Herd expansion's first step. Make soil work for you. MORE POUNDS — LESS COST
the American Hereford Association | August 2024
The Churchill home raised steers in the 2023 Hereford Feedlot Program at HRC Feeders
The cost of gain and feed conversions were the best in the program and by far better than the
If you breed your black cows to Churchill bulls, you will increase the demand for your calves and replacement females. We will get you lined up with feeders who are searching for Churchill genetics.
Just give us a call.
The Churchill Bull Sale Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Contacts
| American Hereford Association
Address:
11500 N. Ambassador Dr., Ste. 410, Kansas City, MO 64153 816-842-3757 • Fax 816-243-1314 hworld@hereford.org • Hereford.org
AHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Wyatt Agar, Thermopolis, Wyo.
Vice president
Chad Breeding, Miami, Texas
Directors
Term expires 2024
Jerome Ollerich, Winner, S.D.
Bob Schaffer, Spotsylvania, Va.
Term expires 2025
Lou Ellen Harr, Jeromesville, Ohio
Travis McConnaughy, Wasola, Mo.
Term expires 2026
Jim Coley, Lafayette, Tenn.
Hampton Cornelius, LaSalle, Colo.
Austin Snedden, Maricopa, Calif.
Term expires 2027
Jerry Delaney, Lake Benton, Minn.
Cindy Pribil, Hennessey, Okla.
Scott Sullivan, Grannis, Ark.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Executive vice president
Jack Ward, jward@hereford.org
Chief operating officer and director of breed improvement
Shane Bedwell, sbedwell@hereford.org
Chief financial officer
Leslie Mathews, lmathews@hereford.org
Director of records department
Stacy Sanders, ssanders@hereford.org
Director of commercial programs
Trey Befort, tbefort@herefordbeef.org
Director of youth activities and foundation
Amy Cowan, acowan@hereford.org
National shows coordinator and youth activities assistant
Bailey Clanton, bclanton@hereford.org
Associate director of youth marketing and education
Chloé Durian, cfowler@hereford.org
Education and information services coordinator and records supervisor
Laura Kouba, lkouba@hereford.org
Director of communications and digital content
Taylor Belle Matheny, tmatheny@hereford.org
Audio-visual specialist
Kelsey Vejraska, kvejraska@hereford.org
Office assistant and event coordinator
Emily Wood, ewood@hereford.org
Member Cattle Registration Fees
| Certified Hereford Beef Staff
President and chief executive officer
Ernie Davis, Jr., edavis@herefordbeef.org
Brand manager
Ty Ragsdale, tragsdale@herefordbeef.org
| Commercial Programs
Director of commercial programs
Trey Befort, tbefort@herefordbeef.org
Commercial marketing partner - Western Region
Jake Drost, jdrost@hereford.org
| Baldy Advantage Staff
Director of field management and seedstock marketing
Western Region – Emilee Holt Ariz., Calif., Idaho, Nev., Ore., Utah and Wash. 208-965-3130, eholt@hereford.org
Mountain Region – Kevin Murnin Colo., Mont., N.D., Wyo., central and western Canada 406-853-4638, kmurnin@hereford.org
North Central Region – Aaron Friedt Kan., Minn., Neb. and S.D. 701-590-9597, afriedt@hereford.org
Upper Midwest Region – Corbin Cowles Ill., Ind., Ky., Md., Mich., Ohio, Pa., W.Va. and Wis. 270-991-2534, ccowles@hereford.org
Southwest Region – Cord Weinheimer Ark., La., N.M., Okla. and Texas 830-456-3749, cweinheimer@hereford.org
Eastern Region – Tommy Coley Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn. and Va. 815-988-7051, tcoley@hereford.org
Central Region – Joe Rickabaugh Iowa, Mo. and eastern Canada 785-633-3188, jrick@hereford.org
Northeast Region – Contact the AHA Conn., Del., D.C., Maine, Mass., N.H., N.J., N.Y., R.I., Vt. and eastern Canadian provinces
The publisher reserves the right to decline any advertising for any reason at any time without liability, even though previously acknowledged or accepted.
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Crossing the Sunshine State
Generations use Hereford genetics to maximize heterosis in South Florida.
by Katie Maupin Miller
For more than six decades, Alan Kelley’s family has used Hereford genetics in their commercial cattle operation to bolster heterosis — making fertile, efficient, tough cattle that can hold up to the uniquely challenging environment in the center of South Florida. Kelley’s Hereford-Brahman-Red Angus cross herd thrives on the rangeland his great-grandfather put together a century ago, outperforming the native Cracker cattle both on the range and on the rail.
The southeast corner of Osceola County, Florida, where Kelley’s family has run cattle for five generations, typically sees six months of dry conditions, when cattle need to hustle to find water. Cattle spend the rest of the year in what Kelley calls “deep wet” — when the herd may be in ankle deep water for weeks at a time.
Native forages also pose cattle a unique challenge. South Florida’s grasses are very wet and contain little dry matter, which means cattle need a lot of capacity to consume enough forage to meet their nutritional needs. Not to mention, parasites, such as flukes, thrive in this wet, warm environment, making parasite and insect resistance another sorting point.
Crafting the cross
Creating profitable commercial cattle that can withstand such a challenging environment is no small task, but Kelley has it down to an art at Kenansville Cattle Co., located in Kenansville, Fla. A large part of his formula to success is his three-way commercial crossbreeding rotation and the added boost of heterosis the Hereford influence
brings. During the 20 years that Kelley has been at the helm of the family operation, he has experimented with different crossbreeding programs to tweak his commercial cow herd, but he has always found that the HerefordBrahman-Red Angus crosses that his family has used for generations hold up the best. The resulting crossbred females are maternal and efficient and ready to work and adapt to their environment.
“They make for some of our most efficient females — ones that are very predictable,” Kelley says. “You know what your challenges are going to be, and [the Herefordinfluenced cattle] are easy to take care of. They add a lot to the maternal side and to their nature. They blend very well with Angus, which is an obvious one in our country. But then, as you put the Brahman influence with them, it makes it where they can also work in this environment.”
The added maternal heterosis helps his Hereford-cross cattle last two to three years longer than their straightbred peers. Commercial cattlemen across the country appreciate this added longevity and stayability, and Kelley notes that the demand for baldy females is growing in the South. With a little ear — usually about three-eighths Brahman in Kelley’s herd — the Hereford-influenced females in South Florida can withstand the heat and go out and graze throughout the day to capture the most nutritional value from the local, high-moisture forages.
Kelley notes that the value of this cross stretches beyond his Southern home, though.
“She has all of the maternal heterosis that you would want going into a cow herd,” he says. “She has the ability to cross with any type of bull somebody would
want to use. Going from a Bos Indicus to a Bos Taurus, even a Continental, all of them will work and will complement well.”
Kelley’s three-way cross females can truly be profitably crossed with any bull. He says some folks even put a black bull on them to get even more heterosis from their calves.
“It lends to just a really good calf raiser,” he adds.
Past the pasture
These good calf raisers lead to good calves. The majority of Kelley’s calves go straight to the feedyard, where cattle feeders note their outstanding health. Kelley’s herd health program starts at home with a sound mineral program to support the available forages, which is complemented by his pharmaceutical protocol. With this proactive management program, Kenansville Cattle Co.’s herd health has been easy to maintain, and the Herefordinfluenced cattle rarely fall ill or need antibiotics.
This hardiness helps Kelley’s calves feed extremely well and be known as predictable and proven feeders. His cattle hit the rail rolling 60% plus USDA Choice with rarely a Yield Grade 4 carcass. This blend of feed efficiency and quality in the end product highlights an important reason to use Hereford-influence for added heterosis — sustainability.
Kelly recently read an old article from the 1950s, where his great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather were on the record saying their blend of Brahman-HerefordAngus genetics outperformed the local Cracker cattle. In many ways, Kelley’s family was on the leading edge of the
continued on page 8...
...Crossing the Sunshine State continued from page 7
sustainability movement, maximizing heterosis to optimize their cow herd efficiency more than 70 years ago.
Today, as Kelley notes, the U.S. cow herd is at its smallest size since around that era, yet producing more beef. Beef producers doing more with less will continue to be more important as urban sprawl swallows more pastures and rangelands, and the sustainable management of the beef industry draws increased consumer focus.
“Here we are, this many years later, looking at the same number of animals back then and producing three times as much meat,” he says. “That, to me, is really, really cool, and it’s something that I take a lot of pride in because we’re taking the same number of animals and producing three times as much; we’re doing more with less. It’s all about making use of what ground we have left, maintaining sustainability and getting a safe product to our consumer.”
By the Numbers
Using Hereford genetics in a rotational crossbreeding system, like Kelley does, can maximize heterosis, and the American Hereford Association’s (AHA) profit-based indexes make it easier to select Hereford sires that fit specific herds.
For example, the Brahman Influence Index (BII$) is designed for production systems using Brahman-Hereford cross cows, where replacements will be retained and steer calves will be marketed as commodity beef. Fertility and longevity are weighted heavily in the index. There is a slightly positive weight on weaning weight, mature cow weight and milk, which accounts for enough growth but ensures females do not increase inputs. There is some negative emphasis on Dry Matter Intake, but a positive weighting on carcass weight. BII$ also positively weights carcass traits with the assumption that non-replacement females and steer calves will be hung on the rail through a commodity-based program, as they will not qualify for Certified Hereford Beef®. The BII$ can help commercial producers easily identify Hereford genetics suited to their goals and Brahmaninfluenced cow herds.
Likewise, AHA offers two other profit-driven production indexes — Baldy Maternal Index (BMI$) and Certified Hereford Beef (CHB$) — to compare potential bulls. Like BII$, the BMI$ takes both maternal and terminal profit points into account. This index assumes the Hereford bull will be used in a commercial Angus herd that will retain replacement females and market steer calves and nonreplacement females. CHB$ is a strictly terminal index modeled for cattle producers using Hereford bulls on commercial Angus females; it assumes the entire calf crop will be fed and marketed through the Certified Hereford Beef program.
Find out more about these indexes and other traits included in the AHA’s genetic evaluation at Hereford.org/genetics/breed-improvement/.
—
Balanced with Max Profit
If you require input Hereford genetics to compete in a black hided market, we are already there for you. Growing your input seeds for a market, years in the future. We’ve been making commercially oriented Hereford genetics that blow away the national average for feedlot feed efficiency and rail hanging $value$ for generations.
If your herd doesn’t have EFBEEF genetics as an input … you are continuing to fall behind in tomorrow’s beef industry. We’ve been sowing the good crop of beef genes into the EFBEEF Hereford bulls for generations to lock in a bountiful harvest of seed so your inputs can thrive in tomorrow’s U.S. beef cattle market.
The numbers make it obvious EFBEEF genetics lead the breed for the measured traits with value. We also take pride in our selection pressure on the non-measured traits too. Selecting cattle from the ground up with the appropriate female and male phenotype traits that are balanced for longevity of production.
EFBEEF B413 PRIMESTOCK E007 ET {CHB}{DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF}
BMI$ 455; BII$ 588; CHB$ 199
During 2024, EFBEEF celebrates our 76th anniversary in our current location, offering polled Hereford bulls to commercial cattlemen. We are also proud of the fact that we are a 7th generation family outfit celebrating our 142nd year of seedstock Hereford production. It all started in 1883 with the purchase of two registered cows and imported sire, Beekjay Hero.
The EFBEEF program has never wavered from producing real world, functional cattle that are expected to excel in the commercial sector, returning net profit to their respective owners. You can expect your purchase at EFBeef to be backed by a guarantee that has stood the test of time, 142 years worth. You can expect your purchase to be genetically bred for the U.S. beef marketplace.
MISS ADVANCE FEMALE PAGEANT 2024
At the Ranch • September 19, 2024
70 Elite Line One Females • 16 Top Quality Bred Heifers (Bred to HH Advance 2116K) Proven Donors • 15 Open Fall Yearling Heifers
30 Young Bred Cows, March and early April calvers with several donor prospects included Bred to HH Advance 0022H and HH Advance 2123K Selling:
HH MISS ADVANCE 6169D {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF}
43688511 / Calved: 1/17/16
CL 1 DOMINO 955W {SOD}{DLF,HYF,IEF}
CL 1 DOMINETTE 5152R {DLF,HYF,IEF}
43295357 HH MISS ADVANCE 5152R {DLF,HYF,IEF}
HH ADVANCE 8203U ET {SOD}{DLF,IEF}
HH MISS ADVANCE 2077Z {DOD}{DLF,HYF,IEF}
43270830 HH MISS ADVANCE 9065W ET {DLF,HYF,IEF}
CE -1.2; BW 6.0; WW 61; YW 101; DMI 0.4; SC 0.5; SCF 16.3; MM 37; M&G 68; MCE 4.2; MCW 101; UDDR 1.30; TEAT 1.40; CW 86; FAT 0.042; REA 0.58; MARB 0.58; BMI$ 367; BII$ 440; CHB$ 128
• One of our favorite donors on the ranch, 6169D is a role model brood cow. Well-marked, perfect uddered, easy fleshing, big ribbed and stylish. She is the dam of multiple herd sires including the 1128J sire owned with Van Newkirk and the 2025K bull owned with Flying S Herefords. Her daughters are elite females. She is a big time embryo producer and looks fantastic at 8 years of age.
CE 8.1; BW 1.2; WW 64; YW 98; DMI 0.4; SC 1.8; SCF 16.5; MM 32; M&G 64; MCE 5.9; MCW 78; UDDR 1.20; TEAT 1.40; CW 81; FAT 0.062; REA 0.54; MARB 0.27; BMI$ 373; BII$ 465; CHB$ 142
Royally bred donor with the phenotype and EPDs to back it up. 7005E is a powerhouse female out of the 5139R cow family. She is backed by four generations of donors and ranks in the 20% of the breed or higher on 11 different traits. • Sells with an August bull calf at side by CL 1 Domino 0176H.
HH MISS ADVANCE 2116K ET {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF,MDF}
44346768 / Calved: 1/13/22
HH ADVANCE 7143E ET {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF}
HH ADVANCE 0022H ET {CHB}{DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF,MDF}
44128602 HH MISS ADVANCE 4287B ET {DLF,HYF,IEF}
CL 1 DOMINO 744E {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF}
HH MISS ADVANCE 0001H {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF}
44128581 HH MISS ADVANCE 8006F {DLF,HYF,IEF}
CE 15.0; BW -2.9; WW 59; YW 86; DMI 0.7; SC 1.3; SCF 16.7; MM 34; M&G 64; MCE 9.2; MCW 35; UDDR 1.20; TEAT 1.30; CW 82 FAT 0.032; REA 0.38; MARB 0.54; BMI$ 375; BII$ 479; CHB$ 161
Unique calving ease sire with pigment, phenotype, carcass and maternal. 2116K ranks in the top 2% on CED, BW, Mature Cow Weight, and MARB EPDs and the top 3% on CHB$.
• Service sire on bred heifers.
Sale offering is 100% parent verified and has GE-EPDs.
Videos will be viewable in late August at www.holdenherefords.com, and the livestocklink.com
Sale cattle will be viewable at the ranch anytime this summer and on display sale week. Follow us on Facebook for more updates @holdenherefords or check out www.holdenherefords.com
Watch for our catalog as a ride along to the September Hereford World. 3139 Valier Dupuyer Rd. • Valier, MT 59486 • 406-279-3301 Home 406-450-1029 Jack’s cell • 406-450-0129 Jay D. Evans 406-600-3118 Eric Lawver • 406-590-3307 Brad Holden jtholden@3rivers.net • www.holdenherefords.com
Regenerative RANCHING
Make Soil Work for You
Regenerative RANCHING
| by Hugh Aljoe
Optimizing soil health can help reduce inputs, increase available forage and improve the bottom line.
Regenerative RANCHING
Many ranchers are in a “more is best” mindset — more production, more livestock, more income. Yet, maximizing your operation’s output doesn’t always maximize your profit, because this constant pressure to produce more sometimes overlooks the input side of the equation, as well as the potential negative effects of high production on soil and other resources.
At Noble Research Institute, we recommend that livestock producers make their goal to optimize instead of maximize production for the good of both soil health and ranch sustainability. Optimizing ranch production strikes the balance between inputs (direct costs, labor, equipment) and gross output (actual production and revenue), which makes the operation more profitable. And one way to optimize your land’s production is to put your soil to work.
Healthy soil stands as the cornerstone of a profitable regenerative ranch because it can help ranchers simultaneously reduce inputs and increase net margins. Often, you also can increase forage production within a few years of adopting regenerative management.
Save money by using what you have
The cost to buy and apply inputs for pasture fertility and weed control adds up quickly in dollars and labor hours. So, the low-hanging fruit for people with introduced pasture and grazed cropland to save money is to reduce inputs.
On Noble Ranches, we’ve learned first to make good use of what we already have. We have pulled routine applications of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides out of our management practices. We use some herbicide on invasive woody
plants, but it is very targeted and not a routine, annual application. Fertilizer and herbicides are tools we consider, but we strive to do without in order to best learn from this extreme position.
As we have learned to make do with what nature provides, there have been significant cost savings.
Some ranchers may be stuck in an endless cycle of applying fertilizer and chemicals to maintain pristine improved pastures. Yet, the cost of these added inputs isn’t just an ever-increasing fertilizer bill; it also takes a toll on the land. One of the myths around introduced pasture is if we just fertilize it and take care of the weeds, we can continue to perpetuate this indefinitely without detriment. But we just can’t put back enough of the nutrients being removed at the rate needed to have a highly functional nutrient cycle and healthy ecosystem.
Traditionally, cattle ranchers have spent a lot of effort and money on introduced pastures trying to keep them productive and pristine, weed-free monocultures. We came to believe that by applying nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and occasionally lime and other macro- and micro-nutrients, we could replace, mimic and enhance what nature does in native grazing lands. However, synthetic N, P and K are not the same amendments that nature and regenerative grazing provide to the soil; and the temporal benefits that come occur at the expense of soil health.
The regenerative ranching approach starts with simply using what you have. By beginning to manage your land to improve soil health and by maintaining plant materials to cycle and feed the organisms and the soil in addition to the
cattle, ranchers can stop using fertilizers and chemicals on their land. Instead, the natural processes — such as the water cycle, nutrient cycle, energy flow and community dynamics — work together to create a highly functional, self-sustaining ecosystem. When your soil works optimally, as nature intended, it produces more forages.
Increase green by optimizing soil health
Healthy soils produce more green — literally and figuratively. Healthy soils absorb more rainfall with less runoff. They also grow more forages over the year, which keeps the ground covered and protected.
Healthy soils add grazing days over a period of time, building carrying capacity, forage production or both, and therefore give us opportunities to enhance our stocking rate or better utilize our stocking rate with different enterprises.
More available forage is just part of the optimized ranching equation. Mindfully managing these forages is of the utmost importance to grow more grass throughout the growing season. Overgrazing can set back your stand of grass and hamstring livestock production. Pastures recover faster when not overgrazed, just as your lawn does when you don’t mow it too short.
If we take all the forage by grazing it short, recovery takes longer, and we may never reach the pasture’s potential because plants must regrow from the ground up versus just regrowing leaves. That pasture may never fully recover before we are ready to graze it again because the plants just can’t grow back fast enough.
Also, by preventing grazing livestock from removing too much forage from a field, you can keep the ground covered, thereby increasing organic matter, decreasing weed pressure and encouraging forage recovery and regrowth.
This careful attention to detail also can save on supplemental feed costs. Noble Ranches have been able to feed little to no hay by using regenerative grazing for soil health. Not only does it help the pasture rest and recover, but it also ensures cattle always have nutritious forages available to graze. Our ranch managers hope to feed hay only in icy or other extreme conditions by making the most of their forages year-round and keeping their soil healthy.
Add profitability with new forage strategies
Having plenty of available forage for cattle grazing is certainly a goal most of us share. But what if our management decisions were made based on what is best for our land instead of just our cow herd? While it’s natural to focus on cattle production, by pivoting our decisionmaking process to become more landcentric, we may have more opportunities to make money.
A simple example of this land-centric approach would be stocking fewer cattle to ultimately realize more profits as we manage the ranch with fewer added inputs. Another option is to look beyond cattle to adding a complementary grazing species, such as sheep or goats, as an added income source. Or review your marketing strategy based on available forage supply. If you have ample forage, you might be able to capture more added value by backgrounding your calves on grass to heavier weights instead of selling them at weaning.
It’s easy for us to put a value on a cow because we sell its calf, but we’ve got to value the land and treat it well, so it sustains us into the future.
Observe and learn from real-world results
I’ve seen producers become more profitable when they manage their ranch for optimal soil health. On one of our Noble Ranches, we saved about $50,000 on fertilizer when the staff started
managing the 3,000 acres of bermudagrass pastures for soil health. They also saved more than $15,000 by not spraying the weeds on that ranch. I’ll admit, that means the ranch isn’t always pristine or picture pretty. The pastures were admittedly weedy, yet through regenerative grazing, we used many of the weeds or forbs as a forage, taking advantage of their usually higher crude protein and energy levels. As the soil cover increased over time, we had fewer but even more diverse forbs, and those pastures yielded 30-40% more grazing days — weeds and all — by using regenerative grazing.
Healthy, thriving introduced pastures are not monocultures.
improvements with the potential for big returns, such as temporary fencing to manage grazing livestock more intensively to optimize soil health.
Another example is a rancher who weathered the 2011-2012 drought by being mindful of his land’s wellbeing. After monitoring winter rainfall leading into the spring, he could see there would likely be a drought. So, he pared down his cow herd by a quarter, selling older pairs and problem cows for good money before the market reacted to the coming drought.
He said, “I’m going to get rid of everything that is older, has bad udders, is a poor performer, anything ugly, I don’t like or has ever looked at me the wrong way.”
With a lighter stocking rate, this rancher made it through the drought with plenty of available forages. In fact, that year ended up being one of his most profitable, and it put him in the position to buy the heart of his neighbor’s cow herd when his neighbor no longer had the forage needed to sustain cattle during the drought. Caring for his land rewarded him greatly with a profitable year during a challenging time, plus new, improved genetics to continue to build his cow herd. Ultimately, managing land in a regenerative fashion with a focus on what’s below the ground can yield more significant profit, and these management decisions can be implemented slowly and steadily over time to improve both the ranch and the bottom line. We recommend starting with low-cost
One common misperception about regenerative ranching is that you have to put in a lot more infrastructure right away, but it’s always best to start with what you already have. Then put your first dollars where you’re going to get your biggest return — in a manageably sized area in your more productive pastures. Step into regenerative grazing and soil health management at a scale that you can manage successfully.
The most crucial part of managing your ranch is constantly evolving and bettering your practices to optimize soil health (see Evaluate Soil Health, Page 18). The big thing is we never stop learning. As an industry, we have spent most of our time looking at the cow. We have got to begin looking not only at the cows but also at the pasture and below ground. We have to look at the soil and help it work for us.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a continuing series of articles about regenerative ranching from Noble Research Institute, long trusted by beef cattle producers for supporting beef cattle producers with research, education and mentorship. Look for more in future issues of Baldy Advantage and Hereford World, as well as in special 1881 podcasts, at Hereford.org. Additional regenerative resources and past articles in the series are also at Noble.org
Hugh Aljoe is director of ranches, outreach and partnerships at Noble Research Institute, which will provide more about getting started with regenerative ranching in the September issue of Hereford World.
Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson/Noble Research Institute
Nematodirus (shown here), also known as the thread-necked intestinal worm, is an unsightly parasite that causes infections marked by diarrhea and loss of appetite − both of which open the door for other internal parasites to cause even more damage.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION | RESIDUE WARNINGS: Safe-Guard Paste and Suspension: cattle must not be slaughtered within 8 days following last treatment; Mineral and medicated feed products: 13 days; EN-PRO-AL Molasses Block: 11 days; Protein Block: 16 days; For dairy cattle, the milk discard time is zero hours. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. For complete information, refer to the product label.
1Reinhardt CD, et al. A fenbendazole oral drench in addition to an ivermectin pour-on reduces parasite burden and improves feedlot and carcass performance of finishing heifers compared with endectocides alone. J Anim Sci. 2006;84(8):2243-50. 2Merck Animal Health National FECRT Database. Add Safe-Guard® (fenbendazole) when you deworm to take out the profit-eating parasites that your ivermectin alone just can’t.1 If you’ve only been using ivermectin (or any other kind of -ectin), it’s time to add a dewormer from a different class to your protocol. Because you’re leaving resistant parasites in your cattle – and potential profit on the table. By adding Safe-Guard, you can kill more of those microscopic monsters than you can with ivermectin alone.2 This different-class dewormer is one more way Merck Animal Health Works for you. BITE BACK AT SAFEGUARDWORKS.COM
125 Two-Year-Old Bulls
Bred, Developed and Pasture Raised by Dudley Bros. in North Central Texas. Bulls are adaptable to climate and forage conditions East, West, North and South!
From: Candy Meadows Farm, TN
From: Birdwell Ranch, OK
From: 111 Farm, GA
From: Thomas Herefords, MT
| by Jim Johnson
Evaluate Soil Health
All you need is a shovel and your senses to get an idea of your soil’s health.
For any cattle producer or landowner, the first step to being a good land steward is taking stock of the current health of the soil beneath your grasslands. You can look for the following indicators of soil health on any farm or ranch with just a shovel, your eyes and your nose.
organic matter. In general, the darker the soil, the better the soil health.
You will want to complete the following steps at least twice: once in the pasture and once in a nearby fence row. Compare the soil in these two places. Typically, soil in the fence row has not been as disturbed by grazing, machinery or prior tillage, and will show signs of greater health. This is why it makes a good benchmark to give you an idea of what your working soil could look like.
All you need is a shovel. While any shovel will do, I prefer one that is completely made from steel. That’s because digging in the field tends to break shovel handles. If you have a lot of difficulty digging, that may be your first sign of a compaction (and soil health) problem.
Before you dig, look straight down at the soil surface and note if it is bare or covered. One of the important indicators of soil health is soil cover. If soil is bare in an area, it tells you the ecosystem processes are not working well. The soil won’t be healthy, and it’s vulnerable to erosion.
Digging for soil health indicators
With shovel in hand, follow these six steps to check the soil health.
Step 1: Push the shovel into the ground at your evaluation site. As you do, feel for resistance. While resistance could be caused by roots or rock, it is often a sign of compaction. The shovel should go into the ground easily.
Step 2: Turn the shovel full of soil out and look at the color, an indication of soil
Step 3: While looking at the color, do a further check for compacted layers — layers of resistance that limit root penetration and water infiltration. One way to notice compaction is to look at the plant roots. Are they growing sideways, or in a “J” formation — in which they grow down to the resistance layer then turn 90 degrees because they can’t penetrate it? You want the roots to grow downward, deep into the ground.
Step 4: Look for biological activity. Are there lots of living roots or channels where roots have grown? Are there earthworms and other forms of life, like dung beetles, or evidence of them, like earthworm castings or dung-beetle balls buried in the soil? These are all signs that your soil is alive and healthy.
Step 5: Smell the soil. It should have a good earthy smell, like a freshly tilled garden. That comes from active bacteria in healthy soils that are cycling organic matter. It should not smell like vinegar, a swamp, a rock from the creek or rotten eggs. Smell can be difficult to gauge at first but remember to compare the soil in your field to the soil in the fence row. No smell equals no life.
Step 6: Look at the soil’s structure. Healthy soil should crumble easily, like a perfectly done, moist chocolate cake. Your soil should include both big clumps and small clumps. If your soil is a singular clump, you probably have a compaction issue. Alternatively, if your soil sifts through your fingers like flour, you are missing the biological soil activity that provides the soil its healthy structure.
Lastly, remember it doesn’t matter how healthy the soil is if it erodes away. Likewise, it is impossible to build healthy soil while it is being eroded away by wind or water. Walk your pastures looking for not only obvious signs such as gullies, but also signs on the soil surface. They will show up as soil deposited behind plants and rocks by wind erosion, or small dams of soil and litter where water has run downhill. While wind and soil erosion are natural processes, the management choices we make around grazing or keeping the soil covered with living plants can increase or decrease the speed and intensity of soil loss.
Beyond these valuable observations in the pasture, the next step is taking samples to send off for Haney soil health tests and other laboratory analysis to add benchmark data to your soil health journey.
Editor’s Note: Jim Johnson is a senior regenerative ranching advisor at Noble Research Institute, where he focuses on helping ranchers use soil health principles and ecosystem processes to improve their land.
Dung-beetle balls and eggs (pictured), earthworms and other forms of life in soil samples are indicators of soil health.
Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson/Noble Research Institute
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2024
BR VALIDATED B413 6035 7098
CE 6.5 | BW 0.6 | WW 69 | YW 99 | MM 38 | TEAT 1.40
REA 1.10 | MARB 0.90 | BMI$ 613 | CHB$ 199
One of the most dominate cows in the breed today has daughters and granddaughters selling! You can buy her genetics in volume!
CL 1 DOMINO 0186H
CE 6.3 | BW -0.2 | WW 61 | YW 103 | MM 32 | TEAT 1.50 REA 0.63 | MARB 0.34 | BMI$ 427 | CHB$ 153
The maternal machine has several daughters and granddaughters out of his son, 267K, that are selling! One is a sister to Stanfield and one is a sister to Sherman!
CE 4.2 |
CSC 701 OSHOTO 316
354 |
115 Embryos out of him from our best donors sell! Young cows bred to him sell!
CHURCHILL W4 SHERMAN 2157K
ET
CE 4.0 |
0.2 |
| YW
|
26 |
1.50 REA 1.16 |
0.44 | BMI$ 494 | CHB$ 196
The Sherman heifer calves are as good as we have ever had! Loads of quality and look with elite numbers! Several of them sell!
HH ADVANCE 0159H
0.91 |
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SELLING:
Weather Shift Ahead
La Niña is poised to bring drier conditions to some areas.
by Katie Maupin Miller
Cautious optimism continues for the current growing season, according to Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist. Toward the end of June, nearly half of U.S. pastures and rangeland were rated good to excellent, a welcome reprieve from the long-term, widespread drought that plagued cattle producers the last few years. In fact, the first week of June brought the most optimistic report, with 51% of pastures and rangeland being reported as good or excellent.
However, not all American cattlemen and women see a marked improvement in their forages. “Currently, there are still a few areas, notably in parts of Texas and New Mexico, where rangeland and pastures are not in very good shape due to a combination of factors, including long-term drought and this summer’s heat,” Rippey says.
And the U.S. forecast for the rest of the summer leading into fall is a mixed bag.
“This summer will likely bring mixed returns, with some areas being too hot, some areas too dry, and some areas too wet. An active Atlantic tropical basin could bring moisture — as well as wind and water damage — to various areas along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, with any impacts impossible to predict
more than a few days in advance. However, tropical moisture could also ease or eliminate emerging drought concerns in the southeastern and eastern U.S.,” Rippey notes.
La Niña delayed El Niño and its impacts on U.S. climate are officially gone, according to the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) report released by the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) on June 13. Rippey notes El Niño’s parting gift was an active spring weather pattern that spun up a near-record number of tornadoes in April and May.
“Now, we wait. Signs of La Niña are bubbling up (in the form of cool water) in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. While we wait for La Niña to officially form and start governing global weather patterns, there is a lull while other factors are in play,” he says. “Notably, we saw an impressive ridge of high pressure forming over parts of North America during June, leading to a hot month, especially from California to the central and southern Great Plains. During a period when that ridge shifted eastward, tropical moisture — including the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto — wrapped around the west side of the ridge, leading to the ring-of-fire thunderstorms that sparked upper Midwestern flooding starting around June 20. The upper Midwestern rain was further enhanced by cold fronts pushing into the upper Midwest — and stalling after encountering the powerful ridge.”
Any impacts of the developing La Niña will likely appear during the cool/cold season, according to Rippey. This is due in part to
La Niña’s influence on the U.S. climate usually peaking from October to April, but also because the latest forecasts predict La Niña developing slightly later than expected.
“With the return of La Niña later this year, odds of drought development will increase across the southern tier of the U.S. Drought across the southern Great Plains often goes hand-in-hand with La Niña, starting late in the year of development (e.g., autumn 2024) and extending into the following growing season (e.g., spring 2025),” Rippey says.
Drying out
June 11 likely stands as the four-year low in U.S. drought coverage. That minimum value of 11.77% of the Lower 48 States marked the lowest coverage since March 3, 2020, per the U.S. Drought Monitor. But the odds of drought returning to more areas will likely increase.
“In spite of the heavier-than-normal June rainfall in places like southern Texas, the Four Corners region and the upper Midwest, many areas were unfavorably dry. June dryness was particularly pronounced in the Southeast (excluding southern Florida), as well as
Nearly half of U.S. rangeland and pastures were rated from good to excellent near the end of June. Area impacted by drought was the least in four years.
Hot summer days in June dried out topsoil, making certain regions prone to rapid onset of drought. Short to very short topsoil moisture from Illinois to Ohio and through the Southeast points to a higher risk of emerging drought.
portions of the central and eastern Corn Belt and the northern High Plains,” Rippey says.
Additionally, the CPC cautioned that hot, dry weather can cause the rapid onset of drought. They spoke specifically about the risk in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Southern plains at the beginning of July, but as Rippey explains, topsoil moisture can be quickly depleted when temperatures are elevated and plant/crop moisture use is high. Nearing the end of June, topsoil moisture rated short to very short increased rapidly from Illinois to Ohio and in much of the Southeast, which goes hand-in-hand with the CPC’s seasonal drought prediction forecast. Through the end of September drought is expected to emerge from Illinois to Ohio and throughout the Southeast while expanding through the Southwest and into Oklahoma and the Northern and Middle Rockies.
While early summer brought the lowest percentage of drought coverage in the last four years, summer leading into fall brings a mixed bag to cattle producers around the country, with chances of drought emerging from Illinois to Ohio and throughout the Southeast while expanding through the Southwest and into Oklahoma and the Northern and Middle Rockies.
AUG. 31, 2024 • MAYS LICK, KY
TH 118H 195B MS WORLD 8K {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF,DBP}
Calved: 12/13/21 • Polled
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ECR CANDI 031 ET {DLF,HYF,IEF,MSUDF,DBP}
BR CSF COPPER ET x ECR CANDI 5451 ET 44175375
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P44440613
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Consumer demand helps prices fade record carcass weights.
by Wes Ishmael
Cattle feeders and beef packers continue responding to declining cattle numbers by slowing turnover and production.
For the first four months of the year, the number of cattle on feed longer than 150 days May 1 was the highest in 12 years, according to analysts with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) in the June Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook.
“According to industry participants, some packers are foregoing typical discounts on cattle above certain weights, further incentivizing feedlots to keep cattle on feed longer, especially as they maintain feedlot capacity utilization in the face of slowing placements,” ERS analysts explain. “This additional weight is enabling packers to partially offset the impact of having fewer cattle to process than a year ago, as carcasses are yielding about 4% more product year over year.”
Fed cattle carcass weights continue to be record heavy. For the week ending June 15, average dressed steer weights were 35 pounds heavier year over year at 917 pounds, and dressed heifer weights were 27 pounds heavier at 836 pounds, according to ERS data.
“The record weights are largely a function of cattle feeders responding to market economics. These signals included record-high first-quarter feeder cattle costs; first-quarter fed cattle marketings that were projected to be losing nearly $100 before accounting for weather losses; profitable cost-of-gain projections; and very poor pen conditions,” explains David Weaber, senior animal protein analyst for Terrain. “Given these factors, it was a better decision to feed the animal than to liquidate inventory and start over with an equally bad or worse projected outcome.”
Terrain provides market analysis and forecasting to American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America, Frontier Farm Credit and their customers.
For broader perspective, year-to-date estimated total cattle slaughter of 15.6 million head for the week ending June 29 was 729,000 head fewer (-4.5%) than the same time last year. The estimated year-to-date beef production of 13.1 billion pounds was 209.7 million pounds less (-1.6%) year over year.
The ERS left projected beef production for this year basically unchanged in the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, compared to the previous month, at 26.6 billion pounds, as heavier expected dressed weights mostly offset lower anticipated slaughter.
The forecast beef production for 2025 of 25.4 billion pounds was 245 million pounds more than the previous month’s estimate. But next year’s production would still be 1.2 billion pounds less (-4.6%) than this year’s projected total, according to that forecast.
Record and near-record high prices continue
Resilient consumer beef demand promises to keep cattle prices at or near record-high levels despite more beef production this year than originally anticipated.
ERS raised the expected average five-area direct fed steer price for most of the remainder of the year in the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.
Compared to the previous month, prices were projected $2 higher in the second quarter at $186 per hundredweight (cwt.), $1 higher in the third quarter at $183, but $1 lower in the fourth quarter at $186. The forecast annual price for this year increased 50¢ to $184.01. ERS also raised the expected first-quarter price and the 2025 annual average price by $1 to $186 and $189, respectively.
Weaber expects fed cattle prices to average between $185 and $190 in the third quarter of this year, and then retest spring highs during the fourth quarter in the low $190s, potentially $200 amid holiday demand.
On the other side of the scale, the ERS left projected feeder steer prices (750-800 pounds, Oklahoma City) unchanged, compared to the previous month in the June Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, except for $1 lower in the second and fourth quarters. Average prices were forecast to be $254 per cwt. in the second quarter, and $263 in the third and fourth quarters. The annual average price estimate was reduced 50¢ to $254.96. Next year’s annual average price was projected at $258.50 with the first-quarter price at $247.
“Demand for feeder cattle remains steady, supported in part by improved forage and pasture conditions from a year ago across most of the country (see Weather Shift Ahead, Page 22),” say ERS analysts. “This has enabled cattle to go on grass rather than into feedlots, particularly as feedlots are limiting placements in response to high feeder prices.”
Weaber anticipates the CME Feeder Cattle Index to be in the $275-$285 per cwt. range for most of the third quarter and the fourth quarter.
“I expect Oklahoma City 400-500-pound steer calves to average about $360 per cwt., with an approximate
range of plus or minus $10, for the third quarter and early fourth quarter, Weaber says. “During November and December, supplies for light calves destined for turnout on small grain pastures will decline further as heifer retention for cow herd expansion begins. This has pushed my November/December forecast for these light steers to $380-$400 per cwt.”
Resilient consumer beef demand
Expectations for continued historically strong domestic consumer beef demand were set to pave the way to record-high retail beef prices this summer as production declined, according to Rabobank’s Global Beef Quarterly for the second quarter.
RaboResearch analysts pointed out the U.S. all-fresh beef retail price in April was record-high at $7.95 per pound and demand was the second highest in the past three decades.
The
Globally, Rabobank forecast declining beef production in the U.S. and Europe would overshadow anticipated production increases in Australia and Brazil.
demand and currency advantages compared to the main Asian markets. The headwinds in Asia remain formidable, but the tourism boom in Japan has helped solidify demand and exports have stabilized this year, despite the continued weakness in the yen and strong competition from Australia. Robust retail and e-commerce demand has helped U.S. chilled beef continue to dominate in Korea and Taiwan.”
April beef export value equated to $416.87 per head of fed slaughter, down 6% from a year ago, but the JanuaryApril average was still up 5% to $410.25.
USDA’s latest quarterly Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade forecast U.S. beef exports for this year at $9.1 billion. That was $200 million more than the previous quarter’s estimate. The increase was based on slightly more volume and firm demand.
record weights are largely a function of cattle feeders responding to market economics. These signals included record-high first-quarter feeder cattle costs; first-quarter fed cattle marketings that were projected to be losing nearly $100 before accounting for weather losses; profitable cost-of-gain projections; and very poor pen conditions.
— David Weaber,
senior
“The global cattle market is currently moving at two distinct paces,” according to Angus Gidley-Baird, Rabobank senior animal protein analyst. “North American markets are hovering near record highs amid the contraction in local production, while other regions are experiencing more subdued pricing. Europe finds itself in the middle ground, despite a recent uptick in production. These regional disparities are beginning to influence international trade flows, with the U.S. ramping up its import volumes and major Asian markets maintaining steady import levels.”
U.S. beef exports in April were the largest in 10 months at 111,580 metric tons (mt), according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Export value was 5% more year over year at $898.7 million, which was also the highest level since June of 2023.
Through the first four months of 2024, beef export value increased 5% year over year to $3.38 billion, despite a 3% decline in volume (423,445 mt).
“Mexico continued to shine on the beef side, along with the Caribbean, Central America and the Middle East,” according to Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO. “These markets are benefiting from foodservice
animal protein analyst, Terrain
Overall U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year (FY) 2024 were projected at $170.5 billion, unchanged from the February forecast with higher exports of livestock, dairy and ethanol mostly offsetting reductions in grains and feeds, oilseeds, and horticultural products.
For broader perspective, global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was projected to increase 3.2% in calendar year (CY) 2024, which was slightly higher than the previous forecast.
“Global economic growth continues to increase but at a slow rate, in part due to a stagnation of global trade growth in 2023 and early 2024,” according to USDA analysts. “Despite the slow progress, this steady growth marks a continued sign of resilience following the economic turmoil from 2020 through 2022. Nevertheless, several potential barriers to sustained economic growth persist including the war in Ukraine, intensifying conflicts in the Middle East, China’s economic uncertainty and shifting weather patterns.”
U.S. GDP was forecast 0.6% higher than the previous estimate at 2.7%.
“This growth is buoyed by robust consumer spending notwithstanding factors leading to more subdued growth, such as declines in business inventories, federal government purchases, business investment and investment in residential property,” say USDA analysts.
Sale Ring
Strong bidding continues.
Late-winter and spring Hereford and Hereford-influenced feeder calf and heifer replacement sales attracted plenty of buying interest from across the country as highlighted in these sale results reported by American Hereford Association field representatives Corbin Cowles (East/ Southeast), Aaron Friedt (Central/Northern Plains) and Cord Weinheimer (Central/Southern Plains). The associated tables of sale results do not include the entire offering but offer a representative glimpse of each sale.
Kentucky Hereford Assn. Certified Hereford-influenced Feeder Calf Sale
Dec. 12, 2024
Blue Grass Stockyards –Lexington, Ky.
Contact: L.W. Beckley, DVM 859-779-1419
Greater Midwest Certified Hereford-influenced Feeder Calf Sale
Jan. 4, 2025
Carthage Livestock Auction –Carthage, Ill.
Contact: Brent Lowderman, 309-221-9621
For more information about these sales, please contact the representatives noted above. For a listing of sales please see Hereford.org/commercial/ programs/feeder-cattle-sales
Herefords are known as the efficiency experts for a reason. Herefords boost pregnancy rates by 7% and add $30 per head in feedyard profitability in a crossbreeding system. And Hereford genetics bring unrivaled hybrid vigor, longevity and disposition.
Slow Go
Steps toward herd expansion could begin this fall.
by Wes Ishmael
Cow-calf producers continued liquidation through the first quarter of this year, based on the level of beef cow slaughter and the percentage of heifers in the feedlot mix.
This reality in tandem with increasing calf prices the past two years underscores the financial brutality and lingering effects of the recent widespread, multi-year drought. Hay supplies were scarce heading into last spring. There was little appetite for retaining heifers or bottom-end cows when they were worth so much and balance sheets needed to heal.
In other words, odds favor the number of beef cows at the beginning of next year to be close to steady or slightly less than the 28.2 million head that started this year. If the weather cooperates, declining cow slaughter in the second quarter and a tick fewer heifers offered in summer video sales suggest some producers may be ready to retain more heifers this fall.
“The first step in expansion is stopping liquidation, and clearly we have,” says Lance Zimmerman, Rabobank senior animal protein analyst. “I think we’re getting to a point where producers are more confident in the weather patterns and more confident of the returns.”
Depending on the database and measuring stick, average net returns per cow are increasing enough for some to consider the economic risk of expansion.
“Hay is cheaper, the margins are looking greener, but there are significant regional differences,” Zimmerman says. For instance, while feed costs are declining overall, producers in the northern and central plains enjoy a substantial basis advantage for corn and other feedstuffs.
Then there’s interest cost.
The last time producers expanded the national cow herd in 2012-14 — the most aggressive expansion on record — interest rates were an afterthought.
“We calculated the margins and said, ‘Go!’” explains David Weaber, senior animal protein analyst for Terrain. These days, with interest rates at 8-10%, he points out the cost of borrowing $3,000 to buy a bred heifer is equivalent to last year’s net cow return per head for some producers.
Planning pays
Given the relatively high cost of expansion, Zimmerman notes a little planning on the front end can pay a lot on the back end.
“When we start retaining heifers for the next phase, we have to keep in mind the investment we’re making.
We make the investment with the long term in mind. The most profitable cows in the herd today are 6, 7 and 8 years old,” Zimmerman says. “Take some extra time to decide what your rebuild looks like. The cost of making the wrong decision goes up significantly in this price environment.”
At this stage of the price cycle, with another year or so left of historically high calf prices, Weaber believes buying rather than retaining and developing heifers can make more economic sense.
“A bred heifer that will calve in 2025 is not priced too far out of line today,” Weaber says. “If you keep one, you won’t sell her calf until 2026. Sooner is better than later.”
Quality incentive continues
Producers transformed beef for consumers when they built back during the previous cycle. The industry was already producing more Choice and Prime carcasses, but genetics added through the expansion accelerated momentum.
“It took the rebuild to lean harder into the quality side of things,” Zimmerman says. “The biggest gains in quality came on the back end of the last herd expansion.” He explains there were 18.8 billion pounds of Prime and Choice quality grade beef produced in 2022 compared to 11.7 billion pounds in 2005.
Although carcass quality premiums moderated over the last 12 months, Weaber says the price spread between Prime and Choice grade and between Choice and premium Choice remain wide enough that producers cannot take their eye off the quality target during the coming expansion.
“There are still huge money differences,” Weaber says. “The market continues to say, ‘Send more quality.’ The money is there to move all of the beef tonnage in the lower third of the Choice grade into the upper twothirds.” Going forward, he says the most dollars will be for carcasses that grade in the upper levels of Prime.
As producers make decisions about breeding systems and genetics when they expand, Weaber notes pounds of carcass weight will continue to drive the overall market, but the composition of those pounds will likely change. Specifically, he explains the value of Yield Grade continues to be diluted in the marketplace because it does not reflect today’s cattle.
USDA’s Yield Grade system was developed in 1965 to estimate cutability or the yield of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts. The system was developed with data from a handful of cattle. It has not changed since.
However, Weaber believes cutability will become more important to carcass valuation, as researchers, including those at Texas Tech University, develop new, objective tools. When these tools are available, which will allow packers to discount carcasses based on cutability, they likely will.
Building resiliency
Besides continued focus on carcass quality, herd expansion offers an opportunity to question and potentially change other aspects of individual operations and the collective industry.
“The U.S. beef industry is navigating a business environment that is increasingly complex and challenging,” Zimmerman says, in a Rabobank analysis examining opportunities in the next cattle cycle. “At the same time, unpredictable climate patterns, supply changes and margin shifts are increasing production and price risks for each segment.” He believes opportunity to manage these risks include enhanced vertical cooperation, increased technology adoption and broader public policy engagement.
Closer to home, Weaber explains a byproduct of the industry push for heavier yearling weights has been heavier weaning weights, along with more milk and larger mature cow size.
“If average mature cow size is 20% larger today than in 1990, a ranch that could stock 100 cows back then should be running 80 today because overall cow feed efficiency has not changed,” Weaber says.
Snubbed to a different post, cost control looms large when it comes to resiliency. Various analyses over time suggest higher-profit cattle producers focus more on managing cost than necessarily increasing unit production or value.
“… while both production (weight) and weaning percentage do impact profit, they are much less important in explaining differences between producers than costs,” according to a cow-calf enterprise analysis of Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA) members. “In fact, 66.0% of the average difference in net return to management between high-profit and low-profit farms is due to cost differences. The other 34.0% is due to differences in gross income per cow, which is primarily because the high-profit farms sold a larger number of calves and sold slightly heavier calves.”
That’s from “Differences Between High-, Medium-, and Low-Profit Cow-Calf Producers: An Analysis of 2015-2019” (AgManager.info/livestock-meat/productioneconomics), penned by Dustin Pendell, agricultural economist at Kansas State University (K-State), and Kevin Herbel, KFMA executive director.
“High-profit operations had a $268 per cow cost advantage over low-profit farms (22% advantage) and a $188 (16%) cost advantage over the mid-profit farms,” according to the K-State report. “High-profit operations had a cost advantage in every cost category compared to low-profit operations, and every cost category compared to mid-profit operations, except for pasture.”
Similar studies over time point to the fact that some low-cost, high-profit producers spend more than their peers do in particular areas, such as genetics and preventative animal health.
The
first step in expansion is stopping liquidation, and clearly we have. I think we’re getting to a point where producers are more confident in the weather patterns and more confident of the returns.
— Lance Zimmerman, senior analyst, Rabobank.
Herd size ahead
There were 3.5 million fewer beef cows (-11.2%) at the beginning of this year than the recent peak in 2019. History says the cow herd will not reach its previous peak. At least, it never has in cycles since the mid 1970s.
“Can we get back to 30-31 million beef cows? I think so,” Weaber says. “Can we get back to 32-33 million head? I don’t think we’d like the prices that would result.”
Zimmerman projects beef cows to number approximately 28 million head when the new year begins. While it’s unlikely for the cow herd to grow to the previous peak of 31.8 million head, he believes 30-31 million head is possible in the next 5-6 years.
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Market Tracks
Bullish fundamentals remain.
by Wes Ishmael
Supply and demand fundamentals continued to underpin record and near record-high cattle prices through June.
Regional prices for six-weight steers ranged from 17% to 25% higher year over year toward the end of June, according to USDA’s National Weekly Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary (see Table).
On the other side of the fence, June’s weighted average five-area direct FOB live steer price was $8.82 higher year over year at $193.33 per hundredweight (cwt.) The weighted average dressed delivered steer price was $13.04 higher at $307.26 per cwt.
Higher prices are in the future, as there was little indication herd expansion had begun by the start of summer. Perhaps a lower percentage of heifers in the mix reported at some summer auctions provided an inkling of intentions. However, USDA’s semi-annual Cattle report at the end of July would provide the latest nationwide glimpse. Odds favor a slow start to expansion this fall (see Slow Go, Page 36).
Next year is likely to begin with a smaller beef cow herd, whether or not producers begin retaining heifers for expansion, says Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, in his earlyJune market comments.
“The question of when heifer retention begins is important in two respects,” Peel says. “First, heifer retention will further squeeze feeder supplies and push feeder cattle prices higher. That is likely to happen later this year. Secondly, the longer it takes to start heifer retention, the longer the industry will continue to see reduced cattle inventories, smaller beef production and high average cattle and beef price levels.”
Non-fed beef production lower
While fed cattle beef production continues higher than anticipated due
to longer feeding periods and the slower packer pace (see Weighty Numbers, Page 26), non-fed beef production is sharply lower so far this year, according to Peel.
“Total cow slaughter is down 14.1% year over year through the first 21 weeks of the year, with dairy cow slaughter down 13.4% and beef cow slaughter down 14.8% from last year,” Peel explains in his mid-June market comments. “Cow carcass weights are averaging 646.8 pounds, up 10 pounds compared to one year ago. Bull slaughter is down 7% year over year, with bull carcass weights up 28.7 pounds year over year and averaging 892 pounds.”
Conversely, year-to-date fed cattle slaughter at the end of June was 4.5% less year over year, and beef production was down 1.6%, according to USDA data.
All told, Peel says, total non-fed slaughter through May was down 13.6%, and total non-fed beef production was down 12%, or 1.69 billion pounds. He added that non-fed beef makes up 20% of total beef production, on average.
“Fed cattle slaughter is expected to decrease more in late 2024, though carcass weights will likely remain elevated,” Peel says. “Heifer retention may be starting, which would lead to a larger decline in heifer slaughter by the end of the year. Beef cow slaughter may also drop more sharply in the last part of the year. Herd rebuilding typically results in decreased heifer and beef cow slaughter. Moisture conditions through the summer and into the fall will be critical to determine if, and how much, herd rebuilding gets started and its impact on 2024 beef production.”
Along the way, hefty carcass quality premiums remain. Although a touch lower year over year, premiums for USDA Price and premium Choice continue to underscore consumer preferences for quality, even amid record-high retail beef prices.
Cheaper feed ahead
Feed prices appear poised to support calf prices this fall. USDA pegged the 2024-25 corn price received by producers at $4.25 per bushel in June’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Toward the end of June, near-Sep Corn futures prices were 27% less year over year at $4.25 per bushel.
All of that was before USDA’s muchanticipated Acreage report at the end of June estimated 1.5 million more acres of corn than the initial projection in March’s Prospective Plantings report.
The 91.5 million projected corn acres would be 3.2 million acres less (-3%) than last year. Given flooding in parts of the Corn Belt, some believed the estimate was too generous. Estimated area harvested for grain was 83.4 million acres, which would be 4% less year over year.
Between USDA’s estimate of planted area and trend-line yields, Colorado State University agricultural economist Stephen Koontz says, corn production this year would be about 15 billion bushels. If usage remains steady, he explains the stocks-to-use ratio would increase to more than 16%.
“This level of stocks has not been seen since the 2005-06 crop year,” Koontz explains, in the late-June issue of In the Cattle Markets. “New crop corn futures have fallen to between $4.15-$4.20 and $4 will be pressured if yields are better than the trend, which seems likely, given the rainfall that much of the Corn Belt has seen. The cattle — and every other protein animal — industry is looking at prospects of the lowest feed grain prices in years.”
USDA’s Acreage report also pegged harvested all hay area for this year at 51.5 million acres in the latest report. Although the estimated area would be 1.3 million acres less (-2.4%) than last year, average production suggests continued relief from the sky-high prices endured the past couple of years.
2 CME Feeder Cattle Index 06/26/24 year over year.
3 USDA Five-area weekly weighted average direct slaughter cattle, year over year, week ending 06/23/24
4 National Weekly Boxed Beef Cutout and Boxed Beef Cuts (negotiated, weekly cutout value summary), weekly average for weeks ending 06/21/24 and 06/23/23.
5 USDA steer byproduct drop value (FOB central U.S.), 06/27/23 year over year.
6 National Weekly five area direct slaughter cattle premiums and discounts, weighted average week of 06/24/24 and 06/26/23.
7 Meat Price Spreads, Choice beef values and spreads and all fresh beef retail value, USDA ERS; monthly values, cents per pound of retail equivalent (May year over year).
8 U.S. Meat Export Foundation data — April 2024 and 2023
9 CME futures, nearby contracts year over year, 06/26/24
10 WTI-CME, nearby contact, year over year, 06/26/24
11Estimated weekly meat production under federal inspection, year to date 06/21/24 year over year.
Polled Herefords LLC
Jerry and Mary Ann Berg 16821 Withrich Rd. P.O. Box 224 Dalton, OH 44618 330-857-7967
330-465-6185 cell jwberg@bright.net
www.buckeyeherefords.com 10708 Main Rd. Berlin Heights, OH 44814
Lisa Finnegan Keets, Secretary 440-320-6193 ohioherefordlady@yahoo.com
J&L Cattle Services
Jeff, Lou Ellen and Keayla Harr
334 Twp. Rd. 1922
Jeromesville, OH 44840
Cell 419-685-0549 jlcattleserv@aol.com
& Ellie Keets 10708 Main Rd. Berlin Heights, OH 44814
2515 250th St. Cadott, WI 54727 715-289-4098 spaethherefords@gmail.com www.spaethfarms.com
Eric, Rosie, Briana, Rhett and Madison Katzenberger Monroe, WI 608-214-1154 ekatz@tds.net
Nick and Lenore Katzenberger Pearl City, IL www.plumriverranch.com
Health First
Pre-weaning strategies maximize calf health.
by Heather Smith Thomas
Preparing calves to successfully navigate the inherent stress associated with weaning revolves around managing key factors that impact calf health.
For instance, vaccinating calves at least 2 to 3 weeks prior to weaning gives calves time to build some immunity to the most common and devastating illnesses they might encounter. If calves are vaccinated at branding age, the vaccines they receive just ahead of weaning can act as a booster and provide maximum protection. But calves must be able to respond to the vaccines.
“If the animal is not set up right, (healthy, nutritionally, not stressed, etc.) it doesn’t matter what you vaccinate with; it won’t work as well,” says Chris Chase, DVM, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences professor. The healthier and the stronger the immune system in that animal, the better the response. Producers must begin by making sure these animals are in the proper condition to respond.
Since stress suppresses the immune system, anything you do to minimize calf stress and and help calves build immunity is helpful. This might include familiarizing calves with the conditions they’ll face at weaning. Putting cow-calf pairs in the weaning pen or pasture a few days ahead of time allows the calves to locate their water source and learn to eat out of bunks alongside their dams before weaning.
Nutrition is the foundation
Balanced nutrition is essential for effective vaccine response, Chase says. Calves need energy to mount an immune response. Calves still on their mothers are usually receiving adequate energy by nursing. But if cattle have been raised in an area affected by drought, those calves might not respond as well to the vaccinations if they are not in good body condition or are losing weight.
“This can be an issue, especially with minerals and also with vitamins, if they’ve come off dry pastures,” Chase says.
Trace minerals and certain vitamins are crucial for the ruminant’s immune system, such as vitamin A. “We had some issues last year in young calves because cows didn’t have enough vitamin A. On a dry year, with less green grass, it often pays to use injectable vitamins. Vitamin A and vitamin D are essential for immune health and function,” Chase says. Giving an injection of these vitamins ahead of vaccinating would be best if the calves are lacking the needed vitamins, but many producers don’t have the opportunity to handle the cattle that many times. This added handling also adds stress. If they’re needed, though, giving calves injectable vitamins at weaning is still better than not supplementing these essential nutrients. An adequate mineral program can also help provide the minerals needed to bolster calves’ immune systems. “This is something you could talk about with your veterinarian. Trace minerals like copper, zinc and selenium are crucial for the immune system,” Chase says.
Check the weather
Weather is another factor that can influence calves’ immune response to pre-weaning vaccinations. Administering vaccinations on a hot day may reduce effectiveness of some vaccines, especially intranasal vaccines that can be sensitive to temperature, like the infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) vaccine.
“If you give those vaccines on a hot day, the IBR portion of the vaccine doesn’t grow like it’s supposed to in the nasal cavity,” Chase explains. “The virus won’t grow if the nasal cavity is above 98 degrees, but on a cool day the virus will grow just fine. When the ambient temperature and humidity are high, however, the nasal cavity will be hotter than usual. In this situation it would be better to use an injectable vaccine.”
This is one reason Chase normally opts for injectable vaccines in calves 3 months of age or older, but the weather can impact more than just intranasal products. Proper vaccine administration and handling is paramount to the efficacy of the products, especially in warm weather.
“If temperatures are warm when we vaccinate, we must think about that,” says, Warren Rusche, Ph.D., SDSU assistant professor and Extension specialist. “In hot weather, body temperature is warmer and there may be more stress; cattle might not respond to the vaccine as well. We know that how we handle vaccines is important in warm weather, in terms of storage, mixing time, etc., but there are also some things that affect how those vaccines perform within the animal.”
Rusche points out effective vaccination affects the immunity of calves sold and retained, such as replacements. Consider your procedures and how to optimize effectiveness of what you are doing — how you handle and administer the products, what time of day you start processing when the weather is hot, etc.
Professional protocol
Rusche works with many cow-calf producers through his Extension role, and he is often asked about the best preweaning vaccination protocol.
“I am not a veterinarian so I don’t try to make recommendations regarding which vaccines should be used, or whether they should be killed
or modified-live. These questions should be answered by your own veterinarian and what the calf buyers want them to have. Most buyers would like to see a modified-live virus vaccine given at some point prior to the calf leaving the ranch. The buyer may expect certain protocols,” Rusche says. He notes that pre-weaning vaccination for calves usually involves a viral and a clostridial product (blackleg, redwater, etc.) and sometimes a Pasteurella depending on local conditions and veterinarian advice.
From Chase’s perspective as a veterinary professor, pre-weaning vaccines usually consist of a 4-way viral and Mannheimia, plus the clostridial vaccines, but he cautions producers about stacking too many gram-negative vaccinations.
“Be aware that giving too many gramnegatives at once can cause endotoxin stacking, which results in more vaccine reactions in the calves and a poorer vaccine response from gram-negatives. For example, giving a Mannheimia and Histophilus vaccine at the same time could cause problems unless they are a combination product that is licensed to be given as a multi-antigen vaccine. If you are giving two different vaccines at the same time, you don’t know what their interaction might be,” Chase says.
Both Chase and Rusche encourage producers to consult their veterinarian when constructing a pre-weaning vaccination protocol to choose the products that will be the most effective with the least chance of harmful side effects.
In addition to consulting their veterinarian when designing the preweaning vaccination protocol, Rusche notes producers should ensure their vaccination programs meet any demands of potential buyers or value-added programs. The health of any calves marketed from a program will affect the buyer’s bottom line down the road (see Premium for Prioritizing Health).
“All those little things make a difference; sometimes it’s easy to forget because we haven’t given vaccinations for several months. It may pay to use a checklist or to know whether you gave a Pasteurella vaccine the same time you gave modifiedlive vaccine,” Rusche says.
Editor’s note: Heather Smith Thomas and her husband, Lynn, have ranched near Salmon, Idaho, for more than four decades. She also writes cattle articles that appear in numerous U.S. and Canadian cattle publications, including Baldy Advantage. She is the author of numerous books, including “The Cattle Health Handbook.”
Premium for Prioritizing Health
Buyers and feedlot operators tend to pay a premium for calves from operations with a history of good health and solid pre-weaning protocols. If buyers have a wreck with a set of calves, or even a few that don’t perform well, they may be reluctant to purchase from that producer again. It pays to make sure every calf has a clean bill of health.
Idaho rancher Bruce McConnell opts to leave any calf that was treated — whether for scours or pneumonia — off the truck and at home to market another way. When sending calves through a University of Idaho feedlot program he learned any calves doctored at home didn’t perform as well and sometimes had repeated illness.
“This is where preventing sickness — vaccinating the cow herd, vaccinating calves properly, giving boosters, etc. — is worth more than having to treat the calves. We had an instance a few years ago with a calf I doctored twice for pneumonia — at 1 month of age and again at about 3 months of age. He didn’t get sick again, but he was poor-doing and got cut from the bunch when we shipped our calves that fall. We kept him with the yearlings, but he never did well. We butchered him as a 2-year-old and discovered a big abscess on one leg and ended up throwing that hindquarter away. If a calf gets sick and we doctor him at home, it’s better to not take a chance on it going to a feedlot,” McConnell says. “Even with something that seems minor, some of those calves never bounce back completely.”
If there was lung damage from pneumonia, for instance, scarring may diminish lung capacity, and that calf may crash later when he outgrows his air supply. Some of these calves do poorly or end up dying just about the time they are ready to be harvested.
FALL BULL SALE
Entry deadline: Aug. 31st
Hereford and Brahman
Already consigned: Smith Hereford, Schmidt Hereford, Bill Breeding, Rafter J, Case Hereford, OH Triangle, Moscatelli, Pfluger Herefords, Flying 5 Herefords
PRIDE of TEXAS FEMALE SALE
Entry deadline: Sept. 30th
Entries received by August 31, 2024 will be on the mail out.
Registered and commercial Hereford
Registered and commercial Brahman Certified Brafords True F1 (1 parent Hereford) Black or Red Baldy (1 parent Hereford)
David and Paula Parker / 129 Banks Rd., Bradyville, TN 37026 615-765-5359 / 615-464-7008 / dplp@dtccom.net / www.dkmfarms.com
Mark C. Sims 580-595-0901 www.simsplusllc.com
Bobby and Brenda Wells
439 Flatwoods Frozen Camp Rd. Corbin, KY 40701
606-344-0417 cell wells_farm@yahoo.com
Kevin, Angela, Kenlea and Kyler Murray 606-682-8143 cell
Matthew Murphy
770-778-3367
3432 Red Bud Rd. N.E. Calhoun, GA 30701
Keene Murphy 770-355-2192
Danny Miller
4850 Caldwell Ridge Rd. Knifley, KY 42753 270-465-6984
jmsfarm@msn.com www.jmspolledherefords.com
FORREST POLLED HEREFORDS
101-103 N. Main St. Saluda, SC 29138
Earl B. Forrest 864-445-2387
864-445-7080 Office
864-445-3707 Fax
Brad Forrest 864-445-7633
Herd Certified and Accredited
328 Fowken Farm Rd. Jonesville, SC 29353
565 Candy Meadow Farm Rd. Lexington, TN 38351
Rob Helms 731-968-9977
rhelmscmf@netease.net
Randy or
Norris Fowler
864-219-0182
nrfowler@brecwb.com
Rogers Fowler
864-426-3281
Greg Fowler
864-426-7337 Cell
Raising Herefords for the past 62 years fowkenfarm.com
Ben, Jane, Lincoln Clifford Noah and Shelby Wright 3459 KY Hwy. 1284 E. Cynthiana, KY 41031
Ben 859-421-7902
Lincoln 859-954-0102
Clifford Hereford Farms
Jon Ray
75 Salem Ridge Rd. Brooksville, KY 41004
606-782-1737 jhrmhr2@yahoo.com
Jody Standley 919-291-4212
jodystandley@gmail.com
Kim Prestwood 828-320-7317
84 Austin Farm Lane Clayton, NC 27520
Toby and Debby Dulworth 2492 S. Kirkman Rd. LaCenter, KY 42056 270-224-2993
dogwood@brtc.net https://dogwoodherefords.com
Calf Keeping
Knowns and unknowns of pregnancy loss.
by Heather Smith Thomas
Pregnancy loss in beef cow herds costs the collective industry billions of dollars annually, according to multiple studies. Yet, these losses are commonly unseen.
“Early pregnancy loss is not noticed, and you don’t have a clue because we rarely do early pregnancy diagnosis in beef cattle,” says Ahmed Tibary, DVM, professor of theriogenology at Washington State University’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. “And if cows are pregnancy tested early or into mid-gestation, a few of those that are determined to be pregnant will lose the fetus between that time and when they would have calved. It’s hard to quantify early pregnancy loss in beef cows, since we often don’t see them frequently if they are out in big pastures.”
For perspective, Tibary explains 40-56% of embryos are lost after
fertilization, and 70-80% of the losses occur in the first month of pregnancy.
Generally speaking, pregnancy losses are categorized as embryonic death, abortion and stillbirth.
Cattle producers should always suspect the possibility of pregnancy loss whenever the calving season is longer than average or more late-calving cows than normal are discovered at preg-check, according to Tibary. Some of the cows that settled late may have bred early but lost their pregnancies and rebred on a later cycle.
“In beef cattle, we like to have most of the pregnancies established (cows settled) after the first cycle,” Tibary says. “If the herd is well managed, with no problems nutritionally or health-wise, cows should breed up very quickly.”
Many producers allow two cycles for heifers and no more than three cycles for cows. Early pregnancy loss typically occurs so early that it doesn’t affect the
length of time in which the cow returns to estrus. The cow comes back in heat on schedule, just as though she hadn’t been bred, Tibary explains.
When a cow is cycling and bred to a bull with normal fertility, chances of fertilization are quite high — well above 90%, according to various studies.
“Most of the embryos that are lost die before the eighth day after fertilization, before or just as they come down the fallopian tube into the uterus,” Tibary explains. “These embryos are already degenerating. There is also a substantial loss observed before day 14. When you look at how many of these fertilized eggs are lost, you realize the overwhelming majority of pregnancy losses occur before day 14, which means the loss will not affect the cow’s return to heat.”
A much lower number of losses occur later in gestation. In these instances, the producer may see evidence of the abortion
and want to send the aborted fetus to a diagnostic lab to determine the cause of loss. However, the success rate of determining the cause of loss is less than 50%, according to Dietrich Volkmann, DVM, professor of theriogenology at University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He adds that’s true even when both the fetus and the afterbirth are available for examination.
Determining the cause of early pregnancy loss is even more difficult.
“Some producers use AI and synchronize the animals, breeding them on the same day. At some point later, they turn out cleanup bulls. Then they want to know which cows are pregnant to AI and which are pregnant to the cleanup bull, a determination that must be done no later than 100 days after the AI,” Volkmann explains.
“At that pregnancy diagnosis, the animals that became pregnant to the bull might be only 40 or so days pregnant,” Volkmann says. “Quite a few pregnancies we diagnose at 40 days never make it to term. There are many losses for which we have no evidence other than the fact that the cow was originally pregnant. If you do pregnancy exams at weaning time, those cows are well beyond 100 days in mid-gestation. Pregnancy losses — for whatever reason
— are less likely to happen after 100 days than before.”
Infectious causes
“Usually when there’s a poor pregnancy rate, we suspect infectious causes, like trichomoniasis or campylobacteriosis, but there may be non-infectious causes as well,” Tibary says.
As for known infectious causes, Volkmann notes producers can vaccinate against such culprits as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), leptospirosis and vibriosis (campylobacteriosis).
“When cattle are vaccinated, we don’t find BVD, IBR, lepto or vibrio causing abortions,” Volkmann says. “We can diagnose those in our labs, and they are not the causes of very many abortions anymore. So, we need to focus on the causes for which we currently don’t vaccinate for or acknowledge that there are causes we don’t know about yet.”
For instance, Volkmann believes the industry should revisit the role of neospora caninum.
“We know it causes abortions in dairy cows but have not fully investigated the role of neosporosis in beef cattle,” Volkmann explains. “We need fetuses for that. Occasionally, we get some and can diagnose neosporosis, but maybe we
should assess how many beef herds are actually infected. I’ve worked on this a little and have yet to find a beef herd that doesn’t have any neosporosis. This disease doesn’t pose a huge threat for an abortion storm; it’s more likely to cause a trickle of abortions.”
Volkmann adds that producers can become accustomed to a trickle of abortions and accept them. But, he says, “Each one of those losses is not ‘normal’ because something went wrong. We need to discover what went wrong.”
Noninfectious causes
Most noninfectious causes of abortion are familiar, such as toxic plants like poison hemlock, ponderosa pine needles, etc. There are also molds and fungi that cause problems.
“We can recognize fungal infection, just as we can bacterial infection, when we examine the fetus and placenta. We can find the fungus and culture it. Sometimes toxins produced by fungi (mycotoxins) cause more harm than the fungus,” Volkmann says.
Although some producers and veterinarians believe fescue toxicosis (from mycotoxins produced by a fungus in the fescue plant) causes abortion, Volkmann says there is no direct evidence.
continued on page 52...
...Calf
Keeping continued from page 51
“There is very little scientific support for that, but there can be other mycotoxins that cause problems,” Volkmann explains. “We know that some are estrogenic, and too much estrogen will interfere with ability to conceive a pregnancy. Certain clovers in pasture can affect pregnancy rate, interfering with early pregnancy. I don’t know to what extent some mycotoxins might interfere with later loss of pregnancy.”
Usually when there’s a poor pregnancy rate, we suspect infectious causes, like trichomoniasis or campylobacteriosis, but there may be noninfectious causes as well.
— Ahmed Tibary, DVM, Washington State University
Nitrate poisoning can cause abortion in certain instances, and diagnostic labs have procedures to diagnose nitrate poisoning.
“It can be a handy culprit to pick because we use so much nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture. Excess intake of nitrates, either through plants that concentrate nitrates or through water contaminated with excess nitrites and nitrates, can cause problems. But if this were the missing piece of the puzzle, I think diagnostic labs would be able to determine this from the aborted fetuses,” Volkmann says.
There are many unknown causes, too.
“The fact we don’t know what causes some abortions is frustrating, and we tend to make assumptions. We blame the weather — heat, drought — or stress,” Volkmann says. “A producer might say he worked cows and some aborted, but pregnancy is wonderfully designed so that stress in the dam will not cause an abortion. It’s hard to stress an animal enough for her to abort,” Volkmann explains.
With that said, Volkmann explains a too-high heat index (temperature and
humidity) is recognized as the cause for some early pregnancy loss. As an example, breeding cows in July and August can be challenging in some parts of the nation, like Florida, Texas and the Midwest.
Losses from heat stress in this instance would occur in the first week or so after breeding, but the heat and humidity can also have a long-term effect on quality of the eggs. If fertilized, those eggs produce a very poor-quality embryo, resulting in very early loss. Those cows would return to heat as though they didn’t have a bull with them.
Avenues of promise
New and exciting research seeks to identify genetic factors associated with early embryonic loss, from both the sire and the dam.
“We know that some errors in chromosomes on the sire side can lead to faulty embryos and a higher incidence of early embryonic death. Sometimes one bull’s semen will create embryos that are not viable, and the producer may have to change bulls to get better results,” Tibary says.
On the female side of the equation, Tibary explains the uterus of some cows has less ability to interact properly with the embryo.
“Research is now focusing on this problem, using heifers that have been identified as not being able to maintain pregnancy for this reason. We are looking to see if there are certain genes that are not expressed in these cattle, which would not allow them to dialog with the embryo,” Tibary says. “Heifers with this problem have a high likelihood of failing to maintain a pregnancy for their entire life. This is a good reason to cull any heifer that does not settle in her first breeding season.
“We don’t always realize the reason, but it’s simply good management never to give a heifer a second chance. Everything considered, if heifers are managed properly, they should become pregnant quickly unless something is abnormal. If a heifer had good nutrition, the bull is fertile, etc. she really has no excuse to not become pregnant.”
Preventing Abortions
Diligent vaccination is key to preventing pregnancy losses.
“If a particular herd has high antibody titers to leptospira and has abortions, we can move the lepto vaccination to the time of pregnancy examination — vaccinating closer to the time when it’s more likely the cow would abort (late pregnancy) — so her antibody titers would be higher,” explains Dietrich Volkmann, DVM, professor of Theriogenology, University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Several of my clients assume they know what causes abortions on their farm because they sent one to a lab once, and it was lepto,” Volkmann says. “Or maybe some years back there were some dead calves and Dr. ‘So-and-So,’ who is now retired, said it was selenium deficiency. We need to be honest and keep trying to find the real answers.”
“There’s often nothing we can do about sporadic abortions. Occasionally bacteria get into the uterus and cause an abortion; at least that’s what we assume. Some of the bacteria we isolate, however, might not be the cause; they might be incidental findings because the sample was contaminated. It gives us a name of a bacterium that might have caused the abortion, but we don’t really know.”
Editor’s note: Heather Smith Thomas and her husband, Lynn, have ranched near Salmon, Idaho, for more than four decades. She also writes cattle articles that appear in numerous U.S. and Canadian cattle publications, including Baldy Advantage. She is the author of numerous books, including “The Cattle Health Handbook.”
6470 Beverleys Mill Rd. Broad Run, VA 20137
Tyler Newman 540-422-1747
815-988-7051 tcoley@hereford.org
Bob Kube 540-347-4343 fauquierfarmllc@gmail.com
–299 –9170 — Cell derek@fivestarherefords.com
Bob and Pam Rhyne 3700 Peach Orchard Rd. Charlotte, NC 28215
Bob’s cell 704-614-0826 rhynelandfarms@gmail.com
Kim, Alexis and Courtney Eudy 10945 Hickory Ridge Rd. Harrisburg, NC 28075
KNOLL CREST FARM
“Serving the beef industry since 1944” P.O. Box 117 Red House, VA 23963 Office 434-376-3567
Paul S. Bennett 434-941-8245
Jim G. Bennett 434-664-7935
Brian R Bennett 434-664-8309
Dalton G. Bennett 434-664-7946
EAST SIDE FARM
Registered Polled Herefords
Scott R. Bennett 434-660-7268 knollcrest@knollcrestfarm.com The Baldwins 2 Church View Rd. Millersville, MD 21108
Jay and Shelly Stull 10718-A Liberty Rd. Frederick, MD 21701 301-898-8552
eastsidehereford@comcast.net Visitors welcome!
Bill 443-871-0573 Tara 443-871-0520 ttlajacobs@aol.com Lindsey 443-306-3218
For updates
go to www.grasspondfarm.com or contact us at Andy Billings: 973-476-5583
AJ Stahoski: 908-240-5504 Abby Vander Groef: 973-769-8112 grasspondfarm@gmail.com
Bob Schaffer, Owner-manager
3320 Deer Track Rd.
Spotsylvania, VA 22551
540-582-9234
bob@deertrackfarm.com www.deertrackfarm.com
MISSOURI BREEDERS
RIBBON FARMS
Jeff and Stephanie Rawie Aaron and Kylie Noble 11768 W. Farm Rd. 34 Walnut Grove, MO 65770 417-209-5538
Rick and Laurie Steinbeck 2322 Drake School Rd. Hermann, MO 65041 573-237-2668 573-680-0954 cell redcows@fidnet.com
Rusty and Marijane Miller 20500 Sioux Dr. Lebanon, MO 65536
Cell 660-676-3788 Home 660-277-3679 reynoldscattle@cvalley.net www.reynoldsherefords.com
jeffrawie24@yahoo.com AL BONEBRAKE Springfield, MO 417-849-1324
Polled Herefords and Red Angus Breeding Stock Available
millerherefords@yahoo.com www.millerherefords.net
MEAD FARMS
21658 Quarry Ln. Barnett, MO 65011
Alan Mead 573-216-0210 meadangus@yahoo.com
JAMES HENDERSON Herdsman 417-588-4572 jameswhend@gmail.com www.bonebrakehereford.com
ANNUAL BULL SALES: First Saturday in March Last Saturday in October
Gary and Frances Duvall 1082 Hwy. 97 Lockwood, MO 65682
417-232-4817 417-827-2163 cell duvallherefords@keinet.net Herdsman: Miguel Cifuentes 417-793-5082
What’s New?
Association News and Events
“What’s New?” is a column designed to keep you in the know about Hereford happenings. You can sign up for Hereford Headlines, an electronic newsletter distributed the first Friday of each month by the American Hereford Association (AHA) highlighting Hereford news and events. You can also receive the Bald Faced Bottom Line, a commercially-focused electronic newsletter sent the third Friday of each month. To subscribe to these free newsletters, send an email to outreach@hereford.org. Archived issues are posted at Hereford.org.
Annual Meeting
Plan to be in Kansas City Join us Oct. 24-27, in Kansas City, Mo., for the American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting and Educational Forum. The weekend schedule will include an educational forum and industry trade show on Thursday, Oct. 24, and Friday, Oct. 25.
The Annual Meeting and Hereford Honorees breakfast will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, and will honor the 2024 Hereford Heritage Hall of Fame and Hereford Hall of Merit inductees. The Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) scholarship winners, as well as the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) Fed Steer Shootout winners will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on Friday, Oct. 25, in conjunction with the educational forums. The national show award winners will be recognized before the Ladies of the Royal Sale on Saturday, Oct. 26. The new National Hereford Queen will be crowned on Sunday, Oct. 27.
2024 AHA Board of Directors candidate slate
The AHA nominating committee is pleased to announce the six candidates nominated for election to the AHA Board of Directors. The candidates are:
Don Brumley, Orovada, Nev. 209-479-0287 donbrumley1989@gmail.com
David Burns, Pikeville, Tenn. 615-477-5668 burnsda2@gmail.com
Danny Fawcett, Ree Heights, S.D. 605-870-6172 danfawcett869@gmail.com
Steve Lorenzen, Chrisman, Ill. 217-822-2803 lf3@ecicwireless.com
Grant McKay, Marysville, Kan. 308-470-1190 glmherefords@bluevalley.net
Jim Williams, Kearney, Neb. 308-222-0170 jimwilliams335@gmail.com
Association News
Davis takes CHB reins
Ernie Davis, Jr., was recently named Certified Hereford Beef® (CHB) president and CEO. He brings three decades of merchandising experience across all animal proteins to his new role. Much of his experience revolves around developing premium-branded opportunities to help producers add value to production and retrieve added value.
“I view Certified Hereford Beef as the best kept secret in the marketplace,” Davis says. “It is a great eating experience with great marbling and a great story behind it.”
Davis, most recently president and CEO of Capra Foods, began his CHB duties July 15.
“We’re excited to welcome Ernie and his many years of valueadded experience to the Hereford team,” says Jack Ward, AHA executive vice president. “We look forward to seeing his efforts help elevate CHB demand.”
Look for more details about Ernie in the September issue of Hereford World.
Commercial Programs
Summer
video markets
Hereford breeders are encouraged to attend and network with commercial producers, buyers and market representatives at summer video auction sales.
July 29-Aug. 2 — Superior Livestock Auction – Video Royale, Winnemucca, Nev.
Aug. 6-7 — Cattle Country Video – Oregon Trail Classic, Gering, Neb.
Aug. 12-13 — Western Video Market, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Aug. 19-20 — Northern Livestock Video Auction – Early Fall Preview, Billings, Mont.
Aug. 19-23 — Superior Livestock Auction – Big Horn Classic, Sheridan, Wyo.
Sept. 12 — Cattle Country Video – Frontier Fall Roundup, Torrington, Wyo.
Sept. 16 — Northern Livestock Video Auction – Fall Premier, Billings, Mont.
For more information about AHA commercial programs, such as the Hereford Advantage or Premium Red Baldy programs, contact Trey Befort at tbefort@herefordbeef.org.
Youth Scholarship deadline approaching
The HYFA fall scholarship deadline is Sept. 1. HYFA will award more than $200,000 in scholarship money throughout
the year, including $165,000 in scholarships during the AHA Annual Meeting and Educational Forum in Kansas City, Mo. Scholarships must be submitted online through Submittable. To learn more, visit the website: HerefordYouthFoundation.org/ scholarships.
Deadline for queen applications
National Hereford Queen applications are due Sept. 1. For more information, email nationalherefordwomen@gmail.com.
Enter the Fed Steer Shootout Plan to learn more about the cattle feeding sector and how your genetics perform in the feedyard by participating in the 2025 NJHA Fed Steer Shootout. The contest entry deadline is Nov. 1, 2024, and delivery for cattle to HRC Feed Yards LLC in Scott City, Kan., is Dec. 14-17, 2024. For more information and to plan your cattle delivery, contact Trey Befort at tbefort@herefordbeef.org. Cattle can be entered individually or in pens of three and must meet the following qualifications:
• 2024-born steers
• Purebred Hereford and commercial Herefordinfluenced steers
• 600-pound weight minimum
• Be weaned at least 45 days prior to delivery
• Received two rounds of vaccinations Visit Hereford.org/Youth/NJHAFed-Steer-Shootout to enter and learn more.
Industry News
Schulz Retires as BIF president Kevin Schultz, Sandhill Farms, Haviland, Kan., retired as president of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) during the recent BIF Research Symposium and Convention in Knoxville, Tenn. Shultz, a past AHA president, attended his first BIF in 1999. Sandhill Farms was named the BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year in 2010.
Shane Bedwell, AHA chief operations officer and director of breed improvement, continues to serve on the BIF board of directors.
2024-2025 Beef Improvement Federation board of directors (seated, from left) are Gordon Jones, Lafayette, Tenn., president; Gordon Hodges, Hamptonville, N.C., vice president; Kevin Schultz, Haviland, Kan., past president; Bob Weaber, Kansas State University, BIF executive director; Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USDA Extension Service representative; Megan Rolf, Kansas State University, BIF central region secretary; Troy Rowan, University of Tennessee, BIF eastern region secretary; and Michaela Clowser, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Back row (l to r) are: Joe Epperly, Wamego, Kan.; Lindsay Upperman, Red Angus Association of America; Johnny Rogers, Roxboro, N.C.; Ken Odde, Pollock, S.D.; Bruce Holmquist, Canadian Simmental Association; Shane Bedwell, American Hereford Association; Casey Worrell, Harper, Texas; Craig Hays, Pierce, Colo.; Warren Snelling, USDA Ag Research Service representative; Robert Williams, Kansas City, Mo., historian; John Irvine, Manhattan, Kan.; Matt Woolfolk, American Shorthorn Association; and Kelli Retallick-Riley, American Angus Association. Not pictured are Mark Enns, Colorado State University, BIF western region secretary; Lorna Marshall, NAAB representative; and Jackie Atkins, American Simmental Association.
Rick Garnhart Family 6372 E. Edwardsville Rd. German Valley, IL 61039
35073 E. C.R. 1550 N. Mason City, IL 62664 bhrnds@speednet.com
Brent, cell 217-971-5897
Floyd and Annette 815-712-5735
Chad, Erin, John and Ella 815-712-5739
LaSalle, IL 61301 c_herfs01@yahoo.com
Tuscola, IL 61953
Dave, Marcia & Elise Hackett
Dave: 217-621-1761
Elise: 217-621-6864 davehackett91@yahoo.com
Lonny, Kim (Carney) and Riley Rhodes 18736 Cross Creek Rd. Carlinville, Il 62626 217-899-4104 Cell
rhodesfarminc.kim@gmail.com
Cattle and Embryos for sale at all times
Steve Lorenzen 17696 E. 1825th Rd. Chrisman, IL 61924
Adam Harms 217-369-3609
adamdharms@icloud.com www.lorenzenfarms.com
1764 U.S. RT. 136 Penfield, IL 61862
Buddy 217-649-0108
Bailey 217-714-4955
Cody 217-871-9708
edenburnfamilyfarm@gmail.com
Jack and Sherry Lowderman
Monte, Carrie and Rhett
Brent, Kris, Blake, and Morgan
Cody and Abby P.O. Box 488 Macomb, IL 61455
Monte 309-255-0110
info@lowderman.com
www.lowderman. com
From the Field
New Arrivals
Proud grandparents, Marshall and Barb Ernst of Ernst Herefords, Greeley, Colo., would like to announce the birth of their granddaughter, Rylynn Jean Gunther. Born May 22 to Katheryn and Kyle Gunther, she weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces and was 18 inches long.
In Passing Lovell Kuykendall, 86, Cherokee, Texas, passed June 27.
Lovell was born in Temple, Texas, on July 27, 1937, to James and Zudora Kuykendall and was raised on the family ranch in Cherokee. After graduating from Cherokee High School, Lovell continued his education at Texas A&M University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1960. Shortly after graduation, he married Sandra (Sandy) Jones on July 30, 1960.
While at A&M, Lovell was the president of the Saddle and Sirloin Club and was a member of the 1959 national championship livestock judging team. He was a proud alumnus and loved all things Aggie. Throughout his life, he followed Aggie athletics, particularly football games, always watching to the bitter end.
Lovell started his career as a county agent in Howard County and then McCulloch County. In 1965, he moved to Kansas City to work for the American Hereford Association (AHA), wearing many titles during his 35-year career. Each position he held benefited
from his knowledge, dedication and passion for the Hereford breed. He said, “If I wasn’t raising Herefords the past 35 years, then I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than working with the people promoting the breed.” He retired in July of 2000. In 2010, Lovell was inducted into the AHA Hall of Merit for his contributions to the Hereford industry.
Shortly after retiring, Lovell and Sandy moved back to Texas and built a home on the family ranch in Cherokee, which has been in the Kuykendall family since 1878. He could not have been happier to be back in Texas to carry on the work at the ranch with his brother, John. Lovell and Sandy spent many happy years at the ranch, making wonderful friends and being part of the community. Lovell loved nothing more than to give ranch tours and share the ranch’s history with family and friends. The Kuykendall ranch was designated as a Texas Century Ranch by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sandy Kuykendall; son, Jim Kuykendall of Lake Placid, N.Y.; daughters, Karen (Luis) Blanco of Austin, Texas, and Donna (Darin) Stewart of Olathe, Kan.; grandchildren, Clay (Elle) Stewart, Alyson (fiancé Will) Stewart and Kyle Blanco; great-grandchildren; Lewie and Norman Stewart; sister-in-law, Patty Kuykendall; niece, Lisa (Randel) Whittlesey; nephew, Jeff (Veronica) Kuykendall; greatnieces and -nephews, Taylor, Cole, Case, Carson, Sydney and Harper; and many dear friends.
Hereford Happenings
Iowa Hereford breeders dedicate barn quilt
The Iowa Hereford Breeders Association (IHBA) will dedicate a custom-created barn quilt given in memory of three longtime Iowa Hereford breeders on Aug. 14, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The ceremony starts at 3 p.m. on the west side of the Gammon Barn and will be followed by an ice cream social in the Sheri Avis Horner Pavilion just north of the barn museum.
Designed and created by Freedom Rock® artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, the 8-foot barn quilt was gifted by their families in memory of Dan McFarland, Fredericksburg, Iowa; Ray Sorensen, Fontanelle, Iowa; and Eric Tiernan, Stuart, Iowa. The families wish to honor their loved ones with this barn quilt at a place that was dear to their hearts.
The unofficial historian of the polled Hereford breed, McFarland was instrumental in getting the Gammon barn relocated to the state fairgrounds and oversaw the initial installation of the artifacts now housed in its museum. Eric Tiernan spent many years volunteering at the museum during the Iowa State Fair, where he welcomed visitors and shared information on the displays. Ray Sorensen loved Hereford cattle, which he raised well into his later
years, and spent a lot of time at the Iowa State Fair.
The Gammon Barn, where the barn quilt is displayed, was the birthplace of polled Herefords — the first major beef breed of American origin. It was originally located near St. Marys/ New Virginia, in rural Warren County, Iowa, and was named a National Historic Site in 1984. The barn was moved to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in 1991, and today, the upper portion of the barn serves as the National Polled Hereford Museum and houses the National Polled Hereford Hall of Fame as well as more than a century’s worth of breed memorabilia.
The Gammon Barn Museum, located north of the Cattle Barn and east of Pioneer Pavilion, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the Iowa State Fair and at other times by appointment.
Admission is free.
O’Mara recognized by Mississippi Herefords
Jim O’Mara was recognized for many years of outstanding service to the Mississippi Hereford Association during the organization’s Annual Meeting.
Jacobs and Rahn recognized by the Marketeers
Roger Jacobs, Billings, Mont., and Darryl Rahn, Virginia, Ill., were inducted into the Livestock Marketeers Hall of Fame at
Rylynn Gunther
Lovell Kuykendall
the 59th annual banquet. The Livestock Marketeers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history and advancement of livestock marketing.
After graduating from North Dakota State University, Jacobs joined the American Angus Association in 1977, and from 1981–1983, he served as the Angus Journal regional manager for the Western U.S. and Western Canada. After his tenure with Angus, Jacobs began his career as a purebred livestock auctioneer. Jacobs has served as the voice of many of the most successful purebred herds in the nation. Col. Jacobs not only helps conduct the auction on sale day, but he also serves as a trusted advisor to his clients throughout the year.
Jacobs and his wife, Sandy, were married in 1979 and have been blessed with three daughters and eight grandchildren.
Rahn was born and raised on a farm in Lanark, Ill., before attending Illinois State University. Rahn, along with his brother-inlaw Don Cagwin, managed the Questing Hills operation before they began their sale management careers by hosting the first ever National Maine Anjou Sale in Louisville, Ky. Rahn’s career spans cattle breeding, insurance sales, sale management, ad sales and print media design as well as breed association work. Rahn and his wife, Carole, have two children, Andy and Angela.
A first-of-its-kind program where calves raised on the Purina® Wind & Rain® Mineral Program can be identified on sale day. Built around fundamentally helping all phases benefit from optimized calf health and performance through a complete mineral program, sellers and buyers have equal opportunity to benefit.
Contact your Superior Livestock or Purina Representative to learn more about this ranch-tested program.
Requirements: Qualifying calves must come from dams fed Wind and Rain® or RangeLand® Pro mineral through gestation and weaning, and continue on a balanced mineral program through sale delivery.
Pictured (l to r) Don Cagwin, Jeff Aegerter, Darryl Rahn and Alan Sears.
Pictured (l to r) Dwayne Dietz, Roger Jacobs and Ron Frye.
ALABAMA
Glynn Debter, Perry Debter or John Ross Debter 205-429-4415 or 205-429-2040 4134 County Hwy 30 • Horton, AL 35980 debterfarm@otelco.net
Randy & Kelly Owen
John & Randa Starnes
John: 256-996-5545
Red, White, and Black: Dixieland Delight Angus, Hereford Production Sale 1st Sat. in May
Roland Starnes: 706-601-0800 553 Randy Owen Dr. NE Fort Payne, AL 35967 www.tennesseerivermusic.com cattle@tennesseerivermusic.com
High Cotton Bull Sale Last Monday in October
CALIFORNIA
Brandon Theising
805-526-2195
P.O. Box 1019 805-358-2115 cell Simi Valley, CA 93062-1019 brandon@pwgcoinc.com www.pwgcattle.com
Steve Lambert Family 2938 Nelson Ave. Oroville, CA 95965 Cell 530-624-5256 lambertranchherefords.com
Jim McDougald Manager 559-822-2178
Registered Herefords 46089 Rd. 208, Friant, CA 93626
The Brand You Can Count On MORRELL RANCHES
Registered Herefords & Angus Barry, Carrie and Bailey Morrell morrellranches@yahoo.com 5640 Co. Rd. 65 Willows, CA 95988
McDougald Family 559-822-2289 Carrie Cell 530-218-5507 Barry Cell 530-682-5808
PEDRETTI RANCHES
THE COLEMAN FAMILY
Tim, Kara, Tyler and Kathryn Tim 209-968-7232 • tim@sierraranches.com Kara 209-613-6062 • kara@sierraranches.com P.O. Box 577980, Modesto, CA 95357
P.O. Box 129, Maricopa, CA 93252 www.SneddenRanch.com
Austin and Sarah 805-423-0248
Richard and Susie 805-839-1049
The Mickelson Family P.O. Box 2689 Petaluma, CA 94953 707-481-3440 Jim 707-396-7364 Bobby JMMick@sonic.net sonomamountainherefords.com
WEIMER
CATTLE COMPANY
Tom and Cindy Weimer P.O. Box 1197 • Susanville, CA 96130 530-254-6802 • 530-260-0416 mobile weimercattleco@citlink.net www.weimercattleco.com
COLORADO
James T. Campbell
High Altitude Registered Horned Herefords Our G Oal is Quality — NOt Qua N tity 850 Meadow Ln. • Guffey, CO 80820 719-689-2047 or Cell 719-650-4929 Clinton Clark 32190 Co. Rd. S • Karval, CO 80823 719-446-5223 • 719-892-0160 Cell cathikclark@gmail.com www.clarkanvilranch.com
Herefords and Salers Annual Sale • Second Wednesday in April
GEORGIA
Polled Herefords • Brafords
Jonny and Toni Harris 334 K-Ville Rd. Screven, Ga 31560 912-586-6585 • Cell 912-294-2470 greenviewfarms@windstream.net www.greenviewfarms.net
Square and Round Bermuda Grass Hay Performance and Quality from Grazing since 1942
IDAHO
qualityis@canyongemlivestock.com 106 W. 500 S. Jerome, ID 83338 TIM DOLCINI 208-308-4083
Bulls for Sale at Private Treaty Excellent Replacement Heifers
DANIELS HEREFORD RANCH
Commitment to Quality since 1915
1350 N. 2100 W. Malad, ID 83252 Dan 208-339-2341 Teresa 208-339-2340 Rex 208-766-2747
Follow us on Facebook DanielsHerefordRanch danielsherefordranch@yahoo.com
Keith Elkington 208-521-1774 Layne 208-681-0765 Eric 208-881-4014
RANGE READY, PERFORMANCE PROVEN Visitors always welcome.
ELKINGTON POLLED HEREFORDS 5080 E. Sunnyside Rd. • Idaho Falls, ID 83406
JBB/AL HEREFORDS
James and Dawn Anderson / Bev Bryan
Bryan and Charly Anderson / 208-280-1505 1973 S. 1500 E., Gooding, ID 83330 jbbalherefords.com Private treaty bull and heifer sales Herefords Since 1967
Shaw Cattle Co.
22993 Howe Rd. Caldwell, ID 83607 www.shawcattle.com greg@shawcattle.com
Neal Ward Family 673 N. 825 W. • Blackfoot, ID 83221 Alicia Billman 208-589-0870 • 208-684-5252 woodenshoefarms@gmail.com
ILLINOIS
Family Agri-Business Since 1933
Baker Farms
1278 E. 20th Rd. Streator, IL 61364 Fred Debby
Sarah Susan John 815-672-3491 Cell 815-257-3491 Fax 815-672-1984
HEREFORDS
Dan Bixler
7115 E. 1000th Ave., Newton, IL 62448 618-544-1842 • 618-562-3888 cell insman542002@yahoo.com
Gary and Debbie McConnell Box 253, Kincaid, IL 62540 217-237-2627
Gary’s cell 217-827-2761 Farm is 1.5 miles west of Sharpsburg, Ill.
Bur Ns POlled HerefOrd farm
Kent & Barb Burns 618-521-3199
Cattle for sale at all times 11770 Wilson Rd., Coulterville, IL 62237
Joe and Lauri Ellis 765-366-5390
Matt and Lisa Ellis 217-712-0635 Phil and Joyce Ellis 765-665-3207
26455 N. 2300th St. • Chrisman, IL 61924 www.efbeef.com • efbeef1@aol.com
and Janell
NEWBOLD FARMS INC.
OAK HILL FARM
11268 Hobbs Rd. Rochester, IL 62563 Office 217-529-8878 Greg 217-725-7095 Randy and Jamie Mullinix 997 Twp. Rd. 150E Toulon, IL 61483 309-995-3013 Randy 309-853-6565 • Jamie 309-853-7674 purplereign76@gmail.com • www.purplereigncattle.com
Winton and Emily Harris Family
Eric, Cindie, Cassie and Krista Allscheid 8052 Andy Rd. • Waterloo, IL 62298 Cell 618-593-9642 soph@htc.net www.ShingleOaksPolledHerefords.com
Rob, Kristie, Kylie and Logan 7477 E. 825 N. • Otterbein, IN 47970 765-491-0258 kristielm2001@yahoo.com SHOW STEERS AND HEIFERS FOR SALE!
IOWA
Mark Stephens Pete Loehr
704 Virginia Ave. 113 Northgate Rd. Taylorville, IL 62568 Peoria, IL 61614
217-825-7913 309-692-6026
Farm is located at: 1777 N. 1000 East Rd., Taylorville, IL 62568 Visit our website for updates throughout the year www.stephensandloehrherefords.com
Gene, Lori, Lucas, Logan and Cory Stumpf 473 Gilmore Lake Rd. Columbia, IL 62236 GENE 618-407-8374 LORI 618-407-0429 LUCAS 618-830-0971
West Wind Herefords
Jeff and Kelly Yoder 2356 N 1230 E. Rd. Edinburg, IL 62531 jwyoder62@gmail.com
Kyle 217-565-3275 • Brian 217-827-9708 • Adam 217-823-9763
INDIANA
BECK-POWELL POLLED HEREFORDS
7157 N. C.R. 500 E., Bainbridge, IN 46105
Gene and Alice Beck
765-522-3235
Andy and Betsy Beck 765-522-3396 home • 765-720-1696 Andy cell Cody Beck 765-719-1622 Cody cell • beck.3396@gmail.com
Douglas E. Gerber 5324 State Rd. 227 S. • Richmond, IN 47374-9425 765-935-5274 Cell • 765-220-1070 douglas@gerbercattle.com • www.gerbercattle.com
Cows for sale at all times
Curtis, Tobie, Erica and Ethan Kesling 1918 W. Delaware Rd. Logansport, IN 46947 574-753-3193
LAUDEMAN FAMILY FARM 3629 5th Rd., Bremen, IN 46506
Connie, Todd and Cassie, Jason and Jeni, and Bryan
Todd’s cell 574-298-4959
cjlaudy@fourway.net www.laudemanfamily.com
Jason’s cell 574-209-6470
STREAM CATTLE CO.
Rod, Sue, Lisa and Sarah Stream 51590 St. Hwy. 14, Chariton, IA 50049 641-774-8124 • streamcattle@hotmail.com www.streamcattle.com Just north of Chariton on State Hwy. 14
KANSAS
Dean and Danny 29111 B Keene Rd. • Maple Hill, KS 66507 785-256-4643 • 785-256-4010 Danny cell 785-383-2493 Located 13 miles west of Topeka on I-70, Keene/Eskridge exit then 3 miles south
Grant and Linda McKay and Family 1226 8th Rd. Marysville, KS 66508 785-619-6086 308-470-1190 cell glmherefords@bluevalley.net www.glmherefords.com
Gus, Deb and Shelbi Gustafson Tava and Koy 7477 Davis Creek Road Junction City, KS 66441 785-238-7306 I-70 exit 303... 7 miles South
Robert and Susan Botkin 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. Lexington, KY 40515 859-271-9086 859-533-3790 Cell shane4413@windstream.net
Cattle for Sale at All Times
6077 Helena Rd. • Mays Lick, KY 41055
Charlie 606-584-5194 • Blake 606-375-3718 www.boydbeef.com
Brad, Carla, Clay, Clint, Caleb and Cooper 1011 Driftwood Lane Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Cell 270-668-7126 Fax 270-735-9922 bchambliss@priorityapproval.com
6706 US Hwy. 68 Mays Lick, KY 41055 Andrew, Suzanne, Austin and Taylor Belle Matheny
Andrew 606-584-5361
Austin 606-375-2167 amathenyherefords@gmail.com
TUCKER STOCK FARMS
Registered Angus and Polled Herefords
John A. Tucker, II 1790 Hidden Valley Lane Hudson, KY 40145 270-617-0301
BULLS ALWAYS FOR SALE
S F T MARYLAND
EAST SIDE FARM
Registered Polled Herefords
eastsidehereford@comcast.net Visitors welcome!
Jay and Shelly Stull 10718-A Liberty Rd. Frederick, MD 21701 301-898-8552 www.eastsidehereford.com
Jacob, Michelle and Andrew Wolfrey 3859 Federal Hill Rd. • Jarrettsville, MD 21084 410-692-5029 • GGSC@grimmelfarms.com www.grimmelgirlsshowcattle.com
SCH Polled Herefords
Samuel C. and Linda Hunter • 301-824-4771 13651 Newcomers Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21742 HERD SIRES: KCF Bennett York D377, KCF Bennett D367 G391, KCF Bennett 776 G413 and SCH Sensation D503 G4
MICHIGAN
W7048 C.R. 356 • Stephenson, MI 49887 Glenn Hanson, Sr 906-753-4684 Glenn Hanson, Jr 906-630-5169
“Cattle made for the North in the North”
MINNESOTA
David and Lorie Kitchell Family
Matthew & Darci, Dawson and Dutton Kitchell 3471 State Hwy. 200 • Ada, MN 56510-9260 701-799-7690 • www.dakitchfarms.com
Jerry and Shelly Delaney & Family 2071 C.R. 101 • Lake Benton, MN 56149 507-368-9284 • 507-820-0661 Jerry cell jdh@delaneyherefords.com • www.delaneyherefords.com
Richard and Shirley Bruce and Tammy 406-544-1536 Kurt and Jessica 406-239-5113 P.O. Box 30055, Gold Creek, MT 59733 bruce@thomasherefords.com www.thomasherefords.com
Arvid and Linda Eggen 406-895-2657 Box 292 • Plentywood, MT 59254 jbare@nemont.net
S Engleman Rd
P.O. Box 306 • Hyannis, NE 69350 James 308-458-2406 Bryan 308-458-2865 • Bob 308-458-2731 1417 Rd. 2100 Guide Rock, NE 68942-8099 Ron 402-756-3462 rnschutte@gtmc.net www.schutteandsons.net
Ralph & Stephanie Kinder, Owners 790250 S Hwy 177 Carney, OK 74832 (405) 714-3101
ralph@headquartersranch.com headquartersranch.com
23731 NS 157 Rd. Laverne, OK 73848 Milton 580-273-9494 Van 580-552-1555 van1messner@gmail.com
David and Lynda Bird 45863 Crow Rd. • Halfway, OR 97834 541-742-5436 • Cell 541-403-2828 • bird@pinetel.com 42590 Salmon Creek Rd. • Baker City, OR 97814 Bob Harrell Jr. 541-403-2210 Don Schafer 541-403-0008 Registered Hereford Cattle and Quarter Horses Annual Sale First Monday In March Cattle Co. “Your Eastern Oregon Range Bull Source” Registered Herefords and Quarter Horses M.T. and Cori Anderson 47295 Izee Paulina Ln. Canyon City, OR 97820 541-477-3816 M.T. 541-377-0030 Cori 541-377-3347
Since 1945 – Quality Line 1 Cattle For Sale! Winn Woodard 615-389-2624 • Phil Spicer 615-351-2810 4948 William Woodard R d. S pringfield , TN 37172
TEXAS
ATLAS FARMS
Your source for top end bulls and females. Jimmy, Claudia and Precious Atlas 4920 CR 401 • Grandview, TX 76050 214-202-5178 • 817-456-4691 atlasfarms@sbcglobal.net
Pete and Angela Case P.O. Box 240, Mertzon, TX 76941 325-650-6209 • pete@caseranch.com www.caseranch.com
Jack and Lyn Chastain 3924 Burkett Dr. Ft. Worth, TX 76116 817-821-3544
Farm located at Mineral Wells, TX
Mike Doyle P.O. Box 82 | Wolfe City, TX 75496 214-240-4538 | mike@acecreditconsulting.com doyleherefordranch.com
DUDLEY BROS.
Box 10, Comanche, TX 76442 • Office 325-356-2284 John Dudley 325-642-0745 Tom Dudley 325-642-0748
Kevin Warnken, manager P.O. Drawer 29 • Schulenburg, TX 78956 979-561-8846 • 979-561-8867 fax Kevin cell 979-743-0619 rockinw@cvctx.com • rockinwranch.net
Seth Koetting, manager 806-584-4922
5749 Rocking Chair Ln. Ft. McKavett, TX 76841 www.therockingchairranch.com
Raising cattle in Texas since 1855
Joey and Susan Skrivanek, owners 407 W. Mustang • Caldwell, TX 77836 Cell 979-224-4698 • Office 979-567-3131 j.skrivanekranch@outlook.com 9 miles east of Caldwell on Hwy. 21 or
Larry Woodson Bonham, TX 214-491-7017 larrywoodson@gmail.com www.stillriverranch.com
SUNNY HILL RANCH
Horned and Polled Pete Johnson, owner St Hwy 94 • Lufkin, TX 75904 936-465-1672 • pljmhj@yahoo.com http://www.sunnyhillranchherefords.com Southeast Texas Bull Sale Headquarters
3847 W. 2200 S. • Wellsville, UT 84339 www.jbherefords.com
Billy Jensen 435-764-2422 Kyson Smith 435-421-9032 jbherefords@gmail.com
4609 Airport Freeway Ft. Worth, Texas 76117 817-831-3161 texashereford@sbcglobal.net www.texashereford.org
Rod Curtis 435-770-0509 rod@cachefeeds.com herefords1@hotmail.com
Jensen Brothers Herefords – Since 1920 Jonathan and Craig Johansen Castle Dale, UT • 435-650-8466 johansenherefords@gmail.com www.johansenherefords.com Line One Performance Breeding Since 1979
Jake Rees 801-668-8613 Scott Rees 801-949-8960 Roger Rees, DVM 801-913-5747 Herefords & Angus ReesCattle.com reescattle@gmail.com
VIRGINIA
Linda Lonas P.O. Box 187 • Purcellville, VA 20134 703-850-5501 Cell • 703-368-5812 Office Featuring Polled Descendants of J215 Thistle Tree Farm
WASHINGTON
Bill Cox 688 Pataha St. Pomeroy, WA 99347 509-566-7050 cell cxranch@live.com
1943
SELLING 1,500 HEREFORDS ANNUALLY “The great feedlot performance cattle” The McIrvins Box 99 Laurier, WA 509-684-4380 Winter Headquarters 646 Lake Rd. Burbank, WA 99323 509-545-5676
Hereford Cattle Since 1902 P.O. Box 66 • Kaycee, WY 82639 307-738-2443 or 307-267-3229 Cell Sale Date – Nov. 16, 2023 largentandsons@yahoo.com www.largentandsons.com
McClun’s
Lazy JM Ranch
Polled Herefords and Angus
Raising Herefords since 1967 Jim and Jerri McClun and Family 1929 Rd. 60 • Veteran, WY 82243 • 307-837-2524 Cell 307-534-5141 • jkmcclun@wyomail.com www.mcclunranch.com
Private Treaty Sales and Annual Production Sale in April
Selling Herefords for 80 years
Annual Sale — Fourth Wednesday in October
P.O. Box 15, Ft. Bridger, WY 82933 Dale 307-780-8232 Ron 307-747-3897
HEREFORDS FOR TODAY’S CATTLEMAN
N ed and Jan Ward 406-757-0600 Ned (c) 307-751-8298 • Jan (c) 307-751-9470 Bell Ward 307-751-6922 • Jake Bare 406-780-0056
North Ranch: 2637 Adsit Rd., Decket, MT 59025
South Ranch: 888 Lower Prairie Dog Rd., Sheridan, WY 82801
Mailing address: PO Box B, Sheridan, WY 82801 njwardherefords@gmail.com www.NJWHerefords.com
Ochsner-Roth Cattle Co. Blake: 307-532-3282 Steve Roth: 307-575-5258 Rustin Roth: 307-575-2709 BW: 307-575-6772 Rodney: 307-575-2589 ochsnerranch@gmail.com 10672 Van Tassell Road Torrington, WY 82240 Annually selling over 200 Hereford and Angus Bulls via private treaty www.qualitybulls.com
CANADA
Billy Elmhirst R.R. 1 Indian River, ON Canada K0L 2B0 705-295-2708 ircc@nexicom.net elmlodgeherefords.freeyellow.com Your
Brent, Robin, Dylan and Nicole 2169 290th Ave. DeWitt, IA 52742 563-357-9849
bapete@iowatelecom.net
1890
563-506-3751
rrcattle@midstatesd.net
Delaney Rife • Kennedy Rife Jack Rife 515-974-9600
Emma Mach 563-260-8771
Tyler Mach • Jessica Mach
k7herefords@gmail.com
Calendar of Events
“Calendar of Events” is a listing of Hereford sales and events known to our staff. Italicized dates denote shows and events. Non-italicized dates denote sales. To make the calendar concise we have used the following abbreviations: association, assn.; international, int’l; junior, jr.; mountain, mtn.; national, nat’l; northeast, NE; northwest, NW; performance tested, PT; southeast, SE; southwest, SW; and university, Un.
AUGUST
3 Georgia Hereford Assn. Herefords in the Cove, Rock Springs
3 Indiana State Fair Jr. Show, Indianapolis
5-7 Beef Cattle Short Course, College Station, Texas
6-7 Cattle Country Video Auction Oregon Trail Classic, Gerring, Neb.
6 Wisconsin State Fair Jr. Show, Milwaukee
7 Indiana State Fair Open Show, Indianapolis
8 Illinois State Fair Jr. Show, Springfield
10 Illinois State Fair Open Show, Springfield
10 Kansas Hereford Tour
10 Missouri State Fair 4-H/FFA Hereford Show, Sedalia
10 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, Gaithersburg, Md.
10 West Virginia State Fair Jr. Show, Lewisburg
10 Wisconsin State Fair Open Show, Milwaukee
11 Missouri State Fair Open Hereford Show, Sedalia
12-13 Western Video Market, Cheyenne, Wyo.
15 Iowa State Fair Open Hereford Show, Des Moines
15 Upper Peninsula State Fair Open Show, Escanadba
Ochsner-Roth Cattle Co 71 Wilhelm Cattle . . . . . . . 71
CANADA
Elmlodge Polled Herefords 34, 71 Medonte Highlands Polled Herefords 71 River Valley Polled Herefords 28
Bruce, Shoshanna, Blake, Ashley, Jordan and Brian 4072 E. 500 S. Waldron, IN 46182
317-407-3618 cell bruceeverhart56@gmail.com
1412 W. 900 S. Warren, IN 46792
Joe Landrum
260-466-8149
Jane Landrum
260-917-0036
Thatcher Landrum
260-917-0177
jlandrum@citznet.com
Polled Herefords
Lee, Cindy and Matthew Elzemeyer
2538 State Rd. 122 Richmond, IN 47374
765-969-2243
lee@elzehereford.com
The Duncan Family
1264 N. Mountain Rd. Wingate, IN 47994
David cell 765-366-0295 davidandjilld@aol.com
www.ableacrescattle.com
Family
2261 E. U.S. Hwy. 40 Clayton, IN 46118
Dale 317-752-7523
Dylan 317-752-3267
kottkampcattle@gmail.com
G ary Greenwood dVM
765-585-1105
casey.hampton@me.com
3013 W. State Rd. 38 West Lebanon, IN 47991
“ GEORGIA’S FALL BIG EVENT ”
AT BOYD BEEF CATTLE, MAYS LICK, KY. • SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2024
Selling 8 pairs with heifer calves sired by SHF HOUSTON D287 H086 and NJW LONG HAUL 36E and 2 BRED YEARLINGS BY INNISFAIL WHR X651/723 4013 ET.
All cows and yearlings are bred AI to SHF HOUSTON D287 H086, INNISFAIL WHR X651/723 4013 ET, SR EXPEDITION 619G, RST 5051 SMALL TOWN KID 9023 and SLAYTON KINGSLEY 204. GE EPDS AVAILABLE AT SALE TIME.
