December December 2015 2015 —— Issue Issue 1
Invasion!
Chinese tallow destroys habitat and grazing land PAGE 12
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23
JAMES THOMPSON DELAYED EAR-ING
JAMES THOMPSON TRADING PACES
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AJAMES FRESHTHOMPSON START
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News From the General Manager
A
s I’m pulling this issue together, the weather is just starting to turn. It’s a little chilly today — not enough to warrant a jacket, but just enough not to have to run the AC. By the time this issue hits your mailbox, it may warm up, then get cool, then warm up some more. But, there is a chance that come December, we may be in winter and the weather may reflect that. Then JESSE WRIGHT again, the temperature may be in the 90s. At some point between now and Easter though, I think it may be cold enough to use my fireplace. Granted, it is a glass enclosed fireplace, but it is a fireplace all the same. My grandparents had a fireplace that you could park a VW Bug in, and the house I grew up in had a fireplace and a woodburning stove. My family likes to burn things. Not in a criminal way, but there is some joy in it that is undeniable. There’s almost a
sense of giddiness when a burn ban has been lifted, and there’s a brush pile in the pasture. I can’t prove this, but I have a hunch that is part of the reason my dad clears brush, and the same went for his father before him. If there is one tree out there that deserves to be destroyed with fire, it is the Chinese tallow. In our cover story we look at ways, other than fire, to get rid of this invasive species. We also have news about upcoming conferences, as well as information about the current state of the cattle market. On top of that, we have a our Vet’s Voice column as well as many other stories along with our regular features. Hope you enjoy it, and as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,
OVERTON — Pesticide applicator-training is scheduled for Dec. 3 and Dec. 8 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton. “Participants can earn five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units by attending the training on either day, or 10 total if they attend both days,” said Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife
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Pesticide applicator trainings set for Dec. 3, Dec. 8 in Overton By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Cleere Earthworks L.L.C.
Extension Service forage specialist in Overton. Cost for either training is $30 and includes lunch. The Overton center is located 1 mile north of downtown Overton at 1710 N. F.M. 3053. Registration for both meetings begins at 7:30 a.m., with the program from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 3 topics and speakers include: • Spray adjuvants and additives, Steve Thurman, president
See TRAINING, Page 4
BUDDY MICKLITZ Holladay & Associates, Inc. Karl (Buddy) Micklitz Jr. Bryan, TX micklitz@verizon.net (C) 979.218.8674 (H) 979.779.0420
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jesse.wright@theeagle.com December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Training, from Page 3 of Blue Norther Investments, Forney. • Forage insect pest update, Allen Knutson, AgriLife Extension entomologist in Dallas. • Proper disposal of empty containers and old pesticides, Mark Matocha, AgriLife Extension state agricultural and environmental quality safety specialist in College Station. • Laws and regulations of pesticide use, Matocha. • Weed control in pastures and hay meadows, Corriher-Olson. The continuing education units to be given are two laws and regulations, one integrated pest management and two general. The Dec. 8 training will include the following topics: • Pesticide use in vegetable production, Joe Masabni, AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist in Overton. • Wild pig control/laws update,
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Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist in Overton. • Turf weed management, Matt Elmore, AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist in Dallas. • What bugs are eating your money? Erfan Vafaie, AgriLife Extension program specialist in Overton. Five continuing education units will be offered to Texas Department of Agriculture license holders (one laws and regulations, one integrated pest management and three general). For more information, contact Pam Hickman at 903-834-6191.
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The Land & Livestock Post
News AgriLife Research scientist: Delay corn planting in stressful years By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
AMARILLO — A wet spring filled with hail storms brought challenges to this year’s corn crop, some that a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist said could have been avoided if planting had been delayed by a couple weeks or more. Qingwu Xue, AgriLife Research plant physiologist in Amarillo, said he intentionally did not start out emphasizing planting dates on his corn studies. But what he saw on his hybrid trials near Bushland showed what a tremendous difference the planting date can make in a stressful year. Xue said he generally plants anywhere from three to five different corn trials on the AgriLife Research farms around Bushland, including some comparing hybrid production under different irrigation rates and others for chemical efficacy. “It seems every year the Texas High Plains presents its own unique challenges,” Xue said. “Some years it is drought,
Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter
Qingwu Xue shows one hybrid that exhibited good ear protection traits. but this year was a historically wet year that included hail storms and insect and disease problems.” He planted corn on four dates this year. The first two planting dates were May 18 and June 3. A hailstorm with severe wind struck on June 14 and caused losses of up to 60 percent of the stand on the May 18 planting. “But because the growing point of the June 3 planting was still below ground, corn plants simply resprouted and we lost very few plants,” Xue said. The third and fourth planting dates were June 17 and June 19. The June 19 planting was a replant of some of the May 18 trials that were severely hail damaged, he said. “Two hail storms in early July caused
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
REFLECTING UPON 2015...
(Photo taken during Spring 2015 flood) Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter
In a neighboring plot, under the same conditions, another hybrid exhibits disease and insect damage.
Corn, from Page 5 some damage to the corn planted on June 3, however there was little to no stand loss for corn planted on June 17 and June 19,” Xue said, adding the latter two plantings produced the best corn this year in the trials. “So planting dates really did make a difference,” he said. “If you get the hail damage in the early vegetative stage, you don’t get as much damage to yields, but if the plant is already big, you get greater stand damage.” Additionally, the side-by-side plots of corn suffered various insect attacks, primarily grasshoppers, as well as earworms and fungal diseases, Xue said. He said among his trials was a comparison of the different hybrids for their protection against ear damage from disease and insects. “Producers need to make sure the hybrid they are buying has a good ear protection trait included in it because we saw a clear difference between hybrids this year with all of the heavy insect and
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disease pressure,” he said. “What we learned this year is just don’t rush to plant your corn too early,” he said. “The traditional planting dates in this area are late April or early May. However, corn we planted on June 19 is still the best corn we got this year. “I would say if you would delay your planting date, you can avoid some of the heavy hail damage that can accompany spring storms.” Xue said, however, that producers who decide to delay their planting date should be mindful of the hybrid they plant. “You don’t want to use the longseason hybrids; 120-day corn is probably too risky with delayed planting,” he said. “If your corn is under full irrigation or well-watered, the longer-season hybrids have the greatest yield potential. “But in years when the weather is drier and you only can use limited irrigation or you are delaying planting, you should use a midseason or short-season hybrid and it will give you more flexibility in your operation.”
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Four States Cattle Conference set for Dec. 8 in Texarkana By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
TEXARKANA — The Four States Cattle Conference set for Dec. 8 will focus on several issues affecting beef cattle production heading into 2016 including a cattle market outlook, according to organizers. The conference is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Cooperative Extension programs at the University of Arkansas, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, and Farm Credit. The event will be held at the Four States Fairgrounds, 3700 E. 50th St. in Texarkana, Arkansas. “A lot of beef producers want to know what the outlook will be for prices heading into 2016,” said Brian Triplett, AgriLife Extension agent in Bowie County, and a program speaker. “We’ll have an in-depth look at price projections, plus there will be programs on how calves are graded, what order buyers and packers are looking for. Plus, we will have presentations on herd health
programs, proper vaccine care and administration.” Attendees also will learn more about efficiencies in feeding hay over the winter, Triplett said. Speakers include Ross Pruitt, Louisiana State University Ag Center; Tom Brink, JBS Five Rivers Cattle, Colorado; James Ward, U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Marketing Service Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News Service; Dave Lalman, professor of animal science, Oklahoma State University; John Richardson, professor of animal science, West Texas A&M University; Dee Griffin, professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Brian Freking, livestock specialist, Oklahoma State University. Registration is $50 for couples, $30 for individuals and $15 for 4-H/FFA students. To register, send your name, organization, mailing address, phone number and email along with a check or money order payable to Clark County to Clark County CES, 640 South 6th St., Suite B, Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71923.
Work begins on 4th agriculture and life sciences building at A&M Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M University System officials celebrated breaking ground on the West Campus for the Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building on Nov. 13. When finished in June 2017, the building will complete the modern, four-building complex, which includes the Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, the AgriLife Center, and the AgriLife Services Building. Those three buildings were completed in 2011-12. The 80,000 square-foot Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological
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Sciences Building will house the department of wildlife and fisheries sciences and portions of the ecosystem science and management department. It will provide office space for about 150 people. Like its companion buildings, the new building will be built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard and will capture and store rainwater for on-site landscape irrigation. The $32-million dollar building was designed by Kirksey Architecture and is being built by Skanska.
COLUMBUS LIVESTOCK END OF YEAR BULL & REPLACEMENT SALE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2015 STARTING AT 12:30 PM
(2000 REESE LANE COLUMBUS, TX) 350 PAIRS/HEAVY BRED HEIFERS (NOTHING OVER 5 YRS OLD) AND 100 ALL BREED VIRGIN BULLS NORTHERN GENETICS, BUT TEXAS RAISED.
100 - All Breed Virgin Bulls (Angus, Sim-Angus, Charolais, Horned Hereford, Brangus & Brahman) (Good, Quality Heavy Boned Bulls - Will be Tested and Ready to go to Work) 20-28 months old 40 - Pairs/Heavy Bred Heifers (Black/Black Baldie) 10 - Horned Hereford Pairs/Remainder Heavy Bred Heifers 20 - Horned Hereford Open Heifers 40 - Heavy Bred Heifers and Brangus Pairs 30 - Red Beefmaster Heavy Bred Heifers 20 - F1 Heavy Bred Heifers 20 - Angus Plus Pairs and Heavy Bred Heifers 40 - Angus Pairs and Heavy Bred Heifers 14 - 4 year old Brangus Pairs 6 - 5 year old Brangus Pairs
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
BRAD HAUERLAND OFFICE: 979-732-2622 CELL: 979-877-8839
These cattle will be heavily screened to ensure top quality replacement cattle. All bulls will be fertility and trich tested even though they are virgin bulls. By December 1st, a complete listing of sale cattle will be available at www.columbuslivestock.com
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Helping Texans prepare for, recover from natural disasters A Livestock Supply Point recently was set up in Bastrop by the city, AgriLife Extension and the Texas Animal Health Commission. This facility provided food and shelter for about 250 animals, including cattle, horses, pigs and chickens, displaced by the wildfire in Bastrop County. “Comal County has set up its emergency operations center and has begun warning residents along River Road to seek higher ground,� said Connie Sheppard, AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent for that county. “The reports are that ... the county has received between nine and 15 inches of rain, including as much as 12 inches between Canyon Lake and New Braunfels. Most low-water crossings in the county are now closed, and resi-
By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
FLORESVILLE — With tornadoes and floods affecting many areas of South Central Texas in late October, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reminds residents the agency provides publications and other educational materials to help prepare for and recover from natural disasters. “We’ve had tornado activity in Wilson, Comal, Guadalupe, Medina and Hays counties, and officials have asked people in the Cibolo Creek area and around the Guadalupe and San Marcos Rivers to move to higher ground,� said Andy Vestal, AgriLife Extension specialist and emergency management program director in College Station. “Safety officials have asked residents around Canyon Lake and the Guadalupe River to evacuate due to rising water, and there has been extensive flooding around Bulverde, Floresville, New Braunfels, Spring Branch, Wimberley, Grey Forest and other towns in South Central Texas.� Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Wilson County, said tornadoes and flooding have hit that area hard. “We had tornado damage at the high school and at several businesses and other facilities in and around Floresville, plus there has been extensive flooding around Interstate 97 from Floresville to Stockton,� Davis said. “The electricity is out in many parts of town, and officials are saying there is likely to be a 20to 40-foot rise in Cibolo Creek.� Davis said the recent flooding also has downed a lot of fences and livestock are moving to higher ground. “Right now, we don’t know if it will be necessary to set up a Livestock Supply Point, but we’re waiting to see if enough livestock have been displaced to make one necessary,� Davis said.
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See DISASTER, Page 20 Photo courtesy of Russell Bading
The barn at the home of Melvin Bading, father-in law of AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent Charla Bading of Guadalupe County, was destroyed by a tornado that hit the Geronimo community near Seguin.
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December 2015 — Issue 1
ď‚Ť
The Land & Livestock Post
News Blackland Income Growth Conference starting earlier in 2016 By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
WACO — The Blackland region’s largest agricultural conference features a new date and location with a blend of traditional and new programs to serve producers, according to organizers. For the past 53 years, the Blackland Income Growth Conference, also known as BIG, has provided producers with the latest information on new technology and cropping methods to boost yields and profits, said Ron Woolley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service regional program leader in Stephenville. The 2016 conference is scheduled Jan. 5-6 at the Waco Convention Center. The conference will be held a month earlier to give farmers more time in advance
of corn planting to incorporate much of the information shared at the conference, Woolley said. “We think this schedule change will benefit all producers in the Blacklands region,” he said. “The Blackland Income Growth Conference has a long history of providing the latest research information and production management practices for farmers and ranchers throughout the region. This year’s program has something for everyone and provides timely, reliable information that will help farmers and ranchers become more profitable in their operations.” The annual conference is sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the Waco Chamber of Commerce. Registration for the main Blackland Income Growth Conference is $20 per person and includes lunch. Several sessions
will award continuing education units. Producers can download the brochure at bit.ly/1WwKzd4 to see specific continuing education credit allocations, sessions and speakers. Producers also will be able to take part in the Mid-Texas Farm and Ranch Show at the convention center. Vendors and agricultural equipment dealers will be on hand showcasing the latest in farm supplies and implements, Woolley said. The keynote luncheon speaker Jan. 5 will be Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market, The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, a diverse alliance that works to create opportunities across the agriculture supply chain for improvements in productivity, environmental quality and human well-being. He will present “Defining, Measuring and Ad-
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin
The beef session attracted more than 100 attendees at the 2015 Blackland Income Growth Conference. This next conference will be held Jan. 5-6 in Waco. vancing Sustainability in Agriculture.” Woolley said the 2015 conference attracted more than 600 attendees. “The beef session had more than 100 attendees, one of the highest attended sessions in recent years,” Woolley said. “We are anticipating an even higher turnout considering the interest in beef cattle herd rebuilding and the overall economic climate pro-
ducers are currently experiencing.” Other commodity sessions include grain, rural land management, horticulture, cotton, forage, wildlife and equine. On Jan. 6, the Blackland Income Growth Recertification Program will be held from 8 a.m-4:30 p.m. Two continuing education units will be offered for Texas Department of Agriculture license holders in the laws and regulation category, one integrated pest management, one drift and two general. A private applicator training also will be held the same day from 8-11:45 a.m. For more information about the Blackland Income Growth program and registration fees, contact the AgriLife Extension agent in your county or call 254968-4144.
Brazos Valley Livestock Commission 18th Annual Fall Replacement Sale
Highway 21 East • Bryan, Texas • Saturday December 5, 2015 •11:00 AM EARLY CONSIGNMENTS INCLUDE:
Bulls: •4 Rotello Farms Registered Horned •Hereford Bulls •4 Rotello Farms Registered Polled Hereford •Bulls •10 Pat Griswold Charolais Bulls •5 Pat Griswold Red Angus Bulls •4 Pat Griswold Brangus Bulls •12 Double Creek Farms Angus Bulls •All Bulls are coming two years old
Bred Females and Pairs:
•65 ½ Angus, ¼ Brahman, ¼ Holstein Cross Heifers medium to heavy bred to Angus Bull. o Big, stout and all one raising •65 ½ Charolais, ¼ Brahman, ¼ Holstein Cross Heifers medium to heavy bred to Angus Bulls o Big, stout and all one raising •15 Braford Heifers medium to heavy bred to Angus Bulls •15 Brangus Heifers medium to heavy bred to Angus Bulls •25 Braford Heifers bred to Angus Bull •52 Brangus Heifers bred to Angus Bulls •12 F1 Braford Heifers heavy bred to Angus Bulls •40 3-5 yr. old Crossbred Cows heavy bred and some with calves.
•10 3-5 yr. old Brangus Pairs •3 Braford Chocolate Heifers bred to Angus Bull •6 Red Baldy Heifers heavy bred to LBW Red Angus Bull •14 Angus Heifers heavy bred to Angus Bulls •6 Black Baldy Heifers heavy bred to Angus Bulls •25 Angus Heifers heavy bred to 44 Farms LBW Angus Bulls o All one raising •25 Black Baldy Heifers heavy bred to 44 Farms LBW Angus Bulls. o All one raising •10 Tigerstripe 3 yr. old cows bred to Angus or Charolais Bulls. •20 Tigerstripe 6 yr. old cows bred to Angus or Charolais Bulls.
Open Females: •70 Open ½ Charolais, ¼ Brahman ¼ Holstein Cross Heifers o Big Stout and all one raising •30 Open Brangus Heifers •5 Open Brangus Baldy Heifers 12-15 months old •8 Open Brangus Heifers 12-15 months old • 6 Open Angus Heifers 11-12 months old •4 Open Angus X Beefmaster Heifers 11-13 months old •18 Open Brahman Cross Heifers •14 Open Braford Type Heifers •5 Open Brangus Heifers •6 Open Black Baldy Heifers
All cattle are young and screened for quality. Call us to consign your quality females!
REGULAR CATTLE SALES TUESDAYS 12:00 NOON FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 979.778.0904
Pete Scarmardo - Owner • Mobile: 979.268.1947 Scott Scarmardo - Mobile: 979.224-3764 • brazosvalleylivestock@yahoo.com
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Cattle prices softening due to U.S. herd expansion rants nationwide. This comes at a time when we’ve also got the fewest cows. Overall, this is the strongest demand for beef in 25 years.” Looking ahead to future cattle prices, Anderson said there are currently 2 percent more cows and 2 percent more calves in the U.S. than a year ago. “Through 2017, I’ve got every quarter of the year projected with more beef production than the year before,” he said. “I think we can continue to look for strong cattle prices and positive-side demand for beef.” Recent declines in calf and cattle prices are largely due to record-high cattle weights resulting in more beef production, Anderson said.
By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
The nation’s beef cattle producers are in expansion mode and record-high cattle prices have likely seen a top, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock marketing economist. “Over the long term, we are continuing to expand and prices are coming down from record highs because we are expanding herds,” said David Anderson of College Station. “We are starting to increase supplies and calf prices have been coming down. However, we will still see high prices since it will take some time to build our inventory back up.” Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains specialist in College Station, said recent rains will help forage and wheat growth, benefiting stocker cattle operators across the state. “As of right now with all the rain we’ve had, we’ve got full soil profiles,” he said. “Right now we are just having issues with portions of Central, South Central and Eastern Texas getting the crop in the ground. The High Plains and Rolling Plains did get it in the ground in a timely manner and have an above-normal crop rating. With all the moisture we’ve had, we’ve got good grazing potential for stocker cattle operators.” Beef demand continues to be strong and Anderson said this has helped during times of record retail prices. “I don’t think we’d have had prices where they were if it weren’t for consumer demand,” he said. “If you put consumer demand and price together, I think that’s pretty compelling for higher prices.” Anderson pointed to the rise in gourmet hamburger chains across the U.S. “You have this huge growth in these specialized burger restaurants,” he said. “This coincides with one of the fewest supplies
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See EXPAND, Page 20
Improve your herd’s productivity
DA L N I T M A R H OW S DS FEE
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photos by Blair Fannin
Top, Beef cattle demand continues to be strong during times of record retail prices, said David Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock marketing economist in College Station. Above, David Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist in College Station, talks about the continuing expansion of beef cattle herds. of cows in several decades. The second driver is the popularity of Texas style barbecue. We’ve seen huge growth in barbecue restau-
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Cow-calf operations benefit from timely BCS evaluation By Clay Wright The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
A cow’s reproductive performance is measured by her ability to conceive, deliver and “mother” a calf to weaning every 365 days. In a commercial cow-calf operation, this is the primary factor affecting profitability. Most instances of poor reproductive performance in a herd are due to inadequate nutrition. Body condition score is a proven tool to determine nutritional status of an animal. The Beef Improvement Federation emphasizes that, “Current body condition influences subsequent growth, reproduction, milk production and life span.” These are all critical economic traits. In spring-calving herds, weaning is an ideal time to evaluate
the herd’s body condition score and, if needed, adjust winter nutrition to ensure cows will be in at least a score of 5.5 at calving next spring. Look at the table. To continue on a 365-day calving interval, cows must rebreed within 80 to 85 days of calving. Trial 1 shows cows calving in body condition score of 4 aren’t even cycling 80 days post-calving. Further, Trial 2 shows they won’t rebreed in acceptable numbers unless and until they add condition up to a body condition score of 5, regardless of how long you leave the bulls out (six months in this trial). There are many other trials such as these with similar findings. Descriptions of the nine gradations of body condition score are fairly universal and can be found easily in print and online.
The cow in the photo is obviously empty, but she is in a body condition score of 5.5. She has a smooth appearance because all her ribs are completely covered. Her topline is smooth, and there is some fat deposition around her tail head and behind her shoulder. In a body condition score of 4,
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her topline would still be smooth, but her last two ribs would be visible at all times. There would be little to no indication of fat around her tail head or behind her shoulder. In a body condition score of 6, she’d have more fat in those areas with noticeable deposition in her brisket and more smoothness over her rump.
After weaning, spring-calving cows are at their lowest level of nutritional requirement for the year. If body condition needs to be added, this is the most efficient time to do it. Score your herd now, and provide nutrition to maintain or achieve a body condition score of 5.5 by calving time.
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Foreign invasion
Chinese tallow is just another problem weed By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post
C
hinese tallow is is a prolific invader and destroys wildlife habitat and grazing land. A fast-growing weedy tree with milky sap, it reaches a height of 30 feet. Also called chicken tree and popcorn tree, the plant is found in fields, wetlands, upland forests, rightsof-ways and pasture land from the Texas Rio Grande Valley to North Carolina’s northern boundary. Because of Chinese tallow, less than 1 percent of the original Texas coastal prairie remains and less than 500 of the original 2.2 million acres still exist in Louisiana. This plant first became established along the coastal plains of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. It now has spread to the interiors of these states and has also become a problem in California. “Chinese tallow will completely cover a pasture within five years from the time it first appears,” said David Mitchell of M&M Air Services in Beaumont. “This plant produces 20,000 seeds each year and, as a result, spreads very rapidly. “It cannot be controlled mechanically because of the huge seed supply in the soil and the plant’s ability to sprout from its roots.” Chinese tallow is a hardy tree, able to survive full sunlight and shade, flooding, drought, saline soils and, in most cases, fire. Insects do not feed on this plant and it seems not to have any natural enemies. Because of this environmental tolerance and its bright yellow, orange or red foliage in the fall, the plant is considered an excellent ornamental. Fortunately, in some areas, it has been declared a nuisance plant and no longer
12
Photo courtesy of lsuagcenter.com
Chinese tallow is a fast-growing weedy tree that can grow as tall as 30 feet.
On the cover: The “Popcorn Tree,” as the Chinese tallow also is called because of its white seeds, has invaded the Gulf of Mexico coast from Texas to Florida, especially the wetlands and bottomland forests. Photo courtesy of nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu
can be sold. The tree has slender branches that droop and are broken easily. Leaves are hairless, diamond-shaped and have no petals. They grow in two- to six-inch drooping spikes located at the end of each branch. Walls of the three-celled fruit fall readily at maturity leaving three chalky white seeds attached to the tree. These nutlike seeds have a hard coat covered by tallow which becomes black with weathering. As reported by the United States Department of the Interior, “Chinese tallow has been cultivated as a seed-oil crop in China for at least 14 centuries. Candles, soap, cloth dressing and fuel are made from the tallow. The kernels produce oil called stillingia which is used in machine oils, lamp oil, varnishes and paints. “It also can be converted to charcoal, ethanol and methanol. Potentially, oil from the seeds can be a substitute for petroleum.” The plant was introduced into several different areas of the United States for different reasons. It is reported that Chinese tallow was imported by Benjamin Franklin in 1772 and into South Carolina in the late 1700s as an ornamental. The United States Department of Agriculture introduced it into the Gulf of Mexico’s coastal regions in the 1900s to help establish local soap industries.
See TALLOW, Page 13
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Tallow, from Page 12 Chinese tallow trees are a significant problem to ranchers primarily because they cause a decrease in forage. The plant also can have a toxic effect on cattle. One percent of an animal’s weight of green plant material can produce a strong purgative effect on bowels of cattle within 12 to 14 hours after consumption. Signs of poisoning associated with digestive tract disorder may include: • Diarrhea (sometimes with free blood) • Anorexia (lack of appetite) • Listlessness • Weakness • Dehydration Cattle consuming Chinese tallow and suffering from diarrhea often recover when it is removed from the diet. Sheep and goats are not affected significantly by consumption of
13
Photo courtesy of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Chinese tallow leaves are hairless, diamond-shaped and have no petals. this plant. The best way to prevent cattle toxicity is to avoid overgrazing pastures containing Chinese tallow, especially in early summer when the trees are putting on fruit. Ranchers and other land managers successfully are using herbicides to fight Chinese tallow. The “2014 Chemical Weed and Brush Control Suggestions for Rangeland,” published by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, lists several herbicides that can provide high control ratings on Chinese tallow trees. Picloram is recommended for foliar applications either used alone or in combination with 2,4-D, fluroxypyr, or triclopyr. Sug-
See POISON, Page 14
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
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Poison, from Page 13 gested soil treatments include undiluted tebuthiuron 20 percent pellets, hexazinone liquid or hexazinone pellets applied to soil between stem base and edge of the canopy. Triclopyr is recommended as a stem spray. “M&M Air Service uses a three-year aerial spray program with Grazon® P+D (picloram + 2,4-D) to rid areas of Chinese tallow,” Mitchell are. “The first year, we apply one gallon per acre to control the tall, mature trees. “During the second spraying season, we treat with two quarts of Grazon P+D per acre to control juvenile trees. “Then in the third year, we apply one quart per acre to control seedlings and add Remedy (triclopyr) to the herbicide mix at one quart per acre for the control of other woody plant species that emerge due to reduced competition from Chinese tallow. After this third treatment, the plants can be kept under control with individual plant treatments.” “The worst problem occurs when people mow Chinese tallow with a shredder,” Mitchell said. “It looks good for a while and then everything re-sprouts. Sprouts are awfully hard to control with broadcast sprays because there is usually not enough foliage to transport chemical into the plant roots.” “Chinese tallow trees become real sissies when they are covered with a good herbicide spray,” said Kim Teykl, manager of Damon Farm and Ranch Service Center in Damon, northwest of Angleton. “They give up real fast.” “Choice of application equipment depends on the number and size of plants to be treated,” Teykl said. “Large trees with heights of two feet or less are often custom treated with a Terri-
See INVASIVE, Page 17
14
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hhh >j2XXZV?ReZ`_ T`^ Photo courtesy of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
The Chinese tallow tree’s nutlike seeds become black with weathering.
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Texas ranchers bullish on potential of Pacific trade pact By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER The Dallas Morning News
W
ASHINGTON — As Congress weighs whether to commit the U.S. to a 12-nation free-trade pact, Texas cattle ranchers are looking overseas to put a better cut of steak on dinner plates in Japan, Vietnam and Australia. That global outlook has been on display in the weeks since the World Health Organization announced that eating too much beef is more than just bad for the heart — it might cause cancer, too. Health concerns have had Americans thinking twice about a rib-eye for dinner for years. Their annual consumption of beef has dropped from 85 pounds in 1974 to 55 pounds last year. But ask Saginaw rancher Pete Bonds about the future of his industry, and the second-generation cattle baron isn’t worried about Americans’ changing diets. “The future of this business is not here in the U.S. It’s offshore,” Bonds said. “Ninety-six percent of people in the world don’t live in the U.S.” And increasingly, when those folks decide beef is what’s for dinner, they are asking for the corn-fed beef that the U.S. — and Texas — has so much of. “There are basically two kinds of beef in the world,” Bonds said. “One is the grassfed beef raised around the globe and the other is the corn-fed beef you see here in the United States. It’s a premium product, and people pay more for it.” That corn-fed difference has Texas ranchers such as Bonds bullish on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the sweeping new trade deal whose text was finally made public early last month,
15
David Woo/The Dallas Morning News staff photographer
Colby Hunt, left and April Bonds round up cattle on the Bonds Ranch in Saginaw. “Last I counted, I think we have cattle in 30 Texas counties and 10 states,” Pete Bonds said. triggering a showdown in Congress over the next 90 days. The Trans-Pacific Partnership would lower tariffs on thousands of products, including beef and veal exports. In essence, it would create a NAFTAlike free-trade zone between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in North America and nine other nations, including Singapore, Vietnam, Chile, and Japan, home of the famous Kobe beef herds. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman hailed the agreement. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to succeed former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk in the Cabinet-level position in 2013. “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is also the largest tax cut on American exports in a generation, slashing over 18,000 individual taxes on the products American manufacturers make, American farmers grow, and American innovators create,” Froman said.
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Memories of NAFTA
Democrats in Texas and elsewhere with long memories of the North American Free Trade Agreement aren’t convinced. President Bill Clinton relied on Republican votes when he signed NAFTA into law 22 years ago. Critics said that whatever gains it provided for the overall economy weren’t worth the harm many middle-class workers would see as manufacturing jobs headed south across the Texas border to Mexico.
See TRADE, Page 16
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Trade, from Page 15 More than 20 years later, some of those worries have come true. Union leaders point to factories and assembly plants built south of the border as proof. But economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year that on balance the deal has been good for the U.S. economy. Some of the same political dynamics have surfaced again. Democratic candidates for president Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both oppose it. And when Congress gave President Obama expanded trade authority in June — a vote seen as a test for the Trans-Pacific Partnership — Republican support was crucial. Texas’ senior senator, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, said the opposition by Clinton and Sanders could peel more Democrats away from the deal and may even kill it. “As you know, I am a big supporter of trade,” Cornyn said. “But unfortunately ... it’s clear that it makes some unnecessary concessions that may make it tough to get the votes it needs. Of the Democrats in the Senate, only 13 voted for” the trade promotion bill. “I think it’s going to be very hard, if not impossible.” Still, with the stakes so high for businesses that rely on trade, all sides expect a furious push in its favor by the end of the year — and not just from the White House. In arguing for the deal, supporters point to Texas as a prime example of how it would create jobs by lowering tariffs on its exports. Texas already does brisk business with the 11 partnership nations, not just with neighbors Mexico and Canada. It exported goods worth $156 billion to the Trans-Pacific Partnership zone in 2014. The Dallas area alone sent $28.7 billion worth of goods to foreign markets. Most of that went to Canada and Mexico, where tariffs already have been removed. But billions in goods also went to nations where tariffs remain high. About $8 billion went to Japan, Malaysia or Vietnam. It’s not beef that drives those big numbers. Texas exports more in petroleum products, electronics and many other
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goods. Even as Americans are reducing how much beef they eat, meat from nearly nine out of every 10 cows slaughtered in the U.S. is eaten in the U.S. But few industries are as associated with a place as the cattle business is with Texas. Nearly 12 million cattle — more than in any other state — are raised here each year. Texas is home to the largest ranches and tallest tales. And every year, it slaughters more cows than any other place in the country. The Lone Star State still sends more beef and veal out of the country than any other state. Just as important, Texas remains home to places such as downtown Fort Worth, where it can be easy to spot a passer-by in a cowboy hat as it is to see a business suit — and often enough, on the same person.
The corn difference
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
If the Trans-Pacific Partnership takes effect, Texas cattle ranchers such as Bonds will have a richer market for their best beef overseas, said agricultural economist Ken Matthews. “We have a competitive advantage,” said Matthews, a Texas native who specializes in analyzing the beef industry for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington. “We’re the leading producer of high-quality, grain-fed beef.” Currently, almost all of the best-quality beef that America produces stays in the country. Foreign nations more often buy lowcost products such as beef tongues and lesser-quality cuts. Cheaper, tougher cuts that take longer to prepare are easier to sell overseas, he said. That’s due in large part to the tariffs other countries places on imports from the U.S. A stiff tax on a $5 cut of meat, he said, won’t necessarily price it out of a foreign buyer’s reach at the butcher. But adding 38.5 percent, for instance, to the cost of a $15 rib-eye would. “That’s a lot of money,” Bonds said. “But as that tariff comes down, we’re going to see more demand for our best beef.” Texas cattle ranchers can thank Iowa and the U.S. corn belt for that bounty. Few other nations can produce enough corn and grain to use them to feed cattle. A little corn for each animal goes a
President Barack Obama, accompanied by former secretaries of State, from left, James A. Baker III, Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, speaks during a meeting with national security leaders to discuss the TransPacific Partnership trade agreement on Nov. 13 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. long way, Matthews added. he was the smartest man I ever knew. A typical corn-fed cow spends its first He taught me that you can’t push a good 14 months eating grass just like cows all man six inches, but you can lead him to over the world. hell.” At about 800 pounds, it is shipped to Bonds borrowed his first money to a feeder operator, where it’s quite literbuy cattle at age 16, and was soon after ally fattened up for slaughter, Matthews splitting time between taking care of his said. herd back on the ranch and attending “It’s just the last 5 percent of the Texas Christian University to earn a weight when corn is introduced,” Matbusiness degree. He graduated in 1975, thews said. “It brings about a marbling, a year after meeting his wife, Jo, a ballet and it turns the yellow fat into a whiter major. fat. It makes for a milder, denser flavor.” Raised on a south Georgia peanut farm, Jo Bonds said she arrived in Fort Worth with an inborn affinity for agriRunning the ranch culture and the people who work it. Cattle have played an outsized role She’s been camp cook and ranch partin Texas’ history and lore for at least ner ever since they were married and as long as there has been a place called still runs a full-time dance studio on site. Texas. Ask Pete Bonds how many head of The King Ranch controls some 825,000 cattle he has, all told, and he says the acres in southern Texas. The W.T. Wagquestion is just as rude as “asking how goner Ranch near Vernon is said to be much money I have in the bank.” the largest ranch in America bounded Most Texas cattle ranchers work on a by a single fence. It’s on the market for a far smaller scale, and plenty know that cool $725 million. it’s not the only or easiest way to make a The Bonds Ranch in Saginaw began living, he said. very differently. “My dad bought this “The average herd is 40 head,” Bonds place in 1933,” Bonds said. “We’ve grown said. “They might have 50 to 200 acres this business from very small.” and work in town. They run cattle beBonds’ father died when he was a boy, cause they like to.” and a ranch foreman named Pete Burnett “pretty well raised me,” he recalled. • Michael A. Lindenberger works in the Wash“He never finished the sixth grade, but ington Bureau of The Dallas Morning News.
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Invasive, from Page 14 gator. Damon Farm and Ranch Service Center has a pull-type sprayer for loan to customers for treating smaller trees. Many people buy Remedy, mix it in diesel and stem treat their Chinese tallow. “Grazon P+D, Cimarron (metsulfuron + cholorosulfuron) and Surmount (picloram + fluroxypyr) all provide good control of Chinese tallow in foliar treatments. The treatment of choice, however, is 2.1 pints per acre of Grazon® Next HL (aminopyralid + 2,4,D) mixed with 1 pint per acre of Tordon® 22K (picloram). Both fall and spring applications are effective.” In their Brush Busters program, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recommends either a stem spray or a leaf spray as an individual plant treatment depending upon size and number of plants. If there are only a few plants to treat, the stem spray method usually works best. Where many plants occur, but most are less than six to eight feet tall, the leaf spray method may be more suitable. Small pump-up garden sprayers, backpack sprayers, cattle sprayers or sprayers mounted on 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles work well for both stem and leaf spray applications. Garden sprayers are more suitable for small acreages with sparse stands of brush. For small acreage containing dense stands of
brush, backpack sprayers are usually the most efficient. ATV sprayers work well for large acreages where there is enough space between the trees to maneuver the equipment. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recommends a 1-percent spray of Grazon P+D for leaf spray treatments of Chinese tallow. Its research shows that 76 to 100 percent root kill can be obtained with this treatment. To ensure the spray will stick to tallow tree foliage, the service recommends adding either a liquid dish washing detergent or a surfactant to the spray mix. It is helpful to mark plants, which have been sprayed, by adding a dye such as blue Hi-Light to the spray mixture. It is important that the sprayer be equipped with an adjustable nozzle which can deliver a coarse spray to the top of an eight-foot-tall tree. Conejet 5500X-6 or X-8 work well for these applications. For stem sprays, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recommends a mixture of Remedy and diesel fuel oil or other oilbased carrier. The oil is a coating and penetrating agent. It helps ensure that the herbicide covers the plant stems and is
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absorbed readily into the plant tissue. For this application, a Conejet 5500-X1 nozzle is recommended. Compared to standard nozzles, it can reduce the amount of applied spray by 80 percent, which makes the treatment much more cost effective. Brush Busters bulletin entitled, “How to Take Out Tallowtrees,” recommends: “The optimum time to leaf spray is July through September, as long as the foliage has not begun to turn yellow. “For effective control, each plant must be thoroughly sprayed, almost to the point of dripping. The terminal ends of all branches should be thoroughly wet also. “Stem sprays can be applied any time during the year, although the most effective results occur during the springsummer-fall growing season. In using this technique, the herbi-
Photo courtesy of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Stems are grayish in color and have smooth bark. cide mixture is sprayed lightly but evenly on the plant’s stem or trunk from the ground line up to 12 inches. The mixture is applied to all sides of every stem in enough quantity to thoroughly wet the stem, but not enough to allow spray to run off and puddle at the tree’s base.” Regardless of the herbicide application method used, it is important to treat whenever Chinese tallow plants are present. If they are allowed to spread, control becomes more difficult and more expensive.
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
Bovine Leukemia Virus: Five things you need to know By Dr. MereDyth Jones Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
C
ollege sports and veterinary medicine intersected recently with the announcement of the retirement and subsequent passing of University of Texas mascot Bevo XIV after he was diagnosed with Bovine Leukemia Virus. For many cattle producers, this disease may be unfamiliar, but there are a few things that the cow-calf producer needs to know about this virus. • Bovine Leukemia Virus is classified as an oncogenic retrovirus. Retroviruses are viruses that incorporate themselves into the genetic material of the host, meaning once an animal is infected, it is infected for life. Other retroviruses which you may be more familiar with include human immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus of domestic cats. That the virus is oncogenic means that it has the ability to produce
Vet’s Voice
Photo courtesy of www.utexas.edu
University of Texas mascot Bevo XIV died recently from Bovine Leukemia Virus a little-known ongenic retrovirus.
tumors in the host. As a group, retroviruses are slow-acting, often not causing disease in their host until months to years after initial infection, which most often occurs between 6 months to 3 years old. In other words, an infected animal can appear normal and be productive for many years prior to illness. • Bovine Leukemia Virus is transmitted between animals by blood, as it is carried in blood cells. Needles for injection, dehorning and castration tool and tattoo pliers all have been implicated in transmis-
sion of the virus. Tabanid flies (horse flies), as they move from one animal to another, also may carry the virus between animals. Calves born to infected cows are at moderate risk of being born infected. The virus also can be transmitted in semen, causing the major semen companies to test resident sires regularly. • Bovine Leukemia Virus causes lymphoma tumors in a small number of infected animals, with studies reporting tumors in less than 5 percent of infected animals (rarely, a 10 percent rate of tumors is reported). Although infection generally occurs between 6
See VIRUS, Page 19
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News Virus, from Page 18 months and 3 years old, the tumors do not develop until 4 to 8 years old in most cases. These tumors most often are found in lymph nodes, the abomasum (stomach), heart, uterus and spinal column of cattle. • Cattle can be tested for infection with Bovine Leukemia Virus, but the test only indicates infection with the virus, not that the animal has a tumor. What this means practically is that if an animal is ill of an unknown cause and it is tested for Bovine Leukemia Virus, the results have to be interpreted very carefully. If the test comes up negative, then we can be confident that the animal does not have a tumor caused by Bovine Leukemia Virus. If the test comes up positive, we can say that the animal is infected with the virus, but we cannot say that their present illness is being caused by a tumor. Remember, fewer than 5 percent of animals infected with the virus will have a tumor develop. This becomes particularly important if a herd has an animal develop a tumor. The owner often requests that the entire herd be tested to prevent another loss. In this situation, it is possible that a large percentage of the herd could test positive. Then what to do? Sell off the herd? I would argue that, in most commercial cow-calf herds, rather than performing widespread testing, that herd would be better served to implement prevention strategies (changing needles between animals during processing,
disinfection of husbandry tools, fly control, etc.) to limit further spread within the herd. Limiting spread, particularly to replacement heifers, provides a long-term strategy for control. Here’s a real-life example” You own a beef herd of 100 mother cows. Let’s say that we test all of them for Bovine Leukemia Virus and discover that 20 percent are infected. That’s 20 cows. We know from research that 5 percent of those may develop a tumor, which is 1 cow. In this scenario, the producer is put in a position to make a decision about what to do with 20 cows because one of them might become ill. Depending on the goals of the herd, it may be useful to know the identities of the 20 cows to manage them differently to prevent transmission or the herd may choose not to test and implement measures to prevent transmission regardless of the status of each individual cow. • Bovine Leukemia Virus is cattle-specific and there are no human health concerns with regards to the virus. Bovine Leukemia Virus infects many beef cattle each year. While disease from the virus is uncommon, it is a good idea when planning and implementing herd health plans and procedures to consider strategies to prevent transmission of this and other blood-transmitted diseases. It’s also always a good idea to periodically check in with your veterinarian to review your herd health plan and evaluate your herd’s risk as your herd grows and priorities are updated.
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The Land & Livestock Post
News Expand, from Page 10
while third quarter prices are projected at $215-$224 per hundredweight. For the fourth quarter, Anderson projects prices to be $207-$216 per hundredweight. Currently, some estimates of annual cow costs are around $700 per cow. Factoring in an average selling price of $1,100 per head for calves leaves cow-calf producers in a profitable position. “But, longer term, increasing cow numbers and beef produc-
“More imported beef and reduced exports are pressuring prices lower, too,” Anderson said. “But, as the fed cattle backlog is reduced, then price will rebound higher.” Anderson said for the first quarter of 2016 he projects Southern Plains #1 500-600-pound steers at around $216 to $222 per hundredweight. Second quarter prices in 2016 are projected at $220-$227 per hundredweight,
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin
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Disaster, from Page 8 dents who live in flood-prone areas are being asked to carefully monitor the weather and watch and listen for any further warnings.” The barn at the home of Melvin Bading, father-in-law of Charla Bading, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Guadalupe County, was destroyed by a tornado that hit the community of Geronimo near Seguin Friday. “The tornado destroyed the barn and destroyed some of the other houses in the community,” Charla Bading said. “Right now we’re just finding out what all was damaged and what we can do to clean up and get back to normal.” Bading said she was also concerned that more rain was expected and there would be additional flooding in the Seguin area. “The Guadalupe River is already overflowing and people who live on or near the river have been asked to self-evacuate,” she said. Joyce Cavanagh, AgriLife Extension specialist in family development and resource management in College Station, said because the rains have been so widespread, the agency also wants to remind all Texans to be alert to the possibility of flash floods and to take proper precau-
20
tion means prices are headed lower,” Anderson said.
tions when driving, especially at low-water crossings. “Additional rains in already saturated areas could create more runoff, causing flash flooding or overflows that may impair roadways or possibly damage homes and other property,” Vestal said. “We want Texans to remember to respect barricades and not take unnecessary chances at low-water crossings.” Information on flooding and flood recovery are available at the Texas Extension Disaster Education Network website at texashelp.tamu.edu/004-natural/floods.php. Additional emergency and disaster information can be found
in e-book format at texashelp. tamu.edu. E-book materials may be downloaded to any mobile device supporting the e-book format, such as phones, tablets and e-readers. “These disaster preparedness and recovery materials provide information on how individuals, families and businesses can prepare for and recover from a disaster, including flooding,” Cavanagh said. “They contain practical, useful information provided by AgriLife and Texas A&M University System experts, as well as experts from state and federal agencies and from throughout the national land-grant university Extension system.”
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Todd Mission Ranch • 9977 CR 302 Plantersville TX John Straitz • Cell 713.256.7186 • TMRANGUS@gmail.com
SOTA LIVESTOCK A V A N AUCTION CO CO. Hwy 90 (toward Anderson) & FM 3455
11 TH ANNUAL FALL FEMALE & BULL REPLACEMENT SALE Sat. DECEMBER 12 - 10:00a.m. All Livestock must be received no later than Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 5:00p.m.
Early Consignments Include:
• 30 3-5 yr. old Brangus Pairs • 25 4-6 yr. old Crossbred Pairs • 25 3-5 yr. old Brangus Bred Cows • 175 3-5 yr. old Crossbred Bred Cows • 25 Bred, Crossbred Heifers • 25 Brangus Baldy Open Heifers • 75 Brangus & Brangus Baldy Open heifers • 30 Charolais & Angus Bulls from Pat Griswold • 5 Brangus Bulls from Pat Griswold • 5 Hereford Bulls from Pied Piper
Expecting 500+ Head
All consignments will be screened upon arrival. Accepting Additional Consignments For information, call 936-825-6545 or Greg Goudeau 936-661-8432 For a Free Weekly Market Report Log on to www.navasotalivestock.com
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Brazos Valley
Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Nov. 10 sale: Head: 957 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $225-$295; 300-400 lbs., $205-$245; 400-500 lbs., $175-$222; 500-600 lbs., $155$222; 600-700 lbs.,$155-$165; 700800 lbs., $150-$155. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $200-$245; 300-400 lbs., $170-$215; 400-500 lbs., $150-$195; 500-600 lbs., $140$160; 600-700 lbs., $135-$145. Slaughter bulls: $86-$94.50. Slaughter cows: $60-$85. Bred cows: $950-$1,600. Cow/calf pairs: $1,600-$1,950.
Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Nov. 7 sale: Head: 698 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $250-$315; 200-300 lbs., $225-$290; 300-400
lbs., $215-$265; 400-500 lbs., $175$240; 500-600 lbs.,$165-$205; 600700 lbs., $155-$180; 700-800 lbs., $145-$165. Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $255-$285; 200-300 lbs., $200-$240; 300-400 lbs., $165-$220; 400-500 lbs., $155$210; 500-600 lbs.,$150-$210; 600700 lbs., $145-$175; 700-800 lbs., $135-$155. Slaughter bulls: $80-$110. Slaughter cows: $45-$86. Bred cows: $1,250-$2,100. Cow/calf pairs: $1,250-$2,425.
Caldwell
Results of the Caldwell Livetock Commission’s Nov. 11 sale: Head: 546 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $250-$275; 300-400 lbs., $230-$245; 400-500 lbs., $190-$220; 500-600 lbs., $165$190; 600-700 lbs.,$160-$175; 700800 lbs., $150-$160. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $200-$270;
300-400 lbs., $200-$230; 400-500 lbs., $180-$195; 500-600 lbs., $155$180; 600-700 lbs., $140-$165. Slaughter bulls: $80-$90. Slaughter cows: $50-$85. Bred cows: $825-$1,800 Cow/calf pairs: $1,250-$2,350.
Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Nov. 12 sale: Head: 384 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $210-$265; 400-500 lbs., $175-$215; 500-600 lbs., $165-$205; 600-700 lbs., $160$190. Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $165-$200; 400-500 lbs., $160-$195; 500-600 lbs., $150-$190; 600-700 lbs., $145$185. Slaughter bulls: $90-$99. Slaughter cows: $60-$84. Bred cows: $1,700-$2,500. Cow/calf pairs: $2,000-$2,500.
Jordan
Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Nov. 12 sale: Head: 1,341 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $210-$250; 300-400 lbs., $210-$258; 400-500 lbs., $185-$242.50; 500-600 lbs., $165-$206; 600-700 lbs., $150$189; 700-800 lbs., $140-$165. Heifers: Under 200 lbs.,$220-$262; 200-300 lbs., $195-$250; 300-400 lbs., $175-$292.50; 400-500 lbs., $155-$255; 500-600 lbs., $145$250; 600-700 lbs.,$140-$164; 700800 lbs., $135-$232.50. Slaughter bulls: $77-$98. Slaughter cows: $55-$83. Bred cows: $900-$1,700.
300-400 lbs., $170-$285; 400-500 lbs., $160-$267.50; 500-600 lbs., $150-$207.50; 600-700 lbs., $140$180. Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $170-$260; 300-400 lbs., $160-$220; 400-500 lbs., $150-$216; 500-600 lbs., $140$200; 600-700 lbs., $130-$175. Slaughter bulls: $70-$90. Slaughter cows: $50-$78. Bred cows: 90-$1,425. Cow/calf pairs: $1,750-$2,250. — Special to The Post
Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock Auction’s Nov. 7 sale: Head: 900 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $180-$305;
Feeder Sale, Mason, TX
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Jan. 14 Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX
Events Calendar Dec.5 EXPO- Producers Coop . Bryan, TX Valley Livestock Commission, Bryan, TX
Dec. 5 Jordan Cattle Auction December
Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX
Sale, Fort Worth, TX
Jan. 23 Jordan Cattle Auction January Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX
Jan. 28 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull
Offering Pat Griswold Bull Sale, San Saba, TX
Dec. 6 Stockman’s Special All Breed Bull & Female
Jan. 29 Cowtown Cattle Drive Charolais Sale, Fort Worth, TX
Dec. 14 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker &
Jan. 29 Buzzard Hollow Ranch Bull Sale, Granbury, TX
Dec. 19 Griswold Cattle Co. Classic Female Sale,
Jan. 31 47th Annual Whiteface Replacement Female Sale, Fort Worth, TX
Sale, Industry, TX
Feeder Sale, Mason, TX Stillwater, OK
2016 January Jan. 7 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX
Jan. 11 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker &
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TX
Jan. 23 Texas Angus Assn. Stars of Texas Female
December Dec. 5 18th Annual Fall Replacement Sale, Brazos
facebook.com/texasllp
Jan. 22 Texas Angus Assn. Bull Sale, Fort Worth,
Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed? Call Jesse Wright at (979) 731-4721 or email jesse. wright@theeagle.com
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
land & livestock Post
Classifieds FARMeRs MARKet HAY-gRAIN GOOD KANSAS ALFALFA: Reasonable shipping if needed. All Hay tested and sold by RFV. 620-654-2667
HoRsEs-CATTLE
HoRsEs-CATTLE
LIVEsToCK WANTEd
MeRCHANDise
CHAROLAIS A+ BULLS: Registered Top Quality, Gentle, Polled, Fertility tested. LBW, Fancy Charolais Heifers. Ranch Bred & Raised, (254)729-8644, (254)747-2701 HORSE TRAILER: 2007 Keifer Built, 3 horse, slant load, 8 ft short wall, hydraulic jack, mangers, very well maint $23,500/obo, 281-541-5975
ROUND BALE FEEDERS
(Proven to Last & Light Weight)
Portable Buildings
RENT TO OWN or Purchase Portable buildings with rent starting at $75/mo; 8x12 up to 16x40 buildings. Cabins, utility buildings, lofted barns, play houses. Check us out online bcsportablebuildings.com or at 9638 E. Hwy 21. Not across from Airport. 979-218-0828 We now offer moving services for your Portable Buildings.
Calving now. Exc. quality Sell in any quantity.
713-249-5154.
ANGUS BULLS: Two year old bulls. Solid Rock Ranch, Matt Jones, Frankl in, TX, 979- 7777571, 979-828-3410. www.solidrockranch.com.
PHEASANTS: Adult ring neck Pheasants & Bob white Quail For sale, 979-218-9548
H E I F E R : 20 Black Baldies and Brangus Type Replacement Heiffers. Exc. Quality $1750 ea. 432-349-1290
Saturday December 5, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pete Scarmardo --- Owner Pete’s Mobile 979-268-1947 Scott Scarmardo --- General Manager. Scott’s Mobile Number: 979-224-3764 Office Number: 979-778-0904 More Consignments Coming
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Jordan Trailer Sales
San Saba, TX “Authorized Dealer” • A Large Selection of Trailers in Stock • Custom Ordering Avail. Call (325) 372-5159 www.jordancattle.com
dogs
CAMPERs-TRAVEL TRLR FIFTH WHEEL: 2010 Forest River Cardinal, w/ Gooseneck Attachment. 36’, 2 slides, granite counters, full size appliances, Super fan and AC/Heat. XL Great room w/ table, 2 recliners & sleeper sofa, fireplace & XL-TV. Oversized shower in private bath, bedroom has brand new optional QN. adj. bed w/ 2 controllers. Lots of dresser & closet space, XL-TV & W/D Combo. Excellent Condition. $28,250 or ($26,000 w/o beds.) Clear title. 979-268-1852 10a 10p only.
LAB MIX: Black, 8 yrs old. Spayed, in excellent health. Needs a home where she can run & play w/ someone. Prefers outdoor life. Wonderful companion. Call for details. 979-450-9094
Saturday Open Houses
MIsC FoR sALE
LIVEsToCK WANTEd
Brazos Valley Livestock Commission Company
18th Annual Fall Replacement Sale
MEAT-FIsH-PoULTRY
CHICKEN COOPS
Only $19.95!
STORAGE CONTAINERS
We have Chicken Coops at BCS Portable Buildings. 3 styles in 7 different sizes. All Coops can be custom built and can be purchased on a Rent To Own. Starting @ $63 /mo 9638 E. Hwy 21, Bryan TX. 77808 bcsportablebuildings.com 979-218-0828, or 218-9855
New/Used 20’ & 40’ Buy/Rent/Rent-to-Own Call for Pricing 979-836-7500 or 409-748-0380
Space Deadline: Wednesday by 5pm
The most up to date
PAsTUREs-sTALLs PASTURE LEASE(S) Needed, Matt Jones, Franklin, Tx 979/777-7571, 979/828-3410 www.solidrockranch.com
local news you will find.
ReCReAtiONAl
GREAT DANE PUPPIES: CKC, DOB 8-2-15. Ready 9-2715. Wormed biwkly. Vet checked. 1st shots. Raised inside. Socialized, sweet & loving. 979-324-8290
BUILdINg MATERIALs
325-372-5159 www.jordancattle.com
19 Gentle Brangus, Angus & Crossbreds
Pets & suPPlies
Call 776-SELL (7355)
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
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December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
Saturday, Dec. 5th
Great Show Specials! 1800 N. Texas Avenue
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8 am - 2 pm
Free CEU Credits! 979.778.6000
Valuable Information!
www.producerscooperative.com
December 2015 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post