January 2019 – Issue I
MODERN DESIGN Mixing breeds to get the right characteristics for your herd PAGE 10
WORKING TO FIND EMPLOYEES
Ways to find the best workers for your operation. PAGE 5
HUMP DAY
Camels are thriving on some Oklahoma farms. PAGE 9
HERE, LITTLE PIGGY Innovative online tool will track feral hogs in Texas. PAGE 15
GOING BIG
Blackland Income Growth Conference to be Jan. 15. PAGE 17
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January 2019 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News From the General Manager
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ell, unless someone made a grave error while editing this issue, it should say 2019 on the front of this issue. That means we are at the start of another year, with a whole new set of opportunities and challenges. The first being the opportunity to sign and date things with the year 2019, and the challenge of remembering to do so. As I am writing this, New Year’s Eve is still a few weeks away, but I can go ahead and predict that it will be a tame one. When I was really young, I had to go to bed early and JESSE WRIGHT didn’t get to stay up until midnight. I always felt I was missing something. When I was a little older, I could stay up later and even shoot off fireworks in the back yard. When I became an adult, we did the whole dress up nice, drink Champagne, wear silly hats and the big countdown, and the party never stopped at midnight. There were quite a few times in that period where I woke up on Jan. 1 with a bleak outlook on the year and very doubtful I would make it to Jan. 2. But, I’m a little older, and a little wiser — it is debatable whether or not my age and my wisdom
have advanced correspondingly — but these days, I know I’m not missing much on New Year’s Eve. We still go to parties sometimes, but it’s not as high a priority. In fact, I’m back to the stage where I’d be fine shooting off fireworks in the back yard, and I’m sure it won’t be too long before I’m begging to go to bed before midnight. However you start off your New Year, I hope it is a good one, and we have a great story to get 2019 started. In our cover story, we take a look at breed selection and how different traits and factors can help your herd. We also have news and information about upcoming events and sales as well as news from around the ag industry. Hope you enjoy it and, as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,
Congress finally passes new five-year Farm Bill By Sarah D. Wire Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — Congress on Dec. 12 overwhelmingly approved a five-year farm bill after removing conservative priorities that had stalled negotiations, including stricter work requirements for people receiving food benefits and a provision allowing more tree-cutting in federal forests as President Donald Trump proposed in the wake of California’s wildfires. The sweeping $867 billion bill, a compromise between the House and Senate after a months-long impasse, addresses agriculture, nutrition, forest and conservation policy. The Senate passed it 87 to 13 late Dec. 11 With House
Since the mid-1980s, the simulation model developed by a Texas A&M AgriLife Research economist has been used to evaluate countless farm bill proposals by Congress to determine both the good and bad financial outcomes for U.S. farmers. After a 41-year career with the Texas A&M System, James Richardson, co-director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University in College Station, has decided the time was right to
retire, effective Dec. 31. Richardson’s timing is fitting considering a new $867 million farm bill, which was analyzed using the simulation model, was passed by Congress on Dec. 12. FLIPSIM, or Farm Level Income Policy Simulator, is the simulation model Richardson first coded in 1980 and has garnered more than $38 million in funding for work by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M to simulate every farm bill since the mid-1980s for lawmakers, farmers and commodity groups wanting comprehensive policy analysis.
See RICHARDSON, Page 7
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See FARM BILL, Page 4
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James Richardson, developer of Farm Bill evaluation tool, retired on Dec. 31 By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
passage the next day, 369 to 47, the measure went to the president. Although Trump had called the work requirements for food aid an “imperative,” he signaled he would sign the bill. He and lawmakers were anxious to reauthorize the twice-a-decade farm law — which had expired Sept. 30 — before Congress adjourned at the end of the year. The final bill does not include House Republicans’ controversial work requirements for ablebodied people receiving assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, or food stamps. Also dropped were eligibility changes that could have cut ben-
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January 2019 — Issue I
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News Farm Bill, from Page 3 efits to millions. Those were seen as a major barrier to the bill’s passage in the Senate. House Republicans lost their negotiating leverage by losing the party’s majority in November’s elections. They had to concede to help Senate Republicans get the support of the handful of Democrats needed to reach the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. Senate Republicans said the compromise was the best they could do in a sweeping bill that has to balance the needs of agriculture and food aid across a diverse country. “This may not be the best possible bill. But it is the best bill possible under these circumstances. And, importantly, it provides our farmers, ranchers and other rural stakeholders much needed certainty and predictability,” said the Republican chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas. More than 42 million Americans received SNAP benefits last year, or about 12.9 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Agriculture Department. The nutrition section of the bill, which includes SNAP, accounts for about 80 percent of the bill’s cost. An earlier House version of the bill had allowed the government to skip some environmental reviews required by law to accelerate logging in certain areas. Trump and members of his administration latched onto the idea this fall after the Camp Fire, which killed 86 people and burned 153,000 acres in Northern California, and the Woolsey Fire, which killed three people and destroyed more than 97,000 acres in Southern California. Some House Republicans said it is unfortunate the forest-thinning provision did not survive. “I wish we could have done more on forestry. The town of Paradise and the surrounding area has suffered so much and (it is) a prime example of why we need to have better forest management in that state and this whole country,” Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-California, said Dec. 12 on the House floor.
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AP photo House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, speaks about the farm bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House easily passed on Dec. 12, the farm bill, a massive legislative package that reauthorizes agriculture programs and food aid. In a nod to the need to thin forestland, the bill exempts specific thinning projects of between 3,000 and 4,500 acres of forest from public-comment periods. The final bill also extends a forest management program, supported by conservationists and forestry experts, that has encouraged collaboration between federal and state officials regardless of which level of government is the designated manager of land in question. It also expands that program, known as Good Neighbor Authority, to include counties and tribal lands. “As we continue to recover from the worst wildfire season on record, the bill will allow the U.S. Forest Service to work with California to expedite the removal of dead trees from our forests and reduce the risk of deadly wildfire in our communities,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said in a statement. The bill also creates a pilot program that encourages utility companies to clear trees and brush near power lines on federal land. California gas and electric power provider PG&E has been blamed by residents for starting several recent fires. Other provisions would legalize industrial hemp farming, ban the slaughter and import of dogs and cats for human consumption, and extend national bans on dogfighting and cockfighting to include U.S. territories.
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January 2019 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News Things to consider in finding and keeping good farm labor By Jason Bradley Noble Research Institute
Good help is hard to find. Most of us have heard this before, but for farm and ranch managers and their employers, it’s not just a saying. So if you’re hoping to find that next all-star employee, here are some things to consider.
Blueprint the position
Before you start seeking out that perfect employee, you need to know what that perfect employee looks like. step 1 — develop an outline of what the job position will entail Write out what the employee’s responsibilities will be and who they will be accountable to. There are great examples and drafts of job descriptions online, which can provide you with ideas on how to write these descriptions.
step 2 — develop an employee handbook While it may sound trivial, a handbook gives your employee(s) a solid foundation of what their job is. For all employees, this handbook should explain: • Their position title. • Their supervisor. • How they’ll be compensated. • What their schedule could look like. • If they get sick leave or vacation. • What benefits are available to them. This handbook won’t have the answers for everything in it, but having the basics in place will help minimize the chance of something happening and nobody knowing how to handle it. As situations arise, address them in the handbook. The handbook should be a continually developing work-in-progress. Not only will this help you and your employees stay on the same page, it will also help
when you start recruiting new employees.
Get the word out
When a company has a product it wants people to buy, how does it get people talking about the product? It advertises the product. Now, how do sports teams find the best athletes? They go out and recruit. Advertising and recruiting are the best ways to get the type of employee you’re looking for. If nobody knows you’re looking, you’re not going to find the right person. By using the job description you’ve created, you’ll be able to attract the right type of employees who know what they can expect from the job and what the job expects from them. One of the top ways people find out about open positions is by word of mouth. Having a great industry network through groups such as farming and ranching as-
sociations provides great contacts who may be able to pass your information on to someone they think could be a great fit. Other places to advertise and recruit are: • On websites. • In the classified pages of local papers. • At local universities and colleges.
Take them for a test drive
Yo u’ve gotten an email or a phone call from someone who sounds like a great match. He or she heard about the position from someone during a local meeting, got online to do a quick search on your name and found the job description you listed. Now it’s time to interview the applicant. Interviews are a great tool that can help you decide if a potential employee is going
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January 2019 — Issue I
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News Labor, from Page 5 to complement your operation. If you have multiple people interested in your position, phone interviews are a great way to narrow down who will make the final cut. Since a good number of operations are hands-on, working interviews are a great tool that can show you how potential employees think on their feet and adapt. Take the day to drive around with them. Discuss how the operation works and what direction you’d like to see the operation move toward. Get to know them and their interests. Find a couple of small projects to work on so you can see how they follow instructions and what they do once they’re done. Remember: Everything in an interview is a test, either from you or from them.
Invest in who you hire
Sir Richard Bransom said, “Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.� Finding employees who are passionate about their job, who love what they do day in and day out, and who are willing to put in extra time and effort so they can help improve your operation is an awesome thing. Great employees are assets
Photo by the Noble Research Institute Great employees are assets that when you invest in them, they can provide an amazing return. that when you invest in them, they can provide an amazing return. Investing in your employees doesn’t necessarily mean you have to increase their pay. Invest in ways that create an environment that makes their job enjoyable and gives them pride and a sense of ownership in their position. Give them more responsibility in areas of interest. Allow them to get training in these areas. Be careful not to hinder innovation and new ideas just because “we’ve always done it this way.� Be the employer you would want to work for. Lloyd Noble, founder of the Noble Research Institute, understood the importance of investing in his employees. He was known to say, in reference to the men who worked on his oil rigs, that tools will wear out or become obsolete but the men will increase in competence and judgment. In 1945, Noble said, “The degree to which any individual or organization succeeds does not depend upon capital assets but rather the honesty, energy and wisdom of its management, conditioned with the degree to which they resolve loyal and intelligent support from their fellow workers.�
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Photo by the Noble Research Institute Finding the right emplyees for your operation takes some work.
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January 2019 — Issue I
ď‚Ť
The Land & Livestock Post
News Richardson, from Page 3 “It takes a proposal, runs through a number of simulations to analyze potential outcomes,” Richardson said. “Through the years, it has proven its worth, and even today it continues to give a broad-stroke analysis of potential peaks and valleys of economic viability for farmers under a variety of policy and trade situations.” In 1983, Richardson saw a devastating economic downturn in the farm economy ahead. “The model was indicating a farm economic crisis,” he said. “Several economists across the country said I was wrong. Two years later, we had the worst crisis in modern history.” FLIPSIM has been used repeatedly to analyze countless draft farm bill proposals by both U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees. The computer model is a far cry from paper calculator worksheets used by farm economists in the late 1970s and early 1980s to decide which farm program proposal would be best. “In 2002, the first year we went to a web-based decision aid, the U.S. Department of AgricultureFarm Service Agency partnered with us. We had 410,000 farm analyses of base and yield projections,” Richardson said. “That told us that this type of decision aid was in high demand and that farmers were getting some value out of this online tool, which is what the Ag and Food Policy Center is all about, creating value for farmers across the nation.” The power of the simulation model comes from using data from real farmers. The Policy Center maintains a database for 100 representative farms across the U.S. Farmers meet with Agricultural and Food Policy Center economists throughout the year to discuss their financial operations and provide updated cost and production data for the FLIPSIM database. “We are now working with the third generation of some of these farmers,” Richardson said.
“Some have passed down their operations, retired, or unfortunately, gone broke. We’ve gotten to know farmers and ranchers in all of the states. That’s what makes the Agricultural and Food Policy Center so popular in Washington.” The center, also known as AFPC, got its start back in the mid1980s on a Friday afternoon when Neville Clarke, former director of the Texas A&M Agricultural Experiment Station, requested Richardson and fellow economist Ron Knutson prepare a proposal for establishing a food and policy center. Their deadline was Monday morning in preparation for a mid-week Texas A&M Board of Regents meeting. “We worked through the weekend and had it ready by Monday. The center was stamped for approval by the Regents that Wednesday,” Richardson said. “We didn’t waste any time getting things started.” One of Richardson’s first moves was hiring a young graduate student, Ed Smith, who would rise through the ranks and later become director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Another good hire was a young student, Joe Outlaw, who is now co-director for the Policy Center. “My expertise is policy and risk analysis, which I merged when I built FLIPSIM. What I needed back then was someone to go visit with farmers and come back with real data and problems. Smith and Knutson served that role, and we never ran out of problems to analyze,” Richardson said. Through the years, AFPC has had several students who have gone on to have careers with
The Land & Livestock Post
Texas A&M AgriLife economics. Richardson has advised several graduate students, including Outlaw, as well as other College Station-based AgriLife Extension economists including Luis Ribera, David Anderson and Aleksandre Maisashvili. Rounding out the list is Stephen Klose, who leads AgriLife Extension’s FARM Assist program in College Station. Richardson came to Texas A&M in 1978 as an assistant professor. Since that time he has advised 66 graduate students, published more than 150 journal articles and written more than 500 publications. Spanning Richardson’s office wall are more than 21 major awards, including a Regents Professor Service Award and multiple Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Awards. “There are two that stand out, but that one right there is the one I think is the most coveted and the one I most admire,” said Outlaw, pointing to the award Richardson was given by the Texas Commodity Symposium. “That tells you right there you are valued by all of the major commodity production groups across the state from corn to cotton, to grain sorghum, wheat and peanuts. That represents so many Texas farmers.” Richardson said one of the most gratifying aspects of his tenure was showing how technology can be used to help the farmer become more profitable. “We’ve gone from handheld calculators to web-based decision aids,” he said. “These are state-ofthe-art simulation models. That’s what has made the AFPC so valuable to farmers; along with the great people here, the great team, that’s what has made this center so great.”
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January 2019 — Issue I
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News
Beef Cattle Marketing Workshop set Jan. 8-9 in Canyon By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
CANYON — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Randall County will host a Beef Cattle Marketing Workshop Jan. 8-9 in the Kuhlman Extension Center, 200 N. Brown Road in Canyon. The program will be from 3-7 p.m. both days. A one-time $10 registration fee will be charged at the door the first day, and a light dinner will be served each evening of the workshop. Registration is required by 5 p.m. Jan. 4. To register or for more information, call the AgriLife Extension office in Randall County at 806-4685543. “We are excited to bring experts to the Texas Panhandle and share
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with our producers some key strategies needed to develop a cattle marketing plan that fits their own individual operation,” said J.D. Ragland, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Randall County. The program will include representatives from Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC from Chicago. This group will present and share a complete cattle marketing plan for stocker cattle as well as cow/calf producers, Ragland said. The first day’s program is titled “Use the Right Strategies for Your Operation” and will address how to: • Quantify and manage exposure across all positions. • Establish protection that matches profitability, risk tolerance and market bias.
Photo courtesy the University of Georgia • Adjust positions to capture margin gains as prices change over time. The second day will be titled “Gain an Information Advantage” and address how to: • Anticipate the potential impacts of various positions before making a decision. • Identify historical and seasonal price trends. • Calibrate the sensitivity of a position to a change in price. • Determine exposure if there is a margin call. A total of six general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units, three each day, will be offered to all private applicators.
January 2019 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News Camels thrive on Oklahoma farms, where they control weeds By ROBERT MEDLEY The Oklahoman
OKLAHOMA CITY — Charlie stood in the pen with his nose up, raising his nostrils higher as people approached. Children and a red heeler cow dog named Mollie circled him, kids grabbed his fuzzy wool and touched his nose. He didn’t move or twitch, just slowly swiveled his head on his long, protruding neck. From the ground to the tip of his hump, Charlie the camel, owned by Pat and Don Bodkin, is about 7 feet tall and about 1,500 pounds. He slowly turned his head to sniff a half of a watermelon. He declined to take a bite, but he did stare down Mollie when she stuck her nose in it. Charlie has one hump, and he is known as a dromedary camel. Some camels have two humps, and are called Bactrian. The Bactrians are more likely to spit at people, but Charlie is a gentle camel. “I’m going to tell you like I told my kids,” Pat Bodkin told The Oklahoman: “If it is one hump remember it looks like a letter D. So it is a dromedary. If it has two humps it is called a Bactrian camel. The two humps look like a B.” Since 1988, the Bodkins have raised camels on their farm in northwest Oklahoma County. All of their camels have had names that start with a letter “C,” Pat Bodkin said. Today, Charlie, 10, is the only camel on the farm. Don Bodkin said he became interested in ostriches in the 1980s and the couple started traveling to exotic animal sales around the region. “I always bought something I didn’t know nothing about,” Don Bodkin said. For Christmas 1988, the Bodkins had an idea for gifts. They found two 6-month-old camels in Missouri for $12,000 that had
been imported from Australia. So they gave each other camels, one named Clyde and one named Camille. Once the camels were 3 years old, Clyde and Camille began to produce 10 more calves over the years, including Charlie. Don Bodkin, 81, said camels are low maintenance and adapt well to Oklahoma. “We turn him loose in the pasture and he eats everything the cows eat,” Don Bodkin said. He pointed toward a tree on the horizon that was missing leaves. Charlie chews the leaves off of trees that grow sparsely across the acres of mixed grass prairie the Bodkins farm. “In the winter time we put out a big round bale of hay and he eats that hay,” Don Bodkin said. “You can tell he’s missed a few meals,” he said, joking as he patted Charlie on his curved, plump side. Camels from North Africa and central Asia were brought to North America as pack animals in past centuries. But they don’t survive in the wild if released. Camels need a shed or barn to get out of the rain and snowy or icy weather, Pat Bodkin said. In Noble County, about 8 miles southeast of Perry, Ralph Passow, 81, and Wynona Passow, 77, have 20 camels on Passow’s Farm, a full-scale camel-raising operation. The couple, married 59 years, farmed hay on 1,200 acres for years. They raised goats, too, and in the late 1970s, Ralph decided he wanted a camel. But he couldn’t find one for sale at the time. In the late 1990s, the Passows bought three camels in Missouri and then found 13 camel cows being sold from a ranch near Austin, because of a drought. “When you get into doing something different, you are always taking a risk,” Wynona Passow said. “But camels have really paid off well from us.”
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It is pretty tough to milk a camel, but the milk can fetch $100 a gallon and has been in demand in recent years for children or people with dairy milk sensitivities, she said. Camels are good at controlling weeds, too. With camels, herbicides are not needed as much, Wynona Passow said. Camels do not get out of fences as much as cattle, and they like to sit in the sunshine during hot or cold weather, she said. Camels do not like rainy weather or muddy ground because they may be more unsteady on their feet than a horse or bovine in the mud. It can be hard to find a veterinarian who can care for camels, too, she said — most camels really don’t like veterinarians. Camels stress out easily, she said. She said a male camel calf is worth $4,000 and a female about $6,500, and camels are raised to sell at her farm. Wynona Passow said she spends a lot of time in the barn, often feeding a camel calf with a bottle. “I try not to get too attached because you know you’re going to sell them,” she said. In northeast Oklahoma, Joe Malchow, 46, has 20 camels in Mayes County near Adair. He offers camels for rides and for seasonal events. He said he has raised camels since the late 1990s in the state, but he does not know of an estimate of the camel population in Oklahoma. Anyone who uses camels for a business must have a license with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but to own one does not require a license, he said. Malchow said he was raised around camels in southeast Nebraska. “I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” he said, laughing. “But I’ve always been around them.”
January 2019 — Issue I
The Oklahoman via AP Pat and Don Bodkin stand beside their camel named Charlie, 10, on the Bodkin Barnyard in northwest Oklahoma County, Okla. The couple has raised camels since 1988.
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News
By design Selecting the right breed for your operation By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post
W
as “improving herd genetics” one of your New Year’s resolutions? Do you want cattle that are more productive and sell for a better price? If the intention is to redesign the breeding program, then the place to start is by understanding the characteristics of the numerous available beef breeds. Remember, however, there is not a perfect cow or bull. No one breed excels in all areas that lead to profitability. “Begin designing a breeding program with the end in sight,” said Robert Wells of the Noble Research Institute. “You are in the business to produce beef, so write goals that support the ranch purpose.” Considerations in selecting a cattle breed include production and marketing goals, production environment, available feed and labor resources. These considerations apply to cow selection as well as the bull. Another important consideration is sources of the selected breed or breeds. Strive to obtain as many of an ideal cow’s attributes as possible (Table 1). “There are basically two types or species of beef cattle,” Wells said. “Bos taurus cattle include British breeds such as Angus and Hereford and Continental breeds such as Charolais, Simmental, Limousin and
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Photo by Robert Fears Longhorn is an American breed known for its hardiness and lean beef. Longhorns are descendants of the first cattle brought to the Americas.
Gelbiveh. Bos indicus are the Zebu humped cattle which include Brahman, Nelore, Gir and Guzerat.” Tables 1 and 2 contain information
that is helpful in selecting breeds for further consideration. The final selection should be made after further research and study.
January 2019 — Issue I
Crossbreeding
Commercial cow-calf producers
See CATTLE,
Page 11
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News
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Photo by Robert Fears Brahman is an American breed used often in crosses and composites to add insect, disease and heat resistance.
Cattle, from Page 10 seriously should consider crossbreeding to obtain benefits from hybrid vigor, also known as heterosis. Hybrid vigor is the increase or decrease in a particular trait when compared to the average of that trait for each parent. It is typically reported as percentage change. Heterosis percentage is computed
as the difference between progeny average and the average of the straightbred parents. Bob Weaber of Kansas State University provided an example of heterosis calculations: “Assume breed A bulls have an average weaning weight of 550 pounds and are mated to breed B cows,
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January 2019 — Issue I
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News Breeding, from Page 11 which have average weaning weights of 500 pounds. Average weaning weight of the straightbred parents is then (550 + 500) ÷ 2 = 525. The F1 (first cross) calves resulting from the mating have average weaning weight of 546 pounds. Percentage heterosis is (546 – 525) ÷ 525 = 0.04 X 100 = 4 percent. “Generally, heterosis generates the largest improvement in lowly heritable traits,” Weaber said. “Moderate improvements due to heterosis are seen in moderately heritable traits. Little or no heterosis is observed in highly heritable traits. Reproduction and longevity are traits that have low heritability. These traits
respond very slowly to selection since a large portion of the variation is largely due to environmental factors and non-additive genetic effects.” “There are three main types of heterosis,” said Jack Whittier of University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Individual heterosis is improvement by a crossbred animal above the average of its parents. Increased weaning weight, yearling weight and carcass traits are examples of individual heterosis in crossbred compared to straightbred calves.” Maternal heterosis is the improvement in traits from the dam that cause increases in performance of her and her progeny.
Photo by Robert Fears Hereford is a British breed known for maternal traits, easy fleshing and longevity. The first Herefords arrived in the United States in 1817.
This type of heterosis can increase calving rate 6 percent, weaning weight 6 percent, and birth weight 2 percent. Younger age at puberty also occurs from maternal heterosis. “Paternal heterosis is the improvement in productive and reproductive characteristics of the bull,” Whittier said. “Examples include reduced age at puberty, improvements in scrotal circumference, improved sperm concentration, increased pregnancy rate and
See HETEROSIS, Page 13
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January 2019 — Issue I
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Heterosis, from Page 12 a higher weaning rate.” “Maximum heterosis is achieved with a F1 crossed with another F1 where the parents are from four unrelated breeds,” said Wells. “A disadvantage is that crossing F1s may decrease uniformity, especially in multiple bull herds. The offspring may have different colors and size.” Do not confuse heterosis with breed complementarity. Heterosis improves certain traits by a percentage above the average trait values of the two parents. Complementarity is the effect of combining breeds that have different strengths. It is additive by using strong traits of one breed to improve weak characteristics of another breed. To take advantage of breed complementarity, pair breeds that excel in different areas critical to overall production goals.
Heterosis economics
“Heterosis is a great tool
for improving production and quality of beef cattle, but make sure that resulting offspring are economical to maintain. Pay special attention to cow size and milk production,” Wells said. “There is about a 6 percent maintenance cost increase for 100 pounds of body weight. Every pound of milk production requires approximately 1.5 percent increase in energy and 2.7 percent in crude protein. As body weight and milk production increase, so do feed costs. “Make sure the animals fit the ranch environment. Consider stocking rates and supplemental feed requirements when selecting the breed.” Wells presented three breeding system scenarios showing increased income due to heterosis. The original scenario is 100 breed A cows bred to breed A bulls. Average weaning weights are 525 pounds at 82 percent weaning rate, for a total of 43,050
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pounds of calves marketed annually. The breeding system was
January 2019 — Issue I
changed to mating breed A cows with breed B bulls. Resulting individual heterosis was +5 percent with 551 pounds average weaning weights of F1 calves for a total of 45,203 pounds marketed. Heterosis was responsible for an additional 2,153 pounds (45,203 – 43,050) equaling to an additional income of $5,725.65 per year. Breeding F1 cows with a terminal breed C bull was then compared with the original scenario of a straightbred herd. (Terminal bulls are purchased, not raised.) The F1 cows produced calves with weaning weights averaging 656 pounds, an increase of 131 pounds over
straightbred calves which was contributed +25 percent heterosis. A total of 59,040 pounds were marketed, an increase of 15,990 pounds worth an additional $23,665 in income. “A good tool for improving cow herd production and marketability is heterosis, but you must be able to manage for the benefits. Heterosis will not make up for poor animal husbandry, management or bull selection,” Wells said.
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News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Anderson Results of the Mid-Tex Livestock Commission’s Dec. 13 sale. Head: 588 Steers: 200-300 lbs.,$157-$220; 300-400 lbs., $155-$187; 400-500 lbs., $136-$155; 500-600 lbs., $138-$155; 600-700 lbs., $118$137; 700-800 lbs., $110-$135. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $137$200; 300-400 lbs., $129-$172; 400-500 lbs., $127-$180; 500600 lbs., $115-$140; 600-700 lbs., $116-$170; 700-800 lbs., $85-$115. Slaughter bulls: $46-$69. Slaughter cows: $18-$64. Bred cows: $550-$1,00. Cow/calf pairs: $800-$1,075.
Brazos Valley Results of the Brazos Vall ey L i v e s t o c k C o m m i s s i o n ’s Dec. 11 sale. Head: 673 Steers: 200-300 lbs.,$155-$185; 300-400 lbs., $145-$170; 400-500 lbs., $140-$168; 500-600 lbs., $130-$148; 600-700 lbs., $122$143; 700-800 lbs., $120-$125. Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $132$155; 300-400 lbs., $128-$140; 400-500 lbs., $120-$133; 500600 lbs., $118-$132; 600-700 lbs., $108-$121; 700-800 lbs., $106-$118. Slaughter bulls: $50-$60. Slaughter cows: $25-$61. Bred cows: $675-$1,025. Cow/calf pairs: N/A
Brenham Results of the Cattleman’s Brenham Livestock Auction’s Dec. 7 sale. Head: 885 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $135-$172; 300-400 lbs., $130-$167; 400-500 lbs., $128-$172; 500-600 lbs., $123-$134; 600-700 lbs., $111$128; 700-800 lbs., $105-$120 Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $115$130; 300-400 lbs., $120-$135; 400-500 lbs., $118-$144; 500600 lbs., $110-$120; 600-700
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lbs., $100-$118; 700-800 lbs., $90-$112 Slaughter bulls: $40-$62 Slaughter cows: $8-$42 Bred cows: $450-$900 Cow/calf pairs: $770-$850
Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Dec. 8 sale. Head: 871 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $140-$177; 300-400 lbs., $135-$172; 400-500 lbs., $130-$162; 500-600 lbs., $125-$150; 600-700 lbs., $115$147; 700-800 lbs., $110-$130 Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $125$165; 300-400 lbs., $120-$147; 400-500 lbs., $110-$140; 500-600 lbs., $95-$130; 600-700 lbs.,$95$122; 700-800 lbs., $85-$110 Slaughter bulls: $45-$63 Slaughter cows: $10-$43 Bred cows: $750-$1,130 Cow/calf pairs: $875-$2,000
$180; 400-500 lbs., $130-$159; 500-600 lbs., $120-$150; 600-700 lbs., $115-$145 Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $125$150; 400-500 lbs., $122-$140; 500-600 lbs., $118-$131; 600-700 lbs., $115-$125 Slaughter bulls: $48-$65 Slaughter cows: $23-$43 Bred cows: $800-$1,250 Cow/calf pairs: $1,000-$1,475
Jordan Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Dec. 13 sale. Head: 2,612 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $165-$186; 300-400 lbs., $165-$186; 400-500 lbs., $160-$188; 500-600 lbs., $150-$180; 600-700 lbs., $135$168; 700-800 lbs., $125-$131 Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $150-
$176; 300-400 lbs., $150-$176; 400-500 lbs., $150-$180; 500600 lbs., $135-$161; 600-700 lbs., $120-$136; 700-800 lbs., $107-$119 Slaughter bulls: $562-$73 Slaughter cows: $40-$56.50 Bred cows: $700-$1,675 Cow/calf pairs: $1,000-$1,825
$100-$135; 600-700 lbs., $100$130; 700-800 lbs., N/A Slaughter bulls: $50-$62 Slaughter cows: $15-$52 Bred cows: $500-$1,325 Cow/calf pairs: $750-$1,575 — Special to The Post
Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Dec. 8 sale. Head: 1,296 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $115-$180; 300-400 lbs., $115-$175; 400-500 lbs., $110-$170; 500-600 lbs., $100-$145; 600-700 lbs., $100$127; 700-800 lbs., N/A Heifers: 200-300 lbs.,$115-$150; 300-400 lbs., $110-$145; 400-500 lbs., $100-$140; 500-600 lbs.,
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Caldwell Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Dec. 12 sale. Head: 643 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $165-$182; 300-400 lbs., $160-$182; 400-500 lbs., $152-$170; 500-600 lbs., $130-$149; 600-700 lbs., $121$135; 700-800 lbs., $112-$124 Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $140$160; 300-400 lbs., $135-$186; 400-500 lbs., $125-$170; 500600 lbs., $123-$175; 600-700 lbs., $117-$185; 700-800 lbs., $105-$115 Slaughter bulls: $55-$67 Slaughter cows: $15-$50 Bred cows: $575-$975 Cow/calf pairs: $775-$1,100
Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Dec. 13 sale. Head: 499 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $155-
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January 2019 — Issue I
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Tool lets landowners report wild pig activity, damage formation to landowners about effective wild pig removal and management, which is critical in reducing wild pig populations and improving the water quality of Texas streams. “Through presentations, publications, smartphone applications, social media content and videos done in collaboration with Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, we hope land-
By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute encourages landowners to report wild pig sightings and damage using a new first-of-its-kind online tool. “Landowners throughout Texas are constantly seeing wild pigs and their damage,” said Jim Cathey, associate director of the Natural Resources Institute. “Unfortunately, until now, we didn’t have a good method of collecting the information on where the pigs were sighted and what type of damage they were doing.” Cathey said the new easy-touse reporting tool, developed by the institute’s data analytics team, provides a unique portal for Texas landowners and homeowners to note and quickly report such sightings. It can be found in the “Report Wild Pigs” section of the institute’s Wild Pigs website at wildpigs.nri.tamu.edu/. “For many years, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has worked through its county agents to bring programming that frames the problem Texans face when dealing with wild pigs,” Cathey said. “Those programs on biology, wild pig reduction techniques, and laws and regulations spurred a lot of ‘pig stories,’ and the number of those stories has grown over time. “Now instead of hearing wild pig reports by individuals, this new tool will allow landowners to capture the information so it can be used in a statewide database that will allow everyone to really understand the breadth of the wild pig problem across Texas.” Cathey said it takes only a few minutes for a landowner using the tool to capture data on the wild pigs and includes an option for submitting photos of the animals and/or their damage. “The site has a location feature
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo courtesy of Billy Higginbotham A sounder of wild pigs roams the Texas landscape. An innovative online tool will allow land owners to report feral hog sightings and damage. with a GPS map interface so you can click and show exactly where the wild pigs or the damage they had caused was sighted, and it gives the longitude and latitude of that location,” he said. “The electronic fill-in survey allows the landowner to notate specific information, including the number of pigs seen, the class of pigs — whether male, female, younger or older — the kind of damage, such as wallowing and rooting, and what type of damage there is, such as crop or landscape damage or torn fencing.” Cathey said data from the submitted reports will be used to support the institute’s outreach efforts and help locate areas of high activity to guide both land management and educational efforts across the state. “Wild pigs are one of the greatest invasive species problems in the United States, having a negative effect on agricultural crops and livestock, water quality, wildlife populations and their habitats, and more recently, suburban landscapes,” he said. “There are an estimated 5 million wild pigs throughout the U.S. with an estimated 2.6 million
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in Texas alone. And the wild pig crop damage and control costs are reported to be greater than $52 million annually in Texas.” He said $52 million annually in damage is tied to agricultural damage and doesn’t tell the type or extent of damage wild pigs may be causing in the more suburban areas of the state. Cathey said in areas where wild pig populations are concentrated near streams and other water bodies, they contribute bacteria, including some forms of E. coli known to be harmful to humans. “Wild pig populations can substantially impact water quality by eroding banks, increasing sediment loads and algae blooms, and causing oxygen depletions,” he said. “Our work in identifying wild pig populations and providing useful information on their control has helped many stakeholders become actively involved in implementing water resource management and protection programs in their watersheds.” Cathey said AgriLife Extension county agents have been successful in providing opportunities to relay educational in-
January 2019 — Issue I
owners and the general public will be able to know more about the biology and behavior of these animals even as we improve on those reduction measures used to control them,” he said. For additional resources on wild pigs, go to bit.ly/2E8j6Rb.
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Jan. 10 program to address wild pig control By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc. (979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355
President - Crystal Dupré .....................................................Ext. 4613 Publisher and Editor- Darren Benson ....................................Ext. 4653 Sales Manager - Linda Brinkman ......................................... Ext. 4740 Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ...............Ext. 4721 Finance Director - Kathy Brewer...........................................Ext. 4605 Production Director - Jerry Buck...........................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Greg Parker ........................................Ext. 4752
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.
ATLANTA — A wild pig management program will be held Jan. 10 at the Cass County Expo Center, U.S. Highway 59 North in Atlanta. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program begins at 6 p.m. and features Ken Hale, owner of Boatcycle in Henderson. He will discuss methods of trapping wild pigs, including new technologies that have shown to be more effective than conventional traps in capturing entire sounders. Cost is $10 per person and the event is free for Cass County Cattlemen’s Association members.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Billy Higginbotham This large rooted-up area in an East Texas pasture is one example of costly damages done by wild pigs. One Texas Department of Agriculture laws and regulations continuing education unit will be available for pesticide applicator license holders. “Wild pigs are a plague in Texas, and reproducing rapidly with few natural predators, which makes their management key to reducing their impact to landowners in East Texas,” said Jessica Rymel, AgriLife Extension agent in Cass County. Call the AgriLife Extension office in Cass County at 903-7565391 for more information.
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News BIG conference to feature cattle health, cotton disease updates By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
WACO — An update on cattle ticks, new technologies in cotton and new horticultural practices will highlight the 57th annual Blackland Income Growth Conference Jan. 15 at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave. in Waco. The conference, which attracts hundreds of producers from 23 counties covering more than 12 million acres, is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Waco Chamber of Commerce. “The BIG Conference features a number of commodity sessions including beef, horticulture, cotton grain, rural land man-
agement, forage and wildlife designed to help producers improve profitability and enhance stewardship practices,” said Brent Batchelor, AgriLife Extension regional program leader in Stephenville. Bill Foshea, Blackland Income Growth Conference chairman, said several emerging issues affecting both farmers and ranchers will be covered at the conference. “Many take home what they learn at the conference and apply directly into their farming and ranching operations,” he said. The keynote lunch speaker will be Dan Hale, AgriLife Extension meat specialist in College Station, who will discuss connecting food and agriculture. Hale interprets and extends informa-
Beef Cattle Short Course set for Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 in San Antonio By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
SAN ANTONIO — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Bexar County Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will present the 2019 Beef Cattle Short Course on the evenings of Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 at the Ozuna Library of Palo Alto College, 1400 Villaret Blvd. in San Antonio, Day-of program registration
begins at 5:30 p.m. each day with presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. There will be refreshments, door prizes and vendor booths. The cost is $15 per session. To register for one or both sessions, send check or money order payable to Bexar Ag/NR Committee, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212, San Antonio, TX 78230. Topics and presenters for the Jan. 8 session will be:
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin An update on cattle ticks, new technologies in cotton and new horticultural practices will highlight the 57th annual Blackland Income Growth Conference Jan.15 at the Waco Convention Center. tion on diet, health, food safety, livestock growth and meat science to consumers, youth, health professionals, retailers, packers, processors and livestock producers. He has worked on several national studies on consumer retail and beef tenderness. A full program agenda can be found at bit.ly/2BAWKoF. Registration to attend all Jan. 15 commodity sessions is $25 and includes lunch. A program called “From the Ground Up: Connecting Agri-
culture and Health” also will be held in conjunction with the Jan. 15 conference. A program agenda and registration is available at agrilife.org/fromthegroundup/. On Jan. 15, a BIG recertification will be held. The cost is $60
and includes lunch. Registration at the door is $70. Call 254-7575180 to preregister. A private applicator training also will be held. Cost is $75 with lunch included. To preregister, call 254-582-4022.
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January 2019 — Issue I
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News
Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic set for Jan. 3 in Cameron By BLAIR FANNIN Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
CAMERON — The Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic, one of the longest-running programs offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, is scheduled for Jan. 3 at the Milam County Youth Building, 301 S. Houston St. in Cameron. Cost is $20 and includes lunch. RSVP is requested by Dec. 31 by calling the AgriLife Extension office in Milam County at 254697-7045. Three hours of continuing education units will be given to Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license holders: one in the integrated pest management category and two general. “Central Texas cattle producers have faced their fair share of challenges over the past year,” said Floyd Ingram, AgriLife Extension agent for Milam County. “Our program this year will feature something for everyone in meeting the needs of cattle pro-
Course, from Page 17 • Texas Beef Production Around the World — Joe Paschal, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Corpus Christi. • International Marketing — Pasquale Swaner, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Falls County. Topics and presenters for the Jan. 15 session will be: • Feeding Hay and Preparing for Spring Green-Up — Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension forage specialist and program leader, College Station. • Common Range and Brush Species – Effective Application and Timing — Bob Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist,
ducers, both large and small, in Central Texas.” Topics and speakers include: • 2019 Beef Cattle Market Update and Outlook — Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist in Stephenville. • Export Markets: How Export Markets Can Increase the Value of Your Cattle — Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in College Station. • Current Topics in the Beef Industry — Kenny Mingus, Milam County Livestock Auction in Cameron. • Assisted Reproductive Strategies for Commercial Cattleman — Cliff Lamb, department head for Texas A&M University animal science in College Station. • Bermuda Grass Renovation and Management — Larry Redmon, associate department head for Texas A&M soil and crop science in College Station. • Electronic Logging Devices and Highway Laws Affecting Farmers and Ranchers — Sgt. David Roberts, Texas
Uvalde. The Jan. 15 session will also offer two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one general and one integrated pest management – for licensed applicators. Sponsors include Capital Farm Credit, Full-O-Pep, Texas Farm Credit, Corteva agriscience, Dos
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin The Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic is one of the longest-running programs offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Department of Public Safety. For more information, call the AgriLife Extension office in Milam County at 254-697-7045.
Ve ces Hall Ranch Inc., Texas Farm Bureau and AgWorkers Insurance. For a workshop flyer, go to bit. ly/2KmdHWS. For more information, contact Sam Womble at the AgriLife Extension office in Bexar County at 210-631-0400 or sam.womble@ ag.tamu.edu.
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