Land and Livestock Post

July July2014 2014——Issue Issue11

What’s bugging the herd?

Ways to combat lice on your cattle PAGE 10

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Straight from Learning aboutthea billion-dollar horse's mouth.

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July 2014 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Hay Day educates producers on booming billion-dollar crop

By Jordan overturf jordan.overturf@theeagle.com

Mother Nature is a cruel mistress for hay producers in Texas.

If the drought doesn’t get your crop, then bugs may come calling. Commercial herbicides can keep critters away from your harvest, but then an overly cool spring could delay or damage your reaping cycle.

It’s a fickle and sometimes extremely profitable business, according to the farmers and specialists attending the recent June 5 Hay Day event at Britten Farms in Bryan.

The workshop was hosted by CoufalPrater Equipment, Producers Cooperative and Britten Farms, and brought together equipment experts, a forage specialist from Texas A&M’s AgriLife Extension Service and other presenters offering an introduc-

See HAY DAY, Page 7

Eagle photo by Jordan Overturf

Ralph Stevener of College Station tests the texture of a hay bale during the Hay Day event hosted by CoufalPrater Equipment Ltd. at Britten Farms in Bryan.

From the General Manager

W

ell it’s July again. July always seems to brings hot weather with it. But it also bring fireworks. I love fireworks, especially when it’s safe to shoot them, because that means it’s rained enough that a rogue Black Cat isn’t going to burn down the countryside.

I love shooting fireworks, watching fireworks and I even love the smell of fireworks.

The reason I’m goJESSE WRIGHT ing on and on about

fireworks is because our cover story is about lice. I’d much rather talk about fireworks.

Just hearing someone say the word “lice” is enough to make your head itch a little, and it’s not a pleasant subject.

But, lice can be a serious problem in cattle that should be addressed.

In our cover story we look at ways you can prevent lice in your herd and certain practices you can adapt to keep your cattle lice-free.

We also have some non-vermin related stories about horses, row crops and beef cattle. Hope you find something you like, 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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July 2014 — Issue 1

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News

Can wheat become a crop grown statewide in Texas?

Recently, wheat trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde were highlighted at its Combined Wheat and Vegetable Field Day, which introduced area producers to multiple varieties of spring and winter wheat grown using

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Texas A&M AgriLife experts are hoping to grow greater interest in having agricultural producers plant wheat in some of the more “non-traditional” areas of the state for that particular crop.

While wheat is the biggest field crop in Texas in terms of acreage — estimated at about 6 million acres annually by the National Agricultural Statistics Service — it currently is grown mostly in the High Plains and Rolling Plains part of the state.

“There’s a lot of wheat in the Panhandle, Rolling Plains and Southern High Plains, but wheat is an underutilized crop in other parts of the state, and many producers could benefit financially by having it as a primary or rotational crop,” said Mark Welch, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist in College Station.

Additionally, with the severe

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different irrigation rates.

And there is also good potential for wheat production in coastal areas of the state and as far south as the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Welch noted.

See WHEAT, Page 6

SALE EACH SATURDAY Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo

Amir Ibrahim, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in College Station, is working on field testing of different wheat varieties in the state.. drought and multiple freezes in the Plains regions, many of the higher yields this past year have come from the Blacklands area and from South Central Texas, Welch said.

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News Wheat, from Page 4 Amir Ibrahim, Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in College Station, indicated that Texas A&M AgriLife spring wheat breeding efforts have been revamped to address the needs of South Texas, as well as the Winter Garden area west of San Antonio.

Ibrahim said the Uvalde area provides a unique environment for testing both winter and spring wheat.

“This area is characterized not only by heat and drought stresses, but also fungal disease pressure, particularly leaf rust, where the disease inoculum can survive the winter,” he said.

“Although winter wheat does very well in this area, especially under supplementary irrigation conditions when needed, spring wheat can also provide an alternative.”

Unlike some other major Texas field crops, wheat has the flex-

systems ,” said Daniel Leskovar, resident director for the center.

“We hope center research on wheat will help producers increase profitability through improved cultivars that use less water, require fewer chemical inputs, provide good yields and produce a quality product.”

He said investigating genetics, along with environmental and crop management-related factors, provides a holistic approach

to cropping system management for water conservation and how to cope with environmental stresses. Producing droughttolerant crops, and developing better irrigation technology and practices is key for producers in the Winter Garden region.

During the field day, Rob Hogan, AgriLife Extension regional economist in Uvalde, said the

See STATEWIDE, Page 17

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Kay Ledbetter

The Texas A&M Wheat improvement Team develops and tests wheat varieties to determine which will grow the bast in different parts of the state. ibility of being used as either a forage or grain crop, Welch said.

“And in many areas of the state, there’s a lot of potential for rotating wheat with canola as a winter crop. Of course, choosing to plant wheat has a lot to do with the variety and the potential for

that wheat to provide a good yield and quality.”

“There is much more wheat planted around the Winter Garden area showing there is greater potential for it in this region as an alternative crop and as part of a rotational crop for cropping

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tion to growing, cutting, baling and selling hay.

Some of the attendees at the Hay Day workshop came to get a Continuing Education Unit credit for the laws and regulations for commercial herbicide use. But most, like Randy Britten, owner of Britten Farms, said they came to see the dozens of tractors and equipment demonstrations by Coufal-Prater.

Britten has been producing hay in the Brazos Valley for more than 40 years, cropping out about 500 acres with anywhere from 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 tons per acre.

“Th at’s about 2.5 million pounds per harvest, which typically starts the first day of May and is cut monthly through the fall.

Hay production in Texas alone is a billion-dollar industry, according to AgriLife. Some experts, however, agree that profitability in the industry comes down to quality production.

“Not all hay is created equal,” Mark McMath, agronomy manager with Producers Cooperative, said.

Whether you produce or purchase the hay, McMath said, the million-dollar question is, “What quality is the product?”

Currently, there is no regulating board overseeing hay production.

McMath said it’s not like going to the store and looking at the nutritional facts on a label.

Workshops like Thursday’s Hay Day event could help improve the

market, which extends beyond the Lone Star state, he said.

“If you go up in the Midwest, a bale of alfalfa will be sold based on relative feed value. The relative feed value for alfalfa is about 140 on the index,” he said. “That’s how hay is sold to the dairymen in the Midwest. Here in Texas, hay is sold by the bale ... and its left up to the customer to decide whether that’s a good value or not.”

Among the topics discussed

by AgriLife forage expert Vanessa Corriher-Olson during her presentation were protein levels in the hay, choosing bale size and how to maximize profit after the crop is cut.

“We have had some beneficial rainfall this spring that has really increased the hopes of a lot of producers, but there is still obviously always the concern of drought in Texas,” said the forage expert from the AgriLife extension office in Overton.

“Unfortunately, the drought of 2011 had an impact on a lot of our forages throughout the state.”

Corriher-Olson said while rain is a big part of the equation, there isn’t one specific hurdle faced by hay producers each season.

If the rain is good, then there could be a challenge with fertilizers. Other years, insect populations rise, leading grasshoppers to damage the crop.

“It’s gonna be on a year-to-year basis,” she said, adding that “the biggest challenge is producing a quality product that has nutritive value to meet the needs of livestock.”

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News

Profit levels influence altering cow-culling priorities South Dakota State University Extension

BROOKINGS, South Dakota — Unprecedented profit levels create a market climate that alters historic culling recommendations given to cattle producers, said Jim Krantz, South Dakota State University Extension Cow/ Calf field specialist.

“Management decisions relating to culling stock cows have increased dramatically in complexity under current market conditions. The January 1 USDA inventory of all cows and heifers calved is the lowest total since 1941, indicating some potential for continued profitability in the cow/calf sector for several years to come,” Krantz said.

When reviewing the factors that influence culling decisions,

Krantz said about 80 percent of cows are culled because they are open, have age or teeth concerns, or simply unproductive.

The remaining 20 percent leave the herd because they produced small calves, had disposition problems, were injured or had udder problems and, in some cases, eye concerns.

An alarming statistic from the 2007-2008 National Animal Health Monitoring System survey revealed that almost 32 percent of cull cows originate from the 5- to 9-year-old age group.

“That timeframe corresponds to what should be the most productive years of the cow’s life cycle,” Krantz said.

Culling decisions are part of the reality of a cow/calf operation and account for about 15 to 20 percent of the income of that

operation. “Traditionally, culling priorities have not changed much over the years. However, there may be little in the way of ‘traditional’ in today’s cattle industry. Unimaginable profit levels and the potential for them to continue, makes it essential for cattlemen to re-think their culling approach. Those decisions need to focus on economics rather than tradition,” Krantz said.

Second opinion

Cattlemen often look to South Dakota State University or SDSU Extension Beef specialists for guidance as they plan their culling priorities for the year, explained Krantz.

“Often, conditions out of their control, such as drought and low prices dictate that they increase their culling rates (national av-

erage range is 15-20 percent) beyond normal levels and that requires some serious decisionmaking considerations. Requesting a second opinion just makes sense,” he said.

Those opinions for cull-rankings are based on the most current production and marketing information available and Krantz said, unfortunately they are generalized for the entire industry, not individual operations. “Consistently, open cows rank first on that list as well they should.

Ignoring that recommendation defies economics as that individual would need the profits from more than one of her subsequent calves to pay the feed bill for her non-contributing year,” he said.

Culling priorities differ after the open status but those with liabilities such as teeth, eye or

feet and leg concerns are the next best candidates, Krantz said.

“Some individuals recommend that late-calving and older cows move ahead of those with physical limitations,” he said.

“Disposition ranks above both of the above-named categories for some, while for others, it is less restrictive in other cases. It is important to remember that these criteria are framed with some consideration for the need to cull deeper due to atypical circumstances.”

In today’s market environment, the rank-order may deserve some review and further consideration, Krantz said.

“It would seem that the leadfactor, open cows, remains unchanged. Even under current

See CULL, Page 16

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9

News

Lousy little bugs

Managing lice on beef cattle

L

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

ice may be tiny, but they cause great harm to beef cattle. A single cow can have more than a million lice.

“Lice are an important pest because they cause anemia, lower milk production and inhibit feed efficiency and weight gain,” said Sonja Swiger during the 2013 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Beef Cattle Short Course.

“Lice also lower the animal’s resistance and increase secondary diseases and mortality.

“Symptoms include lameness, dermatitis, hair loss, allergic responses and skin crusting or scabbing.”

Livestock entomologists at Mississippi State University said that we often fail to recognize a lice problem because they are a cool weather pest and most of us forget about insects when cool weather arrives. A lice problem starts in the fall, builds through the cold winter and peaks in late winter or early spring.

Even though lice are generally a fall and winter problem it is not too early to start developing a monitoring schedule and a treatment program in the event it is necessary.

“Crowding or bunching cattle during the cool months of the year provides opportunities for lice to move from animal to animal,” said Lee Townsend of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Entfact-512. “Reduced light intensity appears to play a significant role in louse numbers on animals; but nutrition, general health, immune system response, and weather are important factors.”

Texas cattle are subject to attack by one species of biting louse and four spe-

10

Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns

Crowding or bunching cattle during the cool months of the year provides opportunities for lice to move from animal to animal. cies of sucking lice. Swiger said, “The cattle biting louse (Bovicola bovis) feeds on hair and skin cells. It prefers the top line of the animal’s back, especially the withers. The louse can spread to other parts in heavy infestations.”

The four species of lice that suck blood from cattle: • Shortnosed cattle louse (Haematopinus eurysternus) is more common on mature cattle. It is found primarily on the top of the neck, dewlap and brisket.

July 2014 — Issue 1

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• Longnosed cattle louse (Linognathus vituli) occurs in greater numbers on calves than mature cattle. It can be found all over the body but prefers the

See LICE, Page 12

The Land & Livestock Post

News U.S. beef industry pushes for strong export markets Special to The Post

The United States beef industry supports a strong export market. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Victoria cattleman Bob McCan testified before of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee June 11, expressing the benefits of expanding agricultural trade and eliminating barriers to U.S. exports. McCan is also a past president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

“The elimination of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers is a top priority for the U.S. beef industry, and I strongly encourage you to work with the Administration to craft current and future trade agreements based on free market, science-based principles,” McCan said.

Beef demand continues to increase around the world. In 2013, foreignconsumers purchased1.17 million metric tons of U.S. beef at a total of $6.1 billion. According to CattleFax, a global leader in beef industry research, analysis and information, exports accounted for $307 per head of fed cattle in 2013.

“With 96 percent of the world’s consumers living outside of the U.S., access to foreign markets is vital for the future success of U.S. beef producers and rural America,” McCan said. “For [National Cattlemen’s Beef Association], the elimination of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers is a top priority for the U.S. beef industry.

If there is one industry that has witnessed both the benefits and tragedies of U.S. trade policy it is the U.S. beef industry.”

Free-trade agreements have led to increased profitability for producers and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports science-based and market-driven trade opportunities.

In 1993, U.S. beef exports to Mexico were valued at $116 million.

As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico eliminated its 15 percent tariff on live cattle slaughter, the 20 percent tariff on chilled beef and the 25 percent tariff on frozen beef.

In 2013, Mexico is now our third largest export market, valued at nearly $1 billion.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a new agreement that includes: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association believes partnership has the potential to open a number of export opportunities for the U.S. beef industry, but is currently limited by Japan.

“Japan’s unwillingness to abide by the principles of free trade threatens the entire process,” said McCan. “We encourage [the U.S. Trade Representative] to remain vigilant and to continue to push the Japanese toward tariff elimination on beef.”

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News Lice, from Page 10 shoulders, back, neck and dewlap.

• Little blue cattle louse (Solenoptes capillatus) is the smallest of the lice and gets its name from its color at maturity. It is a common species on cattle and clusters on the face. These lice also infest the top of the neck, the dewlap and brisket. During heavy infestations, they can be found from the horns to the tail.

• Cattle tail louse (Haematopinus quadripertusus) numbers peak during the summer.

Adults typically are confined to the tail region.

Nymphs are found on the face, neck, vulva and anus.

Townsend described lice as small, flat-bodied insects with legs modified for grasping hairs. They cannot survive off of the animal for more than a few days. Sucking lice, with their narrow, pointed heads, are blood feeders. Biting lice feed by scraping material from the skin and base of the hairs.

Eggs (nits) of both types of lice are glued singly to hairs and hatch in about two weeks.

Nymphs (immature stages) resemble the adults, but are smaller. They mature in about three weeks. Adults live two to three weeks and females lay

about one egg per day.

“Heavily infested animals can be diagnosed easily,” Townsend reported. “The most obvious signs are rubbing and clumps of hair falling out.

There can be raw spots from constant attempts to groom or scratch areas where lice are abundant.

“Cattle, heavily infested with the shortnosed louse have a ‘greasy’ appearance, due to crushed lice and their feces as well as blood and serum from wounds. Feeding by biting lice produces a skin reaction in which the hair becomes loose.

“Eggs of the biting louse are laid on fine hairs and the coat Short-nosed cattle louse. takes on a matted appearance. While other factors can cause restlessness and scratching, the presence of lice can easily be confirmed and eliminated relatively quickly,” Townsend said.

In severe infestations, sucking lice are packed densely, creating characteristic quartersized black or blue-brown spots. They are less likely to move or be disturbed by skin searches. Biting lice apparently

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do not like to be crowded, so they usually are not found in tightly packed clusters. They are active and will move readily if disturbed.

Monitoring

Monitor louse populations by identifying the species present and record the numbers per square inch on each infested site. Mixed species infestations on animals are common. Mean numbers per square inch can be categorized as: • Less than 5 – very slight.

• 5 t0 10 - slight.

• 10 to 20 – moderate.

• 20 to 50 – severe.

• More than 50 – very severe.

Lice usually are suppressed in herds that are treated routinely for horn flies, face flies or ticks. Entire animals sprayed to runoff can provide excellent control of active lice, but nits

will not be killed. Lice populations can continue to thrive if follow-up sprays are not made at proper intervals. Ear tags or other self-application devices do not provide the coverage of sprays and may be less effective.

A residual louse population may survive in protected areas on some animals. It is prudent to inspect animals for lice in the

fall and treat them if necessary.

Control methods

During her presentation, Swiger listed the following lice control methods: • Spot treatments • Quarantine of infested individuals • Dust

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News Early prevention shows promise for joint pain in horses

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

A series of studies by researchers in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University suggest prevention is the best solution for arthritis in young quarter horses.

Josie Coverdale, associate professor in equine science, and Jessica Lucia, a former graduate student under Coverdale and now a professor at Sam Houston State University, found use of anti-inflammatory aids mixed with daily rations can help decrease joint inflammation in young horses.

“Arthritis is one of the most common reasons we retire horses, and this study shows that prevention of joint damage in early training may be possible through diet,” Coverdale said.

“It’s pretty clear the damage comes during early training and that damage often leads to arthritis later in life. A lot of pharmaceuticals are given to treat pain,

Control, from Page 12 • Powders • Sprays • Dips • Ear tags • Boluses • Pour-ons • Lotions • Injectables After selection of the control method, contact your county agricultural extension agent, a knowledgeable person with the local farm and ranch retail outlet or your veterinarian for recommendations on which product to use for treatment.

“Systemic pour-ons, injectables and oral products are effective and popular treatments,” Swiger said.

“Do not use systemic products on grub-infested animals in winter, because reactions can

but few actually help repair the cartilage. We went with the premise that prevention is the best approach rather than trying to treat an existing condition.”

Coverdale said they used the horse production herd at Texas A&M to develop the model and test several diet additives. Lucia read through numerous journals and a study that used LPS (lipopolysaccharide) injected into the joint for induction of localized inflammation in horses.

“We came across LPS, which has been used in older horses, but not younger horses,” she said.

“LPS is the inflammatory part of E. coli, which can be injected using a sterile solution.

“The beauty of that method is JOSIE COVERDALE you inject it in the knee and in 24 hours you get pretty quick swelling that is associated with cartilage turnover and related pain.”

This allowed researchers to study the inflammation and breakdown of cartilage over time and mimic the progression be lethal. “ Heavily infested cattle are a major source of re-infestation for a herd. Cull these animals to protect the rest of the herd,” Swiger said.

“Coverage on the animal may not be thorough with lowvolume treatments but should be sufficient to knock down heavy infestations and greatly reduce stress on the animals,” Townsend said..

“Residual populations of lice may remain on animals for some time after treatment. Live little blue cattle lice around the eyes may survive, as well as a few longnosed cattle lice on the brisket, back legs, hock joints, especially if insecticidal ear tags are used for louse control.”

Regardless of the product selected for lice control, always read and follow label directions.

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of inflammation and cartilage changes associated with intense exercise.

“This initial model study showed us the pattern of inflammation and isolated appropriate markers to measure cartilage breakdown using joint fluid removed from the knee at various time points,” Coverdale said.

Once the LPS model was established predictably to cause joint inflammation, Coverdale said, different dietary strategies were used to try to decrease the amount of inflammation, which included anti-inflammatory dietary supplements such as glucosamine — commonly used by humann runners to aid in building back damaged cartilage.

Coverdale said previous data with glucosamine supplementation was “hit or miss with adult

horses,” but they wanted to see for themselves and test the theory that prevention in young horses was easier than treating arthritis in the adult.

“We found that it tended to increase new cartilage production and decrease the breakdown of existing cartilage, which was good,” she said.

Thirty milligrams of glucosamine per kilogram of body weight was given to the study horses, Coverdale said.

“We certainly got a positive response, which was what we wanted,” she said.

Another component of Coverdale’s research has been studying conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which “is fairly similar to glucosamine in that there are documented anti-inflammatory effects, which may be used to re-

mediate and repair cartilage in joints.”

“Horses receiving supplemental CLA tended to exhibit greater repair of their cartilage when injected with LPS rather than break it down,” she said. “Two percent of the diet was given in the CLA and that can be economically feasible for horse owners.”

The research group also has evaluated horses at varying ages to determine the response to LPS based on age. They concluded that young horses were more likely to synthesize new cartilage in response to inflammation while older horses were more likely to experience cartilage degradation or damage.

“This further illustrates that dietary intervention provided

See JOINTS, Page 14

Questions About Cattle Health?

Ask the Vet!

July 2014 — Issue 1

Steve Wikse - Retired DVM Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University

WIKSE

Submit your questions to:

P.O. Box 3000 Bryan, TX 77805 or jesse.wright@theeagle.com

13

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Brazos Valley Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Market’s June 10 sale: Head: 686 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $270$355; 300-400 lbs., $265-$295; 400-500 lbs., $215-$270; 500-600 lbs., $195-$232.50; 600-700 lbs., $195-$216; 700-800 lbs., $175$190.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $239$300; 300-400 lbs., $214-$270; 400-500 lbs., $199-$240; 500600 lbs., $195-$213; 600-700 lbs., $165-$186; 700-800 lbs., $168-$175.

Slaughter bulls: $106-$128.50.

Slaughter cows: $85-$110.

Bred cows: $1,500-$1,850.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,250-$2,050.

Buffalo

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Market’s June 6 sale:

Joints, from Page 13 to young horses in training to prevent joint damage may yield the best results,” Coverdale said.

“With all four of these projects, it confirmed that intervening during times of early growth and training with some of these dietary additives is worth it.

“Waiting on down the line as the horse ages is probably too late. Most people are waiting until they see symptoms in these adult horses and by then it is too late.

“It’s more cost effective and beneficial to do this early. Using it as a prevention method is much better.”

Coverdale also praised the collaborative efforts of other researchers at Texas A&M, including Tom Welsh, a professor of physiology in the department of animal science, and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine researchers Caroline Arnold and Robin Dabareiner.

“These types of projects truly represent what being an Aggie is all about — the function of a

14

Head: 1,213 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $255$340; 200-300 lbs., $230-$320; 300-400 lbs., $225-$290; 400500 lbs., $200-$252; 500-600 lbs., $185-$235; 600-700 lbs., $170$207; 700-800 lbs., $160-$190.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $225$330; 200-300 lbs., $200-$275; 300-400 lbs., $185-$255; 400500 lbs., $165-$235; 500-600 lbs., $155-$220; 600-700 lbs., $150$195; 700-800 lbs., $140-$175.

Slaughter bulls: $100-$140.

Slaughter cows: $65-$110.

Bred cows: $975-$1,700.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$2,175.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s June 11 sale: Head: 443 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $300$355; 300-400 lbs., $250-$315; 400-500 lbs., $230-$275; 500-

group with varied interests to develop research projects that answer real world questions and provide high-quality training of students. Everyone brought something to the table and contributed their expertise to the group.”

Coverdale said the research projects also helped Lucia win graduate student competitions at two different Equine Science Society meetings.

“The initial project to develop the LPS model was funded by the H. Patricia Link Quasi-Endow-

600 lbs., $210-$240; 600-700 lbs., $190-$215; 700-800 lbs., $180-$195.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $270$300; 300-400 lbs., $240-$295; 400-500 lbs., $220-$260; 500600 lbs., $200-$235; 600-700 lbs., $185-$198; 700-800 lbs., $165-$185.

Slaughter bulls: $114-$135.

Slaughter cows: $114-$135.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Exchange’s June 12 sale: Head: 536 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $240$315; 400-500 lbs., $225-$260; 500-600 lbs., $190-$220; 600-700 lbs., $180-$210.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $190$260; 400-500 lbs., $180-$235; 500-600 lbs., $170-$220; 600-700 lbs., $170-$200.

ment funds in the department of animal science,” she said.

“This funding was pivotal in furthering the research efforts and helped generate interest from other funding sources such as Cargill Animal Nutrition and the American Quarter Horse Association.

“The whole premise of the Link funds is to help researchers develop a model or provide preliminary research data to support further funding efforts. This was a perfect example of how this can work.”

Slaughter bulls: $118-$131.

Slaughter cows: $76-$112.

Stocker cows: $1,150-$2,350.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,500-$2,400.

Milano

Results of the Milano Livestock Exchange’s June 10 sale: Steers: 300-400 lbs., $225$273; 400-500 lbs., $200-$233; 500-600 lbs., $190-$219; 600-700 lbs., $155-$201.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $223$239; 400-500 lbs., $177-$225; 500-600 lbs., $179-$211; 600-700 lbs., $151-$191.

Slaughter bulls: $98-$125.

Slaughter cows: $81-$105.

Stocker cows: $1,050-$1,475.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,550-$1,750.

Auction Co.’s June 7 sale: Head: 1,244 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $175$350; 300-400 lbs., $160-$290; 400-500 lbs., $150-$255; 500-600 lbs., $140-$215.50; 600-700 lbs., $125-$197.50.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $150$285; 300-400 lbs., $150-$260; 400-500 lbs., $140-$242.50; 500600 lbs., $135-$212.50; 600-700 lbs., $125-$192.

Slaughter bulls: $90-$127.

Slaughter cows: $80-$112.

Stocker cows: $1,000-$1,825.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,450-$1,875.

— Special to The Post

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock

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News Browning of cedar trees in Central Texas likely due to budworm

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

AUSTIN — If you live in South Central Texas and have noticed cedar trees turning brown, it is likely due to a new infestation of juniper budworms, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

There has been recent outbreak of juniper budworms in Centrral Texas “Many people in this area have noticed their Ashe juniper trees, commonly called cedar, turning brown,” said Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management program specialist for Travis County. “This most likely is being caused by juniper budworms. There was an outbreak of these insects in this area in 2002, and we have had another outbreak this year.”

The caterpillars feed on Ashe juniper foliage and build silken tubes on the branches of the trees, she said. The tubes are typically on the tips of branches and

are where the insect pupates.

Brown said while there had been no long-term damage to the trees resulting from the earlier outbreak, it is unknown what may happen to the trees due to the current outbreak.

“So far, I have had reports from Wimberley, Burnet, Austin, Bee Cave, Blanco, Oak Hill, Dripping Springs and thereabouts, so this outbreak seems to be mostly situated in the Hill Country area west of I-35,” she said.

Brown said Juniper budworms are a yellowish-green to green caterpillar with a brown head capsule.

Adult moths are a mottled brown color and blend well with dead Ashe juniper foliage.

“Adults rest on the host plant during the day and do not move unless disturbed,” she said. “Since the adults are moths, they can fly to a new area if need be, but tend to remain around the same tree unless

See JUNIPER, Page 16

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News Juniper, from Page 15 something disturbs or threatens them.”

Drought also may play into any additional tree damage from this outbreak, she noted.

“The 2002 outbreak did not have lasting effects to the trees, but I’ve also seen samples that have had spider mites on them, which often pop up when conditions are dry.

“Usually when we have outbreaks of any insect it’s because certain environmental conditions favor the enlargement of that population. But if that may be the case with this juniper budworm proliferation, I’m unsure.”

Brown said if a pesticide treatment is desired, look for active ingredients such as Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki, azadirachtin, also known as

Cull, from Page 8 inventory levels and industry optimism, feed costs alone make it difficult to justify not culling an open $1,200 cow,” he said. “However, depending on how late the “late-calver” is, you might want to give her another chance.”

Reproductive technologies such as controlled internal drug release methods, along with nutritional adjustments, make it possible to move this category of cows more in line with the rest of

neem, or spinosad. It also is possible to removed infested branch tips by hand.

She suggested placing infested branches or tips into a bag and disposing of them instead of dropping them onto the ground where larvae and adults may continue to grow and reproduce.

“Products will work best on smaller caterpillars,” she said, adding that when using pesticides it is important to read and follow all label instructions.

“In rural areas, it may not be feasible to manage the juniper budworms, especially on large parcels of land.

“Individual landowners may choose to treat prized trees on their property.”

For more information or help with identification, contact Brown at 512-854-96oo or ebrown@ag.tamu.edu. the cow herd. There could also be an opportunity to market these cows to operations that have a later calving season, especially when bred cows are in demand.

With the increasingly limited grazing acres available, those physically-challenged and older cows may be great candidates for partial or total drylot management programs.

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Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Kay Ledbetter

While wheat has been more traditionally grown in the Panhandle, Rolling Plains and Southern High Plains, more and more is also being grown in the Blacklands, South Central Texas and other areas.

Statewide, from Page 6 Climate Prediction Center has elevated the prediction of an El Niño event to a 65 percent probability, which makes for a favorable forecast for Texas wheat production in 2015.

“It looks like near-term prospects are very good for Texas wheat, so producers here and in other parts of the state should probably be putting a pencil to it and figuring out what kind of money they might bank from planting wheat,” he said.

Wheat breeding efforts by the Texas A&M Wheat Improvement Team, comprised of members from AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the Texas Foundation Seed Service, are ongoing in the development improved varieties.

To determine which wheat varieties will fare best in different parts of the state, AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension faculty and staff have been

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conducting the multi-year Uniform Wheat Variety Trial. Wheat market classes within these trials include hard red winter wheat, soft red winter wheat and hard red spring wheat.

“Typically, there are approximately 30 wheat variety trials conducted across the state each year, and most of these reflect data from multiple years of trials,” said Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed specialist in College Station.

“The results of these uniform trials provide unbiased yield data and disease and insect ratings for wheat producers across the state.”

Using this information, Texas wheat producers can make an educated decision concerning the most appropriate varieties for their geographic region, Neely said.

To see more about wheat variety testing throughout the state, go to varietytesting.tamu.edu/ wheat.

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