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January 2017 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
A
From the General Manager
s we start another new year, I can’t help but be excited. Well, maybe not excitement as much as relief that it is not an election year. A lot of folks feel as if they have been through the ringer in 2016, but any year can be tough depending on how you look at it. Sure 2016 was a year filled with political divide, racial strife and a lot of celebrities dying, but I also had tacos probably, like, 20 times this past year, so it wasn’t all gloom and doom. As my kids get older, I can’t help but become a little more JESSE WRIGHT optimistic about the future. Actually, I think I’m a pessimistic optimist. For example: I know my son probably will not take a nap, and will be cranky all afternoon. But, I also know that means he probably will go to bed earlier. And I find it is important to keep in mind, no matter how bad things get, there are always tacos. But, no amount of tortillas or salsa is go-
ing to help you when it comes to calving problems. I mean, can’t hurt to try, but if you have calving problems you may need to resort to other solutions. In our cover story we take a look at calving difficulty and ways to prevent and manage it. We also have news from around the ag industry to help you get the year off to a good start. Hope you enjoy it and, as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News
Plan now for calves’ colostrum needs this spring By Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University
It is not too soon to begin to prepare for the spring calving season. Locating, obtaining, and storing several doses of colostrum or colostrum replacer will come in handy before the first heifers start to go into labor. Calves born after a difficult birth are at a high risk of failing to receive adequate colostrum by natural suckling because of greatly decreased colostrum intake. Calves that are born to a prolonged stage II of parturition (delivery through the pelvic canal) very often suffer from severe respiratory acidosis. Acidotic calves are less efficient at absorbing colostral i m m u n o g l o b u l i n s eve n i f artificially fed colostrum. The only disease protection baby calves will receive is via the passive transfer of antibodies (immunoglobulins) from the colostrum that they ingest. Therefore, effort should be made to provide weak newborn calves with the best source of colostrum available via bottle suckling or tube feeding. Natural colostrum still is considered the best source of the immunoglobulins for disease protection for the calf. If there is still a dairy in your area, the opportunity may exist to obtain some natural colostrum from newly freshened dairy cows. Avoid obtaining colostrum from dairies that are known to have had an incidence of Johnes Disease. Fresh colostrum can be stored in 1 quart doses by putting that much (1 quart) in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Lay the bags flat to
Photo courtesy of www.farminguk.com
Locating, obtaining, and storing several doses of colostrum or colostrum replacer will come in handy before the first heifers start to go into labor. Calves born after a difficult birth are at a high risk of failing to receive adequate colostrum by natural suckling because of greatly decreased colostrum intake. freeze in the freezer. When it is time to thaw the colostrum, it will be easier and quicker to thaw, compared to 2 quarts or more in a big frozen chunk. When the time comes to thaw the colostrum and feed it, place the Ziploc bag in warm water to quickly thaw it. The amount of immunoglobulin ingested is also a major determinant of final blood immunoglobulin concentration and disease protection. A practical “rule-of-thumb” is to feed 5 percent to 6 percent of the calf’s body weight within the first six hours and repeat the feeding when the calf is about 12 hours old. For an 80 pound calf, this will equate to approximately two quarts of colostrum per feeding. Consequently, if the calf is quite large (about 100 pounds), then the amount of colostrum will need to be increased accordingly to two and one-half or three quarts per feeding. If there is no source of natural colostrum available, purchase a few doses of a commercial colostrum “replacer.” Colostrum replacers will contain greater than 100 grams of immunoglobulin per dose. Make certain to read the label before purchasing. Colostrum replacers may seem expensive, but the value of a live weaned calf strongly suggests that every effort to keep all of them alive is worth the investment.
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News Restaurant owners have found the beef and it is good the meat they buy every day, but about other cuts of meat to experiment with. They also listened to Texas A&M Extension Economist David Anderson as he shared a meat market outlook for the next couple of years, and his
By JAKE WALKER jake.walker@theeagle.com
B
arbecue pitmasters and restaurant owners from Houston to El Paso shared many things in common Dec. 12 when they came to Texas A&M, but one stood out above the rest: They were there to learn. A&M barbecue and meat production experts, including an agricultural economist and a food scientist, spent the day sharing information with those who make a living cooking Texas-style barbecue. The third annual Texas Barbecue Town Hall gave more than 40 pitmasters and owners an opportunity to learn not only economic ins and outs that influence the price of
prediction is a promising one for the restaurants. The United States is on track to produce more meat across the board — beef, pork, chicken and turkey — in the next couple of years
See BARBECUE, Page 6
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Eagle photo by Dave McDermand
Davey Griffin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist talks about beef yield grade and carcass cuts at the Dec. 12 Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting at Texas A&M University in College Station.
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Davey Griffin, left, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist, and Jeff Savell, university distinguished professor, Regents Professor and E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal chairholder in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University, discuss the finer points of beef carcass cuts at the Dec. 12 Texas Barbecue Town Hall.
Barbecue, from Page 5 than it ever has, which means prices should stay low for restaurants and consumers. “We’ve recovered from drought, we’ve got these changes going on and here we are producing record amounts,” Anderson said. Anderson said the major Texas-Oklahoma drought in 2011 to 2012 forced cattle numbers to the lowest they had been in
decades. Then in 2014 and 2015, brisket prices — the standard cut for classic Texas barbecue — were so high that one restaurant owner said some people complained it almost matched the price of a nice steak. When the rains finally came, ranchers were able to expand their herds and start producing more, and now those numbers have surpassed what they were before.
See TOWN HALL, Page 10
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Steve Byrns
The 2017 Beef Cattle Short Course will be held on two consecutive Thursdays — Jan. 12 and 19 — in Room 101 of the Performing Arts building at Palo Alto College in San Antonio.
Beef Cattle Short Course set for Jan. 12 and 19 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/ Natural Resources Committee will present the 2017 Beef Cattle Short Course in San Antonio during two consecutive Thursdays in January. The course will be Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 in Room 101 of the Performing Arts building of Palo Alto College, 1400 Villaret Blvd. Registration for both days will begin at 6 p.m. The programs will start at 6:30 p.m. and conclude by 9 p.m. “This short course will address many of the health issues in beef cattle as well as important land management issues and techniques,” said Sam Womble, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Bexar County. “There will be refreshments, door prizes and a vendor area for attendees to see some of the products and services available to them.” Womble said Capital Farm Credit is the main corporate sponsor for the program. Topics and presenters on Jan.
12 will be: • Beef Cattle Herd Health and the Veterinary Feed Directive − What Producers Need to Know, Joe Paschal, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist in Corpus Christi. • Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Vick Alexander, Texas Department of Agriculture inspector in San Antonio. One Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit — 0.5 in laws and regulations and 0.5 in general — will be offered. Topics and presenters on Jan. 19 will be: • What’s New in Range Weed and Brush Herbicides and How to Calibrate your Spray Equipment, Bob Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist in Uvalde. • Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Alexander. Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — 1.5 integrated pest management and 0.5 laws and regulations. Registration is $15 for both days and attendees must RSVP by Jan. 6 to Angel Torres at the Agrilife Extension office for Bexar County at 210-631-0400.
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News TAHC taking nominations for areas of Texas with vet shortages Special to The Post
The Texas Animal Health Commission is accepting nominations for geographic areas of Texas experiencing a shortage of veterinarians who work in food animal medicine, rural private practice, or public practice. The commission will accept nominations until 5 p.m. Jan. 17. As part of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, individuals may submit nominations to the Texas Animal Health Commission for areas they believe have a veterinary shortage. Areas selected as having a qualified veterinary shortage may benefit from the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program by having a practicing veterinarian locate to the area in exchange for the opportunity to have up to $25,000 per year of student loan debt repaid for up to three years of service. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program focuses on three types of veterinary practice and will accept nominations in each category: • Type I Shortage — a veterinarian is needed to spend at least 80 percent of his or her time working on food animal species in a private practice setting. • Type II Shortage — a veterinarian is needed to spend at least 30 percent of his or her time working on food animal species, and providing veterinary services in a rural (remote or economically depressed) area in a private practice setting. • Type III Shortage — a veterinarian is needed to work in public health, laboratory, local or state government veterinary work, meat inspection or epidemiology.
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The nomination form can be found at www.tahc.texas.gov/ vets/VMLRP.pdf. The Texas Animal Health Commission also will accept comments regarding the need to re-nominate previously designated areas. View the 2016 designated areas at nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-map?state=222&fy[value] [year]=2016&=Apply. The completed form and comments regarding re-nominations mustbesubmittedtocomments@ tahc.texas.gov or faxed to 512-7190719, attention Susan Culp. Please do not send forms directly to the USDA. The USDA only will accept nominations that are reviewed, approved and submitted by the Texas Animal Health Commission executive director. Please note the commission may edit nominations, including combining nominations from nearby communities, as commission personnel determine is appropriate to explain the veterinary shortage area. For more information about the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and the process of shortage designation, go to nifa.usda.gov/program/veterinary-medicine-loan-repaymentprogram or contact Susan Culp at 512-719-0716.
January 2017 — Issue 1
The Land & Livestock Post
News
More fall grazing possible with mixed small grains By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
COLLEGE STATION — Mixing spring crops with winter wheat might boost forage for stocker cattle grazing across Texas, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Roughly half of the 6 million wheat acres in Texas are grazed on any given year, said Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension state small grains and oilseed specialist in College Station. Test plots he’s grown for multiple years indicate producers could be getting more pounds per acre of beef on that land. “We know forage production in small grains systems is incredibly important, so we wanted to look at increasing fall forage production without impacting grain yield or spring forage production,” Neely said. Winter wheat remains vegetative all fall and vernalizes in the spring, Neely said. Vernalization is the need for a set amount of chilling hours below 45 degrees in order for a plant variety to switch gears from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. Without vernalization, the plant is prevented from initiating stem elongation and a rapid growth period in its life cycle. “We wanted to bypass the vernalization stage and get straight to the rapid growth period in the fall,” he said. “We know we can do that with spring type wheats because they will head out by December if planted in September. “We proposed doing a blend of winter and spring types to get the best of both worlds.” Spring small grains do not require vernalization, and growth is strictly based on heat units, Neely said. If planted early in the fall, spring types will initiate reproductive growth and begin stem elongation and rapid biomass production, unlike winter types that stay vegetative until spring. An experiment examining the impact of interseeding spring barley and winter wheat was conducted at three locations — College Station, McGregor and Comanche — over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 growing seasons. Three mixtures — no spring, 25 percent spring and 50 percent spring barley — were planted at four seeding rates — 50, 75, 100, 125 pounds per acre with winter wheat. “We doubled or almost tripled our fall forage at the 50/50 rate with the spring barley,” Neely said. “This was good news, but the next big question was how the blend
The Land & Livestock Post
Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter
More forage for cattle in the fall could be grown with a mix of spring barley and winter wheat. A Texas A&M AgriLife expert says producers can get more pounds peracre of beef on their land. would affect spring forage growth. We saw a small decrease in the College Station spring growth, but there was no impact at Comanche. No spring yield data was available from our third location due to wet field conditions. “Despite the small suppression in spring growth at College Station, we still saw an 860-pound-per-acre yield advantage for total season-long forage production and 1,760 additional pounds of forage at Comanche overall.” He said the seeding rate was not signifi-
January 2017 — Issue 1
cant at either location for straight wheat, but planting at the 75 and 100 pounds per acre seeding rate generally optimized forage production when doing a 50 percent blend with the barley. Oat, spring wheat and spring barley interseeding treatments planted at a one-toone ratio were included in statewide coolseason forage variety trials in the 2015-16 season, where the spring barley treatment ranked first out of 40 entries at Comanche and College Station. These results suggest interseeding
spring barley with winter wheat can enhance fall forage production and therefore total season forage yield for producers grazing wheat. “It has been very convincing; we have an opportunity to increase our fall forage without hurting the spring grazing,” Neely said. Continued research will be needed to address impacts on forage quality and determine if the spring crop will die off or interfere with grain harvest in dualpurpose cropping systems, he said.
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News Town Hall, from Page 6 Rick, Toni and Matt Moon run the family establishment Blue Moon BBQ near Edge, right on the border of Brazos, Robertson, Leon and Madison counties. The whole family made it to the Town Hall this year after Matt Moon went by himself last year and reported back. “We all suffered when the prices were up,” Toni Moon said. “To know that the market’s going to stay low ... we can continue to work with what we have and experiment with [other menu items].” Anderson said the trend is likely to stay on the low end, giving restaurants more freedom and some of them a chance to catch up from the last couple of years. “It gives them a chance to try some new stuff, which I think everybody benefits from,” Anderson said. “Also, it gives them a chance to make up for a little lost ground.”
After a barbecue lunch in the Kleberg building, the crowd ventured across the street to the Rosenthal Meat Science Center for some hands-on learning about beef carcasses and the grading process. Rick Moon said it was good to expand on the knowledge he had of various beef cuts and find out exactly where they came from and how producers get to the cuts. He said it was also interesting to learn how inspectors graded the meat — prime, choice, select — to help make him a more informed consumer. As someone who tries to make himself open to new things, he was glad to learn of different cuts of beef he hasn’t tried yet. He also said the networking aspect of the meetings helps, whether it’s talking to an A&M meat scientist to share production insights or another pitmaster to exchange methods. “They’re more than happy to share with you, work with you,” he said. “They’d be glad to help you.”
Eagle photo by Dave McDermand
More than 40 pitmasters and owners from throughout Texas learned about cuts of meat at the Third Annual Texas Barbecue Town Hall t Texas A&M University.
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Evan LeRoy, pitmaster from Austin, cooked barbecue beef chuck roll for participants at the Third Texas Barbecue Town Hall at Texas A&M University on Dec. 12.
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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Size matters when it comes to forages fed to beef cattle By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
AMARILLO — Just how much forage does a ruminant need if a ruminant does need forage? Jenny Jennings, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research beef nutritionist in Amarillo, and her team are on their second research trial aimed at determining forage needs for proper rumination in beef cattle consuming high concentrate diets. “We want to feed finishing cattle in an efficient manner that best utilizes our commodity resources while maintaining animal health and well-being,” Jennings said. “Roughage has always been known to be an important part of a ruminant’s diet, but has been
largely forgotten about in feedlot research,” she said. “Limited forage in a grain-based diet can result in metabolic disorders on the back end, which can cost the producer and the packer money.” The dairy industry has done extensive forage research in this area, Jennings said, so “I wanted to see if we could come up with a natural abatement strategy with forage to prevent certain metabolic disorders in feedlot cattle. We know we need it, we just don’t know exactly how much and particular physical characteristics of the forage that can benefit the animal.” Her team is utilizing expertise and technology from the dairy industry to gather the data, including the use of rumination collars, something that hadn’t been done previously in beef cattle. These
collars measure when and how long a feedlot animal is essentially chewing its cud. “We had no idea what the appropriate rumination time was of a finishing beef animal before this study,” Jennings said. She said they have several objectives with this multiyear study funded by the Beef Sustainability Initiative through AgriLife Research. The first year’s results were recently published in the Journal of Animal Science and can be found at bit.ly/2f8EkgU. “We want to determine what the optimum rumination minutes are per day in feedlot cattle. We want to know how we can maintain or improve that number with minimal logistic changes for a feedlot. “And finally, we want to gather enough data on forage sources,
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particle length and inclusion rate in the diet to develop better capabilities to predict performance based off of forage and diet characteristics.” Because ruminants need that “scratch” factor to aid in rumination or digestibility, Jennings
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See FORAGE, Page 14
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January 2017 — Issue 1
11
News
Sweet dreams Sleep while calving
I
By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post
t is uncanny how certain cattle producers have an accurate internal alarm system that awakes them at the exact hour during the middle of night when they need to assist a heifer or cow with difficult calving. Their fine-tuned instincts often are developed through dealing with calving problems year after year. Cattlemen, who like to enjoy restful sleep throughout the night, might want to review their genetic and management programs for ways to improve calving ease within their herds. In addition to reducing midnight labor requirements, there are financial benefits to preventing troubles in calving. “Calving difficulty, technically called dystocia, is a major cause of death in cow-calf herds,” said Dr. Dee Whittier of Virginia Tech. Cow-calf Health and Productivity Audit studies indicate dystocia is responsible for 33 percent of all calf losses and 15.4 percent of beef cattle breeding losses. Dystocia can have a large economic impact on producers due to calf death, veterinary costs, decreased rebreeding efficiency, and injury or death to the cow.” “In three different studies, dystocia was the highest veterinary cost to cow-calf operations in Colorado, California and Tennessee,” Whittier said. “Dystocia is also the number one cause of calf mortality in the first 96 hours of life. Pregnancy
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Photos by Robert Fears
Above: Breed heifers to English (Bos taurus) bulls to help avoid calving problems. On the cover: Dystocia is responsible for 33 percent of all calf losses.
rates for the dam after losing a calf are lower than for dams which haven’t lost a calf. Studies also indicate a possibility of decreased rebreeding rates of animals expe-
riencing dystocia even though they delivered a live calf.” “A cow or heifer experiencing any level of dystocia will have an increased length of postpartum (after
January 2017 — Issue 1
calving) period due to a damaged reproductive tract and therefore, her chances of rebreeding is reduced,”
See CALVING, Page 13
The Land & Livestock Post
News Calving, from Page 12 said Joe Paschal, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Livestock Specialist in Corpus Christi. “This is probably one of the most important reasons, other than potential calf loss and veterinary fees, for attempting to avoid dystocia.” Paschal addressed dystocia causes by grouping them under two broad headings: genetic and management. He said, “Dystocia can be caused by one factor or a combination of factors.”
Genetics
“Under genetics, the reason for calving difficulty often results from using a bull that is too large,” Paschal
Photo by Robert Fears
Dystocia can be reduced or eliminated in mature cow herds.
said. “When buying a herd sire, check the bull’s EPDs [Expected Progeny Differences]. You want a bull with a high accuracy, high calving ease EPD and a low birth weight. Low calving ease and high birth weight EPDs increase chances of dystocia. “Bos indicus cattle have unique calf development abilities,” Paschal said. “Research has shown that Bos indicus cows restrict birth weights of their calves, although no one has been able to determine how they do it. The cows do not restrict
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News Forage, from Page 11 “The challenge was to measure and validate how much forage is needed in finishing beef cattle rations and how forage, particle size and inclusion rate affect performance,” Jennings said. That’s when she utilized the collars with the help of SCR Dairy, an entity of Allflex. The study included 54 head of cattle fed in three different treatments: inclusion of 5 percent long-particle forage, 5 percent short-particle forage and 10 percent short-particle forage to the feed ration. “We found the 5 percent longparticle ration was very comparable as far as rumination minutes per day as the 10 percent short particle,” she said. “The 5 percent short particle had the lowest rumination per day, but the best feed conversion. So where is the balance?” At the conclusion of the first study using the collars, “we deTexas A&M AgriLife photo by Jenny Jennings
Rumination collars are being used by Dr. Jenny Jennings,Texas A&M AgriLife Research beef nutritionist, on beef cattle to measure when and how long a feedlot animal is chewing its cud.
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termined feedlots can, in fact, feed less of a larger particle size of forage and get the same results in rumination as a higher rate of small particle forage,” Jennings said. A major drawback is receiving a consistent particle size in the forage, she said. Fresh hay will chop very consistently, but older hay has a tendency to break down further during processing. She said they use a Pennsylvania State University particle separator to determine particle size. The goal, once her team collects enough data on forage sources, particle length and inclusion rate, is to create forage modeling software. The software will allow feedlots to similarly measure their finishing rations and predict if they will have the appropriate rumination behavior and performance. A second study will be conducted this spring. A part of that study will be to measure pH levels in the rumen, using a
special bolus and meter to get a better idea of how the different diet treatments are affecting the rumen environment. “If we can keep the pH up with minimal changes to the current feedlot diets used, we could have an application for commercial feed yards,” she said. Jennings said the study will need to be replicated several more times and tested in a large pen study before predictive models can be finalized for the industry.
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News Restrict, from Page 13 birth rates by decreasing the gestation period and they don’t restrict blood flow to the fetus. “Their average gestation periods are normally 290 to 294 days compared to gestation periods of English (Bos taurus) breeds of approximately 282 days. For all breeds, longer than normal gestations cause heavier calves at birth. “Straight Bos indicus bulls can increase birth weights of their calves by several pounds when bred to non Bos indicus cows. Recommendations are to breed Bos indicus bulls only to mature Bos taurus cows to reduce incidence of dystocia,” Paschal said. “Select the bulls for high calving ease EPD. Sizes of bulls selected to breed Bos indicus cows are not a big concern due to the cow’s ability to restrict birth weight unless the sires are abnormally large. “Although researchers agree that birth weight is the most important measurable trait affecting calving difficulty, there is evidence that the size and shape of the pelvis also affect a female’s ability to calve,” said David Patterson, formerly with University of Missouri Extension. “A recommended time to take pelvic measurements on heifers is prior to the first breeding season. At the same time, do a reproductive tract examination. Use pelvic measurements in addition to, but not in place of, selection for animal size, weight, and above all, fertility.
The posterior presentation only poses a serious threat when delivery is prolonged. If the hind feet are presented first, allow less time to pass before assistance is given. Slight incorrect position of one foot or the head are manipulated easily and corrected. When more severe deviations occur, however, expert assistance from a large animal veterinarian may be needed.
Management
“Poor animal nutrition or health can cause dystocia,” Paschal said. “Mature cows should have a body condition score of 5 to 6 at calving and heifers should score 6. Females in thin body condi-
See DYSTOCIA, Page 17 Photo by Robert Fears
Bos indicus cows have the ability to restrict birth size of their calves.
“Heifer selection for pelvic area will likely result in increased size of the entire skeleton and animal. Increased skeleton size of the dam will be reflected in higher birth weight and dimensions of the calf. Pelvic measurements, on the other hand, are used to successfully identify abnormally small or abnormally shaped pelvises. These situations, if left unidentified, are often associated with extreme dystocia, resulting in Cesarean delivery and even death of the calf or cow.” Paschal’s recommendations on pelvic measurements are similar to those from Patterson. He likes to take pelvic measurements on 14-month-old heifers prior to breeding. At the same time he does a complete examination of the
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reproductive tract. When measuring pelvis size, Pascal records both horizontal and vertical lengths. Pelvic measurements on heifers aid in identifying females that will need assistance in calving and those that should deliver a calf without difficulty. Examination of the reproductive tract allows early culling of unproductive animals. Although not totally caused by genetics, abnormal presentation causes calving difficulty. In a normal presentation, the feet are presented within an hour or so of the beginning of labor and the head follows on top of the knees. There is often a slight delay between appearance of the feet and head. After the head is presented, complete delivery should proceed rapidly.
January 2017 — Issue 1
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News
Winter wheat management critical to spring production By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
AMARILLO — The wheat may be planted, but there’s still a lot of work to do to maximize production, whether for forage, grain or both, said Jourdan Bell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist in Amarillo. Managing irrigation, in-season fertility, diseases and weeds will be critical for wheat producers who already face low crop prices and a predicted dry spring, Bell said. Wheat conditions across the Texas High Plains are variable going into the winter. “There is a lot of dryland wheat that is stressed right now,” she said. “We had good precipitation for early wheat in August and September to get the crop started, but we have had very little since then. We are returning to drought conditions.” Bell said poor dryland wheat stands will not fare well moving into next spring unless the region gets good winter precipitation. “We also have some wheat acres that are very lush due to early season precipitation, irrigation and warm fall temperatures. While the lush fall growth provided good fall forage, it may harbor insects as well as increase the risk for spring diseases, including wheat streak mosaic virus. “Moving forward, there are things we need to do,” she said. “At this point, producers have already made their varietal selections for the year. So we need to focus on agronomic management, including irrigation and fertility. Most wheat varieties use 22 inches of total water, with most of that water use in the spring.” Bell said it will be important for producers to decide how they are going to allocate water to their wheat crop and consider the critical periods for crop water use, especially if the region continues moving into drought conditions.
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Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Jourdan Bell
Dual-purpose wheat needs attention throughout the winter to provide spring forage and grain production. Managing irrigation, in-season fertility, diseases and weeds will be critical for wheat producers who already face low crop prices and a predicted dry spring. “When we do our wheat ‘Picks’ each year, we take into consideration the whole package, which includes disease susceptibility, drought tolerance and water-use efficiency,” she said. “It is important to look to see which variety is going to perform well under drought conditions and which one is going to produce more wheat per inch of water.” Newer varieties have the potential to yield much higher if managed well, but they still have the same critical time periods for water stress. “Ideally under well-watered conditions, we are able to meet the crop water demand from germination through soft dough,” Bell said. “However, if well capacity or water is limited for wheat production, producers often ask, ‘When are the critical
times to irrigate?’” Germination and emergence are key to getting a good stand, she said. Tillering is key to having a good crop going into the winter — wheat planted in September tillers in October/ November, which is often ideal for grazed and dual-purpose systems. “Moving into spring, we want to maximize the number of seeds per head so it is critical to hit the jointing stage with water. If water is available, it is also very beneficial to irrigate at flowering.” For those who plant TAM 112 for increased drought tolerance, it is still important to have water at these critical growing stages, she said. Dryland wheat still must have enough stored soil moisture at planting for fall vegetative growth.
“This year in some of the areas with limited precipitation, producers got just enough to germinate the crop, but the crop is currently in poor condition because there was not sufficient stored soil moisture to draw from.” When discussing germination,
January 2017 — Issue 1
producers need to understand the importance of seedling vigor and realize the bin-saved seed they might have opted to use due to low prices could have resulted in poor germination and seedling
See WINTER, Page 20
3390 Winbrook Dr. Memphis, TN 38116
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News heifers separately from mature cows for two additional reasons. Earlier calving will likely occur prior to forage spring growth, so you’ll need to supply additional nutrients. In addition, nutrient requirements are higher for first calf heifers than for mature cows. There is no benefit to breeding heifers
early if they are not properly managed after calving.” In summary, losing sleep during calving of mature cattle can be eliminated with the right genetics and good management. If you raise replacement females, talk your spouse or other family members into checking calving heifers so you can sleep.
Photo courtesy of North Dakota State University
Being prepared is one of the best ways to ensure that the season goes smoothly, say Carl Dahlen, North Dakota State University Extension Service beef cattle specialist, and Gerald Stokka, Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. Here is what they say should be in every producer’s calving tool kit: • Clean calving-assistance area, with head catch, swing-out gate and rope halter • Clean bucket, disinfectant, obstetrical chains or straps and handles • Calf puller, although it should be used sparingly • Colostrum replacement/supplement
Dystocia, from Page 15 tion have a higher level of dystocia and calf death losses. Cows and heifers with body condition scores of 7 or greater have a greater chance of dystocia, but it is felt by some animal scientists that fat animals don’t have as big a risk of dystocia as thin cattle. Thin cows and heifers run out of energy.” Disease and parasites can contribute to poor health and lower body condition scores even when nutrient requirements are met. Control both internal and external parasites in addition to a good vaccination program. Work with your veterinarian to develop a herd health plan. Dystocia is usually not a problem in the mature cow herd if good management practices are utilized including culling animals that show a tendency for calving difficulty. When heifers
calve, however, one must assume there will be some dystocia problems and you will lose sleep at night. Separate heifers from the mature cow herd for calving so they can be observed more easily. During calving, check heifers about every two hours. “The simplest way to avoid a high incidence of dystocia in first-calf heifers is to purchase only mature replacement females,” said Pete Anderson of the University of Minnesota Extension. “However, this is seldom feasible or desirable. Most cattle producers regularly raise a group of heifers to calve despite expected dystocia.” “There are ways to reduce dystocia in first-calf heifers,” Anderson said. “Feed replacement heifers to grow and develop rapidly enough so they cycle and become pregnant in time to calve at 24 months of age. At this
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age, they will be as close to their mature skeletal size as possible when they calve the first time and size helps reduce calving problems. “As a rule of thumb, heifers should weigh at least 65 percent of their expected mature weight at first breeding, and 85 percent of mature weight at first calving. Weigh heifers periodically and adjust diets to produce desired weight gains without making the animals too fat.” “Properly developed and managed beef heifers generally have a 20- to 30-day longer postpartum interval than older cows,” said Rick Funston of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. “If virgin heifers are bred 20 to 30 days earlier than the cow herd, they will have additional time to return to estrus and rebreed during the same period as the mature cows. “It is important to manage
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News UAVs help collect crop data so farmers can be more efficient each infected plant is so we can know exactly where to place fungicide in subsequent seasons.” Remotely sensed images from UAVs coalesce into very large data sets, and transmitting data in rural areas has been a challenge, he said. “I live north of Bryan in a ru-
By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs, is providing large amounts of data that hold keys to unlocking valuable solutions in helping farmers become more efficient and increase profitability, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research agricultural engineer. Alex Thomasson spoke recently at the Texas Plant Protection Association Conference in Bryan. He is part of a 40-member team of researchers consisting of multiple flight teams using UAVs and sensing technology to find solutions to crop diseases and plant stress-related events such as drought. Thomasson said field activities have concentrated at the 1,400-acre Texas A&M Farm near College Station using rotary and fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. “Rotary aircraft tend to fly lower and slower than fixed-wing and provide much more detailed images but cover less ground,” he said. “Among the objectives of the research program include developing workflows and techniques for precision agriculture, and phenotyping, which means measuring the physical characteristics of plants. “We are using aerial sensors to speed up the phenotyping process. It’s much more efficient than having graduate students walking through a field with rulers and notepads.” Thermal aerial images can help determine the temperature of the plant, and other image types can help determine its height and other important characteristics, Thomasson said. One of the challenges in producing repeatable images is working with radiometric reflectance targets and ground control points. Specially prepared tiles placed in the field help locate ground points in a crop and quantify how much light the crop reflects.
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ral area where cellular service is poor,” he said. “So when we are talking about trying to upload many megabytes of data to the cloud, the rural location of farms has been an issue. Big data overall – collection storage, distribution and analysis – continues to be an issue to resolve.”
meta R f ng meta B d ng s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin
Alex Thomasson, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research agricultural engineer, discusses un“Our goals of the project are to provide next-day UAV remotesensing data to the research team,” he said. Cotton root rot is an immediate area of concentration, Thomasson said. Studies have been conducted at the Stiles Farm Foundation and in South Texas, among other Texas locations. “Cotton root rot tends to stay in the same field areas year after year. By using UAVs, we can pinpoint the areas where cotton root rot is prevalent. You can apply fungicide in that part of the field to lessen the threat rather than having to treat a whole crop and incur unnecessary expense.” Thomasson and Chenghai Yang of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in College Station are developing the ability to use remote sensing to detect and treat cotton root rot. He said Cotton Incorporated has been a strong
supporter of this research. “The cotton root rot project involves a lot of remote-sensing work to detect the locations of infection within individual fields,” he said. “It’s expensive for cotton farmers, not only the yield losses from the disease but the treatment to prevent it. It’s costing them about $50 an acre to treat the fields, but this research can save them a lot of money by enabling them to treat only the infected areas of a field. “Some are trying to use satellite data to identify infected areas, but the image resolution is commonly too low. Manned aircraft have proven to be useful, and now we’ve begun using UAVs, which give us images with extremely high resolution, as well as the ability to make inexpensive and timely flights. We have the potential to see where
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Proper testing can determine how much fertilizer and fungicide to apply to your winter wheat crop.
Winter, from Page 16 vigor, Bell said. Quality seed is needed for good germination and vigor. In-season fertility management also is important to maximize production. It is recommended that producers coordinate their fertility program to the production goal — grain only, dual purpose or grazing only, she said. Generally, the best option is to do a split application, with one in the fall planting and one in late winter. This provides the producer the opportunity to assess field conditions prior to top-dressing and prevent overgrowth in the fall, Bell said. In addition to harboring insects, overgrown wheat will use stored soil moisture. If winter precipitation is not sufficient enough to rebuild soil moisture reserves, there could be a water deficit in the spring as the crop is transitioning into reproductive development She said the best time to topdress fertilizer is at Feekes 5, around mid-February, to ensure nitrogen is available to the plant by the jointing stage or Feekes 6.
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Feekes 5 is when the meaningful tillers have developed and the growing point is moving above the soil surface. Because the crop is transitioning from vegetative to reproductive development, this is also when cattle should be pulled off wheat so they don’t graze off that growing point, if the wheat will be carried to grain production, Bell said. “With no soil test, we advise applying 1.2 pounds of nitrogen per acre per bushel yield goal for grain-only production. For dual-purpose wheat, the recommendation is 3.75 pounds of nitrogen per acre per bushel yield goal — 2 pounds at planting to satisfy the forage growth and 1.5 pounds top-dressing in the spring for grain production. “If the wheat is solely for graze out, we recommend 30 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 pounds of forage. While many of our graze-out producers are cutting back on their input costs, maximum forage production is necessary to make wheat pasture profitable,” Bell said. These application rates, however, do not account for the nitrogen in the root zone, she said.
“At the current wheat prices, do not apply nitrogen without a soil test. Soil tests account for nitrogen in the soil and could potentially save you thousands of dollars in fertilizer.” And finally, if the spring yield potential looks good, producers will need to determine if it will be economical to manage for disease, she said. There are several modes of action for fungicides, so “you need to be scouting early to determine what products you need to use.” Bell said she conducted a fungicide trial targeting stripe rust at Booker using two application dates: April 2 at early heading to minimize damage to the flag leaf and May 6 at late-flower to address producers’ concerns with saving test weight. The first application provided significant control but the second added very little. “We estimated the first one saved about 20 bushels per acre, so it was effective and paid for itself,” she said. Bell’s final advice to producers was “weed management is critical in the spring — weeds rob the water and nutrients from your crop.”
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January 2017 — Issue 1
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News
Proper diet
Nutrition, supplementation critical to keeping cows in shape By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
OVERTON — Getting or keeping cows in proper body condition throughout the winter can optimize pregnancy rates the following season, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Jason Banta, beef cattle specialist in Overton, said cows with proper body condition scores at calving are more likely to breed back and produce healthy calves in the future. Proper nutrition and supplementation are two keys to keeping cows in good shape. Banta said 2- and 3-year-old cows should have a body condition score of 6 or better at calving. Cows 4 years old and older should be in a body condition score of 5 or greater at calving. Cows with a body condition score of 5 should display abundant muscle tissue. Ribs are noticeable but overall fat cover is lacking. Hooks and pins are less obvious and hips and backbone are slightly rounded versus a sharp appearance, according to AgriLife Extension overviews. A body condition score of 6 represents cows that are ideal at calving. Ribs are covered completely with fat and beginning to cover the rump, and muscle tissue is at its greatest. Hay should be tested for nutritional quality, which will give producers the necessary information to help determine supplementation requirements, Banta said. Any supplementation plan should be based on three primary criteria: the nutrient requirements of the animal, the quality of available hay or roughage, and the current condition of the cows. Winter supplementation will depend greatly on what stage of production the cow is in, Banta said. Lactating cows require different amounts of supplementation than dry cows, those pregnant but not nursing a calf. “When evaluating pasture or hay, consider the nutrient requirements of the cow,” Banta said. For example, to maintain its body condition, a lactating cow would require hay that is about 11.5 percent protein and 62-63
percent total digestible nutrients. A dry cow in late gestation would need about 8 percent protein and 55 percent total digestible nutrients. Producers should select supplements based on the cost per unit of nutrient needed, Banta said. Cubes are a common supplement used by many producers. If both energy and protein supplementation are needed, a 20 percent cube likely would be most cost effective, he said. If only a protein supplement is needed, however, then a 40 percent cube is more cost effective. Banta said producers should start slow and build up with supplements, such as concentrates and grains, because cows
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell
Supplemental feeding during winter months is critical to ensure cows are in optimal condition for pregnancy, calving and future breeding.
January 2017 — Issue 1
are designed to consume grasses. It’s also important to feed them supplements consistently each day to avoid digestive problems such as acidosis, which can lead to founder, foot abscesses, damage to the rumen lining damage, or death. He recommends starting with no more than two pounds of supplement per cow per day and slowly building up from there. Banta said producers should watch manure patties to monitor cows’ protein intake. “If patties look like they are stacking up and are firm, that tells us we need more protein supplement,” Banta said. A 40 percent cube is a good concentrated supplement source of protein, he said.
Generally speaking, if cows are in good condition then 1 to 1.5 pounds of a 40 percent cube or something similar is a good place to start for dry cows. Two to three pounds per day likely would be needed for wet cows, Banta said. If cows also need energy, then something like a 20 percent cube could be a good option. With average quality hay, a common feeding rate for dry cows would be about two to three pounds per day per cow or four to six pounds for wet cows. “Feeding amounts really depend on hay quality and other factors, so for more information I recommend visiting with a nutritionist or an AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist,” Banta said.
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