $5/acre in 2008, whereas Hayland in many areas exceeded $50/acre • Heavily subsidized by USDA • Not Billed until July 30, 2013 • Hargrove Insurance has been serving farmers and ranchers since 1983
Please contact us to arrange a face to face meeting.
BESIDES BUILDING THE BEST TRAILERS ON THE MARKET, WE ALSO OFFER A HUGE SELECTION OF: TRAILER AXLES • HUBS • BRAKES • LIGHTS • JACKS COUPLERS • TOWING • HARDWARE • CARGO CONTROL TIRES AND WHEELS • TRUCK ACCESSORIES • WINCHES GOOSENECK HOOKUPS IN TRUCKS • AND MUCH MORE!
888-573-8975
info@hargroveinsurance.com www.hargroveinsurance.com
(979) 778-0034
See our complete Parts Inventory and order online at:
www.goosenecktrailerparts.com www.gooseneck.net
5
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
News
BSE From 5 year, and this just happened to be one that we randomly sampled,” Baker Commodities executive vice president Dennis Luckey said. “It showed no signs” of disease. The samples went to the food safety lab at the Uni-versity of California, Davis. By April 19, markers indicated the cow could have bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a disease that is fatal to cows and can cause a deadly human brain disease in people who eat tainted meat. It was sent to an Agriculture Department lab in Iowa for further testing. Days later, federal agriculture officials announced the findings: the animal had atypical BSE. That means it didn’t get the disease from eating infected cattle feed, said John Clifford, the Agriculture Department’s chief veterinary officer. It was “just a random mutation that can happen every once in a great while in an animal,” said Bruce Akey, director of the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University. “Random mutations go on in nature all the time.” In humans, experts say it can occur in one in 1 million people, causing sponge-like TY
TREA
n A k r a Cl
holes in the brain. But they say not enough is known about how and how often the disease strikes cattle. The California Department of Public Health and the state Department of Food and Agriculture quickly worked to assure consumers that the food supply is safe. The cow hadn’t been destined for human consumption and people cannot become ill from drinking milk, experts say. The building where the cow was selected to be tested sends animals to a rendering plants, which process animal parts for products not going into the human food chain, such as animal food, soap, chemicals or other household products. Among the unknowns about the current case is whether the animal died of the disease and whether other cattle in its herd are similarly infected. “It’s appropriate to be cautious, it’s appropriate to pay attention and it’s appropriate to ask questions, but now let’s watch and see what the researchers find out in the next couple of days,” said James Culler, director of the UC Davis dairy food safety laboratory. The mad cow cases that plagued England in the early 1990s were caused when livestock routinely were fed protein supplements that included ground cow spinal columns and brain tissue, which can harbor the disease. DATA
gus Ranch L.L. Since 1952 CROCKETT, TEXAS
C.
Private treaty reGiStereD BULLS, 18-24 MONtHS, ePD’s reaDy FOr Heavy ServiCe
COMPLETE REGISTERED FEMALE DISPERSAL SALE • MAY 26TH • 10 a.m. bred heifers, bred cows, pairs East Texas Livestock • Crockett, TX
CALL FOr A CAtALOg
6
BILL CLArK 936/544-9013 888-252-7501
gENE StOKES, Mgr. WEBSItE: clarkangus.com EMAIL: info@clarkangus.com
HERE’S THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM GRAZIERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!
Low cost, little or no maintenance A proven, long lasting, durable system The Simple to install and move Original Can use from any water source New Zealand Waters irregular fields and hilly terrain System Saves on water and energy Can be customed designed System can be enlarged as finances permit Patented New Zealand System
EW This N t c Produ at ble Availa
ATS IRRIGATION, INC.
www.atsirrigation.com
2509 Hwy 105 East Brenham, TX 77833
1-800-656-2197
Farm Tractor Rentals Renting 75hp and Up
Ag Equipment Rentals
The Land & Livestock Post
News
✪ May 15, 2012
(979) 777-7700 June
ollow us on
facebook.com/texasllp
Events Calendar May May 17: Ad Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. (979) 731-4721 May 19: Cattleman’s Top Cut Replacement Sale. Navasota, TX. 903599-2403 May 19: Farm, Ranch & Construction Equipment Auction, Sealy, TX. 979885-2400 May 19: Emmons Ranch Beefmaster Production Sale, Fairfield, TX May 26: Clark Angus Sale. Crockett, TX. 936-544-9013 May 30-31: Grass-Fed Beef Conference, College Station, TX. 830278-9151 May 31: Ad Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. (979) 731-4721
June 2: Jordan Cattle Auction, Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX. June 4: Jordan Cattle Auction, Special Stocker & Feeder Sale. Mason, TX. June 13: Buffalo Livestock Marketing Inc. Pre-conditioned Weaned Calf and Yearling Sale, Buffalo, TX. June 13-15: TSCRA Summer Meeting, Fredricksburg, TX. June 14: Jordan Cattle Auction, Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, San Saba, TX. June 14: Ad Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. (979) 731-4721 June 28: Ad Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. (979) 731-4721 Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed? Call Jesse Wright at (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com
7
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
News Department drops proposed ban on young farm workers By SAM HANANEL Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Under heavy pressure from farm groups, the Obama administration said it would drop an unpopular plan to prevent children from doing hazardous work on farms owned by anyone other than their parents. The Labor Department said it is withdrawing proposed rules that would ban children younger than 16 from using most power-driven farm equipment, including tractors. The rules also would prevent those younger than 18 from working in feed lots, grain bins and stockyards. While labor officials said their goal was to reduce the fatality rate for child farm workers, the proposal had become a popular political target for Republicans who
called it an impractical, heavy -handed regulation that ignored the reality of small farms. “It’s good the Labor Department rethought the ridiculous regulations it was going to stick on farmers and their families,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “To even propose such regulations defies common sense, and shows a real lack of understanding as to how the family farm works.” The surprise move comes just after the Labor Department modified the rule in a bid to satisfy opponents. The agency made it clear it would exempt children who worked on farms owned or operated by their parents, even if the ownership was part of a complex partnership or corporate
• See RULES/Page 9
Marketplace Get Your Name
Green Meadows
ALL TYPES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL & PIPE Steel Buildings 979-589-2333 1-866-959-2333 pioneerboys.com
LAND
FOR SALE 200 PLUS TRACTS CURRENT & REVOLVING INVENTORY
HOMELAND PROPERTIES
www.homelandproperties.com
16% Protein • 10% Fat
800-246-2500
Registered Black Angus Bulls Low Birth, High weaning weights A-I’d to top Angus Sires Service Age Bulls One breeding Season Guaranteed • LIMB TRIMMING • HANDI-WORK • BACKHOE WORK
PERFECT FOR HUNTING LEASES AND COUNTY ROADS
JOEY SLOTT
TREE & LIMB SERVICE
936-788-4049
22 – 24 Month Old Open Brahman Heifers Ready to Breed. Good Selection of Gentle Breeding Age Bulls Available. Anthony Kubicek (979) 324-7391 cell. (979) 567-4201 ranch. Email: RoyalKRanch@yahoo.com
Individual Plant Treatment
corn and soy ingredients designed to supply a judicious combination of protein and energy. This combination allows cattle to efficiently digest low quality forages. In addition, the type of fat in MIX 30 has been shown to play an important role in reproduction and immune function.
RANCH FARM RESIDENTIAL
dy Micklitz d u B
Registered Gray Brahmans • F1 Brafords
Pastures • Right of Ways Fencelines • Roadways
MIX 30 is a palatable, consistent and nutrient-rich blend of
Madisonville, TX 936-349-1955 • 903-445-7817 www.greenmeadowsranch.com
BRAHMAN BULLS/HEIFERS
Custom Chemical Brush Control Services
It’s not your father’s liquid feed.
Foliar • Injection Basal • Granular • Cut-Stump Small Acreage Broadcast Farm Backhoe Services
979.779.0420 979.218.8674 call for appointment or
micklitz@verizon.net FENCES PENS
BARNS
GAME FENCES
CUSTOM BUILDINGS STALLS
REMODELS
Solid Rock Ranch Angus Bulls Twos and coming twos. One breeding season guarantee. AI sires include In Focus, CAR Efficient, Danny Boy, Mainline & Retail Product. Matt Jones. Franklin, TX. 979-777-7571, 979-828-3410 www.solidrockranch.com
Contact:
Dealer Inquiries Welcome CALL FOR DEALER LOCATIONS AND TRUCKLOAD PRICING
Out There
Contact:
Lloyd Scasta
(979) 589-2328 (home) (979) 450-1035 (cell) Serving Bryan-College Station and The Surrounding Area since 2000.
Cleere Earthworks L.L.C. TEXAS A&M CLASS OF ‘02
Land Clearing • Ponds • Roads • Pads Dozer • Excavator • Scraper • Dump Truck
979-324-8746 Travis Cleere www.cleereearthworks.com
Jesse Wright 979.731.4721 MANUFACTURED BY AGRIDYNE, LLC
8
(800) 575-7585 | www.mix30.com
jesse.wright@theeagle.com
Rules From 8
Quality Forage Fast
May 15, 2012
Montana’s farmers and ranchers. The move is sure to disappoint child safety groups who said the rules represent longoverdue protections for children working for hire in farm communities. Three-quarters of working children under 16 who died of work-related injuries in 2010 were in agriculture, according to the Child Labor Coalition. In March, the child advocacy group criticized GOP legislation that would have stopped the Labor Department from issuing the rules.
✪
agreement. That didn’t appease farm groups that complained it would upset traditions in which many children work on farms owned by uncles, grandparents and other relatives to reduce costs and learn how a farm operates. The Labor Department said it was responding to thousands of comments that expressed concern about the impact of the changes on small familyowned farms. “The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations,” the agency said in a statement. Instead, the agency said it would work with rural stakeholders, including the
American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union and 4-H to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., a grain farmer known to till his fields on weekends away from Washington, had come out strongly against the proposed rule. The Democrat continued to criticize the Obama administration rule even after it was tempered earlier this year, saying the Labor Department “clearly didn’t get the whole message” from
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Brazos Valley Livestock Brazos Valley Livestock Commission, Inc. Commission, Inc.
Sales: Tuesdays @ 12 Noon 6097 East Hwy. 21 • Bryan, TX
(979) 778-0904
TJSS Hardware
Jet Dealer & Service For Over 30 Years
9 miles N. of Carlos 19685 FM 244, Iola, Tx 77861 (936) 394-2507 Texas Jet Systems, “Specialists in Waste Water Treatment”
Concrete leg feed trough
Concrete Products Water Troughs, Cattle Guard Beams, Septic Tanks, Storm Shelters
Cattle Guards 190 Gallon Concrete Water trough
New Pipe No Threads - No Bell Ends 1050 Ez Weld .100 Wall 1- 5/16 .115 Wall 1- 5/8 .110 Wall 1- 7/8 .110 Wall 2- 3/8 SCH-40 2- 7/8 .145 Wall 4- 1/2 SCH-40
Certified Dealer
WINCO Generator Tractor Driven PTO
Custom Cattle Guards Also ATV Cattle Guards
Cable Fencing Supplies 3/8 Guy Wire Cable, Cable Ends, Springs, Clips, Caps
Teff Grass is a fast-growing, high-yielding crop with competitive forage quality, adapted to all across the U.S. for dairy, beef or horses. www.teffgrass.com or VisitVisit www.teffgrass.com call Mark Thomas at 903-949-7099 For a Dealer or Additional Information: (903) 949-7099
We Carry Cattle Panels • Water Well Supplies Waste Water Chlorine • Corral Panels Aerobic Sewer Systems • Gates Poly & Galvanized Culverts
9
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
News
Just in case
Range forage insurance is a good investment By JANELLE SMITHERMAN FEARS Special to The Post
C
hanges in the way the U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidizes farmers and producers are coming. “Subsidies will be provided through programs that pay based on low prices, low yields or both,” said Joe Outlaw, professor and extension economist in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University, at the 22nd Annual Outlook for Texas Land Markets meeting in San Antonio. “Pasture range forage insurance will continue to be one of the USDA offerings,” Outlaw said.
Program development The pasture range forage insurance program was implemented during the 2007 crop year. Two new insurance packages were included in the program. The rainfall index insurance program was pilot tested in 220 counties in Colorado, Idaho, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Dakota and Texas and was based on rainfall indices as a means to measure expected production losses. A vegetation index insurance pro-
10
gram was tested in 110 counties in Colorado, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and South Dakota and was based on satellite imagery that determines acreage productivity as a means to measure production losses. Together, these pilot programs were available to provide coverage on approximately 160 million of the 640 million acres of grazing and hay land in the United States. The programs were expanded for each of the 2008 and 2009 crop years, making them available for 18 states. They were expanded again for the 2010 and 2011 crop years with additional states and counties. In any state where pasture range forage insurance is offered, coverage for forage losses is based on one of the two standardized measures: rainfall or vegetation greenness. Only one of these measures is used within a state. For instance, vegetation greenness index is the measurement applied in New Mexico, but in Texas, the rainfall index is used. “There are not likely to be any changes in the programs for the 2012 crop year,” said Outlaw. “The 2012 Farm Bill is making very little progress through Congress and I expect the 2008 bill to be extended.
Photo courtesy of RJ Consultant Services For a producer strictly in the cattle business, types of crops are pasture and hay. In Texas, pasture range forage insurance uses rainfall to determine coverage.
Photo courtesy of RJ Consultant Services Insurance against lack of rainfall is a risk-management tool worth considering. Although changes are coming in USDA subsidies, the pasture range forage program will continue. Sept. 30 is the deadline for applying fr 2013 program insurance. Even though Congress is working on it, we probably won’t see the new farm bill until spring of 2013.”
Current plan “Rainfall index is the only pasture range forage insurance program available in Texas, but it is offered in all counties,” said Clay Wolter, sales representative for Helena Chemical Co. which offers pasture range forage insurance as one of many products. “Grids obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are used to determine expected and final rainfall which is used in premium cost and forage loss calculations. Indemnities are based on deviation from normal for each grid. “A payment is made only if the final grid index for the insured unit is less than the producer’s trigger or expected grid index. Each grid is 12 by 12 miles, identified by longitude and latitude and assigned an identification number. Many counties contain multiple grids and a ranch may lie in two or more grids,” Wolter said. Wolter said, “You must select at least two 2-month time periods for insurance coverage. These time periods are called index intervals and a
maximum of six can be selected for coverage within any given year. The intervals are January-February, February-March, March-April, AprilMay, May-June, June-July, July-August, August-September, SeptemberOctober, October-November or November-December Producers cannot choose a month twice, so for coverage during the entire year, the intervals are JanuaryFebruary, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December. “This selection provides insurance for the entire year without overlapping months,” Wolter said.
Coverage level “The producer selects a coverage level and protection factor for each of the crop types in the county,” Wolter said. “For a person strictly in the cattle business, there are two crop types: pasture and hay. A coverage unit is all insured acres within a grid ID for each crop type and index interval. “Coverage levels are available from 70 percent to 90 percent in 5 percent increments. This means that a mini-
• See INSURE/Page 11
Insure From 10
ON THE COVER Photo illustration by Dave McDermand
Full Line of Wildlife Feed
May 15, 2012
“The deadline for applying for 2013 pasture range forage insurance is Sept. 30 and premiums are due July 1, 2013,” Wolter said. Since drought is common in Texas, insurance against the lack of rainfall is a risk management tool worth considering. Additional information and a list of agents is available at Farm Service Agencies.
✪
mum of 70 percent of the final rainfall grid index can be insured and a maximum of 90 percent. “Protection factors are percentages of crop values and 60 to 150 percent can be selected in one percent increments. Crop values are set by counties and are used in many ways, including assessment of property taxes,” Wolter said. The Kelly Newton Insurance Co. website provides a good example of how insurance coverage is calculated, based on grazing land: • County Base Value = $7.41. • Coverage Level = 85 percent (selected by the producer between 70 and 90 percent). • Protection Factor = 150 percent (selected by the producer between 60 percent and 150 percent). • $7.41 X 0.85 X 1.50 = $9.45,
the dollar amount of production coverage per acre. Kelly Newton said the premium on pasture range forage insurance is relatively inexpensive, ranging from $0.25 through $1.50 per acre on grazing land in most counties. Wolter said that most producers insure at maximum coverage levels and production factors due to the low premium costs. The federal government pays approximately 55 to 60 percent of the premium and the producer pays 40 to 45 percent.
The Land & Livestock Post
News
SALE EACH SATURDAY
Free Consultation on Federally Subsidized PRF Drought Insurance Specifically Designed For Livestock and Hay Producers • Primarily insures against drought, covers grazingland and perennial hay production • Producers can insure acres that are important to your operation, not all acres are required • Highly subsidized by USDA making it affordable to you and creating a HIGH RATE of Return • All rainfall averages based on 62 years of NOAA & National Weather Service data • No premium due until August 1, 2013
Deadline - September 30th
Let’s sit down and customize a plan for your operation. You need to know all of your options
Ag Southwest Ranch Insurance
Zach Gerik Office: 512.514.0546 / Cell: 254.707.1336
Steven Page 936.635.3218
www.agsouthwest.com
• Big Buck Corn • Big Buck 16 • Big Buck 17 We also Carry:
3 Locations To Serve You
Thomas Moore Feed NORTH
Tabor Rd. Bryan, TX:
SOUTH
HEMPSTEAD
Hwy 6. South Hempstead, TX: College Station, TX:
979-778-0978 936-825-2081 979-826-4003
www.moorefeed.com
11
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
Ask the Vet There are ways to test for and eliminate liver flukes
Q
uestion: “I’m worried about liver flukes in my cattle because of an article I read in Beef. According to the article, liver flukes are spreading all over the place. What sort of pasture conditions would make me think I may have them on my ranch? And, is there a test I can do on my cows to tell if they have flukes?” Answer: Yup, there is an article on STEVE liver flukes WIKSE , DVM in the April issue of Beef magazine titled “Encroaching Villains.” Our own veterinary parasitologist, Dr. Tom Craig, and our Texas AgriLife Extension veterinarian, Dr. Buddy Faries, are quoted in the article. Your questions are good ones because the excellent article
did not emphasize fluke habitat and diagnosis. We have both the bovine liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) and the deer liver fluke (Fascioloides magna) in the Brazos Valley. Their life cycles are quite similar. They are present only on some ranches and infected ranches don’t necessarily have both.
Liver fluke habitat The answer to your first question is your pastures would need to have standing water during springtime to be favorable habitat for liver flukes. Here’s how it works. Cattle liver fluke eggs passed in manure drop into water and hatch into larvae in two to four weeks at warm temperatures. To complete their life cycle, within 24 hours the larvae
• See FLUKES/Page 13
CALDWELL LIVESTOCK COMMISSION
REGULAR SALE EVERY
WEDNESDAY, 1:00 PM Carl Herrmann (979)820-5349
12
Hwy 36 South, P.O. Box 542, Caldwell, TX 77836 Sale Barn Phone: (979) 567-4119
DON’T LET DRY WEATHER GET YOUR GRASS! NG CLOSI SALES T. 30 SEP 3 for 201 R YEA CROP
Rainfall Insurance is now available with the Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) Federal Crop Insurance Program. Subsidized premiums and coverages are tailored to your location and needs. Deal with fellow ranchers who understand agriculture:
Jones & Lowe Insurance Agency Bryan, TX • 979-774-5683 Ted Higginbottom 254-366-6023
Tracy Higginbottom 432-788-7977
Nissa Benavides 979-446-2442
Matt Merritt 979-229-6026
*The Insurance product offered by Ag Insurance GroupTM D/B/A ProAgsm , may not be a complete list of all products offered and may not be offered in all areas. ProAg and Jones & Lowe Agency are equal opportunity providers. ©2010 ProAg. All Rights Reserved
Flukes From 12
$
s
sue 24 Is
Liver fluke infections have a range of impacts on the
NEWS YOU CAN USE RIGHT IN YOUR MAILBOX
SUBSCRIPTION Subscribe to the award-winning Land & Livestock Post and receive 24 issues of the latest ag news and information about the issues that affect you!
New Subscription
Mail or Fax to:
c/o Land & Livestock Post
Address Change
Liver fluke infections have been shown to lower pregnancy rates in replacement heifers along the Texas coast. This is due to a combination of depressed growth rates causing fewer heifers to reach their target breeding weight plus interference with breakdown of sex steroids in livers damaged by migrating fluke larvae. Heavy fluke infestations occur in a small number of cows in infected herds. These cows become very thin and show clinical signs of diarrhea, rough hair coat, pale mucous membranes and collection of edema fluid between their jaws (bottle jaw). No matter how much grain you feed them they
keep getting thinner and weaker. Death can occur, especially in lactating cows. These signs are not specific for liver fluke infection. Identical clinical signs are seen in cows with advanced stomach worm infections or Johne’s disease.
Diagnosis The answer to your second question is there are, indeed, tests that can be done to diagnose liver flukes. Ranchers sometimes discover they
have a problem without testing when their calves’ livers are condemned at slaughter for liver fluke damage or liver flukes are found in cattle autopsied on the ranch. Autopsies of most cattle that die will give you a good measure of the parasite status of your herd. The most common way bovine liver flukes (Fasciola hepatica) are diagnosed on beef ranches is by laboratory
• See LIVER/Page 15
May 15, 2012
19.95
Detrimental effects
health of cattle depending on the number of flukes that set up housekeeping in the liver. Mild to moderate infestations result in reduced growth rates and feed efficiency in young stock, and lower body condition in adults.
✪
must enter a small snail of the genus Lymnea called a “mud snail.” The snails can burrow into mud to survive as standing water comes and goes, which means continual standing water is not necessary for completion of the life cycle of the liver fluke. The fluke larvae mature and reproduce in the snail and in two months many tadpole-like larvae emerge into the water. These larvae swim to blades of grass and develop into cysts resistant to drying. Cattle become infected when they ingest the cysts along with grass. This means you would need standing water for only three months in the spring to have good snail and liver fluke habitat your ranch, as Faries stated in the Beef article.
Craig stated in another publication that “liver flukeinfested pastures tend to have clay soils and are constantly or periodically flooded but not inundated.” Heavy clay soils result in high water tables. This type of area could simply be a depression in a pasture or it could be bottomland. Even bar ditches along ranch roads can hold water that makes good fluke habitat. Typically, favorable habitat on a liver fluke infested ranch is only 1 percent to 5 percent of the total land area. The Texas A&M Beef Center along the Brazos River has a long swampy swale running through several pastures. I autopsied a cow found dead on the edge of that swamp. The cow died of redwater and its liver was loaded with deer liver flukes.
The Land & Livestock Post
Ask the Vet
10522 FM 2095 • Gause, Texas 77857 Billy Stein • 979.200.1300 billy@fluhartyfarms.net
Questions About Cattle Health?
Ask the Vet! Steve Wikse - Retired DVM Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University
P.O. Box 3000 Bryan, TX 77805 FAX (979) 776-8923 or vist www.landandlivestockpost.com and click “subscribe”.
Name: Address: City:_____________________ St: ________ Zip: Phone #: Old Address (if applicable): City: _____________________St: _______Zip:
WIKSE
PAYMENT INFORMATION
Check Enclosed (Please make checks payable to The Eagle)
Please Bill my:
Mastercard
VISA
American Express
Submit your questions to:
Discover
Account#:_____________________________CIV#:_____________ Name on Card: Amount: _________________________Expiration Date: Signature: Date:
P.O. Box 3000 Bryan, TX 77805 or jesse.wright@theeagle.com
13
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORTS Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Exchange’s April 21 sale: Head: 859. Steers: 150-200 lbs., $190$285; 200-300 lbs., $190$275; 300-400 lbs., $180$212; 400-500 lbs., $165$198; 500-600 lbs., $155$182; 600-700 lbs., $150$170; 700-800 lbs., $130$142. Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $175$265; 200-300 lbs., $170$245; 300-400 lbs.; $165$210, 400-500 lbs., $155$185; 500-600 lbs., $145$177; 600-700 lbs., $135$150; 700-800 lbs., $120$142. Slaughter bulls: $90-$107. Slaughter cows: $65-$94. Bred cows: $875-$1,200. Cow/calf pairs: $950-$1,950.
Caldwell Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s April 25 sale: Head: 405
Steers: 200-300 lbs., $210$260; 300-400 lbs., $180$250; 400-500 lbs., $170$190; 500-600 lbs., $150$180; 600-700 lbs., $130$145; 700-800 lbs., $120$140. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $160$220, 300-400 lbs., $165$220; 400-500 lbs., $155$185; 500-600 lbs., $140$165; 600-700 lbs., $130$140; 700-800 lbs., $118$133. Slaughter bulls: $88-$109. Slaughter cows: $50-$90. Stocker cows: $850-$1,200. Cow/calf pairs: $650-$1,600.
Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction & Livestock Co.’s April 26 sale: Head: 1,223. Steers: 300-400 lbs., $195$250, 400-500 lbs., $187$220, 500-600 lbs., $175$200, 600-700 lbs., $160$170. Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $185$205; 400-500 lbs., $161$186; 500-600 lbs., $155-
ROUND OVERHEAD FEED STORAGE BINS
“This can mean the difference between taking a loss or making a profit in the cattle business.”
• Spray-on liner inside bin. • Effective for both livestock and wildlife feed. • Truckload holding capacities in various sizes available.
• No more feed damage by rodents or varmints. • No more feed sacks to handle. • Environmentally Friendly. • Heavy pipe structure. • Skid mounted.
Authorized T & S Trip Hopper Dealer
Southwest Fabricators
580/326-3589 • Toll Free: 877/326-3574 503 South Industrial - Hugo, OK 74743 www.overheadbins.com
$168; 600-700 lbs., $145$160. Slaughter bulls: $96-$108. Slaughter cows: $68-$96. Bred cows: $900-$1,600. Cow/calf pairs: $1,000$2,100.
Jordan Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction Co.’s April 26 sale: Head: 1,547. Steers: 200-300 lbs., $200$257.50; 300-400 lbs., $170-$209; 400-500 lbs., $150-$188; 500-600 lbs., $140-$174; 600-700 lbs., $140-$174; 700-800 lbs., $135$149. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $185$217.50; 300-400 lbs., $170$201; 400-500 lbs., $145$190; 500-600 lbs., $137$160; 600-700 lbs., $135$152; 700-800 lbs., $125$134. Slaughter bulls: $97.50$111. Slaughter cows: $65-$94. Stocker cows: $750-$1,300.
pairs:
$1,025-
Milano Results of the Milano Livestock Exchange’s April 24 sale: Head: 342. Steers: 300-400 lbs., $175$230; 400-500 lbs., $166$195; 500-600 lbs., $145$176; 600-700 lbs., $142$166. Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $165$210; 400-500 lbs., $150$192; 500-600 lbs., $131$163.50; 600-700 lbs., $127$155. Slaughter bulls: $103-$108. Slaughter cows: $60-$93. Stocker cows: $1,400$1,650. Cow/calf pairs: $1,775$2,750.
Head: 1,173 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $150$290; 300-400 lbs., $150$215; 400-500 lbs., $135$185; 500-600 lbs., $130$167.50; 600-700 lbs., $125$156. Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $150$275; 300-400 lbs., $140$210; 400-500 lbs., $140$185; 500-600 lbs., $130$165; 600-700 lbs., $125$150. Slaughter bulls: $85-$109. Slaughter cows: $55-$93. Stocker cows: $850-$1,250. Cow/calf pairs: $950-$1,550. — Special to The Post
Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock Auction Co.’s April 21 sale:
Improve your herd’s productivity
ALE D N RTI M A H OW S DS FEE WIX E TL CAT R & E OIL R AL E MIN ERS D FEE ONE T R O VIG ER ALS MIN ND A TUB S DER E E F
14
Cow/calf $1,675.
LIMOUSIN CATTLE
WILL GUARANTEE HALF OF YOUR CALF CROP WITH: • Calfing Ease - Gentle • Growth and Muscle Means $$$ ide • Virgin - Red or Black Bulls A W tion c • Replacement Heifers Sele hoose C to rom! • All w/E.P. D. Papers F • Certified Bangs & TB Free • LimFlex - Limousin Angus Hybrid
C.F.L.X. Ranch 21314 O.S.R. Madisonville, TX 77864
(903) 344-2331
Cell 281-808-5511 or (281) 808-3473
Liver
manure of infected cows. Deer flukes can be diagnosed in cattle only by autopsy.
From 13
Bottom line
• Weld Up • Bolt Up Pipe / Fencing Supplies • Pipe • Latches • Fence Cable
Replacement Female Sale
Saturday, May 19, 2012 @ 12 Noon Mid-Tex Livestock Auction, LLC
• Dr. Steve Wikse is a retired professor of large-animal clinical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M.
Metal Roofing & Building Supply Navasota, TX
METAL BUILDINGS
Top Cut
METAL ROOFING
Listings of the Cattle will be available ONLINE May 9th at www.johnsoncattlemarketing.com
1,300 Head of Quality Replacement Females Including Pairs, Bred Cows, Bred & Open Heifers
• Residential • Agricultural
These cattle have all been screened to ensure you only the best quality commercial cattle will be offered. Cattle will be palpated and sold in uniformily sorted groups to fit any cattleman’s needs.
12’ x 30’ RV Cover
$1,39500
+
(4 miles east of Navasota, Texas on Highway 90)
May 15, 2012
Cattle and deer liver flukes occur on selected ranches throughout the Brazos valley. These parasites can cause significant disease and economic losses. If you have pastures that are favorable habitat for flukes on your ranch plus the herd problems discussed above that may be caused by liver flukes your cattle probably are infected. The good news is it is possible to control the disease. Your veterinarian can collect samples for diagnostic confirmation and set your ranch up with a successful parasite control program.
✪
testing of fecal samples. It’s important to know that liver flukes are diagnosed by a fecal egg sedimentation test that is different than the fecal egg floatation test for stomach worms. The fecal test for stomach worms tells nothing about liver fluke infection. To diagnose liver flukes, fecal samples from 15 cows should be examined by the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory with the inexpensive Flukefinder sedimentation test. Deer liver fluke (Fascioloides magna) infections of cattle cannot be diagnosed by fecal egg sedimentation tests because eggs of deer flukes in cysts of the livers of cattle are blocked from entering bile ducts and reaching the intestine. There are no eggs in the
Cattleman’s
The Land & Livestock Post
Ask the Vet
TAX
Motel Accommodations: Best Western, Navasota, Texas • (936) 870-4100
936-825-0500
1-800-91-HILCO
12503 HWY 6 NAVASOTA, TX 77868
www.hilcosupply.com
Sale day phone: 936-825-3970
Super 8, Navasota, Texas • (936) 825-7775 Comfort Inn and Suites • (936) 825-9464
15
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
Jon Hildebrand
R.C. Slocum
www.caldwellcountry.com
800 Presidential Corridor East Hwy 21, Caldwell, Texas 77836 (Sales) M-F 8:30am-7pm Sat 8:30am-7pm (Service) M-F 7:30am-5:30pm • Sat 8am-1pm (Parts) M-F 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8am-1pm
16
Email: Sales@caldwellcountry.com Toll Free: 800-299-SAVE 979-567-1500
âœŞ May 15, 2012
It Determines How Everything Is Done.
The Land & Livestock Post
We want You as a Repeat Customer.
It determines price, determines service... It Determines How We Relate To Our Customers. Give Us A Shot!
17
18
May 15, 2012 âœŞ
The Land & Livestock Post
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Be cautious in restocking herd By BLAIR FANNIN Texas AgriLife Communications
ranchers who have extra grass can bale it, graze it or lease it out for grazing. “If you are completely destocked, stay out a year and let that pasture recover for a year before coming back in,” he said. “Overall, I just think it’s a little too soon to start restocking. I think producers need to be very cautious; remember, more is not always better.” Anderson said from an economic standpoint, ranchers who rebuild need a plan. “They need to think seriously about stocking rates and have some sort of plan,” he said. “Another thing they need to be looking at carefully is how much you fed last year and what feedstuffs you already have.” AgriLife Extension is offering educational programs on cattle herd rebuilding. Visit agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter the keyword “beef.”
✪ May 15, 2012
Experts with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are advising beef cattle producers to use caution and strategic planning when thinking about restocking herds after drought. Though rainfall has been received throughout the eastern portion of the state and promoted growth of forages on pastures, cattle producers need to be careful when evaluating their operations. “I think so far people are being really cautious,” said David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “I think producers are waiting to see if this rain is going to last. They should be asking themselves questions like ‘How long is it going to take for your pasture to recover?’ and ‘What is going to happen once we get into the summer?’”
Anderson said there are also financial constraints to consider, such as how much was spent feeding hay and other feedstuffs through the 2011 drought. “There’s also sticker shock on how much it is going to cost to replace cattle,” he said. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension state forage specialist, said producers should always consider the threat of drought. “My take is people should be stocked for drought at all times,” Redmon said. “People can reduce the risk of potential drought and not have to worry about doing any buying and selling. If you have a good year, there are lots of ways to use that extra grass. You can’t feed your way out of a drought. You can easily spend more money (trying) than the operation can generate over several years.” Redmon said in a good year
Lauderdale Aerial Spraying, LLC Kenneth Lauderdale Cell Phone: 979.255.1380 Office Phone: 979.535.8024 www.lauderdalespraying.com
Brien Water Wells Experts in Water Well Drilling & Irrigation Systems
Serving your water needs for 4 generations.
PUMP SALES & SERVICE • Pressure Tanks • Home & Farm Pumps & Parts • Submersible & Lineshaft Turbines for Irrigation & Public Systems WATER WELL DRILLING • Agricultural • Residential • Commercial
Brien Water Wells circa 1940s.
Brien Water Wells present day.
Hwy 6 South, Hearne, TX
979-279-2427
Brien Water Wells has the experience and know-how to assist you in all your water needs, call today!
19
The Land & Livestock Post ✪ May 15, 2012
Quality and Integrity at Prices You Can Afford.
Lovely lawn. Perfect prices. We’ve got something for every lawn care need. X300 Select Series™ Riding Lawn Tractor When you’re sitting in the yellow seat of the X300, you’ll be riding in comfort. With easy-touse electric PTO clutch, tight 16" turning radius and standard cruise control – mowing will be the highlight of your day!
300 OFF
$
1 Series Sub-Compact Tractors
*
Z225 Zero-Turn Mower
With four-wheel drive, power steering and TwinTouch™ foot controls for effortless speed and direction changes, the 1 Series Tractor is loaded with features never before seen on a tractor this size! Plus, it’s so versatile, you can mow, dig, till and haul to your heart’s content.
With exceptional maneuverability and trimming capabilities, you’ll leave nothing EHKLQG EXW WKH ÷QHVW FXW SRVVLEOH $QG with ground speeds up to 9 mph, you’ll do it in less time than you thought possible.
NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL WITHIN 12 MONTHS†Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 12 months or if your account is otherwise in default.
Visit the newly redesigned
CPTRACTOR.COM BRYAN, TX
979-822-7684
NAVASOTA, TX 936-825-6575
TEMPLE, TX
254-773-9916
CAMERON, TX 254-697-6551
TAYLOR, TX
512-352-5296
2IIHU HQGV 3ULFHV DQG PRGHO DYDLODELOLW\ PD\ YDU\ E\ GHDOHU 6RPH UHVWULFWLRQV DSSO\ RWKHU VSHFLDO UDWHV DQG WHUPV PD\ EH DYDLODEOH VR VHH \RXU GHDOHU IRU GHWDLOV DQG RWKHU Æ&#x;QDQFLQJ RSWLRQV $YDLODEOH DW SDUWLFLSDWLQJ GHDOHUV †2IIHU HQGV 6XEMHFW WR DSSURYHG FUHGLW RQ 5HYROYLQJ SODQ D VHUYLFH RI -RKQ 'HHUH )LQDQFLDO I V E 6RPH UHVWULFWLRQV DSSO\ RWKHU VSHFLDO UDWHV DQG WHUPV PD\ EH DYDLODEOH VR VHH \RXU GHDOHU IRU GHWDLOV DQG RWKHU Æ&#x;QDQFLQJ RSWLRQV $YDLODEOH DW SDUWLFLSDWLQJ GHDOHUV 3ULFHV DQG PRGHOV PD\ YDU\ E\ GHDOHU )RU FRQVXPHU XVH RQO\ ,QWHUHVW ZLOO EH FKDUJHG WR \RXU DFFRXQW IURP WKH SXUFKDVH GDWH DW $35 LI WKH SXUFKDVH EDODQFH LV QRW SDLG LQ IXOO ZLWKLQ PRQWKV RU LI \RXU DFFRXQW LV RWKHUZLVH LQ GHIDXOW COU5x110515BE-4C
20