Land and Livestock Post

October October2015 2015——Issue Issue11

Annual Bull Issue

Choice beef

How to pick the bull that is right for your herd PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

PAGE 20

JAMES NO. 1 STUD THOMPSON ON THE RANCH SHOULD JAMES THOMPSON THEY STAY? Straight Vet’s Voice from talks theabout horse's selecting mouth.the best bull.

Straight from Decisions to make the horse's in culling mouth. your herd.

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JAMES THOMPSON BACKING THE BEES

JAMES MY HERE, THOMPSON DEER

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Straightcourt Federal from blocks the horse's pesticide mouth. use to protect bees.

Straight Don Strange fromRanch the horse's to host mouth.

Deer Camp Oct. 9.

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October 2015 — Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

Annual Bull Issue

M

From the General Manager

y wife likes to shop.

I’ve tried to complain about it, but she is very sneaky. Every time she goes shopping, she buys a few things for the kids as camouflage for her personal purchases. It’s hard to argue with “it’s for the kids,” so I keep my mouth shut so I don’t look like a jerk.

I think Target offers women a secret formula to follow that offers a ratio of a woman’s clothes to children’s clothes and household items. For instance, if my wife were to go out and buy a blouse and some shoes, I would point out that she already has a blouse

and shoes. If, however, she buys a blouse, shoes, milk, toilet paper and children’s vitamins, then I would have to concede that these items are necessary and vital to the continued wellbeing of my family.

The same is true for on-line purJESSE WRIGHT chases. Our Amazon account is in my name, so every week, sometimes several times a week, a package arrives, addressed to me. I rip it open like a kid on

Christmas morning, only to find a necklace, a book I don’t want to read, a hair bow, or a box of diapers. It’s rather disheartening.

In fact, it was so disheartening, I decided to buy something for myself. So, I searched on-line, and finally settled upon one of those glass plasma balls that arcs blue lightening bolts to your fingertips when you touch it. I clicked the button and waited three weeks for my prize that was literally on a slow boat from China. When it finally arrived, I tore open the package and plugged it in and showed my wife. “You’re tak-

ing that to work, right?” was her only reply.

So, here I am, typing this article and staring at my plasma ball and realizing I probably should let my wife handle most of the family purchases.

When it comes to purchasing a bull, the choices you make can have an impact on your entire herd. In this issue, which is our Annual Bull Issue, we take a look at choosing the right bull for your operation. We also have a column on breeding soundness exams in our Vet’s Voice feature as well as a lot of other news and information from around the industry.

Be sure to check out the advertisements and our calendar of events to stay current on all the upcoming sales this fall.

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

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

Your SOURCE for Top Quality Registered and Commercial Brangus Cattle Proud Members of

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Bobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley Ranch Spring Valley Ranch • Windy Hill Ranch • Vista Ridge Ranch

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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

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News New app designed to help see progression of prescribed burns

FALL PRODUCTION SALE OCTOBER 10, 2015

Special to The Post

STILLWATER, Oklahoma — Things change over time. A man’s hairline, his waistline and retirement account are some examples of the process.

Many of these changes are gradual and go unnoticed on a day-to-day basis. If, however, a man were to compare a snapshot of the top of his head from years ago to how it looks now, the changes could be drastic.

That is the concept behind a new app created by Oklahoma State University’s department of natural resource ecology and management. Rather than hair and body weight, this app lets land managers see how effective their prescribed burning efforts have been.

“The RxBurnTracker app allows anyone who uses it to see the progression of the property through the use of prescribed fire,” said John Weir, department research associate.

Available for both Android and Apple, the app allows users to name each burn unit and pinpoint certain areas within the unit to use as reference points. A user can take a “before” picture, which will be saved within the app and used as a ghost image to be able to take photos from the exact same spot for the “after” shots.

The app also includes areas for data input such as wind speed, humidity and other weather conditions on the day of the burn.

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App designed to help see progression through fire.

“We’re hoping this app will help promote prescribed burning and let land managers know what is actually happening over time,” Weir said. “In the future, we will be adding a GPS feature and the ability to download the information onto a computer.”

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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It’s a wonderful time to be in the cattle business

By RayfoRd Pullen Special to The Post

The word from those in the know is that El Niño should return in October. Now if you’re anything like me, I have not been able to keep the Els straight, or whether the El Niño or the La Niña was what we wanted or needed.

Now I think I have it figured out: Since El Niño ends with an O, to me it now means O Boy it’s going to rain. If it ends in an A, I guess that means it “ain’t going to rain”. (Wouldn’t my English teach be proud of me?)

Hope this helps you as much as it hopefully will help me keep all this weather terminology straight and know when to get excited and when to get worried. Class dismissed.

Now, let’s get back to talking about cattle topics: Fall is when cattlemen whose herd calves in the spring will

AI sires include Final Answer, Thunder, Cedar Ridge & VDAR Really Windy 4097.

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be getting their payday for the year and, as always seems to be the case, the market has gone through a correction the past few months. That sounds better that going down so I thought I would borrow that wording from the stock market reporters who are quick to report that the stock market is going up but that it never goes down, it just makes a correction.

While historical trends have not been the norm the past few years, we traditionally see lower calf prices in the fall due to the sheer numbers coming to town at the same time. While debt obligations may dictate our marketing decisions much of the time, building flexibility into our operations with our lenders may allow us to retain these calves if we have faith the mar-

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News Business, from Page 7 ket will improve. Either way, while prices have softened, they are still really good for those in the calf producing business.

While we are retaining our heifers and bulls to be marketed as yearlings, in the case of our bulls, or bred heifers, in the case of our females, we try to minimize stress at weaning by utilizing what’s referred to as “fence line weaning” where the only thing separating the cows and the calves is a fence. Visual and nose to nose contact lowers the stress of weaning and subsequently reduces morbidity in our cattle, which reduces the need for antibiotic use which is not only good for our cattle but also good for the food industry and our customers who are concerned about the use of antibiotics in the food supply. This is also a great time to vaccinate your calves for the viruses that seem to jump at the chance to infect cattle when stress is high and resistance is low.

Fall calvers are in full swing by now and that includes us as well. As mentioned in previous articles, our fall birth weights

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

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are normally lower than our spring birth weights by about 5 pounds and this year is no exception. While this is a nonissue for our mature cow herd, it is definitely an advantage for those calving out first calf heifers. We are keeping out a good quality mineral for our cattle to promote breed back, improve response to vaccines, and decrease the incidence of retained placentas, in addition to promoting overall herd health.

This is the ounce of prevention we thoroughly subscribe to in our overall health program.

Next on our list will be the selection of bulls to turn out on our fall calving cows on or around the first of December.

Good genetics result in good calves and in the case of those planning to retain heifers to expand their herds, the bulls you select now will have an impact on your herd through 2027 or longer.

We also are taking a good long look at our winter needs for this year, and while El Niño is good for forage growth, it is not necessarily good for cattle performance.

As we noted last year, cold weather combined with wet conditions can lead to higher mortality in new born calves and health issues, which in our case has been the increased incidence of foot problems, particularly foot rot.

Be careful what you wish for since you may get it and it may not be what you want or need.

It’s a wonderful time to be in the cattle business.

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Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805.

E-mail: thepost@theeagle.com All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest Drive Bryan,Texas 77802.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805-3000 The Post is printed in part on recycled paper and is fully recyclable.

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• Rayford Pullen is a former county agent who raises cattle in north central Texas.

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News

Saturday, October 3, 2015 • 12 Noon Groesbeck Auction & Livestock Co. Groesbeck, Texas (Located 2 miles east of Groesbeck on Hwy. 164) Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

There are several factors that affect long-term sustainability of forage systems and producers should consider all of them.

Factors affect production of sustainable forage systems

By Jon Biermacher The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

The Southern Great Plains has a comparative economic advantage in growing and managing forages for beef cattle production.

Three categories of foragebased beef production systems that are common in this region are: • A cow-calf system that utilizes perennial native grass pastures • A cow-calf system that utilizes introduced perennial pastures • A stocker cattle system that utilizes annually established winter cereal forages In the first two systems, weaned calves are supplied to the marketplace; in the third system, pounds of beef are supplied.

Many variations of these three systems are being implemented on farms and ranches in the region. In fact, there are many producers who use one form or another of all three systems.

A number of issues can and often do impede the long-term economic success, and hence the long-term sustainability of the forage-based beef operations in the Southern Great Plains.

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Some common issues include, but are not limited to, overgrazing perennial pastures, continuous monocropping of annual pastures such as cereal wheat and rye, mismanagement of essential nutrients and soil additives (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime) on both perennial and annually established pastures, and the continuous use of intensive annual seedbed preparation and seed establishment techniques, to name a few.

Some of these issues may seem trivial, but there are economic factors that help explain why these issues are present on farms and ranches in the Southern Great Plains.

For instance, extended periods of favorable cattle prices can lead to extreme, prolonged periods of overgrazing (even in periods of drought) that cause severe and expensive damage to perennial forages. Overgrazing also can be the result of producers increasing their short-term cash flows that are needed to service annual payments due for long-term loans and property taxes, and to pay for family living expenses such

See FORAGE, Page 111

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News Forage, from Page 10 as health insurance premiums, groceries and the car payment for a spouse.

In another light, today’s marketplace does not directly recognize — especially in the short run — the value of certain agroecosystem services (e.g., reductions in soil erosion, improvements in water infiltration, sequestered carbon) that can be obtained from the adoption of improved, technologically advanced forage establishment and management practices (e.g., cover crops, notilling, precision fertilizer and pesticide application, etc.). In particular, the market does not offer a specific unit price for a measured unit of soil erosion reduced.

Benefits from using environmentally friendly practices accrue gradually over time in the form of greater yields, which translates into more revenue per acre in the future. These future benefits are expected to vary differently by operation and therefore can impede the adoption process.

Lack of credit is another factor that can hinder long-term sustainability. The lack of a good recordkeeping and financial management system can impede a farmer’s access to credit, credit that is vital for the purchase of technology and equipment that may be necessary for long-term sustainability. Agricultural lenders are in the business of making loans to farmers, but lenders tend to be cautious about the terms for which they are willing to loan money to farmers.

Farmers who have a good recordkeeping system tend to also have a well-developed, up-to-date set of financial statements (i.e., net worth statement, profit/loss statement and a statement of cash flows). These producers are typically much more successful in securing short-term operating loans and long-term loans for capital expenditures (tillage equipment, planters, land, fencing materials, breeding animals, etc.) than producers who do not have a financial management system for their farm or ranch business.

At the Noble Foundation, we understand the importance of long-term economic sustainability of the family farm or ranch business. It is through our understanding of the economic factors that help explain why some farm businesses become unsustainable and insolvent in the long-run and why we encourage producers to invest in whole-farm planning and financial management techniques.

We believe whole-farm planning is a means for mitigating the risks of insolvency and how to protect the farm assets for generations to come. Having the ability to develop and use such a whole-farm planning system is equally as important to the longterm sustainability of the business as having the agronomic, animal husbandry and mechanical skills necessary to run the day-to-day activities on the farm or ranch.

For inquiries about how to get started developing a whole-farm plan for your operation, feel free to contact us at 580.223.5810.

New Yoakum County agent is announced

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

PLAINS — Bubba Lamolinare has been named Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources in Yoakum County, according to Yoakum County Judge Jim Barron and Michael Clawson, AgriLife Extension district

administrator in Lubbock.

Lamolinare earned a master’s degree with an emphasis in range management, agriculture education and instructional technology from the University of Wyoming at Laramie, and dual bachelor’s degrees in recreation, park and tourism sciences and wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University at College Station.

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News Applicants sought for 2016 TALL class

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — The Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program is seeking applicants for its new class, which will begin in July 2016.

TALL is a two-year leadership development program managed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Applications for the new class, Class XV, are due March 15. The application forms are online at tall.tamu.edu. “The agriculture industry constantly faces new and unique challenges, and there is a need for individuals who have leadership potential to serve in decisionmaking positions. TALL graduates provide a new pool of proven leaders that can provide the leadership, insight, knowledge and direction to ensure that agriculture is viable in the future,�

said Jim Mazurkiewicz, AgriLife Extension leadership program director.

The program invests 455 hours of intensive training per person in seminars, speakers and domestic and international study trips over two years, Mazurkiewicz added.

The typical class size is about 26, and tuition is $3,000. “The mission of the program is to create a cadre of Texas leaders to ensure effective understanding and encourage positive action on key issues, theories, policy and economics that will advance the agriculture industry,� Mazurkiewicz said.

Participants include traditional crop producers, ranchers, bankers and attorneys, as well as those who work in lumber, food processing, agricultural corporations and horticultural industries, he said.

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News

AgriLife Extension photo by Yolanda Morado

The 4-H Starr Chefs from South Texas won local, state and national competitions while explaining their culture and ancestry. Pictured from left are Jason Gorena, Crystal Alaniz, Garrett Gonzalez, Janay Rocha and Brandon Guerra.

Young 4-H chefs captivate judges in New Orleans

By Rod Santa ana Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

NEW ORLEANS — A team of five young 4-H chefs in extreme South Texas blew away the judges recently when they not only whipped up a delicious seafood dish in fierce competition, they explained that the ingredients they used were those of their ancestors who first inhabited the Americas.

“The 4-H Starr Chefs aced it,” said Yolanda Morado, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service family and consumer sciences agent in Starr County.

“They took first place at the Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans, beating out cook-

ing teams from several southern states. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

4-H is the youth component of AgriLife Extension.

The team worked long and hard to make it to the competition in Louisiana, Morado said, having previously won competitions at local and state levels.

“In College Station at the annual State 4-H Roundup in June, the 4-H Starr Chefs competed against 4-H teams from throughout Texas,” she said. “They placed among the top four finalist teams, then in the second heat won first place overall. That got us invited to the national competition.”

The 4-H Starr Chefs team in-

See CHEFS, Page 38

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News

Judge clarifies EPA water rule applies to Texas after all

By Jim malewitz The Texas Tribune

The Obama administration’s controversial new clean water regulations apply in Texas after all.

Clarifying an injunction he issued recently, a federal judge in North Dakota says he blocked the federal Waters of the U.S. rule — aimed at better defining the scope of bodies of water protected under the federal Clean Water Act — from taking effect in only 13 states suing in his court.

Texas is not one of them.

It’s a setback for Attorney General Ken Paxton, who cheered the injunction, arguing that it applied nationwide.

“We will continue to fight the EPA’s blatant overreach in our own case and will work to protect the state and private property owners from this latest and potentially most invasive attempt by the Obama administration to control our lives and livelihoods,” Paxton said in a statement.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge

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Graphic by Todd Wiseman

Ralph Erickson clears up one muddy legal question about the rule, which allows the federal government to regulate small streams and wetlands.

Hours before the regulation was set to take effect, Erickson granted a request from a group of 13 states to block it, ruling that “the risk of irreparable harm to the states is both imminent and likely” if the regulation took effect as a legal challenge winds through the courts.

Ranchers, property rights advocates and Republican critics of the Obama administration proclaimed victory, with Paxton saying the ruling prevented “a dangerous and ill-conceived set of regulations from taking effect.”

But the EPA said it still would enforce the regulation in the 37 states not named in that suit.

Paxton disagreed. “The injunction ap-

See EPA, Page 15

October 2015 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News EPA, from Page 14 plies nationwide and therefore the rule is not enforceable in Texas,” the Republican said in early September.

Erickson put that claim to rest.

Though he had the power to extend his decision nationwide, he wrote in an order, he chose not to do so.

“Because there are competing sovereign interests and competing judicial rulings, the court declines to extend the preliminary injunction at issue beyond the entities actually before it,” Erickson wrote.

Texas and other states also have sued over the rule, which the farm lobby and Republicans paint as an attack on private property rights. The Texas suit — filed along with Louisiana and Mississippi — has been on hold since mid-August. A district judge granted a stay in the case, pending a ruling on whether the EPA can consolidate the lawsuits it faces.

“We’re happy to see that the federal court in North Dakota has confirmed what we already knew: the Waters of the U.S. rule is in full effect in Texas,” Sara Smith, an attorney with the group Environment Texas, said in a statement. “This means loopholes in the Clean Water Act that threatened more than 143,000 miles of Texas’ streams and the drinking water for 11.5 million Texans are

finally closed.”

The 13 states exempt from the rule are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The EPA rule has sparked loud protests and plenty of questions.

Much of the concern stems from a dispute over whether or not it actually enlarges the EPA’s jurisdiction.

The 1972 federal Clean Water Act made it illegal to pollute “navigable waters of the United States.” The rule is supposed to clarify what could be defined as a “navigable water.”

The EPA always believed its jurisdiction stretched beyond traditional navigable waters, such as rivers and seas, to the smaller bodies of water and wetlands that can affect them, but it didn’t have a strong legal basis to prove it.

The updated definition clarifies this authority, leaving ranchers and industry officials to wonder whether they will have to check with the government before using their own land.

According to the EPA, its purview only includes 60 percent of all streams — plus millions of acres of wetlands — and it barely expands the agency’s jurisdiction. Paxton has countered the change means “virtually every river, stream and creek in the U.S. will come under the oversight of bureaucrats from the EPA.”

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October 2015 — Issue 1

15

Annual Bull Issue

Bulls are the most important animal on the ranch Dr. MereDyth Jones Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

W

hile many folks have a favorite cow, it would be difficult to argue against the idea that the bull is the single most important animal on an operation. His fertility impacts conception rates, he can transmit diseases to multiple animals that can impact calving interval and rates, and his genetics help determine calf birth weight, calving ease, and calf performance.

A cow produces one offspring per year; a natural-service bull produces 25-30.

There is a tremendous amount of data generated by the breed associations that

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Vet’s Voice allow cow-calf producers to select a bull based on his anticipated impact on his progeny’s performance. In addition to evaluation of these Expected Progeny Differences and the bull’s structure and disposition, the results of a complete bull breeding soundness examination are a critical piece of information to have prior to turnout on a purchased or carry-over bull. Most people think of this

Photo courtesy of College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University

Sperm cells from a young bull exhibiting proximal droplet defects,indicated by the arrow.This demonstrates the importance of a morphology exam in addition to the motility exam.This bull had good motility but will not pass the semen evaluation as his fertility is negatively impacted by this defect in the sperm cell. as a semen test, but there really is much more about a bull that should be evaluated as part of a complete breeding soundness examination.

A complete breeding soundness examination first involves evaluation of the whole bull, assessing his physical soundness to breed. There’s a lot of truth to the saying that a bull needs

See VET’S VOICE, Page 17

October 2015 — Issue 1

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Annual Bull Issue Vet’s Voice, from Page 16 four good feet, two good eyes, and two good testicles. The veterinarian will watch the bull walk, look at his structure and feet to make sure he’s sound to travel to find and breed cows, evaluate his body condition score to ensure that he has the right amount of reserves do the work of the breeding season, and look at the bull’s eyes to ensure he has good vision needed to identify cows in heat.

The bull then will be placed in a chute and scrotal circumference will be taken with a measuring tape. Scrotal circumference, an indicator of testicular size, is an indirect measure of the amount of sperm a bull can produce in a day. A larger scrotal circumference is associated with being able to breed more cows.

It also has been linked to age

of puberty in that bull’s daughters — the daughters of a bull with a larger scrotal circumference — mature earlier, increasing lifetime productivity. There are minimum cutoff points for scrotal circumference based on a bull’s age, below which he is not considered satisfactory for breeding. The testicles and epididymis, the tube which stores and transports sperm, will be palpated to ensure that there are no abnormalities that could interfere with sperm production or transport. One of the more common abnormal findings in bulls is a softening of the testicles, which can indicate degeneration and reduced function.

Next up, the accessory sex glands, including the seminal vesicles and prostate which contribute fluid to semen, are evaluated by rectal palpation. In young bulls, inflamed

seminal vesicles are commonly found and these should be treated and the inflammation resolved prior to use for breeding. The inguinal rings, passages in the abdominal wall down through which the testicles descend, are examined to make sure that the bull does not have an inguinal hernia and that the rings are closed down so that he is less likely to develop a hernia while breeding.

Finally, semen will be collected and evaluated. Most bulls will be collected using an electroejaculator, but some veterinarians prefer to use manual massage. During the collection, the penis should extend fully, allowing examination to make sure there are not abnormalities of the penis and prepuce.

During the off-season, trauma to the penis and prepuce can occur and, in young bulls, warts may be present, all of which

can interfere with breeding.

After the semen sample is obtained, it is evaluated initially under a microscope for motility.

The sperm cells should be rapidly swirling in the seminal fluid, resembling a swarm of bees on the slide. In order to pass, at least 30 percenet of the sperm cells on the slide should be progressively motile. If a bull has not been used for breeding in some time, an additional collection or two may be required in order to get the best sample for evaluation.

While each veterinarian has his or her own testing approach, I typically give a bull three chances to give a passing sample.

Once the sample has passed for motility, a special stain is used to evaluate the anatomy of each sperm cell. This is a critically important step which helps to ensure that the sperm

that are there are not only alive, but can function to fertilize the egg. Various abnormalities can be present which will limit a bull’s fertility and a bull must have greater than 70 percent morphologically normal sperm cells in order to pass.

The single most common abnormality seen in immature bulls is the proximal droplet (see photo). Seeing a large number of proximal droplets in a semen sample most often indicates that a bull is not mature enough for breeding and should be given more time. Different morphologic abnormalities indicate different problems, each having a different short- and long-term impact on the bull’s breeding ability.

While you are meeting with your veterinarian regarding the breeding soundness exami-

See FERTILITY, Page 18

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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Annual Bull Issue Fertility, from Page 17 nation, have a discussion with him or her about what disease testing might be in order for the bulls before they go out. One disease that is sure to come up is trichomoniasis. This venereal disease of cattle causes no symptoms in bulls but induces abortions and infertility in cows.

The primary means of control in beef herds is the testing of bulls.

Any bull changing hands in Texas or coming in from another state must be accompanied by a negative test or a virgin bull certificate. Don’t accept one without it. Then, discuss the need for additional testing on a purchased bull or on a resident herd bull.

When you think of what all you are getting with a well-performed and thorough bull breeding soundness examination, the cost becomes miniscule. If you buy a bull, don’t accept him without a form completed by a veterinarian giving the results

of his breeding soundness exam and classifying him as a satisfactory potential breeder and don’t accept him without the proper trichomoniasis paperwork and testing.

If you are carrying bulls over from last breeding season, get them tested to make sure they didn’t sustain an injury or other fertilityimpacting problem and get them trichomoniasis tested to make sure they didn’t pick it up in the off season.

I recently evaluated an adult bull which, after three collections, did not produce even a single live sperm.

This bull was a few days away from being put out on cows. Without testing him, we would not have known until pregnancy check or, worse, until calving time, that the bull was not fertile. The producer would have lost a year and a whole calf crop. The cost of the test pales in comparison to the loss of 25-30 calves plus input costs on cows standing at pasture open.

Progress being made on American Farm Museum Associated Press

BLISSFIELD, Michigan — Progress is being made on plans to transform a former canning company site in southeastern Michigan into an agricultural history museum.

Organizers recently announced an update on the project, now called the American Farm Museum and Educational Center.

The board of directors for the center, earlier known as the Agricultural Awareness and Preservation Museum, said they’re prepared to launch a capital campaign.

An aim of the project is to create a place where people can gain understanding and renewed appreciation for the farming industry.

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“Farming is in a huge transitional period, not only in methods, equipment and final product, but also the public perception and demands are changing at the speed of light,” Pete Durbin, a member of the development committee, said in a statement.

The board said a feasibility study, business plan and strategic plan have been completed.

They’re wrapping up work to inventory, pack and move collections that would be part of the museum.

An initial effort seeks to raise $2.5 million for the project.

Plans call for a groundbreaking for an initial multipurpose building next spring in Blissfield, a village about 55 miles southwest of Detroit.

It will be a place for the

museum to keep a farm toy collection and other donated farm equipment, tools, toys and paper memorabilia.

“The major purpose of this first building will be to provide storage, however a small area of it will be divided into gallery and office space,” said John Tuckerman, development committee co-chairman.

The museum is designed by Friedrich St. Florian, who designed the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. Additional volunteers are being sought for the American Farm Museum and Educational Center.

Plans for the museum were announced in 2014.

• For more information go to www. aafpm.org or www.facebook.com/ AgriculturalAwareness.

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News Appeals court blocks pesticide use over concerns about bees Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on Sept. 10 blocked the use of a pesticide over concerns about its effect on honey bees, which have mysteriously disappeared across the country in recent years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not adequately study the pesticide sulfoxaflor before approving its use in 2013 on a wide variety of crops, including citrus and cotton, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said.

Initial studies showed sulfoxaflor is highly toxic to honey bees, and the EPA was required to get further tests, Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder said.

“In this case, given the precariousness of bee populations, leaving the EPA’s registration of sulfoxaflor in place risks more po-

mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and pesticides as factors for the bees’ disappearance.

“We’re certainly extremely happy,” said Greg Loarie, an attorney with the group Earthjustice, which challenged the EPA’s approval of sulfoxaflor on behalf of groups in the beekeeping industry. “It means that sulfoxaflor comes off the market while the EPA does the work it should have done a long time ago.”

Loarie said the pesticide was used on cotton in southern states, but it had been approved only on an emergency basis for one crop in California.

The 9th Circuit overturned the EPA’s unconditional registration of sulfoxaflor and ordered it to get additional studies and data about the pesticide’s effect on bees.

tential environmental harm than vacating it,” she wrote.

EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen said the agency is reviewing the decision but had no further comment.

Sulfoxaflor is part of a group of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, according to the 9th Circuit ruling. Neonicotinoids are suspected of being among several factors that have contributed to the collapse of honey bee colonies throughout the U.S. Bees, especially honeybees, are needed to pollinate crops, and they are considered essential to the U.S. food supply.

But a disorder has caused as much as one-third of the nation’s bees to disappear each winter since 2006. A 2013 report issued by the EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture cited a parasitic

TJS S Hardware

Brian Davies/The Register-Guard via AP

In this file photo, Matthew Burris, right, and Ethan Bennett examine frames from a honey bee hive east of Junction City, Oregon. A federal appeals court blocked the use of a pesticide over concerns about its effect on honey bees,.

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October 2015 — Issue 1

19

Annual Bull Issue

Things to think about

Selecting the right bull for your commercial herd A

By RoBeRt FeaRs Specal to The Post

common practice for many small or part-time ranchers is to maintain a herd of commercial cows and breed them to purebred bulls. The tough decision is what type of bulls to buy.

Selection of the herd sire is an important decision, according to Ronnie Silcox of the University of Georgia.

“Bull selection is the foundation for building a profitable beef herd,” Silcox said. “In most commercial herds, bulls are purchased and replacement heifers are selected from within the herd.

“The sire and dam each contribute 50 percent to the genetic composition of each calf. One-half of a dam’s contribution to her calf comes from her sire and one-fourth comes from her dam’s sire.

Thus, 87 1/2 percent of a calf’s genetic material comes from three bulls that were brought into the herd.

“Sire selection is the major tool available to producers for changing the genetic potential of a herd,” Silcox said.

Many choices

It wasn’t too many years ago when there were only four or five breeds from which to select herd sires. Today there are more than 75 breeds in Texas, which makes the selection process much more complicated. The largest populations of breeds, by groups, listed alphabetically in the Proceedings of the 60th Annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course are: • British Beef — Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Shorthorn • Continental beef — Charolais, Chianina, Limousin • Continental Dual Purpose — Braunvieh, Gelbvieh, Maine-Anjou, Salers, Simmental • Dairy — Holstein, Jersey

20

A common practice for many small or part-time ranchers is to maintain a herd of commercial cows and breed them to purebred bulls.

Photos by Robert Fears

On the Cover: Santa Gertrudis is one of the American breeds and contains Brahman blood.

• Bos indicus (Cattle with a hump) — Gray Brahman, Brahman • American (generally part Brahman) — Beefmaster, Braford, Brangus, Red Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, Simbrah • Specialty — Breeds varying widely in characteristics and cannot be placed

logically in any of the above groups. For example, Texas Longhorns.

“Certain Continental and British breeds have been combined,” said Stephen Hammack, professor and Extension specialist emeritus with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

October 2015 — Issue 1

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“Examples are Braunvieh Beef Builder, ChiAngus, Gelbvieh Balancer, LimFlex, MaineTainer, Salers Optimizer, and SimAngus. Also combinations of American breeds and British or Continental

See BULLS, Page 21

The Land & Livestock Post

Annual Bull Issue Bulls, from Page 20 breeds, which are less than one-fourth Bos indicus, include Beefmaster Advancer, Brangus UltraBlack, Brangus UltraRed, Braunvieh Braunbray, Braunvieh Simbravieh, Charolais Charbray, Gelbvieh Southern Balancer™, Red Angus Plus, Santa Gertrudis Star 5, and Simmental SimAngus HT,” Hammack said.

Breeding plan

With all of the available breeds from which to choose, it is critical to develop a breeding plan and then select herd sires that will help achieve goals listed in the plan.

The first factor to consider in drafting a genetic strategy is not genetic. It is production conditions, which include climate, forage, available labor and management skills.

“In Texas, climatic conditions range from hot to cold and humid to arid,” Hammack said. “Cattle breeds vary in their ability to adapt to different cli-

The Land & Livestock Post

mates.

“Also, climate affects forage types and the appropriate number of cattle. Most beef cows are maintained on forage, which can vary from abundant to sparse and nourishing to nutrient deficient.

Cattle breeds differ in their adaptability to diverse forage conditions.

“Available labor and management skills can range from limited to plentiful and uninformed to knowledgeable. Some genetic strategies require more time and expertise than others,” Hammack said.

Also consider market timing, methods and specifications in the breeding plan.

If calves are sold at weaning, the producer is paid for weight in price per pound.

On the other end of the production chain, returns to those retaining ownership and selling directly to the processor are paid for post-weaning performance and carcass merit.

“Those who market through traditional channels, such as livestock exchanges, are often subject to biases and percep-

See DECISIONS, Page 24

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October 2015 — Issue 1

Photo by Robert Fears

Higher percentages of Continental breeds, such as Charolais, are more applicable for lean-beef markets.

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Annual Bull Issue

A step-by-step guide to bovine trichomoniasis testing Special to The Post

The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory offers timely and accurate diagnostic tests for Tritrichomonas foetus, the parasite that causes bovine trichomoniasis, or “trich.” The lab employs the most current technology available to provide the best service to clients. It can ensure your sample is done in a timely manner only if it gets to the lab ready to go.

Prep it properly

• Collect in a non-expired pouch. If expired, we can’t guarantee your sample’s validity and it will not qualify as an “official” test.

• Avoid cross contamination, no blood, fecal matter or dirt

22

should get in the pouch.

• Follow the manufacturers directions to close and seal the pouch.

• To help decrease testing turnaround time, incubate the sample at 37-degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for 48 hours prior to shipping.

Ship it safely

• Choose a reliable courier so your sample arrives at the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory no later than 120 hours after

collection. The lab recommends you do not use the U.S. Postal Service.

• Ship the sample and completed forms. For official testing, the Texas Animal Health Commission’s Trichomoniasis Test Record Form, animal ID, collection date and veterinarian’s signature are required.

• Protect the pouch with proper packaging.

Receive the results

• Understand that trich sam-

ples must be incubated 48 hours.

If you need the sample by a certain date, plan ahead for testing time.

• The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory can release results only to the submitting veterinarian or owner.

• Owners should list contact

emails for both themselves and their veterinarian; veterinarians also should list the owner’s email for results.

For more information on trich testing, or the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s other services, go to tvmdl. tamu.edu.

Brazos Valley Livestock Brazos Valley Livestock Commission, Inc. Commission, Inc.

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Brazos County

Results of the Brazos County Livestock Commission’s Sept. 8 sale: Head: 767 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $255-$315; 300-400 lbs., $250-$310; 400-500 lbs., $215-$275; 500-600 lbs., $194$222; 600-700 lbs.,$185-$213; 700800 lbs., $185-$202.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $240-$270; 300-400 lbs., $210-$265; 400-500 lbs., $190-$221; 500-600 lbs., $185$208; 600-700 lbs.,$170-$195; 700800 lbs., $175-$185.

Slaughter bulls: $110-$127.

Slaughter cows: $80-$104.

Bred cows: $1,475-$2,000.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,550-$2,050.

Buffalo

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Sept. 5 sale: Head: 1,538 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $300-$410;

200-300 lbs., $260-$350; 300-400 lbs., $250-$345; 400-500 lbs., $210$315; 500-600 lbs.,$185-$245; 600700 lbs., $180-$205; 700-800 lbs., $165-$192.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $280-$400; 200-300 lbs., $235-$325; 300-400 lbs., $210-$300; 400-500 lbs., $185$265; 500-600 lbs.,$180-$240; 600700 lbs., $170-$235; 700-800 lbs., $160-$185.

Slaughter bulls: $100-$131.

Slaughter cows: $55-$110.

Bred cows: $1,750-$2,600.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,275-$2,825.

Caldwell Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Sept. 9 sale: Head: 836 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $300-$385; 300-400 lbs., $275-$310; 400-500 lbs., $250-$285; 500-600 lbs., $205$227; 600-700 lbs.,$195-$225; 700-

800 lbs., $185-$200.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $260-$300; 300-400 lbs., $230-$295; 400-500 lbs., $210-$290; 500-600 lbs., $200$290; 600-700 lbs.,$190-$215; 700800 lbs., $180-$195.

Slaughter bulls: $115-$145.

Slaughter cows: $80-$115.

Bred cows: $1,250-$2,175.

Cow/calf pairs: $2,050-$2,950.

Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Co.’s Sept. 10 sale: Head: 614 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $275-$345; 400-500 lbs., $190-$300; 500-600 lbs., $220-$240; 600-700 lbs., $180$220; 800-900 lbs., $175-$184.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $215-$300; 400-500 lbs., $185-$240; 500-600 lbs., $180-$230; 600-700 lbs., $175$215.

Slaughter bulls: $105-$137.

Slaughter cows: $68-$116.

Bred cows: $1,200-$2,700.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,500-$3,000.

Jordan

Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Sept. 10 sale: Head: 629 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $280-$310; 300-400 lbs., $250-$315; 400-500 lbs., $210-$290; 500-600 lbs., $195$237; 600-700 lbs.,$190-$201; 700800 lbs., $190-$21.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $220-$233; 300-400 lbs., $215-$235; 400-500 lbs., $200-$212; 500-600 lbs., $188$220; 600-700 lbs.,$178-$255; 700800 lbs., $170-$190.

Slaughter bulls: $112-$121.

Slaughter cows: $86-$107.

Bred cows: $1,375-$2,000

Auction’s Sept. 5 sale: Head: 876 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $225-$420; 300-400 lbs., $225-$310; 400-500 lbs., $185-$285; 500-600 lbs., $175$230; 600-700 lbs., $170-$202.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $195-$390; 300-400 lbs., $185-$280; 400-500 lbs., $185-$285; 500-600 lbs., $175$250; 600-700 lbs., $170-$250.

Slaughter bulls: $115-$127.

Slaughter cows: $80-$105.

Bred cows: $1,200-$2,075.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,800-$2,400.

— Special to The Post

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Oct. 24 44 Farms Angus Bull Sale, Cameron, TX Oct. 31 South Texas Hereford Assn. Sale, Beeville, TX

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Events Calendar October

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Nov. 11 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Barber Ranch Herefords/Express Angus, San Saba, TX

Oct. 8 Dudley Bros. Hereford Bull Sale, Comanche, TX

Nov. 13 Double Creek Angus Production Sale, Meridian, TX

Oct. 10 CX Advantage Brangus Sale, Weimar, TX

Nov. 14 Heart of Texas Beefmaster Sale, Groesbeck, TX

Oct. 10 Center Ranch Production Sale, Centerville, TX

Nov. 14 Cattleman’s Top Cut Replacement Female Sale, Navasota, TX

Oct. 10 Brinks Brangus at Westall Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Arabela, NM

Nov. 19 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Pat Griswold Ranch Bull Sale, San Saba, TX

Oct. 14 RA Brown Ranch 41st Annual Angus, Red Angus and SimAngus Bull & Female Sale, Throckmorton, TX Oct. 16 W4 Ranch Hereford Sale, Morgan, TX Oct. 21 Texas Hereford Assn. Fall Classic Bull Sale, Buffalo, TX Oct. 21 Thomas Charolais Inc. 14th Annual Bull Sale, Raymondville, TX Oct. 23 Rutherford Angus Production Sale, Buda, TX Oct. 23 Central Texas ICA Bull & Female Sale, Gonzales, TX Oct. 23 Best of the Test Bull and Female Sale, Navasota, TX

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Nov. 11 Barber Hereford Ranch Bull Sale, San Saba, TX

Oct. 3 Heart of Texas Replacement Female Sale, Groesbeck, TX

Oct. 13 RA Brown Ranch Horse Sale, Throckmorton, TX

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Nov. 5 Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX

Oct. 24 Jordan Cattle Auction October Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX Oct. 24 Oak Creek Farms Brangus Sale, Chappell Hill, TX

October 2015 — Issue 1

Nov. 21 BT Hereford Production Sale, Navasota, TX Nov. 21 Collier Farms Performance Beefmaster Bull Sale, Brenham, TX Nov. 21 South Texas Cattle Marketing Brangus Influenced Female & Bull Sale, Nixon, TX Nov. 21 Caldwell Livestock Fall Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Caldwell, TX

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?

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

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Annual Bull Issue DECISIONS, from Page 21 tions that may unjustifiably lower prices,” Hammack said.

“This is especially true with new breeds, unusual breeds or their crosses.: Hammacksaid, “In Texas, traditional producers can avoid or minimize significant price discounts while maximizing production efficiency by producing medium- to large-frame crossbred calves that are at least one-fourth British, no more than one-half Continental, and no more than one-fourth Bos indicus. For high-quality markets, higher percentages of higher-marbling British breeds are needed. Higher percentages of Continental are more applicable for lean-beef markets and larger percentages of Bos indicus may be needed for greater adaptability to hot climates.

“Traditional cow/calf producers should heed preferences of their marketing system while emphasizing biological and economic efficiency from production to weaning. In Texas and much of the southern United States, part Bos indicus cows have advantages too important to ignore. These include calving ease, maximum hybrid vigor, longevity and adaptability to available forage,” Hammack said.

The next step in drafting a breeding plan is to select a breeding system. The two basic breeding systems are continuous and terminal. The difference in these systems is their source of replacement females.

“In continuous systems, heifers are retained to return to the breeding herd,” Hammack said.

“So, in addition to traits important in marketing progeny, you should also consider the potential replacement heifers’ environmental adaptability and maternal quali¬ties.

“Because replacement heifers are not retained in a terminal system, sires can be se¬lected regardless of how their heifer

24

Photo courtesys of Santa Rosa Ranch

Selection of herd sires can have a huge impact on ranch profits. Producers should study different bulls to pick the one that is right for their herd. progeny will perform as brood cows.”

Selecting bulls

“Sire selection can and should be more accurate today than ever before,” Silcox said.

“Beef breed associations have developed programs that use performance information on a bull’s relatives in addition to his own records to produce Expected Progeny Differences.

“There are two basic ways to bring about genetic improvement in a commercial herd: crossbreeding and selection.

The purpose of crossbreeding is to produce heterosis (hybrid vigor). A good crossbreeding program is important in improving reproductive traits and production traits like rate of gain. Selection of superior breeding stock is most effective in changing production traits and carcass traits.

“A good breeding program for a commercial herd includes both a designed crossbreeding system and selection of superior bulls within the chosen breeds,” Silcox said.

The crossbreeding system will affect the type of bull that is needed. In a rotational system, heifer calves are kept for replacements. General purpose breeds of comparable size normally are used. Disposition, calving ease, moderate size, fertility, maternal ability, and gain are all important criteria for bull selection.

“In a terminal crossbreeding system bulls from larger, growth breeds are typically used on smaller cows and all calves are sold as market animals. Growth and carcass traits are very important while maternal traits are not impor-

See HERD, Page 27

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October 2015 — Issue 1

25

Annual Bull Issue

Proper cow culling is important

By Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University

Cull cow s represent approximately 20 percent of the gross income of any commercial cow operation. Cull beef cows represent 10 percent of the beef that is consumed in the U.S. Therefore, ranchers need to make certain that cow culling is done properly and profitably.

Selling cull cows when they will return the most income to the rancher requires knowledge about cull cow health and body condition. Proper cow culling will reduce the chance that a cow carcass is condemned at the packing plant and becomes a money drain for the entire beef industry.

See CULL, Page 28

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Photo illustration by The Noble Foundation

Producers must consider a number of factors when deciding which cows to cull and which to keep.

October 2015 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

Annual Bull Issue Herd, from Page 24 tant since no heifers are kept for replacements. Plan the crossbreeding system before individual bulls are selected,” Silcox said.

With a planned crossbreeding system established, the next step is to evaluate the cow herd critically. Look at the cows in terms of how they fit available resources such as feed, labor, facilities, and environment.

Look at how calves fit market demand. Determine the weak points and strong points of the herd. This will help in describing the type of bull that is needed.

It is almost impossible to find a bull that is superior in every trait. The goal is to find a bull with an acceptable combination of traits that complement the strengths and weaknesses of the cow herd.

After a crossbreeding system has been established and the type of bull has been determined, it is time to decide where to buy. Only consider reputable sources who can provide complete performance records. Performance records and pedigrees are only as good as breeder

Photo by Robert Fears

Advantages of Brahman genetics in cattle are calving ease, maximum hybrid vigor, longevity and adaptability to available forage. integrity.

Sellers should provide results of breeding soundness examinations and guarantee the quality and fertility of bulls.

Breeders who are involved actively in their breed association genetic evaluation program are excellent sources for bulls.

Bulls from these operations can be bought by private treaty, at production sales, at central test station sales, or at consignment sales.

Whether bulls are purchased at auction or by private treaty, be sure the information needed to make a wise decision is provided.

If it is not presented, ask for it.

If performance and genetic information are not available, look elsewhere for bulls.

Selection of herd sires can have a huge impact on ranch profits, so do it carefully.

Develop a written breeding plan and select sires that fit the plan.

PASTURE, RANGELAND & FORAGE.

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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Annual Bull Issue Cull, from Page 26

Another year?

At cow culling time, producers often face some tough decisions.

Optimum culling of the herd seems to require a sharp crystal ball that could see into the future. Will she keep enough body condition through the winter to rebreed next year? How old is the cow? Is her mouth sound so that she can harvest forage and be nutritionally strong enough to reproduce and raise a big calf ? At what age do cows usually start to become less productive?

There is great variability in the longevity of beef cows. Data from large ranches in Florida would indicate that cows are consistent in the rebreeding performance through about 8 years old. A small decline was noted as cows aged from 8 to 10 years old. However the most consistent decline in reproductive performance was noted after cows were 10 years of age. A steeper decline in reproductive performance was found as they became 12 years old. In other words, start to watch for reasons to cull a cow at about age 8. By the time she is 10, look at her very closely and consider culling; as she reaches her 12th year, plan to cull her before she gets health problems or in poor body condition.

Other reasons to cull

• Examine the eye health of the cows — One of the leading causes of condemned beef carcasses is still “cancer-eye” cows.

Although in recent years the producers are doing a much better job of culling cows before “can-

Photo courtesy of www.agritrading.ie

Prodcuers have to decide whether to cull cows immediately or fatten them for up no more than two months. cer-eye” takes its toll, every cow manager should watch the cows closely for potentially dangerous eye tumors. Watch for small pinkish growths on the upper, lower, or corner eye lids.

Also notice growths on the eyeball in the region where the dark of the eye meets with the “white” of the eyeball. Small growths in any of these areas are very likely to become cancerous lesions if left unchecked. Likewise be aware of cows with heavy wart infestations around the eye socket. Many of these become cancerous over time. Culling these cows while the growth is still small will allow the cow carcass to be utilized normally. If, however, cancer engulfs the eyeball and gets into the lymph nodes around the head, the entire carcass likely will be condemned as not fit for human consumption.

• Check the feet and legs — Beef cows must travel over pastures and fields to consume forages and reach water tanks and ponds. Cows with bad stifle joints, severe foot rot infections, or arthritic joints may be subject to substantial carcass trimming when they reach the packing plant. They will be poor producers if allowed to stay on the ranch while severely lame.

They may lose body condition, weigh less, and be discounted at the livestock market by the packer buyers. Culling them soon after their injury will help reduce the loss of sale price that

See COWS, Page 29 Lauderdale Aerial Spraying, LLC Kenneth Lauderdale Cell Phone: 979.255.1380 Office Phone: 979.535.8024 www.lauderdalespraying.com

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October 2015 — Issue 1

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Annual Bull Issue Cows, from Page 28 may be suffered later. If the cow has been treated for infection, be certain to market the cow after the required withdrawal time of the medicine used to treat her infection.

• Udder quality — One criteria that should be examined to cull cows is udder quality. Beef cattle producers are not as likely to think about udder health and shape as are dairy producers, but this attribute affects cow productivity and should be considered.

Oklahoma State University researchers studied the effect that bad udders had on cow productivity. They found that cows with one or two dry quarters had calves with severely reduced weaning weights (50 to 60 pounds) compared to cows with no dry quarters. Plus, cows with bad udders tend to pass that trait along to daughters that may be kept as replacement heifers.

Two key types of “bad” udders to cull include large funnelshaped teats and weak udder suspension. The large funnelshaped teats may be indicative of a previous case of mastitis and cause the quarter to be incapable of producing milk. In addition, large teats may be difficult for the newborn calf to get it’s mouth around and receive nourishment and colostrum very early in life.

As some cows age, the liga-

ment that separates the two sides of the udder becomes weakened and allows the entire udder to hang very near to the ground.

Again it becomes difficult for the newborn calf to find a teat when the udder hangs too close to the ground. Select against these faults and over time your cow herd will improve its udder health.

• Cull cows when in moderate body condition — Send older cows to market before they become too thin. Generally, severely emaciated cattle have lightly muscled carcasses with extremely small ribeyes and poor red-meat yield. This greatly lessens the salvage value of such animals.

Just as important, emaciated cattle are most often those which “go down” in transit, as they lack sufficient energy to remain standing for long periods of time. Severe bruising, excessive carcass trim, increased condemnations, and even death are the net results of emaciation. Very thin cows have a low dressing

are more prone to producing dark cutting carcasses as they reach the packing plant. “Dark cutters” are discounted severely when priced on the rail.

• Cull open cows — Why feed a cow all winter that will not have a calf next spring? Call

your veterinarian, schedule a time for pregnancy checking and find which cows have not bred back. Cull them while they are in good body condition after summer pasture and before you spend $200 or more on the winter feed bill.

21 states to get USDA funding for more renewable fuel pumps Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says 21 states will receive funding to increase the number of gas pumps that offer renewable fuels.

Vilsack made the $100 million Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership announcement on Sept. 10 in Champaign.

The USDA says the money will pay for about 5,000 pumps at more than 1,400 fueling stations.

Officials say that will double the

number of stations that offer intermediate blends of ethanol, mainly E15 fuel levels.

The USDA announced the program in May and officials say they received more applications than available funds. States must match the grant money that they receive.

Florida leads the list, receiving funding for about 890 pumps.

Minnesota will receive funding for 620 pumps and Illinois for nearly 430 pumps.

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percentage (weight of the carcass divided by the live weight).

Because of these factors, cow buyers will pay less per pound for very thin, shelly, cull cows. In addition, thin cows will weigh less.

As you combine these two factors (weight and price per pound), thin cull cows return many fewer dollars at sale time than if the cow was sold when in moderate body condition. If they are already too thin, a short (45 to 60 days) time in a drylot with a high quality feed will put condition back on the cows very efficiently.

There is no need to put excess flesh or fat on cows. They become less efficient at converting feed to bodyweight after about 60 days and the market will not pay for excessive fatness on cows.

• Cull any really wild cattle — They are hard on you and your equipment, and they raise wild calves. Wild calves are poor performers in the feedlot and

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News Hunters, others invited to ‘hoof it’ to Deer Camp in Boerne

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

BOERNE — The Don Strange Ranch and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present an educational Deer Camp on Oct. 9 in Boerne.

The camp will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Don Strange Ranch, 103 Waring Welfare Road in Boerne.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo

The Deer Camp at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne on Oct. 9 will show attendees how to dress and prepare foods from deer and wild hogs.

Interactive workshops during the day will address field dressing a deer and a wild hog, Dutch oven cooking, freezer wrapping and storing venison, jerky and sausage making, hunting etiquette and more.

There also will be vendor exhibits and opportunities to browse and shop.

The cost will be $55 per person or $100 per couple and will include a variety of interactive educational programs and a wild game lunch.

For more information and to RSVP for Deer Camp, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Kendall County at 830-331-8242 by Oct. 5.

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News Wheat variety ‘Picks’ offered statewide by Texas A&M AgriLife

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Continuing a long-time Texas High Plains practice, Texas A&M AgriLife has extended its annual wheat “Picks” suggestions for wheat producers across the state.

A Pick variety means this: “Given the data, these are the varieties we would choose to include and emphasize on our farm for wheat grain production in a particular region,” according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.

Faculty with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension collaborate by region across the state to conduct extensive wheat variety testing in both research settings and on farms.

Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension state small grains specialist in College Station, and Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist in Lubbock, along with other AgriLife personnel then gathered all the data and determined the “Picks” for the state by region.

“Our ongoing criteria include a minimum of three years of data in AgriLife wheat variety trials across numerous annual locations,” Trostle said.

He ssaid the Picks are not necessarily the numerical top yielders. Other factors that play into the selection include disease resistance traits, insect tolerance or standability.

“These are varietal traits that enable a producer to better manage single-variety potential risk using a mix-and-match approach to cover basic defensive traits on a farm,” Neely said.

The team also offers an early indication of potential desirable varieties based on two or more years of data with its “watch list” of promising varieties.

Data used for 2015-2016 Picks in the four Texas regions where AgriLife wheat variety testing is conducted can be found in “Texas Wheat Variety Trial Results — 2015,” available at varietytesting. tamu.edu/wheat/index.htm.

Because leaf rust and stripe rust have a significant potential impact across Texas, particularly when spring production conditions are wet and humid, the wheat selections include current resistance ratings for these.

Ratings are noted as R, resistant; MR, moderately resistant; MS, moderately susceptible; and S, susceptible, in the full results discussion.

Variety Picks by region are: • In South Texas, no new varieties were added due to lack of sufficient new data. Excessive spring rains prevented harvest from three of the main testing locations. The Picks continue as: TAM 304, TAM 305, Duster and Billings. On the watch list are TAM 114, Gallagher and WB Cedar.

• In the Blacklands, Picks are included for both hard red winter wheat and soft red winter wheat.

Soft red winter wheat Picks are Coker 9553, Pioneer 25R40, TV 8525 and USG 3201. On the Watch List is Dyna-Gro 9012. Hard red winter wheat Picks are TAM 304, Gallagher, Greer, Iba and WB Cedar. On the watch list are TAM 114, SY Monument and WB 4458.

Neely said on average, TAM 114 yielded nearly identical to TAM 304, but had higher test weight, which TAM 304 is often lacking.

SY Monument and WB 4458 are potential up-and-coming varieties that have done well the past two years. Another variety worth noting is Billings, which has been a consistently good yielding variety, but due to its early maturity and sprouting susceptibility, growers often shy away from it.

• In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, winter wheat cannot be grown successfully, but limited AgriLife data suggests that Expresso and Rockland have been the most consistent yielding hard red spring wheats, Neely said.

• In the Rolling Plains, the Picks are TAM 304, TAM 305, Gallagher and Greer. On the watch list are WB 4458, WB Cedar, WB Grainfield, SY Monument and

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SY Llano.

• Texas High Plains Picks are divided according to irrigation levels. Picks for full irrigation are TAM 113, TAM 304, Iba and Winterhawk. For limited irrigation, they are TAM 111, TAM 112, TAM 113, Iba, T158 and Winterhawk.

For dryland, they are TAM 111, TAM 112, TAM 113, Iba, T158 and Winterhawk. On the watch list are Byrd, Denali, Gallagher, SY Monument and WB-Grainfield.

Trostle said TAM 114, formerly tested as TX07A001505, is a new variety with good resistance to rusts, good straw strength, desirable milling and baking qualities, and moderate resistance to some biotypes of Hessian fly. It was previously on the watch list and should have moved to the Picks list this year, but 2015 planting seed is essentially limited to seed blocks, so would be unavailable

Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo

Wheat trials across the state provide a firsthand look at how different varieties perform in different regions.

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News

Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter

Richard White, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass scientist, gives a presentation at a previous turfgrass field day.

Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day set for Oct. 14 in College Station

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The Texas A&M Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day will be held Oct. 14 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Lab on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.

“This year the Texas Sports Turf Managers Association will host an added tour of the Texas A&M athletic facilities, in addition to all the traditional topics we try to cover during our annual field day,” said Richard White, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass management scientist and field day coordinator.

The field day will feature Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M University soil and crop science department faculty, staff and students.

Topics of discussion will be: turfgrass selection and management, irrigation management and drought recovery, pest management, golf course fairway and sports field construction, and new technologies and educational demonstrations.

The program will begin with registration from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., followed by a welcome and concurrent sessions from 8:45 a.m. to noon. Afternoon events

will include a campus athletic facilities tour from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

All participants are asked to park at the Thomas G. Hilderbrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex at 3240 F&B Road adjacent to the Turfgrass Field Lab. Signage and attendants will direct participants to registration and events.

The morning program registration and lunch are free to preregistered attendees.

The afternoon tour of Texas A&M athletic facilities is sponsored by the Texas Sports Turf Managers Association. The tour is free to current association members, $30 for a 2015-16 membership, or $10 for attending the tour as a non-member. The Texas Sports Turf Managers Association will manage payment on-site the day of the event for the afternoon tour.

Preregistration for the morning and afternoon activities is requested through aggieturf.tamu. edu/. Continuing education units are being sought for Texas Department of Agriculture licensed pesticide applicators. Categories and hours accepted for recertification will be posted on the website.

For more information, contact White at rh-white@tamu.edu or 979-845-1550.

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News A&M researchers seek less school cafeteria food waste

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

A study led by a team of Texas A&M University System researchers found school meals paired with popular vegetables are less likely to wind up in garbage bins.

A team led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation at Texas A&M University measured food waste in three elementary schools in Bryan and Dallas.

The schools are participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program both in pre- and postimplementation of the new standards.

The study was funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education and is published in

the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences. It can be found at bit. ly/1JEbPjz. “Our research team looked at whether there is a relationship between consumption of certain entrees and vegetables that would lead to plate waste,” said Oral Capps Jr., an AgriLife Research economist in College Station.

“We found that popular entrees such as burgers and chicken nuggets contributed to greater waste of less popular vegetables.”

Conversely, entrees paired with potatoes — served as potato nuggets, oven-baked French fries, and wedges — experienced the least amount of overall waste, Capps said.

“Our study shows that optimizing entrée-vegetable pairings in schools meals has the potential to impact vegetable consumption

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positively, which is especially important for those students relying on school meals for their energy and nutrient needs,” Capps said.

The data were collected by a team of “plate waste warriors,” Texas A&M students who were paid by the hour, Capps said.

Each wore a different colored apron that is associated with the assigned waste bin in which the entrée is discarded.

A minimum of eight workers was needed at each school during the lunch periods, which were typically 10:45 a.m. through 1 p.m.

The A&M students gathered the trays containing leftover portions.

Leftovers were separated into different waste bags and each bag was weighed on a scale for platewaste measurement.

October 2015 — Issue 1

When students went through the lunch line, a sticker was placed on the food tray to identify the vegetable and entrée chosen.

Students on the free lunch program were are also evaluated for plate waste.

The tray with the corresponding sticker was weighed and recorded to help calculate overall food waste.

Joining Capps on the research team were Peter Murano, associate professor from the department of nutrition and food science, founder and former director of the Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation at Texas A&M; Ariun Ishdorj, assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M; and Maureen Storey, president and CEO of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin

‘Plate waste warriors,’ Texas A&M University students paid by the hour, weigh each entrée before it is served as part of a study on what foods are most eaten on school meals.

37

News Chefs, from Page 13 cludes Janay Rocha, Garrett Gonzalez, Jason Gorena, Brandon Guerra and Crystal Alaniz.

The team is coached by Roel and Rolando Hernandez, former Starr County 4-H’ers and owners of Elite Catering Service in Rio Grande City.

The team selected a delicacy known as seafood empanadas, or turnovers, to show off their culinary and presentation skills.

“The 4-H competition was an invitational,” Morado said. “Only top-winning teams from throughout the country were invited. We had already been invited to appear on the Food Network but couldn’t because of conflicting schedules. But when we were invited to compete in New Orleans, I knew this would be good exposure for the team. They would compete among the best in the nation and would be judged by four top professional chefs.”

The event was sponsored by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service 4-H division. To finance their trip, the Starr County team collected $7,000 in six weeks.

“Starr County is said to be among the poorest in the country, but our community backed our team all the way,” Morado said. “Most were small donations, but the entire community got involved. None of this could have been possible without the support of parents, coaches, businesses and citizens. They made sure our team had everything they needed to compete.”

By the time the 4-H Starr Chefs competed in New Orleans, they were well-versed in addressing crowds and judges at many events, Morado said. For New Orleans, they had done their homework. But this was their first foray into national competition; many of the other competing teams had been there before.

“When judges asked about the ingredients they used, team members knew about sea life in

the Gulf of Mexico, many from having gone on family fishing trips,” Morado said. “And when asked about the vegetable ingredients, they very confidently told the judges about their culture and how the Aztecs, Incas and others had been the first to farm corn, onions, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and other vegetables.

The judges were enthralled. They were very impressed.”

For placing first, the 4-H Starr Chefs won a $1,000 award and $500 for traveling expenses. They also were treated to a tour of a seafood packing facility and a five-course meal of lobster and prime rib at Dragos, a five-star restaurant in New Orleans.

“It wasn’t about the money,” Morado said. “It was about competing against the best and taking the opportunity to let the world know about our proud Hispanic history and culture.”

The chefs praised 4-H and their community for helping them gain confidence.

“This project has taken me from a timid and shy person to one who is confident and eager to meet challenges,” said Crystal Alaniz.

Janay Rocha said, “My 4-H food challenge experience has given me a great appreciation for my community.

“The support we have gotten has been a blessing and has showed our team how committed they are to young people pursuing their talents.”

Another, Garrett Gonzalez, said, “These 4-H competitions taught me how motivation and keeping the team composed and focused when facing adversity is very important.”

And Jason Gorena said, “Teamwork was what brought us this far. To me it’s not the value of one but the value of all.”

The 4-H Starr Chefs had one more challenge this year: representing Texas in September at the National 4-H Food Challenge at the State Fair of Texas.

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