February 2016 Profit Picture by American Gelbvieh Association

FEBRUARY 2016 | WWW.GELBVIEH.ORG

In this Issue: Visual Observation and Data Collection Unite to Create a More Profitable Cow Why Gelbvieh and Balancer®?

The Avenues to Efficiency

The American Gelbvieh Association is Providing Added Services to all Cattlemen

Improved efficiency in the beef herd can be a hard goal to define. Producers are likely to talk about the need to improve efficiency without knowing what needs to be done in order to achieve improvements in their herds. By Rebecca Mettler

First Annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup

Missouri in mid-December 2015. As a geneticist, Kuehn thinks of cowherd efficiency from a data and scientific standpoint and he encourages cattle producers to think of efficiency with a biological focus based on lifetime performance of the cowherd. “In terms of having a cow that lasts two decades and produces a calf every year; those are all ways to visualize that same package of what we are trying to achieve,” Kuehn said. “When we define it from a data standpoint, we need to make improvements on this.”

arry Kuehn, Ph.D., research geneticist with the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), part of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, in Clay Center, Nebraska spoke at the first annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup during the 45th Annual American Gelbvieh Association National Convention held in Kansas City,

Factors in cowherd efficiency include fertility, cow intake (consumed) and energy requirements, calf survival, calf growth, calf intake and longevity. USMARC has been conducting efficiency and lifetime productivity research for many decades. Most of the work is focused on improving group averages; most traditional measures of efficiency are summarized over a whole Continued on page 8

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Contents “Gelbvieh Gold Nuggets:” Worth It’s Weight

Features The Avenues to Efficiency

Efficiency in the beef herd can be traced back to many factors. See where Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced females fit in that scenario. By Rebecca Mettler

Meet the Sacco Brothers

Brothers from Helper, Utah navigate the cow-calf industry with the help of Balancer genetics. By Angela Vesco

Over the Fence with Barry Higgins

Barry Higgins of Russellville Livestock Market in Russellville, Kentucky was instrumental in gathering a group of local producers to better market their Gelbvieh-influenced feeder calves for added premium. By William McIntosh

The Seedstock Supplier—a Critical Relationship

Multiplying dollars at each stage of the supply chain was the topic of the second Cattlemen’s Profit Rounup session. By McKenzie Smith

Preparing for Calving Season

Animal Handling Practices and Consumer Perception in Today’s Beef Industry 56 By Megan Slater

Sire Selection Uses Economically Relevant Traits and Selection Indices 59 By Megan Slater

Do You Know How Much Your Heifers are Worth? 96 By Angela Vesco

News

The American Gelbvieh Association is Providing Added Services to all Cattlemen

Commit Time to Work on the Business this Year

By Kelli Retallick

By Dr. Lew Strickland

By Tom Field, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

10 Ranches Compete for $10,000 in the AGF’s First Annual Scale and Rail Contest and Steer Challenge 40 Pre-Calving Vaccinations for Pregnant Cows

The Quantum Leap: Transition to an Unprecedented Genetic Evaluation System

Increased lifetime productivity was a main topic of the first annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup. By Rebecca Mettler

Spring 2016 Gelbvieh and Balancer EPDs Released

Measuring Your Cost of Production and Profit Margin

Stepping up to the Challenge: 9.6 Billion People by 2050 30

Meet the Staff

Visual Observation and Data Collection Unite to Create a More Profitable Cow

By Rebecca Mettler

Request Your Free Subscription The Profit Picture is the commercially-focused tabloid publication published in October and February by the American Gelbvieh Association, focused on issues important to the commercial cow-calf producer. Sign up to receive your free subscription to The Profit Picture by subscribing online or completing this form and mailing to American Gelbvieh Association, attn: Profit Picture, 10900 Dover Street, Westminster, CO 80021. Comments and feedback welcome to jennifers@gelbvieh.org or 303465-2333. Also, visit www.GELBVIEH.org to subscribe to our new The Profit Picture Enewsletter, to receive montly news updates.

4 | FEBRUARY 2016

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The Profitpicture | 5

Contents Editorial

In Every Issue

AGA’s Higher Purpose: Customer Success By Neal Pearson, AGA President

Places to Be

Leading with a Vision for Change By Myron Edelman

Ad Index

Why Gelbvieh and Balancer®? By William McIntosh

Breeders Sections

A Helping Hand for Your Career Path By Tanner Aherin

100

Southeast Breeders Northeast Breeders Southern Breeders Service Center Midwest Breeders Western Breeders Upper Midwest Breeders

63 64 65 66 78-79 81 83-84

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

10900 Dover Street F Westminster, CO 80021 Main phone: 303-465-2333 F Fax: 303-465-2339 www.GELBVIEH.org F info@gelbvieh.org Facebook: American Gelbvieh Association

ASSOCIATION STAFF

Myron Edelman Executive Director myrone@gelbvieh.org (ex. 480) Terisa Abrahams Office Operations Coordinator terisa@gelbvieh.org (ex. 479) Kari White Breed Improvement Data Analyst kario@gelbvieh.org (ex. 483) Kelli Retallick Data Services Specialist kellir@gelbvieh.org Lynn Valentine Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator lynnv@gelbvieh.org (ex. 486)

6 | FEBRUARY 2016

Rebecca Mettler Editorial Content Coordinator rebeccam@gelbvieh.org 940-255-5471 Megan Slater Public Relations Coordinator megans@gelbvieh.org (ex. 485) William McIntosh Commercial Marketing Coordinator williamm@gelbvieh.org 502-867-3132 Angela Vesco Commercial Marketing Specialist angelav@gelbvieh.org (ex. 484)

Neal Pearson, President (2015) Lake City, SD • 605-448-5653 njpearson@venturecomm.net

Duane Strider, Secretary (2015) Asheboro, NC • 910-428-4568 ccrosscattle@yahoo.com

Scott Starr, V. President (2016) Stapleton, NE • 308-587-2293 cedartopranch@gpcom.net

Grant Thayer, Treasurer (2014) Ramah, CO • 303-621-2058 grant@jumpingcowgelbvieh.com

DIRECTORS Emily Griffiths (2014) Kendallville, IN • 260-242-1552 ejgriffiths.eg@gmail.com

Dustin Rippe (2015) Hubble, NE • 316-323-4874 dustin.rippe@yahoo.com

Dennis Gustin (2016) Mandan, ND • 701-663-7266 gustindd@wildblue.net

Lowell Rogers (2015) Seminary, MS • 601-270-4152 lrdrsmiley@gmail.com

Bob Hart (2014) Kansas City, KS • 816-225-8530 bhart@hartfarm.net

Randy Sienknecht (2016) Gladbrook, IA • 319-290-3763 rmsink1209@msn.com

Andy LeDoux (2015) Agenda, KS • 785-732-6564 ledouxranch@hotmail.com David Martin (2014) Judsonia, AR • 501-728-4950 martincattleco@windstream.net Andrea Murray (2016) Kingfisher, OK • 405-368-9601 murrayfarm@pldi.net

Jeff Swanson (2016) Oxford, NE • 308-290-3763 swansoncattleco@yahoo.com Walter Teeter (2014) Mt. Ulla, NC • 704-236-7980 waltert@republicrefrigeration.com

The Profitpicture | 7

Feature cow herd: calves weaned per cow exposed, calves weaned per unit of energy per cow exposed and total weaning weight per unit of energy per cow exposed. Efficiency and lifetime productivity research has one caveat; the research takes many years to complete. “We don’t start doing the work on efficiency and productivity until those cows are 5 years old and it’s at least a 10 year turnaround on some data,” Kuehn said. With that in mind, Kuehn guides producers to see where the industry is going in the future based on what he observes in selection programs in breeds overall. Current observations are then compared to efficiency and lifetime productivity studies of the past.

Crossbreeding Counts for Longevity “I can’t say enough about the benefits of heterosis for increased productivity in these cows overall,” Kuehn said.

The effects of heterosis are greatest for lifetime production with a 30 percent improvement, longevity or herd-life with a 15 percent increase, and annual income improvement from heterosis at 23 percent. While Kuehn points out that this data is not Gelbvieh specific, he believes that similar improvements would be seen in crosses among most breeds.

From a genetic standpoint, one advantage of crossbreeding is that it is thought to decrease the number of embryonic loss cases due to recessive lethal alleles, genotypes that will result in embryonic death if a calf has two copies of the gene. This topic is the focus of a current grant and research program at the University of Missouri. Though science hasn’t ironed out all of the details, it’s assumed that there’s a lot of embryonic loss that results in open females because the fetus was aborted and absorbed by the cow before palpation. Crossbreeding provides more genetic diversity, decreasing the likelihood of two copies of these detrimental genes in fetuses, and thus reducing the odds of a fetus succumbing to a lethal defect before palpation. “One hypothesis is that’s what’s going on in typical breeding cycles and why we get an open rate of 30 to 40 percent on the first cycle at breeding,” Kuehn said. “It goes against the culture of culling your open cows because they are the problem. Instead, this hypothesis suggests designing matings to decrease the odds of two copies of the same lethal allele; that is achieved by crossing breeds.”

On average, a crossbred cow will last an extra year in the Reported by USUSMARC in Nunez-Dominguez et al. (1991)1. <?> herd compared to a straightbred Núñez-Dominguez , R., Cundiff, L.V., Dickerson, G. E., Gregory, K. E., female. This crossbreeding Koch, R. M. Heterosis for survival and dentition in Hereford, Angus, Matching the Cow to advantage provides quick Shorthorn, and crossbred cows. 1991. J. Anim. Sci. 69:1885-1898. and easy economic benefit the Environment for commercial producers. Kuehn related to the group that Heterosis, the added advantage matching the cow to the environment should be The second free lunch of crossbreeding is of performance of a crossbred over the considered common sense, but this goal is hard breed complementarity, or the act of planned average of its purebred parents, increases to accomplish right now due to increases in crossbreeding to take advantage of the strengths productivity regardless of how well producers cow size relative to past efficiency and lifetime of both breeds. are selecting for genetic improvement. productivity studies. This increase in cow size is Take a smaller framed cowherd that’s not Kuehn’s case for crossbreeding was an indirect result of heavy industry selection for using as many feed resources (higher stocking highlighted in the graph below. Throughout increased growth in calves. density possible) and mate them to a larger, each year, the percentage of crossbred cows “Efficiency is really a function of the terminal bull. With the growth of the terminal staying in their research herd was much environment you are in and the adaptability of bull, the calf costs a bit more, but you get higher (8-17%) than their straightbred that animal to the current environment,” Kuehn increased revenue through growth from the counterparts. said. terminal bull along with decreased costs from He pointed out that the most cow culls In other words, optimal efficiency depends the smaller cow. occur during the first four years of life-well on breed type and available resources. GelbviehOne thing is for certain; fertility is directly before the cows are ‘old’ (>10 yrs). influenced animals offer a solution as a good related to efficiency within the cowherd. A “We lose cattle quickly in most herds,” choice for producers with moderate or high feed cow that doesn’t produce a calf is the biggest Kuehn said. “First, we lose heifers that are resources. detriment to overall efficiency. Kuehn again not bred then we see as many cows lost in the “When we talk about a moderate type highlighted the crossbreeding results showing a next two years (years three and four) due to of environment with a decent plain of 10-20 percent increase in the number of calves rebreeding challenges. By the time we get to a nutrition, this setting is where Gelbviehborn or weaned over the lifetime of a cow four-year old, we’ve lost a quarter to a third of relative to purebreds. the heifers we stared with.” continued on page 10 8 | FEBRUARY 2016

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The Profitpicture | 9

Feature continued from page 8

herds anyway.

influenced cows could have some advantage,” Kuehn said.

“This is one place I could see using Gelbviehinfluenced cattle, but not the exclusive place depending on what tools a producer has.”

Gelbvieh-influence in a crossbred cow scenario would provide an avenue to take advantage of milk, which can help to increase calf weights. A moderate size as compared to other Continental breeds as well as some British breeds (based on cows sampled from 1990s bulls), such as Angus, and strong maternal characteristics make Gelbvieh a strong candidate for a component in the commercial cowherd. Kuehn and his colleagues at USMARC, Mark Thallman and Gary Bennett, envision scenarios for an industry wide breeding system represented by three stages; stage one would include a small-framed cowherd consisting of roughly 1000 to 1100 pound cows. These cows could be crossed to a moderate-framed breed (Gelbvieh-influence) to create a cross-bred cow with higher milk production to sell to commercial producers that would terminally cross them in the third stage for market calves. The stipulation to this scenario is that it would be hard for smaller producers to have cattle for each stage. However, as an industry, they could buy the stage 2 Gelbvieh-cross females from a female supplier and terminally cross them in their herd. Being able to focus on terminal cross calves without having to develop heifers may be more profitable for these smaller

10 | FEBRUARY 2016

Cow Size and Efficiency Kuehn questions the extent to which we can extrapolate the most relevant efficiency and lifetime productivity research (which was done in the 80s) to current genetics. Genetic evaluation tools, such as Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) got their start in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Growth trait EPDs were the most widely available tools at the time, thus a push for increased growth occurred. “Most certainly the cowherd has increased in size. Much of the increase we have in the cowherd is the result of selection for increased growth in our yearling progeny. That’s probably saved us with our shrinking cowherd size over the years relative to the amount of beef we’ve been able to produce.” He points out that there is a correlated response between selection for an increase in progeny growth traits and mature cow size. Comparison of early ‘70s cow size vs. late ‘90s data clearly showed that at 5 years of age with a body condition score of 5.5, British cattle breeds were smaller than Continental cattle in the ‘70s. In the late ‘90s data, those same British cattle were the largest in the study. However, each of the seven breeds had an increase in mature cow size.

“If I want to talk about developing a maternal cowherd for our commercial producers, depending on what part of the country, I might have a hard time deciding which cow I’d recommend from these breeds if the mature weight was going up in the same way for all breeds.” The most recent efficiency data is not yet complete, however, early results conclude that although Gelbvieh are on the larger side at 1.5 years of age, they moderate a bit by 2.5 and 3.5 years of age. Kuehn hopes that further analysis of these mature weight at 5 years of age will be forthcoming from USMARC in the next year or so. In the future, cowherd efficiency testing will remain an important focus at USMARC with a goal of helping producers to reduce the costs of their cowherd and to increase the chance of producing a calf from each cow each year. At the same time, producers around the country will be striving to produce a cow that stays on the farm or ranch for an extended period of time and produces a calf every year. nnn

Lazy TV Ranch BREED-LEADING PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS EPDS Sampling of our March 5th Offering CED

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79.48

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0.64

0.83

0.01

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122

1.24

0.87

78.59

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www.BalancerBulls.com The Profitpicture | 11

Editorial

AGA’s Higher Purpose: Customer Success Today I wanted to share with you an excerpt from my State of the Association report at the 45th Annual American Gelbvieh Association National Convention “Moving at the Speed of Change”. I think it’s very important that our commercial industry customers and partners gain insight into the mindset of an organization that plays such a critical role in the success of their operations. By Neal Pearson, AGA President State of The Association: A year ago I was elected president of the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA). I very quickly realized that this position is one that requires a lot of time and commitment. Here I refer to the time I spend each day thinking about not what the association was doing, but how we could make it stronger, both within the industry and from a sustainability standpoint. This led me to look up the meaning of “association”. I came away with two meanings. The first: a group of people for a joint purpose. The second: a connection or cooperative link between people. In this scenario insert ‘cattle people’ where the word ‘people’ is referenced. Now let me define, in my opinion, these two meanings or definitions as they stand for the AGA.

12 | FEBRUARY 2016

I believe that the future growth of the AGA will not come from within the AGA itself, but rather from the outside in the form of new innovative programs that can provide a benefit to the commercial industry. Recently, I read an article by Kris Ringwall –North Dakota State University beef extension specialist that gives support to this theory. In his article he states, “For decades, cow-calf producers have used genetics, health, nutrition, reproduction, marketing, environment and product development to improve production.” Ringwall used a sponge as an example. A dried sponge soaks up water and expands. Now place that sponge in a container. What happens? The sponge cannot expand (or grow) or it can only expand minimally. The same is true with the cow-calf producer; he soaks up all the recommendations that encourage high performance and efficient production systems. But, the results generally reflect the traditional cow-calf production practice of “If it works, lets not change.”

Starting first with the joint purpose definition — obviously for us, this is the breeding and production of Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle. As we strive for improvement of the breed we must keep in mind maternal attributes; individual and feedyard performance as well as carcass traits; and efficiency traits such as stayablity and calving ease. As an association we must maintain

sustainability. Questions in our planning thought processes should include thoughts of financial stability through increased revenue as well as growth of the American Gelbvieh Foundation (AGF). Sustaining the AGF will allow an increase in member education, advancements in research that will lead to breed improvement and finally youth development. Investing in our youth is crucial to our long-term future. It’s imperative

So if we are an association of livestock producers, then we can interpret that the AGA is connected to the whole industry. By being connected we can assume that this broader based association can help with providing new information, technologies and financial resources.

that we keep our youth involved and be able to offer them increased educational opportunities. The second meaning or definition states: a connection or cooperative link between people, aka cattle people.

So if a producer never changes the way they do things, will the operation—like the sponge in the container—be able to expand or grow in profitability? The answer is probably not. This then begs the question, “What can we do now if we have done all the production practices available to us to improve profitability?” One option is the tracking of the cowherd’s genetic improvement over time. Producers can’t manage what they don’t measure. Today we have in place just such a program; the Smart Select Service.

I’m not going to go over the logistics of the program, but rather some of the benefits that it has to the AGA. 1) The Smart Select Service requires an increase in promotional efforts, thus the AGA’s name is one that is connected with commercial programs. 2) Staff also has to be available to assist breeders and commercial producers. 3) An increase in the amount of data that is filtered through the AGA database enhances the accuracy and the EPDs both seedstock and commercial industry producers rely on heavily for selection decisions. Real world data will enable us to identify our weaknesses, but also enable us to promote our areas of strength. 4) The AGA is also in a position to continue to form industry alliances with various segments of the beef industry. The connection to commercial cattlemen and women is just the start of the bridge building process within the industry. These are very important, but I feel one of

it’s greatest strengths is the means for which the breeders and seedstock professionals can provide services to their commercial producers. A program like Smart Select Service has been a topic of discussion for as long as I can remember. The Smart Select Service program’s future relies on the total buy-in of the entire membership and the willingness to get your commercial producers involved. May I suggest, if anyone has a customer interested, that you, as a service to him or her, offer to pay a part of the enrollment fee? For example: Say you pay $.50 for every cow they enroll. Lets use a herd of 5,000 cows. The cost to you is $2500. If we use a bull to cow ratio of 1:20, the bull requirement is 250 bulls. The cost for each bull you sell is $10. Ask yourself, is there a better return on your promotion or advertising budget? Not to mention the loyalty retained to your program. Remember, it costs less to keep a customer than it does to acquire a new one.

bull provider and the AGA staff. Last spring I drew up a flow chart, and it was amazing how one thing led to the need of another. Kind of like buying a bigger combine, now you need more support equipment to keep up the efficiency of the combine. The Smart Select Service program is just that. As it grows, so will the need for more support in the way of new related programs and staff. For me, this is a win-win for our association and the real beauty of this program is that it is selfsustaining. In closing I will leave you with this final thought: If we’re not willing to invest in our customers’ future, how can we expect them to invest in ours? nnn

This program also increases the one-onone communication between the producer,

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The Profitpicture | 13

Editorial

Leading with a Vision for Change The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is taking its place as a leader in genetic evaluation for beef cattle. By Myron Edelman

he services offered through the AGA are among the first of their kind to provide information for potentially opportunistic profitability. AGA has stepped outside of traditional cattle breed association focus to expand its services for registered cattle breeders to include services for the commercial cow-calf and feedyard sectors of the beef business as well. The skilled staff of the AGA offers council in genetic selection, database navigation and cattle marketing. The AGA and its staff set the successful pace of navigating a modern beef industry. Consider the business that the AGA is really in: the business of cattle genetic information, building selection tools for the improvement of cattle production efficiency, and the marketing of cattle at each stage of the supply chain. One could say then the purpose is connectivity of seedstock supplier to cowcalf producer, rancher to feeder and feeder to packer. Conversely, we should consider the impact of the information that each the packer, feeder and cow-calf producer has on genetic selection pressure at the seedstock level. After all, that is where it all begins, correct? Now more than ever, genetically superior cattle take their place toward the highest level of the cattle markets for both feeder cattle as well as in replacement female markets. The improvements made to the beef industry because of genetic advancement are easy to document. Since 2003, U.S. beef production has remained near 12 million metric tons of beef. However, in 2003 that production was built around a cowherd base of over 33 million cows. Now, at the end of 2015 we know that those 12 million metric tons of beef were produced from just over 29 million cows. The speed and success at which the modern industry produces beef is much more efficient. Genetic enhancement 14 | FEBRUARY 2016

has played a huge role in producing more beef with fewer cows. Consider that the world population consumes 12.25 pounds of beef per capita annually and that it takes over 57 million pounds of beef annually to meet the world demand. The United Nations predicts a world population of 8 billion people by 2024. Therefore, at a 12.25 pound per capita consumption rate, the world will need to produce more than 64 million pounds of beef annually. It’s also important to note that the figure is not taking into account a larger global middle class in the future, which is expected to demand more protein in their diet. The entrepreneurial mindset of agriculturalists has been, and in all likelihood, will continue to be one of meeting the demand for the world’s most appetizing protein. The AGA is a taking an aggressive approach to being a catalyst for meeting those demands by developing tools that are the conduit for measuring genetic improvement for the benefit of cow-calf producers, feeders and packers. The basis for that measurement is reliable Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) from 45 years of collecting data. Those EPDs are genomic-enhanced with a DNA test. In fact, every animal registered at the AGA from the 2015 calf crop forward, has a sire with at least a low density DNA test. EPDs and pedigrees for Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle are calculated with the most sophisticated and efficient database to date. The AGA has also initiated tools for commercial ranchers. The $mart Select Service easily and economically provides cattlemen and women herd management as well as selection tools for replacement heifers and feeder cattle. Progressive producers also have a genomic option in the form of the

Maternal Edge panel to use on their Gelbviehinfluenced commercial females. In addition to genetic tools, the AGA also has marketing tools for customers. Feeder Finder is free of charge to bull customers and alerts more than 250 feedyards when lot loads of Gelbvieh and Balancer feeder cattle are selling. How does the AGA plan to implement the programs so that producers may easily transition to maximizing the use of the available tools and services at the association? Gelbvieh has sourced very skilled personnel to assist members and customers in capitalizing on the programs available at the AGA. The staff of the AGA consists of graduates from eight different agricultural universities from throughout the country. The staff of the AGA represents degree specialties in animal science, agricultural journalism, agricultural communications, animal breeding/genetics, ruminant nutrition as well as business management and psychology. Where can you meet the talented staff of the AGA? Staff attends the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Tradeshow, state cattlemen’s meetings, Beef Improvement Federation (BIF), AGA affiliate meetings and of course they will be at bull sales this spring. AGA staff will be at more than thirty bull sales from February through the end of March. Members and customers will also find staff at feeder calf video sales this summer and at sale barns in the fall where Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced calves are selling. Visit with the staff when you see them at industry functions to find out how the AGA may assist you in building a strong reputation for your cattle to take your ranch to the highest level of profitability. The combination of accurate genetic predictions, herd management tools, selection gauges for all cattlemen, marketing options and adept staff to assist in implementing services from the AGA may give you the edge in navigating a competitive business. Contact the AGA to get started accelerating the potential of your cattle and meet the demands of the modern beef industry. nnn

The Profitpicture | 15

Editorial

Meet the Sacco Brothers Located in Helper, Utah, Joe and Rex Sacco own and operate Sacco Brothers Land & Livestock. The Sacco brothers run Balancer® genetics in eastern Utah on both private and public land. By Angela Vesco

hey are a spring calving operation that sells feeder calves once they run them through a backgrounding program.

Joe and Rex are the third generation to be carrying on the family tradition of raising cattle. Their grandparents came over from Italy to start a new life and started off with just a few head of cattle for food when Sacco’s grandfather worked as a blacksmith for a coal mine. From there, the herd

size continued to grow with Sacco’s father and uncles and now with Joe and Rex. With the herd size growing, the Sacco family also expanded the land that they run the cattle on through Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing permits, leasing and purchasing private ground. The Sacco brothers have been running Balancer® cattle for more than 15 years. Before that they had been trying different breeds but the crossbred animals were the best fit for the operation. The Saccos are particular about the bulls they select. “You aren’t just buying bulls to market the cattle at weaning, you are buying them to put the top genetics into your herd long term,” Joe Sacco said. The Saccos look for cattle that will grow fast and put on the pounds. From a maternal standpoint they appreciate the heifers’ ability to mature earlier and the cows always breed back—Balancer® genetics meet those requirements, both terminally and maternally. The ground where they run their cattle, spread out around Helper, is approximately 70 miles from where the summer ground begins and winter ground ends. Within the 70 miles the elevation changes from approximately 4,400 feet at the winter ground to 10,000 feet at the summer

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Editorial ground. Running cattle at a high elevation means the Saccos need to test their cattle for high-mountain disease by measuring pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). When animals reach higher elevations, the lower oxygen levels can cause serious illness and even death. PAP testing requires a catheter to be inserted into the jugular vein of the animal and passed through heart valves to the pulmonary artery which is located right next to the lungs. Then the pressure waves are measured on the heart monitor which then gives a pressure reading. The Saccos select replacement heifers and bulls that fall in the range of 36 to 40 mmHg, the brothers cull anything with a higher result than that. The average cost of doing a PAP test on an animal is about $25. Joe said that it is worth paying the expense per animal because the cost is far greater when an animal is lost to high-mountain disease. In addition to testing the animals individually, the brothers base part of their bull selections on the PAP test because it is said that high-mountain disease is a genetic condition. The Sacco brothers are very diligent in

managing their cattle to make sure they are healthy and can produce to their full potential. In addition to selecting cattle for high-mountain disease, the Saccos also have a very thorough custom mineral program for their cattle. They started their mineral program when they had a number of calves get sick in the feedlot despite being vaccinated. A necropsy performed on one of the calves revealed a large deficiency in mineral requirements for copper, magnesium, selenium, etc. So to combat the mineral deficiencies, the Saccos began their own research to see what mineral the cattle would eat. “If they don’t eat it, it doesn’t do you any good no matter what the profit is,” said Sacco. They placed different mineral products in different pens to see what type the cattle ate the best. Then Saccos consulted their nutritionist to develop their own custom mineral program. To pinpoint what minerals their cattle need, Saccos took forage samples from their summer and winter grazing ranges, sampled the feed in the feedlot, and also take liver biopsies from their cattle in the fall and spring. This resulted

in different formulas for the different times of year. During the winter the animals get a protein block with the minerals included. Then for the feedlot a specific mix is created to supplement their diet. In addition to the minerals, the summer mineral mix includes ingredients for larkspur poisoning and horn fly repellant. Since implementing the mineral supplementation into their herd management plan the Saccos have gone from a 205-day calving period to a 100-day calving period. Sacco says that their cattle are now more uniform and more appealing to buyers. When asked about the future of Sacco Brothers Land & Livestock, Sacco humbly responded saying that they are thankful for the success and thankful to God for opportunities they have. The younger generation is involved in the ranch and Sacco would like to see the fourth generation take over. Through their ingenuity and passion, along with their Balancer® genetics, the Sacco brothers have created an operation that will continue to be productive and successful for the future generations. nnn

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The Profitpicture | 17

18 | FEBRUARY 2016

The Profitpicture | 19

Over the Fence

With Barry Higgins, Russellville Livestock Market

It is always important to sell your calves for a premium wherever the market may be. By William McIntosh

here are many factors that go into determining their value: genetics, management, reputation and volume, just to name a few. As we continue to see extreme volatility in the cattle market, cow-calf producers need to do all we can to insure they receive top dollar for feeder calves. Barry Higgins knows this better than anyone. Barry and his family own and operate the Russellville Livestock Market along with running a 500 head cow-calf operation in Russellville, Kentucky.

Barry bought his first Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls in 2004. “I went with Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls for the added muscle and growth along with improved disposition,” Higgins said. “Before I started buying Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls I would buy groups of cows and they would usually have a bull with them or I would buy just a decent bull to run on our cows and keep him a year or so and sell him. Since I have been buying higher quality Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls I have increased our weaning weights 75 to 100 pounds.”

Explain the Gelbvieh and Balancer feeder calf sale at Russellville Livestock Market. In 2011 Barry organized a group of commercial cattle producers in southwestern Kentucky that had been using Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls and started a special Gelbvieh and Balancer feeder calf sale in July.

Barry Higgins, left, stands with Howard, his father; and Cody, his son, at one of their operations in Russellville, Kentucky.

What has been your experience with Gelbvieh and Balancer®? 20 | FEBRUARY 2016

“The sale has been good for the group. We usually sell between 600 to 800 head of feeder calves consigned by eight different consigners.” The group works hard to create consistency from herd to herd. It starts with genetics. Higgins notes that genetics will continue to play a huge role in profitability. “In the past few years almost all a calf had to do to be profitable is live. It’s hard for cow-calf producers not to do well selling $3.00 calves and feeders selling fats in the $1.60 range,” said Higgins. “If cattle didn’t perform very well they still made money. If the cattle didn’t grade they still made money. Just about the only way to lose was to lose a calf. In a lower market it takes feeder calves that have the genetic potential to perform efficiently in the feedyard, rail a carcass around 900 pounds and still grade USDA Choice, Yield Grade 1 and 2.”

What role does crossbreeding play in your cooperative marketing efforts? It starts with genetics. The Russellville, Kentucky group takes advantage of crossbreeding to produce feeder calves to meet the industry demands. All the calves in the sale are Gelbvieh-Angus cross. By using breeds that complement each other, as Gelbvieh and Angus do, they are able to offer buyers cattle that will both perform in the feedlot, rail a heavy carcass

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What more does Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics bring to the table? Maternal profitability is another benefit of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics. The data from the USDA Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska shows Gelbvieh as being the most moderate mature weight of all the beef breeds. Gelbvieh also reach puberty earlier and rail a higher percent retail product carcass again being compared all the beef breeds in the U.S. For the past several years Barry has bought groups of heifers through the sale and developed and sold them as bred heifers. “By using better Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls we now have more options for our heifers. In the calf sale they will bring pretty close to what

middle of November. This allow the consigners to comingle cattle that can be managed together throughout the feeding process. The group sell their calves in 50,000 pound load lots which offers buyers the convenience of not having to fill trucks with outside cattle. Most of the consigners will have more than a load of steers so by having consistency across herds they are able to comingle the remaining calves. Health and death loss are still one or the biggest profit drivers today so the group follows the same vacation protocols. They administer two rounds of shots prior to the sale and they use the same products. The cattle are also required to be bunk broke and on feed to insure that healthy calves will make the transition quickly.

What have been the results of the Gelbvieh and Balancer feeder calf sales? In the past five years the Russellville, Kentucky group have built a reputation for producing superior feeder cattle. This past year the cattle sold for a $10/cwt premium over the market that week. “The buyers seem to like the calves. We average $8 to $10/cwt over the market each year since we started the sale,” Higgins said.

the steers bring because people know what good cows the Gelbvieh and Balancer heifers will make. I have bought them for the last several years and bred and sold them. The people that have bought them have always been happy with them,” Barry said.

How do you create consistency throughout a group of comingled calves? Requiring all of the consigners to have the same calving season is another way the group creates consistency. All the feeder calves are born between the middle of September to the

Barry Higgins and his family have developed a strong market not only for themselves but also for their neighbors and customers. By starting with high quality genetics and consistent management they have built a reputation of producing feeder cattle that are profitable in all segments of the production chain. nnn

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The Profitpicture | 21

Editorial

The seedstock supplier — a critical relationship For the commercial cow-calf producer the two most important professional relationships are with the seedstock supplier and the herd veterinarian. By Tom Field, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

enetics provides a foundation upon which the future of the enterprise will stand. The most influential genetic decisions made by cow-calf producers who produce their own replacement heifers are the three mostrecent generations of herd sires. These bulls account for approximately 75

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percent of the calf crop’s genetic makeup in terms of their direct influence as sires of calves and as the sires of the cow herd. Given the tremendous influence of the bull battery, the sireacquisition process takes on a special level of significance, and thus, the relationship with the genetic supplier becomes highly important.

One of my mentors in the cattle business believed that before a decision was made on which bulls to purchase, cattle producers should visit the potential seedstock supplier’s business at least twice — initially to check out the supplier and the second time to evaluate the cattle. His concept was founded on a commitment to only buying seedstock from herds managed under a similar philosophy and with comparable weather, forage and climatic conditions to the purchaser’s situation. His belief was that if the people were solid, then you could more confidently do business, safe in the knowledge that they were creating good cattle and that they would stand behind them. However, even before contact is made with a seedstock producer, cowcalf managers must assess their own condition and their level of herd performance in critically important areas, and they must solidify their goals and objectives for the beef enterprise. Bull buyers who are making choices from an information-rich perspective are more prepared to build a solid working relationship with a seedstock supplier.

A mating system Determining the mating system is another key decision cow-calf producers should make by using knowledge about their own enterprises as well as leveraging the experience of other producers and of the genetics supplier. The mating system, along with the sires selected to work within the mating system, requires that commercial producers carefully assess four critical areas: Feed resources and environmental limits Labor resources Marketing goals and objectives Gaps between present and desired levels of performance in traits critical to profitability. Once these issues have been addressed in detail then a meaningful discussion can be undertaken with potential seedstock suppliers. A long-term and valued relationship with any seedstock supplier begins with business integrity, a commitment to providing solutions to customers, conversations founded on meaningful information and service after the sale. As these discussions are undertaken, two concepts should always be kept in mind. First, the novice bull buyer deserves an attentive seedstock supplier who is willing to provide education, answer questions and, most importantly, follow up after the sale. Second, there is a dramatic difference between the supplier whose sole goal is to sell a bull and the supplier focused on solving problems for a customer. Sire selection should be founded on making the most objective decision possible that is aligned with the overall strategy and vision for the cow-calf enterprise. Thus, it is essential to acquire bulls only from those herds with active engagement in a performance program backed by a dynamic national database and supported with state-of-the-art genetic prediction tools. It is not important that a cow-calf producer understand the intricacies of how genetic estimates are calculated, but developing a solid functional understanding of how to use the estimates and information is critical. The role of the seedstock supplier is to provide educational and consulting support to assure the comfort level of the customer.

Making matches The sire-selection process is one driven by winnowing down the available bulls for sale into a group of individuals that possess the appropriate combination of performance metrics. These should align with the limitations of the resources available on the ranch and ensure conformance to the demands of the target market for progeny.

knowledge is critical to building a genetic base designed for longterm satisfaction from the cow-calf enterprise.

Tom Field is professor and head of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted with the permission of Tom Field. It was first published in the December issue of Drovers.. nnn

This narrowing-down process can be driven by several key focal points: Avoid sires that create dystocia. Calving difficulty is a leading cause of both calf and breeding female death loss, contributes to increased morbidity of calves born in difficult births, and diminishes subsequent reproductive rates of females experiencing dystocia. Will replacement females be kept from the progeny? If yes, then what is the appropriate level of mature size and milk production for the particular farm or ranch? Attaining profitable levels of reproductive performance depends on keeping the nutritional needs of the herd aligned with cost-effective feed sources, which are often in the form of grazeable forages. What is the optimal combination of growth, muscularity, marbling and carcass yield for the target market? Producing feeder calves that can be merchandised to generate high levels of revenue is fundamental to profitability. Finally, what are the gaps in performance for the herd that need to be closed to improve productivity, profitability and quality of life? For example, if cattle are flighty and nervous in handling situations, then more focus on docility is warranted. If udders are badly structured, leading to calves unable to suckle and thus requiring more labor, then udder quality will need to be addressed. In each of these discussions, reputable seedstock breeders will provide information, insight and advice. Using their experience and

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Editorial

Mineral Needs of Cattle Throughout the Year Management tips to help producers maintain and potentially increase production in the cow herd By Connor Orrock K-State Research and Extension

inerals are important building blocks of functional life. They aid in countless body processes. When the body in question is a 1,500-pound beef cow whose purpose is to produce income, she may need supplemental minerals during several crucial periods throughout the year. “Speaking specifically about the beef cow herd and production beef cows, they require macro minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, sodium, chlorine, potassium and magnesium,” said Chris Reinhardt, K-State Research and

Extension beef specialist. “But, they also have requirements for trace elements.” These trace elements include, for example, copper, zinc, selenium, manganese and cobalt, in parts per million rather than percentages like the macro minerals, Reinhardt said. Some of these minerals are stored in the liver or other tissues during times of plenty for use during times of deficiency.

“We need to be aware of the mineral balance in the forages a cow might be consuming, and we have to be aware of the demand that cow has for those minerals,” he said. He outlined a scenario where a cow may have different needs: “Calcium is being drawn out in milk during lactation. Copper and zinc are used heavily for reproduction, during the gestation and during immune challenges. The needs of the cow change throughout the year, and the supply of minerals available changes tremendously throughout the year as well. Our job as producers is to make sure we are matching what the cow has access to with what her needs are.” Clinical deficiencies of minerals occur when a required mineral has been deficient in the diet for an extended period of time, Reinhardt said. Producers can see these deficiencies in obvious outward symptoms showing the animal is lacking a mineral or minerals. He cited a classic example: “In the 1930s, we didn’t always supplement phosphorus to cows in the western range states. When cows become extremely phosphorus deficient, they will chew bones.” One of the clinical signs that indicates a cow is extremely deficient of

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phosphorus is she will not breed or have a calf. A cow cannot reproduce without adequate phosphorus. “However, in between adequate status and clinical deficiency is what we call subclinical deficiencies,” Reinhardt said. “These are where most of the deficiencies occur in the U.S. beef industry.” For example, he said cows could be marginally copper deficient when they seem to produce well, but maybe their fertility doesn’t quite match up to the producer’s expectations. In this case, the herd overall may be calving on time, but one cow that didn’t calve as expected. The cow in question may have looked fine and had access to the same food sources as the rest of the herd. This is why subclinical deficiencies are often difficult to detect and require a close watch.

Management tips to help producers “The first step is to assess the needs of the animal,” Reinhardt said. “For instance, a gestating cow requires different levels of calcium and phosphorus than does a lactating cow. When that cow is in the peak of lactation, we have to ensure the cow has access to adequate macro and trace minerals.” “The second step of developing a strategy is assessing what is available to the animal,” he continued. “For example, we’ve had abundant rains throughout Kansas and much of the western United States. In the spring when we have adequate rainfall to produce abundant, lush forage, the forage alone is adequate in phosphorus to meet most of the needs of a lactating cow. However, as that forage matures into summer months, phosphorus content will decline to well below the needs of a lactating cow.” This is where producers need to intervene and ensure adequate provisions are made not only for calcium and phosphorus, but also many of the trace minerals. To determine the mineral content in the available forage, producers

may initially want to have forages analyzed for mineral content, he said. Then, producers can work with their veterinarians or beef nutritionists to determine a supplement that fills the gap.

“One mineral concept” According to Reinhardt, many producers use the “one mineral concept,” where they buy a mineral that meets most of the animals’ needs most of the time. When the cattle eat it adequately and predictably, the producer simply leaves the mineral out year-round. During times of the year where the cattle’s needs may be lower, such as spring when there is ample high-quality forage available, they may eat only a little or none of that one mineral. “As the grass quality declines you will notice an increase in the consumption of that mineral,” Reinhardt said. “In the fall or winter when we are supplying supplemental feeds, such as soybean meal, distillers grain and good-quality hay, the cattle may go back to a period where they may not be eating a tremendous amount of mineral.” Another option is using different mineral formulations during different times of the year.

said. Pay close attention to levels of phosphorus, calcium, salt, potassium, copper and selenium. Adequate selenium is important in beef cattle diets, but it is highly regulated by the federal government, as it is toxic to humans and livestock at high levels. Because soils and forages in parts of the United States have low levels of selenium, it is important that producers make sure cattle are getting adequate selenium. If copper is included in the product, it must be at a guaranteed minimum level on the label. There are many areas of the United States during various times of year where copper is deficient in the soil and in the forages, so Reinhardt said make sure to have a formula that works well with the geography. Don’t put off the minerals Cattle producers are often extremely busy, but a good mineral

Deciphering mineral labels Mineral labels are subject to law that states if a mineral ingredient is included in a product, there are certain items that must be included on the tag, which is the first place producers should check, Reinhardt

Even then, determining how much cattle are consuming is often overlooked. Information on the mineral tag sometimes includes a recommended range of consumption. Depending on the animals’ needs, geography and pasture conditions, cattle may not eat the predicted amount of the mineral. In that case, it’s possible their mineral needs are not being met. “We want to ensure that we have the right formula for the cattle,” Reinhardt said. “If they’re not eating the mineral, we have to go back to the drawing board and find a product the cattle will eat.” nnn

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“If you’re feeding wet distillers grains and high-quality hay, you may have a need for calcium and trace minerals but not a tremendous need for supplemental phosphorus,” he said. There may be a better option when doing a mix feed with a force-feeding situation. During the summer, a producer needs a mineral that works with the forage. Also, it is highly important that the cattle will eat independently in a predictable manner.

program should remain important, the beef specialist said: “A rancher always has about a hundred different things to do daily. Occasionally, the mineral formula works its way toward the top of the list.”

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Editorial

The American Gelbvieh Association is Providing Added Services to all Cattlemen No seedstock producers would be where they are without the commercial cow-calf producer just like no breed association would remain relevant without the seedstock producer. The point being, each sector relies on one another to make the beef industry successful. By Kelli Retallick

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Jim Dobson • 405.880.6173 John Dobson • 405.880.6661 Quin Peterson • 918.625.2500 12460 E. River Road Kaw City, OK 74641

hen the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) started to investigate ways to better service the beef industry as a whole it was obvious to turn some of the AGA’s focus to the commercial sector. The AGA wanted to provide a service to the commercial industry that would add value to their bottom line. In order to provide this type of service the AGA knew it wanted the program to be three things: affordable, knowledgeable and accessible. In August of 2015 the AGA launched Smart Select Service, genetic tools for ranchers. Smart Select Service gives ranchers genetic tools to select cattle to increase their profitability. It is a non-breed specific program allowing commercial producers to stay ahead of the curve by pinpointing individual cow production. It focuses on finding an optimal level of maternal efficiency which will supply a solid cowherd base to produce the cattle to fit your needs. Enrollment into the program is open to all females in the herd including replacement heifers and mature cows for the annual cost of $1 per head; talk about affordable. Enrollment provides access to an online data management service to record cowherd data ranging from vaccination and pasture management to individual progeny data, weights, and exposure data. With this data the AGA is able to provide commercial producers with four different herd reports including a progeny, herd sires, dam production and herd summary reports. In addition, this information allows AGA to provide its customers with two genetic tools, feeder profit index (FPI) and stayability score (ST score). Feeder profit index is an economic selection index that allows cattlemen to select progeny to perform in the feedyard and on the rail. It also predicts an animal’s breeding value as parent for those aiming to produce progeny to be sent into the feedyard. Because FPI is a terminal-based index, little emphasis is placed on maternal traits, such as stayability or calving ease, in its calculation. To obtain FPI a producer must submit calving ease records (based on a 1-5 scale) and weaning weights. The second genetic tool offered is a stayability score

which allows producers to gauge the reproductive longevity of individual animals. Stayability score predicts the probability a female will stay productive within a herd to at least six years of age. In order to receive ST scores producers must submit a record of the heifer’s first calf, a calving record every other year, and exposure data. With these two genetic tools, producers are better able to select animals which increase both the profitability and efficiency of their herds. Cattlemen and women report the records and let AGA handle the data management and analysis. How many times have you told yourself, “I have to start taking better cowherd records?” How many have actually taken the step in looking into other data management systems but decided it was too expensive? Here’s your chance to have an affordable alternative to a data management system, access to staff who know how to run the program and will help you, and on top of it all, the ability to get genetic tools the same one’s used by your bull supplier. Don’t have the time to sit down and gather up all your enrollment records? Don’t worry, start this year with your bred heifers. Try it out. Then next year, re-enroll the three-year olds and enroll the new set of first calf heifers. After a few years everything will be in the system and you can start to looking at the production trends of your cowherds or differing levels of efficiency. Don’t wait, start today! Ranchers can enroll at any time and if you have any further questions please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or email Kelli Retallick at kellir@gelbvieh. org. Feel free to visit http://www. gelbvieh.org/smartselect.html for more information. nnn

Raile Gelbvieh/Balancer® Bull Sale Burlington Livestock Exchange, Burlington, CO March 10, 2016 • 12:30 PM MDT

Selling 50 Balancer & Purebred Bulls Mostly Black • Some Red DNA tested for coat color and some for homozygous polled, PI negative, Semen Tested and Ultrasounded Selling sons fo the 2015 NWSS Champion Junior Bull RAIL King James 3127A Also selling half sibs to RAIL Full Load 565C by 3G Yarborough 186Y

RAIL King James 3127A

RAIL Full Load 565C

2015 Champion Balancer Junior Bull Balancer Sires: GGGE 3G Yarborogh 186Y (Warlock) DMRS Ya Man 138Y (Net Worth) RAIL King James 3127A TAU Mr. Manitoba 13X TAU Mr. Western Hauler 59Z OGSG Zoo Legend 222Z

AI Sires: BABR 114Y ET (SAV Brilliance) CTR Good Night VRT Lazy TV Sam U451 BGGR Graviy 803A TAU Mr. Krugerrand 70M 130P

Delbert & Marilyn Delbert Raile & Sons cell 755 Road U St. Francis, KS

Call for a catalog

785-332-2756 785-332-4347 Matt cell 785-332-8399 railegelbvieh.com • email: dmraile@railegelbvieh.com The Profitpicture | 27

Editorial

What Can We Expect From Forage Cover Crops?

grazing forage cover crops. There is minimal data available on beef gains from grazing forage cover crops. Most of the reported animal gains are observational or testimonial based, rather than from sound research. Therefore, they may be reliable only for unique conditions.

By Daren Redfearn, Nebraska Extension Forage and Crop Residue Specialist; Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Specialist; and Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist

ARIABLE PRODUCTION

There are (and should be) variable growth and production patterns for forage cover crops. Since forage cover crops are planted following grain crop production, their growth is influenced by the amount of light penetration (affected by residue amount), water availability (including soil moisture plus precipitation), appropriate growth temperature (planting date and accumulated growing degree days), and soil fertility (residual N and availability of nutrients). Based on the grain crop they follow, any combination of these conditions can limit forage cover crop growth. Ease of forage cover crop establishment ranges from very easy, following wheat, hybrid seed corn, and corn silage production, to challenging

following corn grain production. The probability of success is very high following wheat, hybrid seed corn, and corn silage production, but only moderately successful following soybean production. The relative ease and success rate is clearly related to planting date of the forage cover crop. VARIABLE NUTRITIONAL VALUE There are (and should be) differences in forage quality for forage cover crops. This is because many different warm-season and cool-season grasses, legumes, and forbs are used as monoculture or mixed forage cover crops. As a general rule, warm-season grasses have lower nutritional value than cool-season grasses and grasses have lower nutritional value than legumes. Brassicas and other broadleaf species and forbs often have quite high

Colorado

Breeders

Jim Roelle 38148 CR 49 #7 Peetz, CO 80747 (H): 970-334-2221 • (C): 970-520-1224 jr.plateau@hotmail.com www.plateaugelbvieh.com

1OO Yearling Bulls Sell!

Gelbvieh & Gelbvieh/Angus Balancer®

Feb. 26, 2O16 • Montrose, CO • 12:OO Noon

Featuring Black, Polled Gelbvieh & Balancer genetics with balanced trait selection. Next Bull Sale February 27, 2015. High Plains Livestock, Brush, CO.

28 | FEBRUARY 2016

B u l ls

Season of growth and plant maturity are important factors for determining nutritional value. For example, most forage cover crops have outstanding nutritional value during the fall. The exceptions are warm-season species, such as the earlyplanted sorghums or millets and some of the early-planted spring species such as oats or spring barley. All of these species will likely reach a reproductive stage of growth when planted in July immediately following wheat, so the nutritional quality is usually lower. The nutritional value of forage cover crops planted from mid-August through early September is high with total digestible nutrients (TDN) ranging from 70 to 80%. Crude protein (CP) will vary 25 t h A from 10 to 20% nnu a depending on the amount of N available for plant uptake.

100

nutritional value. The nutritional value for mixed forage cover crops depends greatly on what plant species are included, how much is produced by each species, and what the animals select to eat.

www.gelbviehbulls.net Or call Mark at 970.249.1453 • Dave at 970.323.6833

VARIABLE ANIMAL GAIN There are (and maybe should be) differences in animal gain when

Animals grazing forage cover crop mixtures, that are mostly brassica, are reported to have lower gains than animals grazing forage cover crop mixtures. Most of the differences in animal gain from grazing forage cover crops are caused by the differences in forage production and nutritional value. However, there are other factors besides yield and quality that influence gain, such as rate of passage. For example, many brassicas have low dry matter, low fiber, and high soluble carbohydrates, which results in extremely high digestibility and nutritional value. Even though these characteristics are used to define high quality forage, the quality may be too high for ruminant animals. Producers who provide a dry forage like straw or hay free choice while grazing brassicas often report 0.5+ lb/day improvement over no additional forage. Forage cover crops grazed during the spring can still have variable animal gains. However, these differences are more easily attributed to the maturity differences of the forage cover crops. As plant plants mature in the spring, the nutritional value of small grain forages declines as forage yield increases. When small grain forages are in the boot stage, TDN will have decreased to 50 to 60% with CP around 8 to 12%. SUMMARY There is limited information on seasonal forage cover crop production potential or animal gain for many forage cover crops. The available grazing performance data suggests that opportunities exist for improving the management of forage cover crops in many cropping systems. While there are many positives to incorporating forage cover crops into existing forage systems, differences in production, nutritional value, and animal gain exist. nnn

Feature

Visual Observation and Data Collection Unite to Create a More Profitable Cow The potential for an increase in profit on the cow-calf operation can come down to a handful of time-tested management strategies and a few new technological resources. By Rebecca Mettler

imply put, a more profitable operation starts with a more profitable cow. A focus on an increased lifetime productivity of the cowherd was a main topic at the first annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup held in conjunction with the American Gelbvieh Association’s National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri in mid-December. It’s hard to talk cowherd productivity without talking about maternal traits. Bill Tucker, of Amherst, Virginia is a progressive commercial cow-calf producer that uses extensive data collection along with his livestock observation skills to assess his herd’s longevity. “To be profitable she has to deliver a profitable calf and in order to do that a few things have to come together. It’s an interaction of behavior, genetics and the environment.” To Tucker, a maternal trait is more than just milk. His short list of important maternal traits include many observational type examples: Is she manageable in a herd setting? Does she cycle back? Is she too fat or too thin? What is udder quality and quantity? As the seventh generation to operate Tucker Family Farms, Bill utilizes a strict crossbreeding system of Gelbvieh, Red Angus and Angus genetics to improve his herd. His selection processes are centered on optimizing profitability at each stage of production. In Tucker’s mind, producers need to start developing a cowherd in the last place normally considered: starting with carcass traits. He explained that carcass traits are highly heritable; selecting for or against the traits can result in dramatic change in a relatively short amount of time. “We’ve finished all of our male progeny in our operation for 24 years and that data probably more significantly impacts my operation in individual cow matings more than anything I do,” Tucker said. Developing a cowherd with heritability in

your favor is only part of the equation. Utilizing the free lunch of heterosis, or hybrid vigor, with crossbreeding makes up the latter part. “Through hybrid vigor, we can impact the lifetime productivity of those cows better than any other tool,” Tucker said. Studies show an 18 percent added increase in productivity with a crossbred female, according to Tucker. The key is to make strategic mating decisions to create the building blocks of a herd. “Let’s make sure that we understand that crossbreeding in a planned system for optimal outcome is very different than the gradual slide to mongrelization,” Tucker said Working in the favor of heritability and taking advantage of heterosis are just two profit-building examples. More specific to his operation are his observations regarding fertility during times of environmental stress and how it can affect his profitability. “If we are going to build fertile cows that have a long lifetime in our herd they have to be adapted for environmental variability between seasons,” Tucker said. Early in his career as a cattle producer Tucker observed ongoing research at U.S. Meat Animal Research Center that showed Gelbvieh cattle exceled over seven breeds in maternal characteristics and lifetime productivity under unlimited resources. “When I really got tied into Gelbvieh was under real world challenges. With less flesh they maintained that level of fertility while other breeds in the contemporary settings dropped in fertility when their flesh went down,” Tucker said. Tucker believes that cows must thrive on their own and accept and respond to each environmental challenge with the ability to bounce back when appropriate resources come back into the system. Tucker Family Farms collected data for 12 years, ending in 2012, on reproductive performance as the

herd responded to environmental challenges. A part of the data collected was a bounce-back heifer program. It features a 45-day post-weaning mob grazing period with a goal of having the females lose between one half to one full body condition score, which was achieved without causing harm to cattle health. After reaching that goal, Tucker ramps up their plane of nutrition 45 days before artificial insemination. “What we wanted to know is that after we depressed their nutrition, would they meet the challenge. Do they respond and do they cycle,” Tucker said. Tucker has a goal to achieve a 10 percent lower conception rate in the heifers than ideal. “Those open heifers are the most valuable animals I have because that’s progress in my herd,” Tucker said. “I’m finding them when they are heifers; because when do we normally find them, when they are two-year-olds and don’t breed back.” During 12 years of data collection Tucker improved his wet 2-year-old retention rate by 18 percent and the wet 3-year-old retention rate by 26 percent. In Tucker’s example, it all came down to visual observation and data collection to develop a plan for a much more efficient cowherd. Increased data collection and management should be on the minds of cow-calf producers as a way to use technology to advance their respective herds. Recently, the American Gelbvieh Association released the Smart Select Service, a data management system that provides genetic tools to aid commercial cattlemen and women in the selection process. “It allows them to identify the strengths and weaknesses within their herd,” said Kelli Retallick, AGA director of member programs. “We can analyze the bottom 20 percent and decide how to make better breeding decisions. That will make them more profit than trying to move up that top one or two cows in the herd.” Smart Select Service is non-breed specific and is available for all commercial producers who want to increase the genetic value of their herds for the potential to increase profitability. With an annual cost of $1 per head, it’s an affordable way to track advancements in an individual herd setting. nnn The Profitpicture | 29

Feature

Stepping up to the Challenge: 9.6 Billion People by 2050 How many people will inhabit Earth in the year 2050? By Rebecca Mettler

f 9.6 billion people sounds like a large number, it is. That’s an enormous increase of 2.4 billion people in just 34 years! The expected increase of the human population, challenges for feeding the world and the needed response from agricultural industries were all topics of conversation during the keynote address at the first annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup at the 45th annual American Gelbvieh Association National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri held in mid-December 2015. Keynote speaker Ronnie Green, Ph.D., Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln had a goal to provoke attendees into thinking about some of the critically important issues for the beef industry today and ahead in the next decades. “There’s an estimate that by 2050, 3 billion more people than do today will require animal protein in their diet,” Green said. “Today’s population is about 7.2 billion, so that’s about half as much people that are in the world today will consume animal protein by 2050.” As for how much pressure that puts on the beef industry, Green is hesitant to say that we are able to visualize exactly how much of an increase in production that will require.

it and what are the challenges?”

As all of these numbers suggest, agriculture is going to have to continue to step up and produce more food for such a rapid increase in population and food demand. Along the way come challenges, some that we are facing today and some that are on the horizon. In Green’s opinion, water is on the top of the list of challenges agriculture will face in the future. He noted that 70 percent of the world’s fresh water utilization of groundwater and surface water goes to food production. However, it’s important to remember that we are not depleting 70 percent, just using it and putting it back into the system. He suspects that by 2050, the percentage will be closer to 90. “Water is the biggest single challenge that I think the beef industry faces,” he said. “Many people won’t agree with me but long-term this is the biggest challenge the industry is going to face.” As if the sheer mass of population increase wasn’t enough, modern agriculture must deal with social changes, too. Some thought processes that Green considered fringe ideas are becoming more and more mainstream. “I will start by saying that our culture has changed up a little bit over the last 10 to 15 years. One, we used to talk about what we know and now we talk about what we believe.”

“We know that as people move up the socioeconomic ladder they tend to bring animal protein into their diet. That’s been historically the norm,” Green said.

Green said that phrases such as, “I believe,” and “In my opinion,” have replaced “I know the facts.” He attributes changes like these to the ever growing disconnect between nature and nurture due to urbanization. He says that we live in a world where most of the people on the street don’t understand nature but think they do.

By 2030, there will be a 44 percent increase in animal protein needs from beef and dairy as compared today; that’s only 15 years away! The next question becomes, “How do we do

“It’s estimated that upwards of 70 percent of the world’s people will live urban areas by 2050. We will continue to urbanize the world’s population. It’s already the case in China and

The dramatic rise in red meat consumption will be fueled by the increase in the number of people living in the middle class.

30 | FEBRUARY 2016

India where they are rapidly depopulating the countryside and making it an urban country and culture.” Green used the following example to illustrate how societal changes can effect something as concrete as science. Two years ago the field of animal sciences was very fortunate to receive analysis from the National Academy of Science that evaluated the needs for research on a national scale in animal sciences. The list of research areas included: societal views of technological adoption, efficiency of nutrient utilization and gene expression, non-human use feed ingredient alternatives, reducing therapeutic antibiotic use, animal welfare, geographical appropriate climate change strategies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This particular list includes a number of Green’s top concerns for the beef industry in the years to come. He mentioned that he spent 20 years of his career addressing Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) audiences regarding new EPDs, marbling and tenderness talks; that has all changed. “Now we are starting to talk about in the next several decades how we are going to need to produce animals that produce less methane and how do we capture that,” Green said. “How do we change our animal welfare practices or how do we change best management practices and adapt to those because they are going to be regulated whether we like it or not.” Green concluded the address by saying that it’s time for all of agriculture, especially animal agriculture, to pivot and start preparing solutions to the challenges that will arise in the future. He calls upon the beef industry to step up and come together to find a way to produce genetics that will feed the world. nnn

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch

BULL SALE

annual

Saturday MARCH 5 2016

Sellingâ&#x20AC;Ś100+ Purebred Red & Black Gelbvieh bulls for both progressive, Commercial & Seedstock operations. Sale Location: At Our Bull Yards, Ponteix, SK

Consistent & Predictable! Plus amazing NEW genetics!

Visitors Always Welcome! DVE Davidson Romance 116W Vernon & Eileen Davidson Box 681, Ponteix, Saskatchewan Canada S0N 1Z0 Phone (H) 306.625.3755 (Cell) 306.625.7863 â&#x20AC;˘ (Cell) 306.625.7864 www.davidsongelbvieh.com davidsongelbvieh@sasktel.net

Ross & Tara Davidson Ash, Cameron & Jamie PO Box 147, Ponteix, Saskatchewan, Canada S0N 1Z0 Phone 306.625.3513 (Ross) 306.625.7045 (Tara) 306.625.7345 Fax 306.625.3782 www.lonesomedoveranch.ca lonesomedoveranch@sasktel.net

The Profitpicture | 31

Grund Beef Genetics

Adding Value for Our Customers Practical, Predictable and Proven Genetics.

Annual Bull Sale•February 24, 2016 Oakley, KS Selling

85 Head of BALANCER • GELBVIEH • ANGUS & RED ANGUS BULLS

PMany Calving Ease Bulls P Super Disposition P Winter Feeding Program P Sired by Breed Leading A.I. Sires POver 60% of the Bulls Rank in the top 25% of the breed for Feedlot Profit Index

(FPI combines Performance – Carcass Weight – Yield Grade – Marbling)

“I rank disposition as on of the most important traits when buying a bull. I’ve purchased Grund Beef Genetics bulls over 20 years. Disposition has always been good.” – Terry Maune, Kendall, KS

“The Grund Beef Genetics have worked very well in the feedlot. The gain, feed conversion, and especially Quality Grade have been very good with the majority of the cattle being in the yield Grade 3 range. Congrats on providing genetics that help producers hit today’s market target.” – Sam Hands, Triangle H Feedlot, Garden City, KS

PUltrasound for IMF – REA PSight Unseen Purchase Program Selling Profitable Genetics for over 20 years!

We Sell Bulls That Add Value

Like us on Facebook at Grund Beef Genetics This sale will be available online at:

32 | FEBRUARY 2016

rund Beef enetics

www.grundbeefgenetics.com Jerry Grund 785/821-1022 Layal & Donna Grund785/852-4370 Lyle Hammer 785/728-7400 Darrell & Becky Vandike785/728-7310

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

9 -0.5 80 113 30 66 11

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

6.90 2.31 3 -0.28 36 0.85 0.21 84.94

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

GRU Mr Alumni 732C Sire: DLW Alumni 7513A ET (Bennett U271 x Kingston 106P) MGS: TC Total 410 • Outcross - High Percentage GV Bull • Ranks in top 20% of Breed for WW, YW, REA & FPI • 7 paternal brothers by Alumni sell!

17 -0.8 90 152 26 70 11

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

6.13 1.33 8 -0.12 59 1.37 0.80 92.91

GRU Mr Asteroid 316C Homozygous Black • Homozygous Polled Sire: MDFG Asteroid 039A (Ten X x The Man 113U) MGS: LWHF Premium Balance 462Y • Outcross bull - Big Time bull • Ranks in top 5% of breed for CED, WW, YW, REA, MB & FPI • 5 paternal brothers sell!

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

13 -1.2 70 111 26 62 5

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

2.81 2.21 3 -0.07 34 0.43 0.76 93.17

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

GRU Mr Catalyst 310MC Sire: Lazy TV Watchman W021 (Scout 553 x Lazy TV Peterbilt) MGS: AAR Ten X 7008 SA • 3/4 brother to our high selling bull in 2015 • Ranks in top 20% of breed for BW, YW, MB & FPI • 10 paternal brothers by Watchman sell!

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

11 1.3 74 127 35 72 9

HP 2.88 PG30 2.65 ST 3 YG -0.40 CW 48 REA 0.76 MB 1.07 FPI 101.71

GRU Coctaw 258C Homozygous Black Sire: GRU Mr Predestined 135Y (Predestined x Cocoa 35C) MGS: LAR New Standard 850 • Outstanding Phenotype • Ranks in top 10% of breed for YW, MK, REA, MB & FPI

18 -1.0 74 128 27 69 9

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

5.42 0.51 6 -0.14 45 0.73 0.59 90.69

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

GRU Mr Captain 323C

13 -0.4 68 101 30 62 7

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

4.89 2.00 6 -0.14 27 0.57 0.35 78.39

GRU Mr Impact 819C Sire: GRU Impact 850X (Black Impact x Total 410) MGS: LCC New Standard • Outstanding Phenotype - Power Bull • Rock solid EPDs on all traits • 25 Paternal brothers sell out of Impact 850X!

Homozygous Black • Homozygous Polled Sire: MCFG Astroid 039A (Ten X x The Man 113U) MGS: LWHF Premimum Balance 462Y • Outcross bull – Calving Ease Potential • Ranks in top 20% of breed for CED, WW, YW, REA, MB & FPI • 5 paternal brothers by Asteroid sell!

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

6 0.3 77 112 23 60 4

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

EPD CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM

-0.10 37 0.50 0.08 74.51

GRU Mr Saga 241C Sire: LSF Saga 1040Y (Red Angus - Epic son) MGS: BEA Passion 001X ET • Sired by the popular son of Epic • Mother is Passion, out of a full sister to GRU Good Stuff 710 • Ranks in top 15% of breed for WW & YW • 15 head of Red Balancer® bulls sell!

7 1.4 59 83 27 54 5

HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

1.26 1.39 3 -0.12 21 0.28 0.42 65.70

GRU Mr Anvil 953C Sire: ROC Anvil 462Y (Lighthouse x Rito 6I6) MGS: DA Prime Time 107P • Great Phenotype - Outcross “Red” Pedigree • Ranks in top 15% of breed for MB! • 15 head of Red Balancer® bulls sell!

The Profitpicture | 33

“Gelbvieh Gold Nuggets:” Worth It’s Weight Among a generous attendance turnout for the first annual Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup Symposium—and a host of new programs and offerings—the 45th Annual American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, proved to be one for the books. By McKenzie Smith

ith three industry-leading speakers from the national level, the second panel discussion titled: “Worth My Weight in Gold: Multiplying dollars available for cattle at each stage of the production chain,” was another highlight of the convention. The panel shared how to increase the value of cattle throughout the beef supply chain and proved to those in attendance that the knowledge gained from the symposium speakers as well as other convention events were indeed worth their weight in gold.

Scott Hamilton, Hamilton Farms | “Don’t be the missing link.” As owner and operator of Hamilton Farms in Hitchcock, South Dakota, Hamilton and his wife, Paula, run a 1300-head progressive

34 | FEBRUARY 2016

commercial operation and 2400-head capacity feedlot where they retain ownership of the cattle and sell everything on a carcass merit individual program. Hamilton spoke about one tool in particular that has proven beneficial in their operation: the use of data they collect. Collecting all the necessary data allows them to more successfully benchmark when to best market individual animals. “We started collecting DNA in 2003. It wasn’t until about 2006 when we started to actually benchmark.” The use of data allows Hamilton Farms to fully recognize and utilize each animal’s full genetic potential to capture premiums with grid marketing. Hamilton said they use data for everything from tracking herd sires to helping select replacement heifers, and that along with the help of AGA’s newly-released Smart Select program, they can make significant headway towards their goals. “We use DNA as a tool to help select replacement heifers. We use it as a tool to watch pedigrees or the bulls that are doing the best on the grid for us and we are doing the Smart Select to use on our cattle herd to try and build our cowherd and get a better understanding of where we are at and where we want to go.” Hamilton admits there are some tricks of the trade when it comes to collecting data if a person wants consistency and accurate results and offered a nugget of advice to members. “The important thing about data collection is you need to do it electronically. Manually, you don’t realize how bad of a recorder you are until you do it electronically— [then] you find out how many mistakes you make.” Hamilton recognizes data collection might not be appealing to

some producers, but says it is more than worth it’s weight in gold once changes can start to be seen as a result of collecting and utilizing data

“We use DNA as a tool to help select replacement heifers. We use it as a tool to watch pedigrees or the bulls that are doing the best on the grid for us and we are doing the Smart Select to use on our cattle herd to try and build our cowherd and get a better understanding of where we are at and where we want to go.” to one’s profit. “You just have to get in the mindset of data collection that you want to do it. The biggest complaint I hear is, ‘It’s too much time, we can’t do it, it’s not what grandpa did.’ Things evolve. You start collecting rate of gains and carcass data. You have to want to do it because there is a learning curve in all of this [data collection], [and] using the equipment.” Though starting a new process like data collection can be intimidating, Hamilton assures those considering it or just starting out that things will go smoother if they utilize all of their resources and ask for help when needed. “There is a lot of support through federal agencies, the tag and scale companies, other producers and buyers [and] the breed organizations. They help you analyze your data and numbers and teach how to best collect data.”

According to Hamilton, implementing successful data collection as part of one’s operation—and more importantly, as a successful tool for the betterment of the entire beef industry—is about more than just one person, it’s about teamwork. “There’s a lot of sharing of effort to do what we are doing and if you don’t share all that effort, then I think you have a loss. If you lose one link in the chain, it might fall apart.”

Greg Foote, Foote Cattle Company | “Growing big beef.” Second in the line-up of panelists for the symposium was Greg Foote, feeder cattle procurement and logistics specialist at Foote Cattle Company in Bucyrus, Kansas. Since 1997, Foote has also helped to run a family business operating feedlots and ranches in Kansas and southwest Nebraska. As an agriculture economics graduate and a descendant of a long line of successful cattlemen, Foote is familiar with the ins-and-outs of the cattle business—including the old systems that have given way to better technology and marketing—and has endured the ups and downs of the industry, still showing a passion for it. “It’s been touch-n-go lately, but we’re really happy to be in this business.” Over the years, Foote has worked in the feeder cattle procurement division of the company and has dealt with ranchers, stocker operators, sale barns, and cattle brokers from across the country. Like a gold mine vein, the passion for the cattle business runs in Foote’s family, where they focus on quality cattle. Foote’s brother has a 15,000-head feedyard that he operates and Foote’s family has helped grow the business from one feedlot to several throughout Kansas and has ownership of several feedyards throughout the country. “It’s a huge part of our business to make sure we are buying very good cattle.”

The Profitpicture | 35

“Grow out that animal, just make sure he’s got some left in the tank whenever we’re able to get him [so] that he will be able to feed well for us in the feedyard.” Just as Hamilton demonstrated how data can be used to improve cattle herds, Foote explained that the use of data wouldn’t be much help if those in the industry do not practice basic cattle management including vaccinating. “Vaccination programs [are] a huge deal. Two rounds of shots, being weaned, all those things are a big deal, that way we can manage the health and keep as few death losses as possible in our yards.” Emphasizing growing big beef, such as gold-worthy Gelbvieh, Foote said feed efficiency is the company’s main focus. “Our number one driver is feed efficiency; it’s key,” Foote said. “Grow out that animal, just make sure he’s got some left in the tank whenever we’re able to get him [so] that he will be able to feed well for us in the feedyard.”

Brian Bertelsen, U.S. Premium Beef | “Don’t leave money on the table.” The final panel speaker in the Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup Symposium was Brian Bertelsen, vice president of field operations at U.S. Premium Beef, LLC (USPB). Bertelsen provides support and education to USPB producers on production and cattle management, carcass data results, and special programs like natural beef. In addition, Bertelsen oversees USPB’s field operations including cattle grid performance analysis and cattle improvement programs through on-site visits to ranches and feedlots.

36 | FEBRUARY 2016

USPB is headquartered just down the road from the site of national convention and was a natural choice to round out the speakers for the symposium and proved once again to provide members who attended “bang for their buck.” As a result of USPB’s ownership interest in National Beef Packing Company, LLC (National Beef), USPB producers have the opportunity to retain ownership of the cattle they produce, from the ranch to retail. National Beef provides access to both domestic and international markets. Bertelsen assured members that USPB still has a powerful hometown approach. Describing the types of producers who participate in USPB, “As a whole, we are still representative of the beef industry,” Bertelsen said. “We work with producers literally from coast to coast, although the majority of the people are located in and around Kansas.” National Beef emphasizes the sale of higher-margin, value-added products. USPB’s ability to provide National Beef with a consistent supply of quality beef, allows National Beef to target those value-added markets, which enables USPB’s producers to have the opportunity to capture the additional value from the cattle they produce. Part of USPB’s approach to those value-added markets is the development and implementation of their sophisticated grid system, which is in part driven by supply and demand in the markets. “It’s all driven and based on consumer demand for products. There has to be a big enough pile of money on the consumer side to pass back down through the chain, through us and back to the producer to elicit change to get ranchers and feedlots to produce that specific program. Let’s be quite honest, you’re not going to do that until demand outstrips supply.” Pairing well with Scott Hamilton’s urge to utilize data for results, Bertelsen talked to members about USPB producer visits, which include teaching them how to use data and informing them of just how much it has driven the success of not only the program, but the industry as a whole.

s s e c c Su

Committed to the of the CommerCial Cattleman

Bred 2 1 s & l l u B ng ® i l l 55 e S rs e r f e i c e n H a l a B & d re b e r u P ELITE CARCASS GENETIC OPPORTUNITY SALE 2015 bulls add an average ribeye of 15.46 with an average IMF score of 4.56. These averages rank in the top 1% of the breed.

Full sibs of our top selling bull from 2014 at $16,000 will sell!

PCCI Mr Sport 5141C AMGV 1330152 • BA75

Sire: LWHF Super Sport 475Y 15 Sons of Super Sport sell!

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

7 1.8 88 122 30 74 8 4.42 1.53 10 -0.41 44 0.51 -0.02 78.92

PCCI Mr In Focus 5104C

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

14 -0.6 68 111 34 68 11 4 1 4 -0.26 35 0.36 0.24 79.03

AMGV 1334057 • BA50

Sire: Connealy In Focus 4 3 Full ET brothers sell!

DNA testing since 2005 All sale bulls are DNA tested & Parent Verified Annual Bull Sale • March 19, 2016 At the Ranch • Lake City, SD Neal Pearson:

605-448-5653 or 605-470-0448 njpearson@venturecomm.net

Kermit Pearson:

605-448-5596 or 605-380-6030

Chuck Ringkob:

605-470-0010

The Profitpicture | 37

“What does USPB talk to producers about when making producer visits? How the grid works, digging down into the data. USPB has learned a lot from the data.”

“It’s all driven and based on consumer demand for products. There has to be a big enough pile of money on the consumer side to pass back down through the chain, through us and back to the producer to elicit change to get ranchers and feedlots to produce that specific program. Let’s be quite honest, you’re not going to do that until demand outstrips supply.” Just as Hamilton advised, there is a great deal of help and resources available to learn how to utilize data to one’s advantage. This is part of the benefits offered by USPB. USPB staff coordinate with individuals such as Hamilton and can then fill in the gaps, helping producers learn how to harness the power of data. “When you get this data back, what do you do with it?” Bertelsen asked. “USPB will help you look at performance over years, grid premiums, quality grades and composition such as ribeye in relation to carcass weight; and most of all, total dollars per head. We highlight the really good ones and the really bad ones and we talk about that.” Using programs like USPB’s data-driven grid system can pack a punch when it comes to profits in the markets and if done correctly,

38 | FEBRUARY 2016

can really benefit those who might otherwise leave money on the table. “Pounds and price is what we talk to a lot of people about,” Bertelsen said. “The other teachable moment: What’s the best combination of quality grade and yield grade that you can have? Prime of any yield grade is the most valuable. It’s the most dollars per hundred, the most price per pound. But a Yield Grade 3 carcass is usually a lot heavier than a Yield Grade 1, and that combination of price and total pounds is what translates to total dollars!” For more information regarding the Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup, the 45th Annual AGA National Convention, or AGA’s SmartSelect program, please visit www.gelbvieh.org or call the AGA national office at 303-465-2333. nnn

News

Commit Time to Work on the Business this Year By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educator

plan, looking at cash flow projections etcetera. Jobs paying $10/hour in the business and need to be done daily often take priority over the jobs that pay $100+ per hour.

anuary has arrived. Traditionally this is the time of year when people reflect on the year past and also think about changes that could be made in the New Year to move them toward their goals. As you make plans for this year, decide now to schedule time that will be spent working on the business in the year ahead. Too often it is easy to spend the vast majority of time working in the farm or ranch business and limited time working on the business.

Schedule time to work on the business during the time of day when you are mentally and physically at your best. In the evening after all of the outside work is done usually isn’t when most people are at their best! For many agriculture oriented people, mornings seem to be when their minds are sharpest. Consider setting aside 4 hours a week in the morning to spend “working on the business.”

Working in the business activity includes fixing fence, feeding cattle, field work etc. Working on the business are jobs such as family and employee business meetings, setting goals, enterprise analysis, calculating a unit cost of production, developing a marketing

People who succeed in regularly spending time working on their business take definitive steps to make it a priority and make certain it is done. Planning to do it on the next snowy or rainy day doesn’t work. Committing and scheduling regular time to spend

working on the business is one of the most valuable things that farm and ranch business owners can do to ensure their success. Don’t let the “tyranny of the urgent” in your business keep you from doing those things which are really important and will provide the ideas and information you need to drive your business to where you want to go. Dr. Barry Dunn with South Dakota State University has written two publications that are excellent resources to help ranchers develop goals for their operations and also put together a risk management plan. These are “Using the Balanced Scorecard for Ranch Planning and Management: Setting Strategy and Measuring Performance” and “Strategic and Scenario Planning in Ranching: Managing Risk in Dynamic Times.” Both of these were written for ranchers. They ask questions and providing a framework to guide thought and discussion. nnn

7TH Annual Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale

March 18, 2016 • Creston Livestock Auction, Creston, IA

Michael Bauer MJBC Gelbvieh Audubon, IA 712-304-4320 Mjbauer4320@hotmail.com Gary Martens Martens Gelbvieh Walnut, IA 712-764-5007 martensgl@yahoo.com

Call Tom Fry at Creston Livestock Auction (641-344-5082) at least 2 days before sale to qualify bid numbers.

Carl Reiste Rafter R Gelbvieh Adel, IA 515-490-3561 creiste.rafterr@yahoo.com

For online bidding: www.cattleusa.com and click on www.crestonlivestock.com

The Profitpicture | 39

News

10 Ranches Compete for $10,000 in the AGF’s First Annual Scale and Rail Contest and Steer Challenge The American Gelbvieh Foundation (AGF) recognizes the importance of collecting carcass data on Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle. By Angela Vesco

December 14th.

Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders and their commercial customers are eligible to participate in two ways. First is the Scale and Rail Contest which requires a minimum of three calves from the same contemporary group that are sired-identified, with a Genomic Option 2 DNA test, to registered Gelbvieh or Balancer bulls. If the contemporary group is from the same sire, they are eligible to be recognized as the National Champion Pen of Gelbvieh or Balancer Steers. By identifying the sire of the steers, members will be able to increase the accuracy and validity of carcass traits of their herdsires. The Scale and Rail contest allows the owners to retain ownership of the steers and will receive the profits from the sale of the animal upon harvest.

he more data collected the better we can increase the flow of sire- identified carcass data reported to the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) database. So, on December 14th, 2015 the AGF kicked off its first Scale and Rail Contest and Steer Challenge. Steers were delivered between, December 1st through the 10th to Roode Feedyards in Fairbury, Nebraska. Then the steers were weighted, vaccinated, tagged, and started on feed for the contest beginning on

Bull Sale

Mark your calendars!

February 25, 2016 • 12:00 NOON MST. Livestock Exchange, LLC. Brush, Colorado Selling 45 Top Quality, High Performing Balancer® and Gelbvieh Bulls

These bulls are thick muscled, grow fast, and are made for the commercial cattle operation.

Like us on Facebook at Plateau Gelbvieh

40 | FEBRUARY 2016

The participants that are competing for the $10,000 in premiums are LeDoux Ranch, CKS Gelbvieh, Flying H Genetics, Bar Arrow Gelbvieh, Warner Beef Genetics, Taylor Land and Cattle, Blackhawk Cattle, Sandy Knoll Farm, David Slaughter and Jumping Cow Gelbvieh. Together a total of 39 steers are in the feedyard and five of those steers have been donated to the foundation.

The second contest is the Steer Challenge which is donation to the foundation. Participants can bring one or more steers to the feedlot to donate or they were also able to purchase a steer that was already at the feedyard and enter it into the contest under their name. These animals are not required to be sire-identified and the participant in not responsible for any costs past the purchase of the steer. Both contests require steers to be weaned for at least 30 days before arrival at the feedlot and weigh between 750 to 900 pounds. Premiums totaling $10,000 will be awarded in each contest with three different categories: average daily gain, marbling, and most profitable pen (rate of gain plus carcass gird value). If a participant from the Scale and Rail Contest would like to, they are able to donate their top-performing steer to the Steer Challenge and therefore is eligible to win both contests. The purpose of the AGF is to focus on youth development, member education, and research for the improvement of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics. The proceeds from the carcass contests will go towards supporting those three areas of progress. nnn

Fast Facts $mart Select Service Available for Commercial Producers

AGA’s Commercial Marketing Staff

The AGA’s new Smart Select Service program (SSS) provides genetic tools to aid commercial producers in the herd selection process. SSS is available for all commercial producers who would like to increase the value of their herds for the potential to increase profitability. Enrolment is now available for females at $1/ head, which allows commercial producers access to a herd management database to manage all cowherd data. In addition, herd management reports will be made available to producers including herd summary reports, dam and progeny reports, and herd sire reports.

The American Gelbvieh Association has outstanding marketing staff that understands both the beef business and the Gelbvieh breed. They are available to help commercial cattlemen find Gelbvieh or Balancer genetics to fit your program or assist in marketing Gelbviehinfluenced breeding animals or feeder cattle. To contact AGA’s commercial marketing staff simply call the AGA office at 303-465-2333.

This program also provides SSS members, also known as performance members, access to the feeder profit index (FPI) and stayablity score on both males and females with appropriate data recorded. For more information about Smart Select Service, visit www.gelbvieh.org/smartselect.html or contact Kelli Retallick at the AGA at 303-4652333 or email kellir@gelbvieh.org.

Watch the AGA’s First American Rancher Episode! Be sure to mark your calendar for Monday, February 22, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. CST for the premiere of AGA’s first American Rancher episode on RFD-TV (Dish channel 231 and DirectTV channel 345).

William McIntosh Commercial Marketing Coordinator williamm@gelbvieh.org (502) 867-3132 (C)

Take advantage of Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle for sale listings As a part of the AGA’s Commercial Marketing Service, the AGA provides a free listing service to members and commercial users of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics. Visit www.gelbvieh.org/exchange.html to view Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls, females and feeder calf listings from around the country.

Gelbvieh and Balancer sale dates Check out the Places to Be page on page 98 to view the upcoming Gelbvieh sales and events around the country.

Angela Vesco Commercial Marketing Specialist angelav@gelbvieh.org (775) 421-9894 (C) The Profitpicture | 41

Editorial

The Role of Gender-Sorted Semen in Rebuilding the Beef Herd At the time of writing this article, many areas of the U.S. are experiencing a rebuilding phase in the cow-calf sector. By Dr. Justin Rhinehart, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee

here is a great deal of discussion about many aspects of this rebuilding phase, including how long or how rapidly it will continue, where the increase in cow numbers will concentrate geographically and whether the additional numbers will come from an expansion of conventional cow-calf production from established ranches or if it will come from the addition of new producers using what are considered to be unconventional methods. In any of those rebuilding scenarios, or even if rebuilding slows

Markes Family Farms

Oklahomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Largest Gelbvieh Breeder

to a crawl due to other market and environmental drivers, increased utilization of new technologies should be a focus for improving systemwide efficiency. Sex-sorted (aka gender-sorted) semen for A.I. is one of those technologies that could enhance the rebuilding effort and then continue to improve production efficiency as the industry experiences other cycles.

The basics Before discussing the application of a specific technology, it is a good idea to understand the basic mechanisms that make it possible. For sexsorted semen, the ability to shift the gender ratio of a calf crop comes from the fact that gender is determined by the sperm cell that fertilizes the egg. Sperm cells that result in a heifer calf (XX) have more DNA than sperm cells that result in a bull calf (XY). Of the several attempts to find ways to sort XX and XY sperm cells, the only method proven to be commercially viable is flow cytometry. Before going through the flow cytometer (sorting machine), a fluorescent dye is incorporated into the DNA of the sperm cells. They pass through the sorting machine in drops of liquid containing a single sperm cell per droplet. The machine detects the amount of florescence each cell emits; an XX sperm cell will have more florescence than an XY. A positive or negative charge is applied to the droplet depending on the type of sperm cell in it. Then, the machine can sort them into different collection tubes, based on the charge on the droplet, as it moves through a magnetic field. Initially, flow cytometry yielded very low conception rates when sex-sorted semen was used fresh soon after processing. Work in the laboratory and field studies eventually improved the results until sexed semen became commercially available on a large scale in the U.S. in 2004. The sorting method has continually been improved over the last 10 years and yields better fertility than when commercial use began.

Advantages and disadvantages

Selling Exceptional Bulls & Heifers Transportation Available

42 | FEBRUARY 2016

The advantage of shifting sex ratio has been most obvious for dairy producers, where male calves generally have little value. Beef cattle producers have been able to use both XX- and XY-sorted sperm in different scenarios. Seedstock producers are able to increase the number of bulls they market each year and target specific females to produce replacement heifers. Commercial producers have been able to increase the number of steers, giving them more total weight and usually more valuable weight, to sell. Similar to the purebred scenario, commercial producers can select specific cows to target replacement heifer production. All of these situations have to be evaluated with the disadvantages outlined below in mind. Specifically, the production benefits do not always outweigh the additional input (both increased cost and reduced fertility). This sorting method is not perfect, but it does shift the ratio 85 to 95 percent of the desired sex. Very recent improvements are being

Editorial reported with fertility using sex-sorted semen. However, it continues to be considered lowerfertility than nonsorted frozen semen. It takes much longer to process sex-sorted semen than conventionally processed semen. Therefore, it yields fewer straws per ejaculate with fewer cells per straw and reduced fertility. Additionally, individual bulls inherently have different fertility, and this difference can be exacerbated during the sorting process.

Current breeding strategies and industry trends Sex-sorted semen is currently reserved for use in herds where whole-herd reproductive efficiency has been optimized through intense reproductive management. Until recently, pregnancy rates to sexed semen have been considered highest in virgin heifers that are bred 12 hours after the beginning of standing heat. But the early data that led to those general recommendations came from the dairy industry, and recent research shows that difference is not as dramatic between beef cows and heifers. Fixed-time insemination (appointment breeding) with sexsorted semen does not currently yield consistently adequate fertility. There continues to be a great deal of research to find the right estrous synchronization protocols and timing of insemination to reach pregnancy rates comparable to fixed-time A.I. with conventionally frozen semen. That will continue to be the major limiting factor

to widespread use of gender-sorted semen in commercial cow-calf production. With continued improvements being made to the sorting process, finding protocols that yield consistently good results could soon be a reality. Embryo transfer using sex-sorted semen has followed a similar trend. Results were inconsistent and generally poor for early adopters. More recently, as the process of sorting has been largely improved, results have become more favorable and breeding with sex-sorted semen in multiple ovulation (“super- ovulated”) embryo transfer appears to be more widely used. But most producers report breeding more often or using straws prepared with more sperm cells specifically for embryo transfer protocols.

rapid improvements in fertility, the timing could work well for the industry. But the fact remains that even conventional A.I. is underutilized (relative to its potential impact) in beef cattle production. Consequently, gender-sorted semen might be more useful as a tool to improve the overall genetic quality of the expanding national herd than it will be for more rapidly increasing the sheer number of heifers available for retention. nnn

Use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) has dramatically increased in the U.S. over the last three years. However, using frozen sexsorted semen in this process decreases the number of transferable embryos from a single IVF procedure. Some labs are successfully producing IVF embryos by sorting conventionally frozen semen (reverse-sorted) just prior to incubating it with harvested oocytes (eggs).

Rebuilding the herd If the beef industry continues to see market drivers for expansion, gender-sorted semen could play a role in accelerating it. As this technology enters a phase of more

Tennessee, Arkansas & Oklahoma

Breeders

“Superior Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle”

Chris & Jordan Hampton Charles & Sue Hampton 839 Davistown Rd. • Celina, TN 38551

931-243-3213 H • 931-510-3213 C hampton@twlakes.net Registered Bulls & Replacement Females

Martin Cattle Company David & Rita Martin 256 Boyce Road Judsonia, AR 72081 H: 501.728.4950 C: 501.278.7614 www.martincattleco.com

Private Treaty Sales Available Year Round

Oklahoma’s Largest Gelbvieh Breeder Chris Markes 580-554-2307 Chris@MarkesFamilyFarms.com Excellent bulls and heifers available. We sell 80 bulls a year all over the country. Come see why! Transportation available.

The Profitpicture | 43

Editorial

Why Gelbvieh and Balancer®? As I travel the country visiting with commercial producers, at some point in the conversation I am asked, “Why should I use Gelbvieh and Balancer® in my program? What’s the advantage?” The answer is always the same: By William McIntosh

aternal profitability. According to the USDA’s U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, the Gelbvieh cow has the most

moderate mature size of all the major beef breeds. As we continue to see increases in land value and cash rent on pasture it becomes more

important that cow-calf producers have the most efficient cows possible to be profitable in the upcoming cattle market. Along with moderate mature cow size, Gelbvieh ranked number one in age of puberty. Not only does this equate to replacement females that will breed quicker and be the most fertile cows but also early puberty means the calves have a much different growing curve. Gelbvieh and Balancer reach the quick, efficient growth stage quicker than other breeds allowing the cow to take advantage of this time. Longevity is another part of maternal profitability. Research from Colorado State University

shows Gelbvieh and Balancer to excel in longevity compared to other beef breeds. One of the most expensive investments in the cow-calf operation is a replacement female. Whether you develop your own or buy bred heifers it becomes an expensive undertaking. By having cows that stay in the herd longer you are able to depreciate the expense over

more years. Gelbvieh and Balancer momma cows are second to none! Improved calving ease. Over the past 20

Selling:

Seedstock bulls out of RWG Traction 7412, YPA Alliance Fortune 43Y, with Excellent EPDs and Great Disposition. Bred females. A Red Balancer, BFCK Cherokee CNYN 4912 daughter, a Black Balancer, YPA Alliance Fortune 43Y daughter, bred for 2016 spring calving to our New Herdsire, YPA Royal Traction 3B.

Contact: Chester Yoder chesteryoder@yahoo.com 330-231-0339 or 330-567-9232 www.yodersprairieacres.com 44 | FEBRUARY 2016

...Also, a few Black Balancer Heifers, bred to Lazy TV Sam U451.

years the members of the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) have worked hard to lower birth weight and improve calving ease. We all know the value of calving ease, or more importantly the added expense of calving difficulty. No one enjoys having to checking cows two or three times a night and assisting cows during calving. Labor it a huge factor to the profitability of any ranching operation and calving time can be labor intensive enough without the extra work of calving problems. Besides the added labor there is nothing more discouraging than calves that die at birth due to calving difficulty. Gelbvieh and Balancer breeds have been very diligent in selecting for lower birth weight and improved calving ease. They have made remarkable progress in this area in the past 20 years. Improved performance. As you study the chart below, Gelbvieh and Balancer have lower birth weight improved calving ease while at the same time increased weaning weight. Birth weight and weaning weight are two antagonistic traits. Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders have identified individuals that can combine calving ease and performance to offer the cow-calf producer cattle that are born easy and wean heavy. May producers I talk to report increases of 75 to 100 pounds of weaning weight when they use Gelbvieh and

and Balancer feeder cattle are know for efficient performance. The members of the AGA have collected more feed efficiency data per capita than any other breed association. Efficiency in all segments of production will continue to be a major profit driver in the future. Feedyard Performance. Finally Gelbvieh and Balancer influenced feeder calves have the ability to finish at 1,550 pounds with fewer Yield Grade 4’s and 5’s. In the past nine months we have seen an increase in fed calf weights and hot carcass weight. By being heavier muscled with a larger ribeye, Gelbvieh and Balancer allow feeders to get the cattle bigger without receiving the penalties associated with poorer yield grades. The US Meat Animal Research Center ranks Gelbvieh number 1 for percent retail product making Gelbvieh and Balancer profitable for the packer.

South Dakota & Minnesota

Breeders

ADKINS GELBVIEH Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics

Bulls and Heifers for sale by private treaty

(605) 354-2428 Cell gerald@adkinsgelvbieh.com www.adkinsgelbvieh.com

Gerald & Sarah Adkins

41606 195th St., Carpenter, SD 57322

The American Gelbvieh Association and its members have worked diligently for the past 40 years to improve on traits that needed to be corrected to provide the beef industry with genetics that are profitable in every segment of the production chain. nnn

Keith, Janice, Dustin & Britney

605-852-2131 kvolek@venturecomm.net www.volekranch.com

Balancer bulls. That means more money in the bank! Built-in Crossbreeding with Balancer. Balancer allows you to utilize hybrid genetics in a crossbreeding program. Balancer makes crossbreeding easy. If your cowherd is at your desired level of British and Continental genetics, Balancers will allow you maintain that level of breed makeup and offer heterosis. Efficient gain in the feedyard. Gelbvieh

S G

SwenSon Gelbvieh

Dean Swenson

17513 Hwy 10 Little Falls, MN 56345 swen@centurylink.net (h) 320.632.5848 • (c) 320.630-5536

Polled • Purebred Red • Black The Profitpicture | 45

Editorial

A Helping Hand for Your Career Path There always seems to be that standard question people ask students who are close to graduating from high school or college, “What are your plans after school?” By Tanner Aherin

lot of times the answer to this question is unknown. This is where being a member of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) can be very beneficial. The AGJA goes far beyond showing at Junior Classic and regional shows or participating in all the contests. Don’t get me wrong, competing in the show ring and the contests is important in developing qualities that will be useful down the road. The AGJA gives members countless opportunities to network with other cattlemen and women, gain leadership skills, and acquire knowledge that could give you the upper hand when applying for a job,

especially in the beef industry. The saying goes, “It’s not always what you know, but who you know.” Sometimes there seems to be some truth to this. Attending shows, conventions, and conferences are some examples of how the AGJA can help a junior get to know fellow cattle producers. The recently developed POWER Conference, held in conjunction with the North American Limousin Junior Association, allows members to make connections with individuals from outside of the Gelbvieh breed. It is important to communicate with people from other breeds to learn about their operation or the benefits of their breed characteristics. First impressions are critical when interacting with people in the beef industry, because you could be talking with your future employer or fellow co-worker. If the individual is impressed with your qualities, you could land yourself the job you have been looking for.

Whether your career path leads you to become a nutrition consultant or an agricultural loan officer at a bank, the unique experience in the AGJA will be evident. All careers in the cattle industry require specific skills, but good communication and leadership traits are essential for every job. Whether you have a position as a company general manager, owner of a ranch, or just working with other employees these characteristics are needed. The AGJA gives its members the chance to improve these attributes by taking part in the POWER Conference and the leadership activities or serving on an executive board in a state junior association. When holding an officer position the decisions that are made affect everyone in the organization. This would be similar to if you made a decision as a foreman at a feedyard. After making these resolutions it is key to transfer the information from one person to another through word of mouth or in writing to get the best results. The impromptu speaking contest, oral reasons in a judging competition, and putting your thoughts on paper in the creative writing contest allows an individual to develop vital communication skills that prove crucial. The AGJA creates many chances for members to expand their understanding of the breed and the beef industry in general. When competing in the show ring every junior strives to exhibit the best purchased or raised animal to reach the winners circle. To produce exceptional cattle, correct mating decisions must be made by analyzing the phenotype and genotype of each animal. Studying pedigrees and Expected Progeny Difference’s (EPDs) on cattle will give the member

46 | FEBRUARY 2016

a better comprehension of the breed and its trends when it comes to improving the numbers on paper. This knowledge could end up being relevant to your career path in the future. If you become a seedstock producer it will be important to try to master the demands customers desire on paper as well as the physical composition of your stock. If raising commercial cattle is your calling, then selecting the best bull to use on the females will be significant to create the highest revenue from the offspring. The practical talents junior members can gain from selecting their own show stock could pay off in the long run. I hope all juniors will take advantage of the endless benefits the American Gelbvieh Junior Association has available to its members. Whether your career path leads you to become a nutrition consultant or an agricultural loan officer at a bank, the unique experience in the AGJA will be evident. Involvement in the organization will put the individuals in a higher tier when applying for that dream job or internship. nnn

A Heartfelt Thank You to our Customers

Top selling bull in our 2015 bull sale selling half possession and half interest to Wes & Brittney Spencer, Beastrom Ranch.

ACGC BLACK GENESIS 403B

AMGV 1301932 • BA25 BW: 76 • WW: 640 • YW: 1,335 Homo Black • Homo Polled • DNA scored 7 Tenderness

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

20 -4.2 66 126 29 65 12 5.60 -1.21 6 0.24 39 0.69 0.93 88.80

1% 2% 5% 15% 2%

15% 15% 1% 4%

Top Prospects in 2016

CGCC EXECUTIVE 502C

AMGV1324384 • BA25 Sire: Schiefelbein Effective 61 MGS: 004 x Bronco BW: 89 • WW: 790 • Homo Black

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

14 -0.6 80 127 21 59 6 7.69 -0.05 4 0.13 45 0.41 0.60 89.77

CERG BLACK QUARTZ 537C AMGV 1333909 • PB Sire: DCSF Post Rock Granite 200P MGS: Bronco x Extra Wonderful BW: 86 • WW: 688 • Homo Black

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

9 0.8 77 103 30 67 3 8.07 1.45 9 -0.12 32 0.14 -0.20 64.48

40 Spring born Purebreds and Balancer bulls – Majority Homozygous Black Selling sons of: Ten X, SAV Priority, BEA Teddy, Effective 61 Also selling sons & grandsons of: Granite 200P2, Dakota Gold, Kahuna X528 Volume discounts • 1st breeding season guaranteed • Sight Unseen Purchase guaranteed

Ceroll Gelbvieh

Annual Silent Auction and Bid-Off Bull Sale Sunday, February 28, 2016 • 2:00 PM at the Ranch

AARON & JENNA CEROLL 605-268-0402 Contact us at cergelv@tnics.com or Facebook at Ceroll Gelbvieh

ARTHUR & ADELE CEROLL 45769 107th Sisseton, SD 57262 605-652-4619 or 605-268-0403

ARLYN CEROLL 605-237-4393

The Profitpicture | 47

48 | FEBRUARY 2016

The Profitpicture | 49

News

Pre-Calving Vaccinations for Pregnant Cows Written collaboratively by Taylor Grussing and Joe Darrington, SDSU

ith the New Year here, producers can take this opportunity to think back on their successes and challenges that occurred in 2015 and begin making plans to implement changes in certain management areas in 2016. As calving season looms in the not so distant future, the first things that come to my mind is considering plans for pre-calving vaccination of pregnant cows, and thinking about controlling calf scours. Attention to these areas is warranted as is critical to both performance of cows and health of newborn calves.

Pre-Calving Vaccinations Calves are born without the protective immunity of antibodies to common environmental disease organisms. The “first milk”, or colostrum, is what transfers protective antibodies to the calf, and is the reason why ensuring adequate colostrum ingestion is so critical for calves. Producers can improve the quality of colostrum by providing strategic vaccination to the dam while also providing adequate nutrition throughout the winter. A main goal of giving precalving vaccinations to pregnant females is to maximize protection against the

Product Name Bred Heifers

Cows

Scours Organisms

Dose; Admin. method

(in Vaccine)

ScourGuard®

2 Doses:

1 Dose:

Virus:

4KC; 2 mL; IM

3 weeks apart

3 – 6 weeks before calving

Rotavirus, Coronavirus

Booster Dose:

Bacteria:

3 – 6 weeks before calving

K99 E.coli, C.perfringens type C

Scour Bos™

1st Dose:

1 Dose:

Virus:

9; 2 mL; IM

8 – 16 weeks prior to calving.

8 – 10 weeks before calving

Rotavirus, Coronavirus

Booster Dose:

Bacteria:

4 weeks before calving with Scour Bos™ 4

K99 E.coli, C.perfringens type C

Guardian®

1st Dose:

1 Dose:

Virus:

2 mL; SQ

3 months prior to calving

5 – 7 weeks before calving

Rotavirus, Coronavirus

Booster Dose:

Bacteria:

3 – 6 weeks following initial dose

K99 E.coli, C.perfringens type C & D

LONE OAK CATTLE

Please join us Saturday, March 19, 2016 for our Fourth Annual Private Treaty Bull Sale. Bring your family and meet ours. Cattle available for viewing after 9:00 AM. Steak lunch and yes, we will have the beans! Bid-off at 1:30 PM.

Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle for today's industry; that will be around tomorrow!

Selling Stout and Rugged sons of: • BAG 127A (Cornerstone) • DCSF Silver 233U • C-Cross Turbo 2238 • EHE 241X(5600Pxhot Fudge)

• SAV Resource • BC Lookout • Coleman Charlo • Koupal’s Advance

• CRAN Buddy Boy • Brown’s Redemption

To request a catalog, please call:

Ask about our calf buy-back program.

High Quality Balancer and Gelbvieh Cattle 50 | FEBRUARY 2016

LONE OAK C AT T L E Eric & Heather Ehresman 20963 30th St. Mechanicsville, IA 52306 hornsandthorns@netins.net 319-489-2275 • 319-480-1564

calf scours complex. In order for this type of vaccination to be effective in transmitting protection to the newborn calf, it must be delivered to the pregnant female at the correct dose, and be within an appropriate window of time. Pre-calving vaccinations stimulate production of antibodies in the mother’s body, which are then directed towards the mammary gland when she begins producing colostrum. Increased levels of antibodies targeted to scours organisms in the blood of the mother while she produces colostrum, results in more of these specific antibodies in the colostrum. These antibodies are then passively delivered to the calf through its first drink of colostrum, providing a first line of immunity to the newborn calf within hours after birth.

the level of antibodies present in the colostrum, but in order to be effective calves must ingest an adequate amount of colostrum within the first 12 – 24 hours of life. Also, unsanitary and contaminated conditions may overwhelm the maternal antibodies calves receive. By keeping calving areas clean

and by purposefully limiting cross contamination between age groups of calves you can ensure that this year’s calf crop will have the best chance to stay healthy. The Sandhill’s calving system is a management style that can help limit scours. For more information, check out Managing Newborn Calf Health on iGrow.

If you have any questions regarding any of the concepts in this article or have any other production related questions do not hesitate to contact your local veterinarian, SDSU Extension Veterinarian or Cow/Calf Field Specialist. Happy New Year! All the best in 2016! nnn

When should you administer vaccines? In order to ensure the most effective transfer of high levels of antibodies, you must administer the vaccine at the proper time/s. Pregnant females begin to form colostrum by pulling antibodies from the blood and storing them in the mammary tissue 3 – 5 weeks before calving, and this process continues until birth. Performing booster vaccinations prior to 6 – 7 weeks of the expected calving date may not be effective in aiding high quality colostrum production or in preventing calf scours. Depending on the age of the female and type of product used, there are different requirements that need to be followed. Heifers require an initial vaccination followed by a booster at least 3 weeks later (follow label recommendations), whereas cows that have been vaccinated in previous years only require an annual booster. A comparison of different products is provided below. Always consult with your herd veterinarian for assistance in developing a precalving vaccination program specific to your cow herd needs. Management Factors Scours is a complex and costly disease issue and should be confronted from many angles in order to limit outbreaks. Maternal vaccination can significantly increase The Profitpicture | 51

Judd Ranch 38 Gelbvieh, Balancer th

at the ranch, Pomona, Kansas • Saturday, March

P P P

Judd Ranch has been honored as the #1 Dam of Merit Cowherd in the Gelbvieh Breed for 17 of the past 18 years, 1998–2015!

P P P

82 lb. average birth weight: 858 lb. actual weaning weight average on the sale bulls. Maternal cow power behind every sale bull.

100% of the Gelbvieh & Balancer sale bulls feature Judd Ranch honored Dam of Merit Genetics. Average Daily Gain of fall yearling bulls: a whopping 5.12 lbs/day!

Top 15% Calving Ease EPD Strength average on the 282 Gelbvieh & Balancer sale bulls. 28 of the 30 top selling bulls in last year’s sale sold to commercial producers.

Judd Ranch Herdsires & AI Sires

Outback

JRI Cowboy Cut

JRI Pop A Top

JRI Top Producer

JRI Top Secret

Final Answer

Cedar Ridge

JRI Marshall

JRI Pedro

JRI Super Duty

52 | FEBRUARY 2016

& Red Angus Bull Sale 5, at 12:00 noon • 1 hour southwest of Kansas City

295 Plus

“The Complete Package”

Gelbvieh, Balancer® & Red Angus Bulls Sell

Calving Ease • Growth • Carcass • Fertility

• 175+ 17-19 month old Bulls • 120+ 12-14 month old Bulls P 96% Sired by Breed Leading AI Sires P 180 Black Polled Bulls P 226 Homozygous Polled Bulls P All Judd Ranch major herdsires are

enrolled in Carcass Testing Programs

P Quality Acceptance Guarantee on all Sight Unseen purchases

Free Trucking in U.S. on purchases of $20,000 +

P Trucking is very affordable because Judd Ranch bulls annually sell into 20+ states

Visit our website • www.juddranch.com Judd Ranch Inc.

Dave & Cindy Judd Nick, Ginger, Brent & Ashley Judd Ranch Gelbvieh Maternal Strength

423 Hwy. K-68 • Pomona, KS 66076 785/ 566-8371 or 785/566-3770

Judd Ranch Red Angus Maternal Strength

Sale Consultant— CATTLEMEN’S CONNECTION CALL TOLL-FREE: 1-800-743-0026 For Your JRI “Complete Package” Sale Catalog The Profitpicture | 53

Editorial

Preparing for the calving season By Dr. Lew Strickland, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Extension

uccessful calving seasons are the result of good planning and hard work. Observation of cows and heifers before and during the calving season is necessary to ensure a good calf crop. Cows should be checked at least once daily during the calving season, and heifers should be checked more frequently, perhaps several times a day. Having the cows and heifers in an easily accessible pasture will make this task more manageable. Also, allowing animals to calve in clean pastures is better for the health of the calf and the cow or heifer. One of the complications encountered

during the calving season is dystocia (a difficult delivery), and sometimes calving assistance is required. Therefore, producers need to be familiar with the signs of impending parturition as well as the sequence of events associated with normal labor and delivery to determine when assistance is necessary. Signs of impending parturition (calving): • The udder and vulva will often enlarge 1-3 weeks prior to parturition. • Cows and heifers often become more nervous (restless) and, if possible, may isolate themselves from the rest of the herd just prior to parturition. • Cows and heifers may show signs of abdominal discomfort by kicking at their belly; they may also glance to the rear nervously. • The tail-head appears raised as ligaments around the rump of the cow or heifer relax.

Our MISSION at Rafter R Gelbvieh is to offer our customers genetically superior cattle with no holes. Those special sires that raise the bar are hard to find, but we are always looking.

54 | FEBRUARY 2016

Stage I – Preparatory • Duration – cows (4-8 hours); heifers (6-12 hours) • The cow or heifer may become nervous and isolate herself from the rest of the herd. • Uterine contractions begin. • ‘Dropping’ of colostrum/milk into the teats. • ‘Water bag’ appears towards the end of this stage. Stage II begins when the water bag breaks. Stage II – Delivery of the calf • Duration – cows (< 1 hour); heifers (1-4 hours) • The cow or heifer is now actively straining. • In normal parturition, the calf ’s forelegs and head protrude first about 70% of the time, and the hind legs and tail come first about 30% of the

Join us and the SW Iowa Gelbvieh Group at the 7th Annual Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh and Balancer Bull & Female Sale March 18, 2016 or bid online at www.CattleUSA.com and click on www.crestonlivestock.com

Rafter Steve & Leann Reiste Adel, IA

Normal parturition is divided into three sequential stages:

R Gelbvieh

Carl & Jennie Reiste • 515.490.3561 creiste.rafterr@yahoo.com Adel, IA

Richard Reiste Minburn, IA

time. • The calf is delivered. Stage III – Expulsion of the placenta (afterbirth) • Duration – cows and heifers (1-12 hours; usually occurs within the first few hours) • Cow or heifer straining decreases.

Calving takes time, and it often takes longer for heifers than cows, so be patient. However, progress should be steady and generally fit within the time-frames previously mentioned. Once Stage II begins (delivery of the calf), the cow or heifer should make visible progress about every 15 to 20 minutes.

Use the ‘2+1 rule’ to help determine when to call. Upon examination, 2 feet and 1 head (or 2 feet and 1 tail) should be felt or seen for a normal delivery to proceed. If the cow or heifer becomes exhausted and quits trying to calve, then assistance is necessary. When in doubt, call your

veterinarian. The outcome is always more favorable if assistance is provided sooner rather than later. If possible, and if safe for you and the animal, capture the cow or heifer needing assistance before your veterinarian arrives. This will make his or her job easier, and minimize your expenses. nnn

• Uterine contractions continue and the placenta is expelled. If the placenta is not expelled soon after birth, do NOT manually remove the placenta by pulling it out. Manual removal can leave portions of the placenta in the uterus and serve as a source of infection. Assistance may be necessary when parturition does not proceed as described, and early intervention is the key to a successful outcome. Waiting too long to provide assistance unnecessarily risks the life of the cow or heifer and her calf. Seek the help of a veterinarian or experienced producer when needed.

Add JAckpot to Your Breeding progrAm AMGV 1111524 BD: 02/23/09 - Purebred Homozygous Black - Polled Sire: Carolina Fortune 2564J ET Dam: Adkins Miss Dixie

Supplies used to assist with calf delivery:

Semen available $25/unit through Owners, Cattlemen’s Connection and Bull Barn Genetics.

Obstetrical (OB) chains or ropes, and chains are preferred because they can be easily disinfected after use. OB chains and ropes are used for pulling on the legs. NEVER attach OB chains or ropes to the jaw and pull on a calf, as the jaw will almost always fracture. OB handles for pulling on the chains or ropes Mechanical calf puller (‘calf-jack’) – USE WITH CAUTION AND DO NOT APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE. A calf-jack can exert substantial force on the cow or heifer and the calf. When used improperly the cow, heifer, and/or calf can be injured or killed. NEVER ATTEMPT TO DELIVER A CALF BY PULLING WITH ANY TYPE OF VEHICLE. • OB lubricants

GLAG ADKINS JACKPOT 906W CED

CEM

PG30

DMI

REA

$Cow

FPI

EPI

1.1

80 15%

122 10%

47 1%

84 1%

-5

10.03 4%

4.82 1%

17 2%

0.08

-0.26

43 10%

0.73 10%

0.29 1%

138.47 1%

90.22 1%

108.09 15%

THE BREED’S TOP CARCASS SIRE HAS AWESOME COW POWER! • Jackpot’s Maternal EPDs MK, TM & PG30 top 1%, ST top 2% and HP top 4% • Jackpot’s dam Miss Dixie 672S has a 105 WW Ratio on her 8 calves • Jackpot’s daughters have a 103 WW Ratio to date • Jackpot’s daughters have excellent teat and udder quality

• Plastic gloves • Buckets • Towels and paper towels • Iodine for disinfecting the calf ’s navel Some things to keep in mind when trying to decide when to call your veterinarian:

DCSF Post Rock Miss 7309T 55C2 ET AMGV 1324511 • Purebred Sire: GLAG Adkins Jackpot 906W Sold in the 2016 National Gelbvieh & Balancer Sale in Denver.

Offering 28 Bulls and 12 Open Heifers For Sale Private Treaty

ADKINS GELBVIEH

Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics

Gerald & Sarah Adkins

41606 195th St., Carpenter, SD 57322 605-354-2428 (cell) gerald@adkinsgelbvieh.com

www.adkinsgelbvieh.com The Profitpicture | 55

Feature

Animal Handling Practices and Consumer Perception in Today’s Beef Industry By Megan Slater

oday’s consumers constantly want more information about the food they are putting on their family’s table. Many want to know that their steak came from an animal that was humanely treated throughout its entire life. Because of this, more and more beef labels and restaurant ad campaigns are promoting “raised with no antibiotics”, “no added hormones”, “humane handling practices”, “family farm raised”, etc. Dr. Jason Ahola, associate professor of beef management systems in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, spoke about animal welfare implications of modern beef industry practices at the 2015 Range Beef Cow Symposium, November 17-19, in Loveland, Colorado. “An increasing number of consumers are making animal product purchasing decisions based on how animals were raised and cared for,” says Dr. Ahola. Dr. Ahola presented research done at Kansas State University, surveying both consumers and beef producers. One figure from this research study found two-thirds of the U.S. public surveyed was concerned with animal welfare in beef cattle. However, 43 percent of consumers agree low beef prices are more important than animal welfare. This means some consumers do see the trade off in which the beef industry does have to make at times, between industry practices and cost of production. In 1965 a report, known as the “Brambell Report”, was written by a British governmental committee after an investigation, led by Professor Roger Brambell, into the welfare of intensively farmed animals. This report stated five freedoms, which animals in a livestock production setting

should have. These five freedoms are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury, and disease; freedom to behave normally; and freedom from fear and distress. Since this report was published, these freedoms have seemed to become the foundation for changes to animal welfare in livestock production. Animal welfare has become an increasingly popular topic, not only with consumers, but also within the beef industry itself. Because of this, programs such as Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) have been formed to aid producers in the best animal husbandry practices. The first National Beef Quality Audit took place in 1991 and the program has increased in popularity since its conception. In 1996, the National BQA developed the “Producer Code of Cattle Care” (Table 1). Table 1. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producer Code for Cattle Care Provide adequate food, water and care to protect cattle health and well-being Provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health Provide facilities that allow safe and humane movement and/or restraint of livestock Use appropriate methods to euthanize sick or injured livestock Provide personnel with training to properly handle and care for cattle Minimize stress when transporting cattle Persons who willfully mistreat animals will not be tolerated Source: https://www.beefusa.org/uDocs/factsheet-bqaandanimalwelfare. pdf Since this code had been adopted the National BQA has also created the “Cattle Industry’s Guidelines for the Care and Handling of

Pound-Makin’ March 5, 2016 Bull Sale GENETICS A Powerful Set of Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bulls

Put Pounds on the Truck! And Quality Carcass On The Rail

Sale catalog online at: www.segagelbvieh.com

Red or Black • All Polled PAP Tested • Ultrasound Tested Bulls available to view at 10:30 a.m.

Lunch at Noon • Sale at 1:00 p.m.

Steve & Gail Fiolkoski 16509 WCR 86 • Pierce, CO 80650

Gail’s Cell: 970/590-4862 Steve’s Cell: 970/381-0600 Email: gafiolk@aol.com Find us on Facebook at segagelbvieh.

56 | FEBRUARY 2016

Cattle” as well as several other resources for cattle producers such as checklists for producers to improve cattle production practices. In addition, they developed a set of “Supplement Guidelines” in 2014 which address animal welfare issues commonly still brought up as a concern in today’s industry. These issues include castration, dehorning (including debudding), branding, tail docking in beef cattle, dairy calf management, and euthanasia.

purchasing decisions, individuals can also be working to help the consumer’s perception of the beef industry. Education of these consumers on the farm or ranch level is also critical. Opening up your farm or ranch to school children and even the general public can help to educate those

people who have maybe never seen a working cattle operation and don’t know how things are ran. Seeing proper animal handling on a real operation can help to better the perception of animal welfare on an operation. In addition, telling ‘your story’ to those people whether in public or via Facebook

or operation website can be very beneficial. The entire industry needs to work together to provide a solution for the increasing concern of consumers. nnn

“Development of these guidelines was initiated by the National BQA Program Advisory Committee, which consists of veterinarians, animal scientists, cattle industry leaders, production managers and producers,” says Dr. Ahola in the 2015 RBCS proceedings. “The intent, as stated in the document, was for the guidelines to ‘focus on the animal and are aimed to satisfy scientifically valid and feasible approaches to meeting cattle health and welfare needs,’ ” he continued. Several activist groups have made their opinions public about animal handling practices in the beef industry. Whether these claims are true or false, they always have a way of getting to the consumer and sometimes influencing their purchasing decisions at the grocery store. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for instance, has made their concerns about welfare in the beef industry known. HSUS concerns include: abrupt weaning versus a low stress or natural weaning; calf transportation, both distance and space allowed; painful procedures including castration, dehorning, and branding. There are also brands and even grocery store chains, such as Whole Foods Markets, that have set standards for their animal protein products. Whether these standards and guidelines are right or wrong, the beef industry is working hard to ensure individuals and companies are using standards and guidelines which are based on scientific facts. While universities and other researchers work hard to provide scientific basis for consumer The Profitpicture | 57

LAZY TV

W021

RIPPE GELBVIEH 17th Annual Bull Sale SATURDAY, MARCH 12 • 1:00 P.M. 104 Bulls Sell

Black Balancer • Red Balancer® • Black Purebred 80 Replacement Heifers ®

Complimentary Lunch • 12:00 Belleville 81 Livestock – Bellville, KS

Cattle Fax speaker on Friday evening, March 11 at the Bellevill Country Club

58 | FEBRUARY 2016

Feature

Sire Selection Uses Economically Relevant Traits and Selection Indices With bull sale season upon us, producers are in the process of making sire selection decisions that could ultimately impact their herd for years to come. By Megan Slater

a cost within a specific beef cattle enterprise,” says Dr. Spangler in his 2015 RBCS proceedings. Objectives such as retaining replacement heifers or selling cattle on a grid should be identified. “Once the drivers of profit have been identified, sire selection should focus on the suite of trait that impact profitability,” he continued. According to Spangler, the key questions every rancher needs to answer are: 1) What are my breeding/marketing goals? 2) What traits directly impact the profitability of my enterprise?

3) Are there environmental constraints that dictate the level of performance that is acceptable for a given trait in my enterprise?

“Sire selection should focus on that which is economical. This requires a true accounting of the traits that generate revenue or incur

Once these questions are answered by a producer, an operation is able to easily find traits which are economically relevant to an operation. These traits are called economically relevant traits (ERTs). As the name suggests, these traits are directly associated with a continued on page 60

hen making purchasing decisions for a herdsire it is important the decision be made using modern tools provided to today’s beef producers. Dr. Matt Spangler of the University of NebraskaLincoln spoke about using economically relevant traits and selection indices in beef production at the 2015 Range Beef Cow Symposium (RBCS), November 17-19, in Loveland, Colorado.

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh Open House with Viewing • April 1, 2016 Private Treaty Sale • April 2, 2016 9 AM till 3 PM EST J&D KERSTIENS GELBVIEH 8 miles north of Interstate 64 on State Road 231

at HUNTINGBURG INDIANA FARM

LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021

A.I. SIRES REPRESENTED: LAZY TV SAM U451 • AMGV 1079233 LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021 • AMGV 1115408 FINAL OBJECTIVE • AMAN 15987018 MYTTY IN FOCUS • AMAN 13880818 EBY FUTURE DIRECTION 7232T • AMGV 1046288

MYTTY IN FOCUS

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh

Jerome Kerstiens 1345 Cobblestone Rd, Jasper, IN 47546 812-482-2688 jdkerstiens@psci.net Farm Manager: Duane Cassidy 812-661-8005 The Profitpicture | 59

Feature continued from page 59

revenue stream or cost. Examples of ERTs are Calving Ease Direct, Yearling Weight, and Carcass Weight, just to name a few. However, not all traits are ERTs; traits which are not ERTs are indicator traits that are genetically correlated to an ERT. As Spangler describes, “Birth weight does not have a direct revenue source or cost associated with it. The trait that does have a cost associated with it is calving ease (difficulty). Calving ease is related to the level of assistance needed during a calving event. Although the two are related, the genetic correlation between calving ease and birth weight is only between -0.6 and -0.8, suggesting that birth weight only explains 36-64% of the genetic differences between animals for calving difficulty (Ahlberg et al., 2014; Bennett and Gregory, 2001).” The American Gelbvieh Association provides its members and commercial stakeholders with indices such as $Cow and Feeder Profit Index (FPI) to aid in the sire selection process. $Cow represents the genetic value in dollars of profit of an animal when retained as a replacement female relative to other animals in the herd. A higher number represents more profitable genetics for maternal productivity. This index assists producers in selecting bulls that will sire daughters

with stayability and reproductive efficiency as well as other traits that lead to profitability in a production system, such as milk, calving ease, moderate mature weight and the ability of calves to gain. The AGA’s FPI is an economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on quality grade and yield. To aid in the process of multi-trait selection, selection indices can be used when selecting a herd sire to impact profitability of an operation. However, as Spangler mentioned, it is important when choosing selection indices to use, to be sure and determine the index that best fits the objectives of the operation. “Selection indexes allow for superior performance in one trait to offset less than average performance in another trait because they are weighed based on their economic performance,” notes Spangler. Because ERTs are directly associated with a revenue stream selecting sires based on these types of traits as well as selection indices is more beneficial for an operation “Don’t make sire selection more cumbersome than it needs to be. We have tools like economic indices that point us in the right direction, don’t forget them,” Spangler said. nnn

Kansas & Nebraska

Breeders

Delbert & Marilyn Raile & Sons 755 Road U St. Francis, KS

Delbert cell Matt cell

785-332-2756 785-332-4347 785-332-8399

railegelbvieh.com email: dmraile@railegelbvieh.com

60 | FEBRUARY 2016

MLM Gelbvieh Marlin Meyer 824 Road 3000 Superior, NE 68978 402-879-4976 mlm68978@yahoo.com www.gelbviehbulls.com

Rippe Gelbvieh

Duane & Brenda, Dustin & Karla Rippe 6775 Road D • Hubbell, NE 68375 (H) 402-324-4176 Duane (C): 402-200-0096 Dustin (C): 316-323-4874 rippe02@yahoo.com www.rippegelbvieh.com

“To produce superior Gelbvieh and Balancer® seedstock based on economically important traits, which provide more profitability for our customers, and ensure the consumer a very satisfactory eating experience.”

News

The Quantum Leap:

Transition to an unprecedented genetic evaluation system By Kari White

n 2010, two U.S. beef breed associations began a central genetic evaluation, with the goal of better servicing the commercial industry through comparable expected progeny differences (EPDs) in mind. Today, International Genetic Solutions has 12 participating breeds in both the U. S. and Canada. With over 16,000,000 total animals and over 340,000 animals added annually, IGS houses the largest beef genetic evaluation system in the world. Including such a wide array of genetic material in every evaluation makes the IGS system a leader in both size and accuracy. Processing such large quantities of information, however, has led to the need for an advanced evaluation system that specializes in quickly processing huge amounts of data, including genomic information. IGS is currently collaborating with the scientists of Theta Solutions LLC to create just such a system that is soon to be the world’s most advanced genetic

evaluation system, called BOLT (Biometric Open Language Tools). What will the BOLT system do for the already highly advanced IGS genetic evaluation? The new system has the capability to solve many equations at once, accelerating the speed at which the evaluations can be completed. The BOLT software will also permit genomic data to be incorporated in a single step, allowing marker data straight from the lab to be used in creating genomic enhanced EPDs. This more efficient processing could lead to eventual “real time” genetic evaluation, meaning as performance information is entered true EPDs are returned, eliminating the need for interim calculations. While continuous genetic evaluation is a goal for the future, immediately after the implementation of BOLT, producers will benefit from published accuracies being much more correct as a result of being calculated directly.

What other changes can producers expect as a product of the BOLT implementation? Some re-ranking of animals is possible because of more accurate calculations in the new system. Aside from that, everything will look much the same on the producer end. Performance information will still be entered the same way through each breed association – this is not a registry change! IGS will still provide the largest database of multi-breed comparable EPDs for use in genetic selection, only accelerated by enhanced accuracies and faster processing, leading to accelerated genetic improvement for producers. To learn more about the BOLT system, visit their website at http://www.thetasolutionsllc.com. Look for implementation of the BOLT software in fall of 2016! nnn Ediitor’s Note: Originally published in the December Gelbvieh World.

Tune in to see how using Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics is the smart way to increase the productivity and profitability of your herd! The American Rancher episode will also showcase the new programs and services that the AGA has to offer the commercial producer! Join us on Monday, February 22nd at 8 pm CST RFD-TV Channels: Dish 231 or DirecTV 345 The Profitpicture | 61

Editorial

Protein Effects on Reproductive Efficiency Taylor Grussing SDSU Extension Cow/ Calf Field Specialist

eproductive failure and reproductive losses cost the US beef and dairy industries over $1 billion dollars annually (Bellows et al., 2002). In addition, the number one reason for culling cows is pregnancy status (33%), closely followed by age and poor teeth (32%; NAHMS, 2008). Seeing these numbers, should make producers think twice about how they are working to improve reproductive performance in their cowherds in order to decrease the number of cows being culled for reproductive failure each year. Today’s cow/calf producers have many different areas of focus depending on what the goals of their operations are. For many the focus is on feed costs, genetics and health; however, how many producers strictly select on reproduction? Even if the focus is nutrition, nutrients are partitioned based on priority with #1 - Maintenance; #2 - Growth; #3 - Lactation and #4 - Reproduction. Therefore the nutrient needs of the first three must be met before any nutrients get directed towards reproductive functions. This article will focus on the interactions of nutrition (specifically protein) and reproductive efficiency and touch on some current research pertaining to protein supplementation and its effects on reproduction. During the winter season in the Upper Midwest, producers utilize stored forages to feed their cowherds. A common occurrence in dormant forages, such as lower quality grass hay and cornstalks, is protein deficiency; therefore protein supplementation is commonly utilized. A co-product of the ethanol industry, distillers grains (DG), are a common, economical protein supplement that many producers can pair with a low quality forage to make a nutrient rich diet that is cost effective. In addition, from 2007 to 2012 South Dakota has lost 15% of our pasture land (US Census of Agriculture 2007; 2012). Therefore, as producers lose pasture and explore alternative feeding systems, cornstalk/co-product diets are becoming more common and these diets are being fed for longer periods of time potentially into the breeding season. Research has shown that beef cows fed co-products (like DG) with low quality improved reproductive performance compared to non-protein supplemented females, and also improved performance and pregnancy rates in 62 | FEBRUARY 2016

yearling heifers and cows.

However; some DG produced today may not have the same nutrient profile as the first “traditional” DG did. This is due to the result of current methods of removing oil that ethanol plants utilize in an effort to extract more value from the corn kernel. The resulting DG are more concentrated in protein, with less energy compared to traditional distillers. Therefore, when these “new generation” DG are used in the same way as traditional distillers, excess protein consumption may occur. Producers will need to pay attention to the nutrient profile and potentially re-evaluate their use in cow/calf systems. Research Consistent scientific evidence from the dairy industry suggests that excess protein consumption is detrimental to reproductive efficiency. It has largely been recognized that concentrations of urea nitrogen (a product of protein metabolism) of 19 mg/dL and above in plasma, serum or milk, decrease conception and pregnancy rates. Postpartum interval also increases due to negative interactions between urea nitrogen, and the uterine environment and hormone production. However, contrary to the dairy literature, excess protein consumption has been reported to be much more favorable on the beef side. Research from SDSU and Purdue shows that heifers fed to fulfill their protein requirements versus those fed excess protein above requirements (150%) was not detrimental to uterine environment, puberty attainment, interval or duration of estrus, pregnancy rate or oocyte quality (Gunn et al., 2014a; Amundson et al., In Press). In addition, the progeny from the heifers in the trial of Gunn et al. (2014a) were followed through their first gestation to parturition (Gunn et al., 2015a). The heifer progeny from excessive protein-supplemented dams were heavier from birth to puberty, offered more skeletal growth and had greater AI pregnancy percentage compared to the progeny from dams on the control treatment. Furthermore, not only has excess protein shown generally not to negatively impact beef reproduction, but research focusing on supplementing an excess of specific types of protein has been reported to be beneficial to certain reproductive functions. Research from

Kansas State and Iowa State looked at the effects of protein degradability and amount on reproductive performance. Soybean meal was used as the highly degradable protein source and corn gluten meal as the undegradable protein. Results indicated that excess undegradable protein increased milk production (Rusche et al., 1993) and follicle size (Geppert and Gunn, 2015). More work done by these researchers found increasing concentrations of undegradable protein was beneficial to ovarian follicle size (Gunn et al., 2014b; Geppert et al., In Press), which can be linked to greater pregnancy success (Perry et al., 2005; 2007). However, the more degradable supplements were found to increase hormone concentrations; therefore, additional research needs to be done to evaluate why these differences occur. Lastly, a meta-analysis combining data from 15 studies, including more than 1,300 females tried to determine if there was a certain concentration of urea nitrogen (similar to dairy) that negatively affected pregnancy rate in beef cows. All females in these studies were acclimated to diet for 1 week prior to when samples were taken for analysis. Results indicated that first service conception rates and overall season pregnancy rates were not different from females that had in circulation 10 to 25 mg/dL of urea nitrogen. Furthermore, there was a tendency for a positive relationship between greater protein intake and pregnancy success (Gunn et al., 2015b). Conclusion In summary, it appears that beef cows are affected differently by excessive protein consumption than dairy cows. At this time there is no known threshold where excess protein intake (up to 25 mg/dL) negatively impacts reproductive performance of beef cows as long as adequate time for diet acclimation is allowed. Therefore, if producers utilize new generation distillers grains in the same way they used traditional DGs, reproductive efficiency should not be affected. Adequate attention should be placed on making sure nutrient requirements are met. At the present time, and based on reproductive research, it appears that protein requirements of today’s larger cows (1400 lb. vs. 1200 lb) could be higher, since more protein appears to be beneficial to reproductive success. More research is currently being conducted in this area and will hopefully shed some light on why these results are being seen. nnn Courtesy of igrow.org

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Office (434) 376-3567 James D. Bennett Paul S. Bennett Jim G. Bennett Brian R. Bennett Dalton G. Bennett

Fax (434) 376-7008 434/376-7299 434/941-8245 434/664-7935 434/664-8309 434/664-7946

Call 303-465-2333 today!

W L

LITTLE WINDY HILL

Farms Doug & Sue Hughes

TENNESSEE

“Superior Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle”

Chris & Jordan Hampton • Charles & Sue Hampton

Producing Black, Polled Genetics for Today & Tomorrow.

6916 Peppers Ferry Road Max Meadows, VA 24360 H 276/637-3916 C 276/620-4271

QUALITY GELBVIEH CATTLE

839 Davistown Rd. Celina, TN 38551 931-243-3213 H 931-510-3213 C hampton@twlakes.net

Dr. Daryl Wilson Tyler Wilson (276) 676-2242

Joe & Gwen Wilson (276) 628-4163

Registered (276) 614-0117 (C) Gelbvieh Cattle

17462 Fenton Dr., Abingdon, VA 24210 • TrebleWRanch@aol.com

Registered Bulls & Replacement Females

M & W Farms

Maryville, Tennessee

Quality Black Bulls & Heifers for sale Walter & Lee Teeter 1380 French Belk Rd. • Mt. Ulla, NC 28125 (704) 664-5784

Mick Ainsworth

1613 Derby Road P.O. Box 154 Jackson Springs, NC 27281 910-652-2233 Cell: 910-638-8436 Mick’s email: longleaf@etinternet.net Grass Grown • Carcass Quality & Performance

Lynn Waters 3525 Tuckaleechee Pike Maryville, TN 37803

R T G

2157 Black Lick • Rural Retreat, VA 24368 Home: 276.228.6347 Registered No. 48890 Cell: 401.714.6812

Judith A. Sweeten

865.660.9227 lynnmwfarms@gmail.com

ROCKY TOP GELBVIEH Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle Sandy and Terry Gupton 4846 Potato Farm Rd • Crossville, TN 38571 865-250-1418 • rockytopgel@yahoo.com rockytopgelbviehfarm.com

Get ready for upcoming sales! Advertise in Gelbvieh World or the Profit Picture

The Profitpicture | 63

News

Spring 2016 Gelbvieh and Balancer® EPDs Released animal with the rest of the population. A lower number percentile means an animal is more favorable for a trait. For example, if an animal is in the top 1 percent for $Cow, that means only 1 percent of animals have a more favorable $Cow. If an animal is in the 50 percentile, that means 50 percent of animals have a better $Cow EPD.

In early January, the Spring 2016 International Cattle Evaluation Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) were released for Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle.

EPD breed averages and percentiles are available for active Gelbvieh Sires, active Gelbvieh dams, Gelbvieh non-parent calves, active Balancer sires, active Balancer dams, and Balancer non-parent calves. Below are the current EPD averages for each category: nnn

he American Gelbvieh Association publishes an evaluation twice yearly, once in the spring and fall.

Additional EPD information including genetic trends, trait leaders, breed averages and percentiles can be found on www.gelbvieh.org under the Education Center tab by clicking on “Sire Summary”. One of the additional pieces of information that should be of the utmost importance to breeders and their customers is the EPD percentile rank. Percentiles are a useful tool for breeders to compare performance on an

NORTHEAST BREEDERS Promote Your Operation

ILLINOIS “Realizing the Value”

Skyler Martin

1200 S. Blackhawk Rd. Oregon, IL 61061-9762 815•732•7583

9937 Warren Rd. Winslow, IL 61089 (815) 367-4116

For information about advertising, call Lynn at the AGA office 303-465-2333

MEMBER

OHIO

INDIANA • Polled Purebreds • Red • Black

Double D Farm

Advertise with a State Round-up ad in the the two issues of the Profit Picture and the Herd Reference issue of Gelbvieh World

Skyler Martin

1200 S. Blackhawk Rd. Oregon, IL 61061 (815) 732-7583

3 G Ranch

Gelbvieh Cattle For Sale Carl, Rebecca & Emily Griffiths

1577 N 600 E • Kendallville, IN 46755

260/897-2160 • ggge3g@embarqmail.com

Your call or visit is Always Welcome

We sell Breeding Stock Bulls & Females Fullblood Polled Gelbvieh Polled Hereford

Merle E. Lewis 812/863-7701

James L. Lewis 812/508-0014

RR1 BOX 1360 • SPRINGVILLE, IN 47462

64 | FEBRUARY 2016

Chester Yoder

12353 Cty Rd 330 Big Prairie, OH 44611 chesyoder@yahoo.com 330-567-9232 • 330-231-0339 (cell)

Gelbvieh and Balancer® Breed Average EPDs (For active sires, as of the Spring 2016 International Cattle Evaluation Growth and Maternal EPDs Gelbvieh Balancer®

CED 9 11

BW 1.2 0.0

WW 67 65

YW 94 100

MK 29 26

Gelbvieh Balancer®

DMI -0.006 0.048

YG -0.25 -0.13

CW 26 29

REA 0.48 0.45

TM 63 59

CEM 6 7

Intake and C Carcass EPDs MB -0.20 0.28

FT -0.07 -0.03

ADG -0.044 0.037

HP 4 4

PG30 1 1

ST 7 4

RFI -0.015 -0.035

$Cow 56.48 49.80

FPI 62.98 73.98

Gelbvieh and Balancer® Breed Average EPDs (For active dams, as of the Spring 2016 International Cattle Evaluation Growth and Maternal EPDs Gelbvieh Balancer®

CED 8 10

BW 1.6 0.4

WW 66 63

YW 90 95

MK 29 25

Gelbvieh Balancer®

DMI -0.009 0.013

YG -0.26 -0.14

CW 25 27

REA 0.46 0.39

TM 61 57

CEM 6 7

Intake and C Carcass EPDs MB -0.19 0.21

FT -0.07 -0.03

ADG -0.046 0.012

HP 3 4

PG30 1 1

ST 7 4

RFI -0.011 -0.002

$Cow 62.54 51.87

FPI 60.84 70.90

Gelbvieh and Balancer® Breed Average EPDs (For non-parents, as of the Spring 2016 International Cattle Evaluation Growth and Maternal EPDs Gelbvieh Balancer®

CED 9 11

BW 1.2 0.0

WW 67 65

YW 94 99

MK 29 25

Gelbvieh Balancer®

DMI -0.022 0.020

YG -0.25 -0.14

CW 27 29

REA 0.48 0.45

TM 63 58

CEM 6 7

Intake and C Carcass EPDs MB -0.17 0.25

FT -0.06 -0.03

ADG -0.042 0.023

HP 4 4

PG30 1 1

ST 8 5

RFI -0.024 -0.012

$Cow 75.04 57.80

FPI 36.51 73.80

EPI 66.30 123.25

EPI 64.00 104.63

EPI 71.83 116.40

SOUTHERN BREEDERS ALABAMA

TEXAS

Kittle Gelbvieh Farms

Q u a l i t y B l a c k & Re d G e l b v i e h C a t t l e

816 Co. Rd. 36 Geraldine, AL 35974 Cell (256) 996-4140 www.kittlefarms.com

ARKANSAS

H ODGES R ANCH

15702 Hodges Rd., Omaha, AR 72662 Hodgesranch@live.com

Jim & Pat Dromgoole 4403 Winding River Dr. • Richmond, TX 77469 Home

OKLAHOMA

(281) 341-5686 • Ranch (979) 561-8144

www.dromgoolesheaven.com Show Cattle Managers: James & Shannon Worrell • (325) 258-4656

LeGRAND Eugene (870) 426-5333 Diana (870) 426-5334 Neal (870) 426-4469

Ed LeGrand

809 S. Redlands Rd. • Stillwater, OK 74074

405-747-6950 • alane@c21global.com Homo. Black, Homo. Polled • Breeding Stock Available

Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls & Heifers Available Private Treaty Sales

EXCEPTIONAL

BULLS & HEIFERS

TRUCKING AVAILABLE

Looking for a sale or event? Check Places to Be on the website: www.GELBVIEH.org The Profitpicture | 65

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66 | FEBRUARY 2016

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Editorial

Veterinary Feed Directive Q & A In June 2015, the FDA finalized the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule pertaining to how feed-grade antibiotics can be used for livestock. Written collaboratively by Taylor Grussing, Russ Daly, and Adele Harty.

ince then, there have been several meetings hosted across the state and country for producers, veterinarians and feed mills/ feed distributors discussing the details of these changes and how all parties will need to work together to follow new FDA guidelines for feeding antibiotics to livestock. On October 1, 2015 the VFD final rule went into place, but manufacturers of feed-grade antibiotics will have until December 31st, 2016 to change their labels, with January 1st, 2017 being the day when these rules fully go into effect. Although producers will be able to wean one more set of calves before full implementation, it is important to start the conversation now and prepare all 3 parties for the big changes ahead. As we all know, nobody likes change but it is the only thing in life that is guaranteed. In addition, with change come several questions. With some being more frequent than others, here is a list of common questions about the VFD that will hopefully help producers start conversations with their local veterinarians and feed dealers in order to be ready for 2017.

What is a VFD? The VFD is a document that is necessary in order to use medically important feed-grade antibiotics in livestock that producers will need obtain in consultation with a licensed veterinarian in their state. What products will require a VFD? There are currently some medically important antibiotics that require a VFD, but as of January 2017, the list will get longer affecting medically important products such as chlortetracycline (Aureomycin), oxytetracycline, tylosin (Tylan), sulfas (AS-700) and macrolides (Pulmotil).

What is a VCPR? In general, the Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) is an agreement between the client and veterinarian assuming the responsibility for the animal’s health and treatment on their operation. With this agreement, the veterinarian must initiate timely visits and have sufficient knowledge of the client’s animals so they can prescribe treatments via a VFD if necessary. A client must have a VCPR with a veterinarian before a VFD can be written.

As far as a valid VCPR, how often is a timely visit? The language on “timely visits“ on the VFD final rule is intentionally

vague, leaving the best knowledge and judgment up to the veterinarian and type of livestock they are raising. For example, they may visit a cow/ calf ranch once per year at weaning time. Yet, timely visits to a swine operation may be much more frequent depending on the barn turnover rate. Individual states’ interpretations of VCPR’s may vary.

How will FDA monitor the new VFD? The FDA will most likely begin monitoring the VFD at the feed mill/ feed distributors to see if the filled VFD forms match actual sales. Similar record checks may be implemented on farm visits to make sure all feedgrade antibiotic usage is being documented.

What information needs to be on the VFD? The information required on a VFD includes:Veterinarian’s name, client’s name, premises where the animals being fed a VFD drug are located, date issued, expiration date, name of VFD drugs (brand name or generic needs to be specified), approximate number of animals being fed, level of feed-grade antibiotic being fed and duration of use, withdrawal time and number of reorders.

Who needs the VFD? The primary caregiver of the animals needs to have the VFD. Therefore in a farmer owned or custom feed yard, the manager will want to obtain the VFD. However, if a feed mill is manufacturing feed-grade antibiotics for farm use (not resale), the mill is considered the end user and will need to have a VFD to get the medicated feed.

Can my vet call in what I need? No. The VFD needs to be documented and have a paper (or electronic) trail. Each of the 3 parties involved needs to keep records of each VFD for at least 2 years. When the veterinarian writes the VFD they will keep one copy and the other two will go to the producer. The producer will keep one copy and the other will be delivered to the feed dealer where they would like the VFD filled. It’s anticipated that electronic means will be available to accomplish these paperwork tasks.

Can I still use medicated feed in creep feed or mineral? Yes, but you will need to obtain a VFD for it and make sure the use is approved on the label.

How often do I need to get a VFD and what do I do if it expires? A VFD can be written for a maximum of 6 months’ use. However, if a VFD expires before the client completes treatment, they will need to obtain a new VFD for those animals. Also, if there is some product left after a VFD expires, they will also need to obtain a new VFD to feed Continued on page 70 The Profitpicture | 67

Offering a variety of aged bulls at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic. Thursday, February 18, 2016

DCSF Post Rock Focus 135C8

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

13 -1.4 66 104 29 58 11 4.88 -1.57 3 -0.12 29 0.77 0.16 75.46

25% 25% 25% 4%

• Moderate framed calving ease yearling Balancer bull with carcass.

10%

AMGV1315059 • BD: 02/21/2015 Homo Black • Double Polled • 50% BA BW: 80 • Adj. WW: 682 Sire: TOG Twin Oak Focus 277Y • AMGV1206062

SWW “Squeaks” B33 CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

• Coming 2 year old virgin Balancer bull • Calving Ease and Carcass • Ultrasound data available AMGV1282811 • BD: 05/19/2014 Black • Scurred • 50% BA BW: 69 • Adj. WW: 623 • Adj. YW: 1,014 Sire: IDRA Conquest 2009 • AMAR1525194

68 | FEBRUARY 2016

19 -4.7 49 79 24 54 9 5.52 0.25 9 -0.20 10 0.48 0.84 74.77

1% 1%

20% 20% 10% 25% 2%

SWW Chet 03B36 ET CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

HYEK Black Impact 3960N

TSGF Sweet Dreams ET

AMGV1311232 • BD: 09/02/2014 Black • Homo Polled • Purebred BW: 70 • Adj. WW: 495 • Adj. YW: 1,036 Sire: HYEK Black Impact 3960N • AMGV844875 Flushmate • Sweet Tae 03B35 ET

11 1.1 79 106 22 63 0 4.34 -0.94 6 -0.20 33 0.49 -0.45 64.22

20% 10% 20%

• Coming 18 mo virgin Purebred bull • Long body, big footed with excellent growth EPDs • Ultrasound data available

SWW Ms Nina 714C38 CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

11 2.4 74 106 37 73 8 7.21 -0.38 7 -0.28 35 0.60 -0.14 70.02

20% 25% 20% 10% 10% 25% 15%

• Combination of Growth, Maternal & Carcass • AGA GE-EPDs test pending

20% 20% 15%

AMGV1334711 • BD: 05/02/2015 Double Black • Homo Polled • Purebred BW: 74 • Adj. WW: 672 Sire: AAD R Gibbs 1311A • AMGV1255558

Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic Thursday, February 18, 2016 Show: 10:30 am • Sale: 3:30 pm Kearney, Nebraska

Scott Wolf • 308.537.3588 Travis Wolf • 308.529.3733 Gothenburg, NE wolfgelbvieh@gmail.com www.facebook/wolfgelbvieh.com

The Profitpicture | 69

Continued from page 67 the remaining medicated feed to new group of livestock. In this

sense, a VFD can be looked at as an “authorization” to use the medicated feed.

Is this really going to happen or will it go away?

Gelbvieh 43RD Annual

Gold

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 • 2:00 PM (CST) • Des Moines, Iowa Sponsored by the Gelbvieh Breeders of Iowa || Held in conjunction with the Iowa Beef Expo

52 LOTS SELL

PUREBRED GELBVIEH & BALANCER®

Pick of J Bar M Gelbvieh Bred Heifers 16 Herd Sire Prospects 10 Bred Heifers 25 Open Heifers SHE SELLS.

ATTENTION JUNIORS:

Junior futurity eligible heifers sell. Futurity class held at the 2016 Iowa State Fair.

ANNUAL MEETING & SOCIAL Monday, February 15, 2016 6:00 PM at the sale headquarters

GELBVIEH CATTLE PARADE

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 • 10:00 AM

SALE HEADQUARTERS

SHE SELLS.

Adventureland Inn, 515-265-7321

SALE MANAGEMENT BY: Mitchell Marketing Service

www.mms.bz

70 | FEBRUARY 2016

Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

Don’t count on the new VFD rules going away. Ready or not, it will be here before we know it, so we need to begin preparation now to help the transition go as smooth as possible. Aside from starting these conversations, producers and Ag industry personnel should strive to follow best management practices ensuring the best vaccination protocols, lifetime nutrition, and animal handling skills are in place in order to raise healthy animals to produce safe meat for the world.

Where can you find more information on the VFD? The Food and Drug Administration webpage has nicely outlined what producers, veterinarians and feed dealers will need to know about the VFD in informational brochures. Other sources of information include Farm Foundation or contact a SDSU Extension Veterinarian or Livestock Specialist. nnn Courtesy of igrow.org

The Profitpicture | 71

News

Measuring Your Cost of Production and Profit Margin The cost of producing one unit of output is extremely important information in any business. It determines your break-even price, which, in turn, helps determine pricing decisions and profit margins. By Jay Parsons, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

t also provides a baseline for comparison to other producers with the same or similar output so you can see how competitive you are at producing the product in question. In general, the Unit Cost of Production (UCOP) is simply your Total Costs divided by Total Production. For a business selling a single output, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to get more complicated than this as long as you properly account for all of your costs and accurately measure your production. Unfortunately, most farms and ranches are not quite this simple and it becomes necessary to break down costs and revenues on an enterprise basis to get a handle on your UCOP for any one output. However, suppose you are a cow/calf producer selling weaned calves in the fall each year. In your mind, this is your product. Your annual calf sales total to 920 cwt. sold generating revenue of $200,376 for an average price of $217.80 per cwt. Suppose, your annual costs total to $217,984 when you fully account for everything except for owner labor. Dividing $217,984 by 920 would yield a UCOP of $236.94 per cwt. However, this is not an accurate cost measure to use to calculate your profit margin compared to the average sales price of $217.80. This is because you sold more than just calves during the year. You also sold some cull animals. How do we deal with this issue? There are three standard methods to consider. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start by assuming your annual cull revenue totals $60,560. METHOD 1: PER UNIT SOLD METHOD You can compare income per unit sold rather than the calf price to the UCOP to determine your profit margin. In this case, total income from calf sales and cull sales is $200,376 + $60,560 = $260,936. Dividing this total income of $260,936 by the 920 cwt. of calves sold results in $283.63 in income per cwt. of calf sold. Compared to the UCOP of $236.94, this implies a profit margin of $46.69 per cwt. METHOD 2: RESIDUAL COSTS METHOD You can subtract your cull revenue from your total costs to arrive at a residual cost value that can be compared to sales price. In this case, your total costs of $217,984 minus cull revenue of $60,560 results in 72 | FEBRUARY 2016

residual costs of $157,424. Dividing residual costs of $157,424 by 920 cwt. sold results in a UCOP of $171.11 per cwt. Compared to the selling price of $217.80, the profit margin would again be $46.69 per cwt. METHOD 3: EQUIVALENT PRODUCTION METHOD You can use your total income and average selling price to calculate an equivalent number of units sold and use that to calculate your UCOP instead of the actual number of units sold. In this case, you would divide your total income from calves and culls of $260,936 by the average selling price of calves of $217.80 to calculate an equivalent sales volume of 1,198 cwt. Dividing your total costs of $217,984 by this equivalent sales volume of 1,198 cwt. results in a UCOP of $181.95 per cwt. Compared to a selling price of $217.80 per cwt., this would imply a profit margin of $35.85 per cwt. for 1,198 cwt. of equivalent production. SUMMARY So, which method is better? It depends upon your perspective but you need to make sure you keep track of the assumptions behind the scenes. Method 1 attributes all of the costs and all of the revenue to the actual units (cwt.) of calves sold. You compare the UCOP to the total income generated per unit sold rather than the actual selling price. The profit margin of $46.69 per cwt. is entirely attributed to the actual calf sales of 920 cwt. which is to say that no profit is attributed to the cull sales. Total profit would be $46.69 per cwt. times 920 cwt. or $42,955. Method 2 gives you a UCOP of $171.11 per cwt. that you can compare directly to the actual selling price of $217.80 per cwt. It also assumes that cull sales are a break-even enterprise and the entire $46.69 per cwt. profit margin is attributed to the actual calf sales of 920 cwt. Method 3 also gives you a UCOP ($181.95 per cwt.) that you can compare directly to the actual selling price of $217.80 per cwt. but, unlike the other two methods, Method 3 assumes that cull sales have an equivalent profit margin percentage as the calf sales. The profit margin of $35.85 per cwt. is applied to 920 cwt. of actual calf sales and 278 cwt. of equivalent cull sales. This implies that the $42,955 in profit is split between the calf enterprise ($32,982) and the cull enterprise ($9,973). Some people are most comfortable with Method 3. However, other folks prefer to think of their cull sales as a break-even proposition and would opt for Method 1 or 2. The method you use is less important than understanding your result and how to compare it to the price you are getting. nnn

The Profitpicture | 73

Saturday, March 26, 2016 • 1:00 PM ET Chenault Ag Center • Mt. Sterling, KY

Selling 30

Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls

Frozen embryo packages by P016 and Alumni, Black Impact, Highlight, Leverage, and Traction

Sires represented: Fourteen To Eighteen Month Old Bulls Lazy TV Watchman W021 Most are Confirmed Homozygous Polled Highlight 066K Red, Black & Homozygous Black Bulls Carolina Fortune Complete Performance Information and EPDs Traction 7412 All Have Passed a Breeding Soundness Exam Bar None Sugars Mav 188Y

Selling 35

Gelbvieh & Balancer Females

Maverick 70T Black Impact Sampson 973W Carolina Exclusive

Donor Prospects Spring Cow/Calf Pairs Fall 3-in-1 Pairs Bred Heifers Show Heifer Prospects

Semen auction to benefit thie Jimmy Christopher Scholarship Fund.

Her double black, homozygous polled Carolina Exclusive son sells!

Big, stout fall bred heifers like this one sell!

Please bring your semen tank and support the Juniors. Some of the breed’s top A.I. sires will be offered.

Sale managed by

Slaughter Sale Management

Homozygous black, homozygous polled full brothers to Ms Fortune 63X sell. Maternal brothers by Traction also sell.

For catalog or information contact:

David Slaughter

Outstanding young cow-calf pairs like this one sell!

74 | FEBRUARY 2016

162 Hastings Lane Fredonia, KY 42411 Phone: (270) 556-4259 E-mail: hmslghtr@aol.com

Editorial

A Beneficial Alliance An innovative, collaborative effort focuses on multibreed genetic evaluation. Coordinated by Emme Troendle

29th Annual Production Sale • February 27, 2016 • 1:00 PM CST At the Ranch – Top quality herd sires in this offering

Making the cowman kind...

n 2010, the Red Angus Association of America and the American Simmental Association coalesced around the objective of better serving seedstock and commercial beef producers — the result was International Genetic Solutions (IGS). Today, IGS is a closely-knit collaboration of 12 progressive breed associations that have put self-interest aside to focus on the needs of the commercial producer. With a current database of over 16 million animals and 340,000+ new animals being added annually, IGS has the largest genetic evaluation system for beef cattle in the world — a system that provides commercial producers with the most powerful and user-friendly selection tools that have ever existed. “There is no question that you can accomplish more by working together. Nevertheless, in the breed association world, the level of collaboration has traditionally been somewhere between barely breathing and dead. That said, few if any commercial producers would disagree that our industry would be better served through increased levels of collaboration — IGS is an outgrowth of that sentiment,” stated Wade Shafer,

It’s the tradition Our tradition is breeding balanced cattle that work for our customers. Bulls sound on their feet and legs with performance. Females that bring in big calves at weaning and are easy fleshing. Feedlot cattle that gain, grade and convert. DJS 108C

DJS 115C

AMGV1325183

AMGV1325316

DJS 97C

DJS 92C

AMAN18291969

AMAN18286779

Close-out Data for 50 Home-raised Balancer® Heifers

• • • • • •

ADG: 3.47 lbs. DMC: 5.84 PR: 16.7% CH: 83.3% CAB: 53% 100% Choice or better

SELLING 65 Balancer Bulls Also Selling: 40 Angus Bulls 10 SimAngus Bulls – Sons of these Angus sires sell! – Baldridge Waylon W34 Final Answer Bar S Cowtown 2903 (sire: BC Lookout 7024 MGS: Woodhill Commander 143L)

– Sons of these Balancer sires sell! –

TAU Focus In 22Z TAU Outright 162A

Gunslinger 19U

Jeff Swanson

308/337-2235 • 308/991-0727 (C) 10908 724 Rd. • Oxford, NE 68967 swansoncattleco@yahoo.com

Ranch visitors always welcome! The Profitpicture | 75

ASA’s CEO. Following are contributions provided by various IGS partners. What prompted your organization to become an IGS partner? Bruce Holmquist, General Manager, Canadian Simmental Association Canadian Simmental has a long history with ASA in providing a joint NorthAmerican Simmental Genetic Evaluation. The transition to becoming a part of IGS was a natural progression. Blake Nelson, Executive Vice President, American Maine-Anjou Association The concept of multi-breed collaboration for the enrichment of the beef industry was one of the key factors in our decision. With Maine-Anjou having an open herd book, the ability to formulate multi-breed epds is essential to our breed’s genetic progress. To have access to cutting edge genetic evaluation for the Maine-Anjou breed. The idea of a “common base” for breeds to be compared across the board was also very important. Twig Marston, CEO, Red Angus Association of America The Red Angus Association of America has always considered genetic evaluation a cornerstone of cattle production. With that emphasis on performance data collection, the Association continues to develop and employ the best genetic evaluation tools that are available. We believe that IGS with the cooperation of other beef breeds allows our members and more importantly our member’s customers the best genetic predictions for economically important traits. Kajal Devani, Director of Breed Development, Canadian Angus Association The Canadian Angus Association (CAA) has historically run their Red Angus genetic evaluations with our American counterparts the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA). When RAAA created a partnership with the American Simmental Association CAA became a partner as well. Tessa Verbeek, General Manager, Canadian Limousin Association The Canadian Limousin Association is committed to the commercial producer and the success of the entire beef industry. It was a logical decision for us to become an IGS partner in order to benefit the beef 76 | FEBRUARY 2016

industry by providing our genetic material for evaluation. Myron Edelman, Executive Director, American Gelbvieh Association The AGA is pleased to be involved in the IGS partnership. It is the responsibility of industry organizations to provide the most accurate information possible in evaluating cattle and in turn deliver value and enhance the decision making process at each stage of the supply chain. Mark Anderson, Executive Director, North American Limousin Foundation Collaboration. The 12 breed associations who belong to IGS have put cattle producers, both seedstock and commercial, ahead of their own self interests. This has created a unified effort that best serves the beef industry at all levels of the production chain in the development of tools that determine profitability.

What are the primary benefits your association receives from this partnership? Holmquist: Benefits are building on the strengths of a huge amount of additional data as well as economies of scale in a larger more efficient entity. The resources that IGS provides through its technical and genetic improvement staff provides all partners tremendous value. Nelson: The ability for our data to be merged with the largest database of beef measurements ever assembled is significant. This leads to more accurate viable information that can be utilized for the genetic progress of our breed. IGS provides sound science with a progressive mindset that will keep the best tools available to our members. The “common base” enables cattleman to more readily compare the genetic value of cattle across different breeds. As an association it lets our breeders see not only the strengths that we can contribute to the beef genetic pool but also identify the shortcomings that we need to work on within the breed. Marston: The most important benefits the Red Angus Association of America receives are: A) accurate genetic predictions, B) EPDs and ERTs that are comparable

between breeds without adjustments, C) timely information, D) the ability to use the most advanced technology, and E) the opportunity to collaborate with other breeds to produce synergy in genetic evaluation and other projects. Devani: Primarily, Canadian and American Red Angus breeders are motivated to have EPDs calculated on the same base and directly comparable for an easy evaluation and exchange of genetic across the border. Verbeek: The Canadian Limousin Association is proud to be a partner in IGS as the this partnership allows us to be on the forefront of multi-breed genetic evaluations in North America. Edelman: Cattle that are accompanied with data from an association participating in the multi-breed partnership have the advantage of across-breed comparable EPDs and accuracies calculated from the largest genetic evaluation in the world, which in turn expedites the decision making process and allows for breeding decisions to be more precise. Anderson: Being the largest multi-breed evaluation in the world with over 16 million animal records, IGS provides a genetic reach beyond what any of the participating breed associations could ever do alone. The “winner” in this is the commercial producers and seedstock providers who are serious about making genetic progress and increasing profitability in the beef business through genetic selection. As important, IGS has created a brain trust to develop selection tools for economically important traits, while simplifying the process for producers using these tools.

Is there reluctance on the part of your membership to join forces with organizations that ordinarily might be considered competitors? Holmquist: At times there may be misunderstanding or perhaps not fully realizing the benefits; however, once that is explained there has been no reluctance. We are all in the business of producing beef, and crossbreeding is a large part of that; especially in Canada. Nelson: Actually quite the

continued on page 80

The Profitpicture | 77

MIDWEST BREEDERS KANSAS

Bar Arrow Cattle Company

LIZ OSWALD 620.662.0862 (h) ANDY OSWALD 620.662.5489 (o) 620.664.4692 (c)

HUTCHINSON, KS

KEN SCHMUCKER Herdsman 620.960.1189 (c) oswald.j@sbcglobal.net

Stuar t Jar vis

26 E. Limestone Rd. • Phillipsburg, KS 67661 e-mail: bararrow@ruraltel.net • 785/543-5177

•

Top FEEDER PROFIT INDEX Bull

Timothy Mulroy • 785-640-6401 Mayetta, KS • tim@blackgoldinc.biz

John & Carla Shearer

POST ROCK CATTLE COMPANY

Gel

bvie

“Where workin’ cattle and eye appeal come full circle” 2815 Navajo Rd. • Canton, KS 67428 circle_s@hometelco.net 620.628.4621 620.654.6507 (John Cell) • 620.654.6731 (Johnny Cell)

Annual Production Sale 1st Saturday in April

3041 E. Hwy. 284, Barnard, KS 67418 Bill Clark: 785.792.6244 Leland Clark: 785.792.6208 Fax: 785.792.6250 Email: prcc@twinvalley.net

Build your cow herd with “Top of the breed” Genetics. BHSF Prophet B006 #1316506 is tops of any above 25% GV and adequate milk for replacements. He is 34.4% GV, FPI 114.94, is $20.64 above top 1%, MB epd 1.28 is .46 degrees above top 1%, YW epd 135 top 1%, WW epd 84 top 3%, CED epd 16.5 top 5%, CEM epd 12 top 2%, REA epd .59 top 20%. Balancer, SimAngus bulls, fancy bred heifer mates. Harriman Santa Fe (Bob)

Montrose, MO • 660-492-2504

bharriman39@ hotmail.com 53 years of progressive, reputable, commitment to superior beef cattle breeding.

diamond v gelbvieh Randy odle

1210 G Rd. Stockton, ks 67669 785.737.3319 diamondv@live.com Building Gelbvieh Genetics since 1989

Purebred A.I. Seedstock Bulls and Heifers Available. Al, Mary & Nick Knapp Cell: (913) 219-6613 18291 158th Street H: (913) 724-4105 Bonner Springs, KS 66012 FAX: (913) 724-4107

Committed to raising quality seestock Registered Gelbvieh and Balancer® Cattle Elmer, Brenda, Brad & Benny McWilliams Asbury, MO 64832 • 417-642-5871 • 417-529-0081(cell)

e-mail: knappa@swbell.net

MISSOURI

B/F Cattle Company

Specializing in Forage Raised Balancer® Bulls on K-31

Judd Ranch Inc.

Dave & Cindy Judd Nick, Ginger Judd & Family Brent & Ashley Judd 423 Hwy. K-68 • Pomona, KS 66076 785/ 566-8371

78 | FEBRUARY 2016

Culling practices on cows/bulls second to NONE! For information, contact:

Route 1, Box 407 • Butler, MO 64730

660 • 492 • 2808

ROCKING GV GELBVIEH Polled Fullblood Gelbvieh Cattle Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Wehner 22533 Spencer Lane Kirksville, MO 63501 660-665-7502

MIDWEST BREEDERS RogeRs Valley FaRm gelbVieh

Mark & Patty Goes

A Breed Leader in Tenderness & Marbling–

www.rogersvfg.com

39414 SW 75th Rd. Odell, NE 68415 (402) 766-3627

J. J. Boehler

Breed for Tomorrow’s Cattle Today!

70948 L Rd. , Orleans, NE 68966 308-473-7342 • 308-999-0207

P.O. Box 51 Mendon, MO 64660 (660) 272-3805 (O) (660-375-7266 (C)

Cedar Top Ranch Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163

Ronald Rogers email: rogers_valley_farm_feedlot@hotmail.com

(H): 308-587-2293 • (C): 308-530-3900 cedartopranch@gpcom.net

Pope Farms Gelbvieh

Eldon Starr: 1-800-535-6173 or Rich Johnson: 402-368-2209

Gelbvieh SprinG Flood ranch balancer® Jim & Sherri Michaletz 1397 Spring Flood Rd Goodman, MO 64843 417-364-5297 (O) 479-366-1234 (C) Email: jmichal@netins.net www.springfloodranch.blogspot.com

FLYING

Jeff and Jeanne Pope 26075 Willow Rd., Ravenna, NE 68869 Phone & Fax: (308) 467-BEEF Cell: (308) 390-0657 jeff@popefarms.com

www.popefarms.com

GENETICS

Nebraska & Missouri

Kyle Helms - NE 308/962-6940 kyle@flyinghgenetics.com Missouri 417/309-0062 aaron@flyinghgenetics.com

Cody Helms - NE/MO 303/842-9071 cody@flyinghgenetics.com Visit us on the web & Facebook! www.flyinghgenetics.com

Jeff Swanson • 308/337-2235 10908 724 Rd • Oxford, NE 68967

Annual Sale—Last Saturday in February

GELBVIEH

BALANCER

Consistent Genetics Adding Pounds & Profit

Myron & Valerie Bahm 4375 White Oak Rd Fordland, MO 65652

417-753-3578(h) • 417-576-0687(c)

email: whiteoakfarms@live.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer®

Juniors! Scott Wolf Travis Wolf 308.537.5388 308.529.3733 Gothenburg, NE • wolfgelbvieh@gmail.com www.facebook/wolfgelbvieh.com

Check www.GELBVIEH.org often for show information and results on regional shows and the Junior Classic!

We want to Keep up with AGA members. NEBRASKA

Please send in information to be included in the Gelbvieh World and on our website: • • • •

Items for Places to Be News for Bits N Pieces Dates for upcoming shows and field days. State Association news

Plus, add us to your mailing lists when sending out sale catalogs. Send all items to: Gelbvieh World • 10900 Dover St., Westminster, CO 80021 lynnv@gelbvieh.org

The Profitpicture | 79

opposite. AMMA membership looks at the IGS partnership as an opportunity to be part of a program that will help elevate all participating breeds within the scope of the entire beef industry.

continued from page 76

Marston: The Red Angus Association of America members have been extremely patient. We understand the need for working together with other breeds to build critical mass and take advantage of technology. Our mindset is the real competitor in beef cattle production is the nonuse of performance information, and the inability to make cattle selection decision without the best available genetic predictions. Devani: Canadian Red Angus breeders welcome the opportunity to ‘competitivelycooperate’ for access to bigger markets and the betterment of the entire beef industry. As long as they feel that their genetics are being evaluated fairly and accurately, CAA members are supportive of all technical progress at all times. Verbeek: The Canadian Limousin Association and our membership see that we can all benefit from collaboration when the betterment of the beef industry as a whole is in mind. Edelman: Participating as a partner in the multi-breed genetic evaluation does not intensify the competition between the different breed associations as competitors, but rather accelerates genetic advancement and improves the competitive position of each partner within the beef industry. Anderson: No. IGS provides the stage for direct across breed comparison of traits of economic importance allowing for commercial producers to make genetic selection rather than breed specific selection. The breeds belonging to IGS have checked their brands at the door in favor of the profit minded cattlemen and women, and entire beef industry.

What kind of impact do you see IGS having on the beef industry? Holmquist: IGS will have a huge impact on the industry with the data and selection information it can provide back to the various partners; it is then up to the partners to add value to their customers programs. IGS manages the largest multi-breed database in the world and the opportunities that lay ahead are endless. We have the ability to provide the tools the beef industry as a whole requires to become more efficient, profitable and sustainable because of our collective efforts. Nelson: IGS enables a much quicker way to identify the genetic capability of an animal! 80 | FEBRUARY 2016

Ultimately, we are in the animal protein business. Our competitors in the animal protein business (poultry,swine, etc..) have a much shorter generation interval; therefore they can more quickly recognize the good and bad in an animal. If IGS can help beef producers more efficiently predict these traits in our cattle and these genetics are infused into production then we as an industry can stay much more competitive and lead! Marston: IGS has and will continue to grow its impact on the beef industry. First, it has shown the beef industry that breeds can work together toward a common goal. Second, it has shown that breed associations do listen to commercial producers. At a Beef Improvement Federation convention held a decade or so ago, a panel of commercial producer told the seedstock industry what they wanted. One of their biggest concerns was EPD without across breed adjustments. IGS is giving them what the wanted. In the future I believe IGS will provide producers with more accurate and more timely genetic predictions through the advancement of technology. Finally, IGS may become a mechanism that allows breed associations to come closer and closer together to tackle problems and find new business solutions. Devani: Genetic improvement, through more accurate genetic evaluations and access to technology that might be unattainable for Associations on an individual basis, has the potential to elevate the competitive status of beef in a world of many other protein options. CAA firmly believes that Red Angus breeders should use all the tools and technology available to them, in balance, to raise cattle with the best genetic potential for profitability and sustainability. Verbeek: IGS gives the commercial producer a powerful tool to make more informed selection decisions based on more than just phenotypic evaluation. Multi-breed genetic evaluations will bring the beef industry to the next level in terms of productivity and profitability. Edelman: The Multi-breed partnership has taken a leadership position in the global beef business. The advantages of delivering the most accurate information, comparable across breeds, are unlimited as more breed organizations from around the world contribute genetic information to the evaluation. Anderson: IGS has changed the landscape of breed associations and the role they play in the beef industry. IGS provides commercial producers with the most powerful multi-breed genetic evaluation in the world. In combining resources and data as well as intellectual expertise, the impact has already been felt and will only grow as we move forward. nnn

WESTERN BREEDERS ARIZONA

NEVADA

MONTANA

The Prosser Family

Quality Cattle Black Gelbvieh and Balancer

Barry & Dena Bolton 406.538.5280 H 406.366.0162 C 515 Knapp Lane PO Box 826 Hilger, MT 59451

www.boltondoublebranch.com

Dick & Jean Williams P.O. Box 156 Orovada, NV 89425 775•272•3442

“Pounds Make Profit in Your Pocket” Bulls & Heifers Private Treaty

928/289-2619 • 928/380-5149 cell Winslow, AZ

www.bartbar.com • info@bartbar.com

WASHINGTON

RFI Tested Balancer®, Gelbvieh & Angus Bulls Sell Annually in April at the Ranch

LEDGERWOOD GELBVIEH Gelbvieh • Red Angus • Balancer®

COLORADO

Pete & Samee Charriere

2633 Hwy 12 East • Clarkston, WA 99403

509-566-8805 • LedgerwoodGelbvieh@gmail.com “Seedstock that work for the commercial cattleman

Dave & Dawn Bowman 55784 Holly Rd. • Olathe, CO 81425

(970) 323-6833

www.bowkranch.com

Females for Sale Private Treaty “Pot of Gold” Gelbvieh Angus & Balancer® Bull Sale

Get ready for upcoming sales!

Fri., February 26, 2016 • Montrose, CO

Advertise in Gelbvieh World or the Profit Picture Jim Roelle 38330 CR 49 Peetz, CO 80747

(H): 970-334-2221 • (C): 970-520-1224 jr.plateau@hotmail.com www.plateaugelbvieh.com

Looking for a sale or event? Check Places to Be on the website:

For information about advertising, call Lynn at the AGA office • 303.465.2333

www.GELBVIEH.org The Profitpicture | 81

Editorial

Lenders Learn Risk-Management Plan Protects Beef Prices in Falling Market With feeder-calf prices still falling, beef producers can protect current prices on their calves. By Duane Dailey, University of Missouri

ut they won’t make as much money as they could have if they had sold futures contracts back in the summer. All autumn, Scott Brown, University of Missouri beef economist, told herd owners to lock in what had been near record-high prices for their 2015 calf crop. He fears few heeded that advice as calf prices slid from more than $200 per hundredweight to less than $150 in early December. A futures contract bought in August could return $20,000 more for this year’s farm income. That would be for one contract of about 70 calves sold on the board at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. After living through crashes in grain prices, corn farmers learned to lock in good prices when they can. We buy insurance on lots of things, Brown says. But cow herd owners haven’t done that. Most remain exposed to price risks.

If herd owners didn’t listen to Brown’s message, they will hear warnings from their bankers. The MU economist has talked risk management to agriculture lenders in meetings across the state the last few weeks. “Ask your farmers if they protect their returns,” Brown said. Brown outlined four major ways to protect income when prices are high but falling: Owners can sell forward contracts, buy feeder-calf futures, buy or sell options on the exchange, or buy the new livestock risk protection (LRP). The current farm bill created livestock insurance that is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. LRP is similar to crop insurance, now widely used. All are based on the prices listed in the futures market. The LRP gives the simplest method. “Find a local agent who sells crop insurance and LRP. Have them talk through the process,” Brown says.

The point of insurance is to buy it but not collect on it, Brown says. You are paying for protection. When calf prices stayed steady for years at a time, with minor ups and downs, risk management was not as critical. In volatile times there are more risks, Brown says. He urges beef producers to learn risk management. Now bankers want risk control as well. The last three years, beef producers have seen record returns per cow-calf unit. In 2014, returns hit $500 per cow. Overall, returns in 2015 will end near record highs for many. However, prices continue to slip. Lower prices make a more uncertain outlook for 2016. “There’s more downside potential than upturn,” the MU economist says.

The market outlook helps producers decide which management plan to follow.

Breeders

“When calf prices are rising, stick with cash markets,” Brown says. “When prices start down, go with a futures-contract-based plan.” “Have a plan,” he says. “Doing nothing is a plan, just not a good plan.”

“Gelbvieh since 1973”

Also, farmers should not plan to sell at the highest price of the season. “That’s hard to do,” he adds.

Kathleen Rankin

Performance cattle for the real world.

Ken and Dale Flikkema 2 Mint Trail • Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 586-6207 (Office) (406) 580-6207 (Cell)

Look for our consignments at the NILE Gelbvieh Sale, October 14, 2015 • Our Production Sale, March 17, 2016

email: mcfarmsmt@gmail.com Black, Purebred & Balancer Cattle “Our Aim is Your Target”

82 | FEBRUARY 2016

Margin calls are not bad news, Brown says. That means the cash price for the calves continues upward. The herd owner still owns the calves. At market, they will bring higher than expected prices. That bonus can offset the margin call.

After a sharp price drop there is often a year-end bounce, Brown told bankers.

Montana

406-937-4815 1285 Nine Mile Rd. • Oilmont, MT 59466 krankin@northerntel.net www.kickinghorseranch.com

Farmers shy away from futures contracts because of potential margin calls. When prices move up, against the purchase, the broker asks for additional pay.

For any risk-management plan, producers must know their cost of production. “If costs aren’t known, you don’t know your risk exposure.” More on risk management can be learned from MU Extension ag business specialists through local extension centers. nnn

UPPER MIDWEST BREEDERS IOWA

NORTH DAKOTA

MINNESOTA Brandywine Farm

Chimney Butte Ranch

Tom Scarponcini

30474 Brandywine Road Rushford, MN 55971

507-864-2063

Ridge Top Ranch Neola, Iowa

Gelbvieh-Angus-Balancer Black & Polled Private Treaty Sales

Breed-leading Performance from Quality Genetics

Kevin: 402-510-8103 Al: 402-676-5292

Ricky Linquist th

Street inquist 1135 190 inquist Fonda, IA 50540

arms Gelbvieh & Red Angus

(712) 288-5349

arms Email: rickylin@ncn.net www.linquistfarms.com

LONE O AK C AT T L E hornsandthorns@netins.net Eric Ehresman (319) 489-2275 20963 30th St. (319) 480-1564 Mechanicsville, IA 52306

Martens Gelbvieh

Gary Martens 2126 500th St • Walnut, IA 51577 712.764.5007 (H) • 712.249.5744 (C) martensgl@yahoo.com Annual Bull and Female sale in March with the Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh Group

HH Triple H Farms H Roy & Nancy Holste 3113 260th Street Clarinda, IA 51632

712-303-0263 • 712-303-1947

Bulls and Heifers for sale Private Treaty

Doug & Carol Hille

Mattison Family Farm

Gelbvieh

Scott & Sonia Mattison Brianna, Nicole, Josh & Kallie 15995 Harvest Ave Lamberton, MN 56152 507-430-0505 • email: ssmattison@redred.com Purebred Gelbvieh and Balancer® Cattle

SFI Schafer Farms, Inc.

3320 51st Street, Mandan, ND 58554 701-445-7383 or 701-220-2083 E-mail: chimneybutteranch@westriv.com Website: chimneybutteranch.com Annual Production Sale 1st Friday in March

6700 County Rd. 19 S. Minot, ND 58701

Balancer

(701) 624-2051 (H) (701) 720-8823 (C)

37740 240th Ave., Goodhue, MN 55027 Brian Schafer Lowell Schafer

1-888-226-9210 brian@schaferfarm.com

651-923-4587 www.schaferfarm.com

Rob Arnold

Email: RLAGelbvieh@aol.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers®

Private Treaty Bull Sale — Last Sat. in February Annually

S G

SwenSon Gelbvieh

Dean Swenson

17513 Hwy 10 Little Falls, MN 56345 swen@centurylink.net (h) 320.632.5848 • (c) 320.630-5536

Dwight and Christina Dockter Bailey, Cheyenne, Cierra and Dalton

4956 41st St. SE, Medina, ND 58467 701-486-3494 • gbgelb@daktel.com Visit www.golden-buckle-gelbvieh.com

Polled • Purebred • Red • Black

Stay Connected!

Keep up to date with shows, sales and other events by visiting www.GELBVIEH.org

u Dennis & Sherry Gustin Family Al and Peggy Gustin

u Mandan, ND • 701/663-7266 email: gustindd@gmail.com www.gustinsdiamondd.com

Be sure to Like us on Facebook And look for new videos on our YouTube channel

If you’re not here, how does your customer find you? The Profitpicture | 83

UPPER MIDWEST BREEDERS Send his credentials with him...

SOUTH DAKOTA

Transfer the registration on the bulls you sell and give your customers the tools to become more profitable.

ADKINS GELBVIEH

Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics Bulls and Heifers for sale by private treaty Gerald & Sarah Adkins

(605) 354-2428 Cell gerald@adkinsgelvbieh.com www.adkinsgelbvieh.com

• Provides access to value added marketing services for customer’s calves

41606 195th St., Carpenter, SD 57322

Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch

• Commercial customers receive a free 1-year subscription to Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle Bulls • Heifers • Embryos • Semen

Jim & Barb Beastrom Brandy Ludemann, Brittney Spencer

• Allows customers to track pedigree information to manage inbreeding and maximize heterosis

Ph: 605-224-5789 • 605-280-7589 (Cell) jimbeastrom@mncomm.com • www.beastromranch.com

www.bcvgelbvieh.com

Brent & Eve Vavra Nisland, SD • 605/257-2407 Julie Maude 605.381.2803 (C) Lori Maude 303.809.3789 (C)

Thorstenson Gelbvieh

Selby, South Dakota Annual Bull Sale 1st Saturday in March Brian & Dee Dee Vaughn & Wendy 605-649-9927 605-649-6262 www.Balancerbulls.com

cj_llivestock@yahoo.com Hermosa, SD

Keith, Janice, Dustin & Britney

Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Genetics from a Trusted Source

605-852-2131

kvolek@venturecomm.net www.volekranch.com

34261 200th Street, Highmore, SD 57345

Steven A. Munger 605/380-0092 (cell) •

605/229-2802 (office) 605/229-2835 (fax)

Nate Munger 605/943-5690 (office) Cowherd Manager 605/380-2582 (cell) www.eaglepassranch.com

Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch Gelbvieh & Angus & Balancers

Private Treaty Sales • Bulls (Yearling & 2-yr.-old) & Heifers

Mitchel & Edna Ellison

Jeff & Susie Ellison

9020 ND Hwy 49 Lemmon, SD 57638

9015 ND Hwy 49 Lemmon, SD 57638

701.376.3238

701.376.3526

Proven Genetics with Balanced Traits!

84 | FEBRUARY 2016

WISCONSIN Russell Family Livestock

R S S L

Ron, Alicia & Family Brooklyn, WI 608.455.1448 rrussell@ansci.wisc.edu facebook.com/RussellLivestock

Focused on Form & Function

10900 Dover Street Westminster, CO 80021 303-465-BEEF (2333) www.gelbvieh.org

News

Meet the Staff T

he American Gelbvieh Association’s professional staff is committed to serving AGA stakeholders through assisting them with mating, marketing and promotion decisions. Please feel free to contact the knowledgeable and helpful staff by calling 303-465-2333 or via email listed below. Myron Edelman, Executive Director Ext 480, myrone@ gelbvieh.org Myron is a native of Kansas and grew up in the agriculture industry. Upon graduating from Kansas State University he continued down an agriculture path as a high school agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor. Myron’s beef industry career became full-time upon accepting the responsibility as livestock manager of Wagonhound Land & Livestock Co. in Wyoming. That commercial cow-calf and feedyard background directly led to an opportunity to serve on the marketing team at the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) as the director of value added programs. Myron believes the experience of operating a large commercial ranch that included feedlots combined with providing marketing assistance to ranchers in a breed association setting is the foundation needed to direct the Gelbvieh association in providing accurate genetic tools and marketing service to the beef industry. Myron accepted the Executive Directorship for the AGA in 2014. Terisa Abrahams, Office Operations Coordinator Ext 479, terisa@ gelbvieh.org Terisa was born and raised in Arvada, Colorado and the first job she had was on a dairy

farm in Washington State where she was a farm hand. Terisa holds a masters of business administration in international business and a masters of arts in counseling psychology, both from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Prior to joining the AGA staff, she was a senior recruiter for Weatherford Oil & Gas and has over twenty years of experience in client relation services, human resources, business development, office management, project management, and business administration. Terisa lives with her 14 year old son and mother in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. As office operations coordinator, she coordinates general office operations, assist members with accounts and helps to coordinate AGA functions. William McIntosh, Marketing Coordinator 502-867-3132, williamm@ gelbvieh.org William grew up on a seedstock stock operation in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he currently resides with his wife. He was a member of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) growing up and was vice president of the AGJA in 1994-1995. William attended the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the livestock judging team. William went to work for the American Gelbvieh Association in 1999 as the Eastern regional field representative. In 2002, William had the opportunity to go back to the family farm to manage a backgrounding operation and was also employed at the United Producers Stockyards in Owentown, Kentucky. William has also provided contract services for auction companies across the country. In 2012, he came back to work for the AGA. As marketing coordinator, he travels the country and assists members and commercial producers in marketing their Gelbvieh and Balancer influenced cattle. He also serves as staff comedian.

Rebecca Mettler, Editorial Content Coordinator and Gelbvieh World Editor 940-255-5471, rebeccam@ gelbvieh.org Rebecca resides in Sarcoxie, Missouri with her husband and is near her family’s century old farm. Growing up on a commercial cow-calf operation in southwest Missouri’s “cow country” gave her the interest in the beef industry she still has today. Before working for AGA, Rebecca was freelance writer for national and regional agricultural publications and has prior experience working for beef industry associations on a national and state level. She attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri where she received bachelor’s degrees in both agricultural journalism and animal sciences. Rebecca is the editor of all AGA publications including Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture and also serves as quality assurance for written AGA communications (AKA she helps us sound good). Kelli Retallick, Director of Member Programs Ext 482, kellir@ gelbvieh.org Kelli received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of WisconsinMadison (UW) where she was highly involved in both off and on campus activities including the UW Saddle & Sirloin Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau and state and national junior beef breed associations. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she decided she was not done learning and went on to continue her education at Kansas State University. Kelli completed her master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics in May 2015. As director of member programs Kelli works to continually enhance the AGA experience for members and stakeholders as it relates to services and programs provided by the AGA. She also works closely with members of the The Profitpicture | 85

News American Gelbvieh Junior Association to coordinate junior activities. Megan Slater, Public Relations Coordinator Ext 485, megans@ gelbvieh.org Megan is a graduate of Colorado State University (CSU) where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a minor in business administration. She was a member of the 20132014 CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team. This team was responsible for promoting CSU cattle genetics throughout the beef industry and overseeing all aspects of the CSU Annual Bull Sale. In addition, Megan also has several years of customer service experience. Megan’s career at AGA began as an internship with Gelbvieh Media Productions. The internship lead into a full-time position as she exhibited the skills needed to assist in guiding the association and stakeholder success. She is now responsible for the Gelbvieh message; through maintaining the association website, social media, publishing the E-Newsletter, assisting Gelbvieh Media Productions, and also plays a role in the breed promotion and marketing team. Additionally, she also serves as the staff contact for the American Gelbvieh Foundation. Kari White, Genetic Programs Coordinator kario@gelbvieh. org Kari is from southeast Colorado, where she currently lives with her husband and daughter. She attended Colorado State University for her undergraduate degree, and graduated with her master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics from Kansas State University (KSU) in 2013. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics at KSU under the guidance of Dr. Bob Weaber. Kari’s primary role at the AGA is to develop the industry’s most accurate tools to

86 | FEBRUARY 2016

describe Gelbvieh and Balancer influenced cattle and communicate to membership the value and appropriate usage of those tools. In addition to her responsibilities at AGA, Kari also serves on the Ultrasound Guidelines Council which insures ultrasound data used by the beef industry for genetic evaluation of carcass traits are of the highest quality. Lynn Valentine, Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator and Gelbvieh World Graphic Design and Publication Coordinator Ext. 486, lynnv@ gelbvieh.org, Lynn has been with the AGA since November of 2010 as the Graphic Designer/Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator. She works closely with breeders to manage and design advertising for Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture, along with developing marketing and promotion material for the AGA and members. Lynn is also the graphic designer and publication coordinator for Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture. She has prior experience working for a breed association publication. For several years she worked for American Simmental Association Publications, Inc. in graphic design and advertising customer service, designing ads and other promotional materials. She is a Colorado native, growing up in Fort Collins, Colorado, and now lives in Parker, Colorado with her three daughters. Angela Vesco, Commercial Marketing Specialist Ext 484, angelav@gelbvieh. org Angela was raised on her family’s cow-calf ranch south of Winnemucca, Nevada. She grew up being heavily involved in 4-H and FFA where she showed cattle, hogs and horses. Angela earned her bachelor’s degree in 2013 from Kansas State University where

she majored in animal science. During her undergraduate tenure, Angela was involved in animal science academic quadrathalon and was a member of the livestock judging team. Angela stayed at KSU to pursue a master’s in ruminant nutrition and graduated in the summer of 2015. Angela is part of the AGA marketing team and spends her time traveling the country with special emphasis on visiting and assisting commercial bull customers. nnn

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The Profitpicture | 87

Editorial

Rabies – in Cattle? A K-State veterinarian discusses how common the viral disease can be in the cow herd. By Connor Orrock, K-State Research and Extension

hen rabies is mentioned, it often conjures classic images from movies of an infected animal running rabid. While this viral disease seems far from concern, particularly in domestic animals, recent events suggest it is a bigger problem than traditionally thought.

then from the spinal cord, it will go to the brain. When it gets into the brain is when we start seeing the clinical signs.” He said an animal that is bitten on the nose, as it is believed most cattle are, will start showing clinical signs earlier than an animal bitten on the back leg. This is because the virus has less distance to travel to the brain. This accounts for the time variation between being infected and showing clinical signs. “Once rabies is in the brain, it will get into the salivary glands,” Hanzlicek said. “Then every time that animal bites another animal or human, it is going to spread the virus to those individuals. Toward the end of the disease, we believe all of the organs that have nerves are basically infected with the virus. Therefore, an animal thought to be rabid should not be salvaged.”

The most commonly diagnosed domestic carrier of rabies in the Midwest is cats; however, in Kansas, there has been a recent increase in cattle confirmed with rabies.

Clinical signs of infection

“In Kansas the past two years, cattle have been the most common domestic species we’ve diagnosed with rabies,” said Gregg Hanzlicek, director of production animal field investigations for the veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Kansas State University. “This year, we have 13 confirmed bovine cases. Last year there were nine.”

Hanzlicek said that behavioral changes alone are not definitive for rabies. Other possible signs include anorexia, head pressing, bellowing (rabid cattle many times exhibit a unique vocalization), continually trying to defecate, unproductive defecation and unexplained rear-limb lameness.

Hanzlicek said that in the state, the skunk is the most likely carrier that spreads the disease to domestic animals such as dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Those species then will show the clinical signs of rabies. For producers who are interested in where rabies has been located in Kansas, the veterinary diagnostic laboratory’s website, has a tab called “Disease Trends” that showcases the number of recent rabies cases, by species within each county. “Producers can use that map to see the specific cases of different diseases throughout the state,” Hanzlicek explained. “It is updated every Monday morning, and it shows in the state, county-by-county, what species and the number of that species have been confirmed with several important diseases including rabies.”

How infection occurs The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of a positive animal, Hanzlicek said. Being bitten by a positive animal is the primary way the virus is spread. However, other methods of spreading the disease are saliva from a positive animal getting into an open wound, or saliva from a positive animal getting into a mucus membrane—the eyes, gums or lips—of another animal or human. The time between infection and the onset of clinical signs varies, he added. It can range from as early as a few weeks to as late as a few months after infection. “Many animals will start to carry the virus in their saliva before they start to show clinical signs,” Hanzlicek said, adding that the rabies virus is different than most other viruses, because it does not enter the bloodstream. Rather, the rabies virus travels through the nerves from the point of infection. “Let’s say an animal is bitten on its back leg,” Hanzlicek said. “Rabies will travel through the nerves of the back leg to the spinal cord, and

88 | FEBRUARY 2016

“There are many different clinical signs, but we say if an owner sees one of his or her animals acting strangely, behavior wise, rabies has to be on the list to rule out,” Hanzlicek said. He noted that there are two forms of rabies, furious form and dumb form. “The furious form is the form we remember from the movies, where the dog becomes rabid,” Hanzlicek said. “The infected animal will attack inanimate objects, such as tractors, feed bunks and fences. They will also attack animate objects, including other animals and humans. We do see cattle with the furious form, but it is more rare than the dumb form.” “With the dumb form, they act like they are not aware of their surroundings. They are quiet. They stand off, and they may head press. Often, they will start drooling at the mouth and have difficulty swallowing, and they might become slightly bloated.” Often when producers see abnormal salivation or trouble swallowing, they think something is stuck at the back of the throat, Hanzlicek said. This can lead to human exposure to rabies, because producers will reach into the mouth of the cow or the calf to see if there is some object present. While they are doing so, they are exposed to the saliva that contains the rabies virus.

What to do when suspecting infection Hanzlicek stressed that there is no treatment for rabies. Once an animal shows clinical signs, typically within four to five days that animal will get progressively worse and die. “If I am a producer, and I see a behavioral change in one of my animals, I will put rabies on the list of possible causes and call a veterinarian,” Hanzlicek said. “Veterinarians can help continued on page 90

The Profitpicture | 89

continued from page 88 identify rabies, but also most veterinarians are vaccinated for rabies. They know what

Therefore, let the veterinarian

look into the mouth of a potentially infected animal; don’t personally do those examinations. Unfortunately, the only way to definitively diagnose

25 A nnu a

l ls u B 0

precautions to take to avoid contamination when examining the rabies suspect animal.”

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rabies is in a deceased animal, where a specific portion of the brain is required for testing, he said. Veterinarians are trained to sample the appropriate portion of the brain for a diagnosis. There are effective rabies vaccinations available for humans, dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Hanzlicek recommends that producers who show cattle consider vaccinating those cattle for rabies. If those show animals contract rabies, there is more of a chance of exposure to humans. “While it isn’t always practical to vaccinate the whole cow herd, some herds in Kansas have started due to the number of skunks that are present in their area,” he said. “However, there are certain states where rabies is more prevalent than in Kansas, and veterinarians in some states do recommend all cattle receive the rabies vaccine.” nnn

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The Profitpicture | 91

Editorial

Treat Calf Scours Early for Best Results Diarrhea in neonatal calves is one of the leading causes of morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death) in North America and Europe and continues to be a major cause of economic loss to the beef cattle industry. By Michelle Arnold, DVM (UK Ruminant Veterinarian)

here are five major infectious causes of diarrhea in calves less than 21 days of age: E. coli K99, Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Cryptosporidia, and Salmonella. Other factors such as inadequate colostrum, poor sanitation, stress, and cold weather can make calf survival almost impossible. Regardless of the cause, diarrhea results in loss of electrolytes and water in the feces of calves and decreases milk intake. Ultimately, this leads to dehydration, metabolic acidosis (the blood is more acidic than normal), electrolyte abnormalities, and a negative energy balance from the lost nutrients and lack of milk. Oral electrolyte solutions have typically been used to replace fluid losses, correct acidbase and electrolyte levels in the blood, and provide nutritional support with the added benefit of being relatively inexpensive and easy to administer. Recent research has resulted in better methods to assess and treat a calf with diarrhea as well as better guidelines for choosing an oral electrolyte solution. The most common mistake made in the use of oral electrolyte replacement therapy is waiting too long before administering these formulas or not giving them often enough to affected calves. Administered early and frequently, these fluids help the calf maintain strength and normal body temperature and allow it to continue nursing. Administering fluids too late, when the calf is already depressed and down, or administering too little so that the calf continues to lose more fluid than it is receiving orally, allows the dehydration to worsen and the calf ’s condition to deteriorate. When dehydration and acidosis get severe enough, the gastrointestinal tract loses function and orally administered fluids are no longer of any value. In these cases, the only effective means of preventing death is to have a veterinarian administer intravenous fluid therapy. A quick assessment of a calf with diarrhea will determine if oral fluid therapy or if intravenous (IV) is needed. The choice depends on the severity of both dehydration and metabolic acidosis (low pH of the blood). Dehydration is relatively easy to monitor by how far the eyeball is set back into the skull and the loss of skin elasticity. Metabolic acidosis is assessed by the calf ’s ability to stand and suck. In general, a standing calf with a strong to moderate suckle reflex or that demonstrates a “chewing action” can be given oral fluids. Mildly dehydrated calves showing mild skin tenting when the skin on the neck is pinched, minimal sinking of the eye into the head, eyes and mucous membranes are still moist, and extremities are still somewhat warm are

92 | FEBRUARY 2016

ideal candidates for oral fluids. Thumb rules for the use of oral electrolyte fluid supplements for scouring calves: Reconstitute the oral electrolyte supplement and administer it according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Administer the reconstituted fluid formulation at approximately 5% of body weight, which is 2 quarts for an 80 pound calf. How many times per day this is necessary depends on how much fluid the calf is receiving by nursing and how much fluid is lost through the diarrhea. In many cases, the progression of the disease is not very rapid and the problem lies only in the missed opportunity to administer oral fluids at an earlier stage when response is best. Continued assessment of the scouring calf ’s condition is required in order to make good decisions regarding the frequency of fluid administration. Only administer oral fluids if the calf still has a suckle response. It is usually better to administer oral fluids by bottle with voluntary suckling. This enhances passage of the fluid to the abomasum via the esophageal groove. Oral fluids can be given by esophageal feeder when the suckle reflex is weak, but this method places fluids into the rumen. Any calf with a very weak or absent suckle reflex should be given IV fluid therapy because, if oral fluids are given to a calf with ileus (no gut motility), the fluid is not absorbed but instead pools in the rumen resulting in bloat and/or rumen acidosis. ANY calf that is severely depressed and unable to stand requires intravenous fluids. It is extremely important that the oral fluids chosen for rehydration will be able to increase blood pH from an acidic state to a more neutral state. This is normally accomplished by alkalinizing agents such as bicarbonate, acetate, or propionate found in oral electrolytes. Although all have similar effects, acetate and propionate are preferred over bicarbonate in nursing calves because they do not interfere with milk digestion. If calves are depressed and refuse to nurse, a hypertonic oral electrolyte product such as Calf-Lyte II HE or Enterolyte HE can be used. A “hypertonic” oral electrolyte product has a very large amount of glucose (sugar) in the preparation and has “HE” on the label (for “high energy”). Hypertonic solutions can give greater nutritional support because of the higher glucose level yet they can cause abomasal bloat and increased diarrhea if the calf is unable to absorb this large amount of sugar. If nursing is not resumed within 12 hours, calves will get too weak to respond to oral treatment alone. Milk or milk replacers should NOT be withheld from scouring calves. None of the oral electrolyte formulas provide adequate protein and energy to replace milk. Some experts used to recommend a “rest the gut” approach, suggesting that continued milk feeding worsens diarrhea. However, research has shown that milk feeding does not prolong or worsen diarrhea, nor does it delay healing of the intestines. Calves should be maintained on their full milk diet (continue nursing) plus oral electrolytes when possible as long as they exhibit diarrhea. Electrolyte fluid administration is by far the most effective treatment for calves with scours. Because affected calves are often weak and continued on page 94

The Profitpicture | 93

continued from page 92 chilled, additional nursing care may be necessary for survival. In

this regard, providing warmth, dry bedding, protection from the elements, and adequate nutritional support are all

critical. Fluid therapy is most effective when it is administered aggressively and early in the course of the disease. The most

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94 | FEBRUARY 2016

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critical factor may be the early recognition of affected calves. Caught early, most calves will respond very favorably to oral fluid therapy. Remember milk is better at maintaining a normal blood glucose level than any electrolyte solution so allow the calf to continue nursing. If the calf becomes so severely dehydrated it is weak and unable to rise, or if it has no suckle, intravenous fluid therapy may be the only way to save the calf ’s life. Other treatments, such as antibiotics, may be beneficial but they are far less important than fluid and electrolyte replacement when it comes to calf survival. nnn

The Profitpicture | 95

Editorial

Do You Know How Much Your Heifers are Worth? At the 2015 Range Beef Cow Symposium held in Loveland, Colorado on November 17-19, 2015 Ron Lemenager, beef extension specialist with Purdue University provided tools to help cattle producers determine the value of buying and raising heifers for herd replacements. By Angela Vesco

emenager used the lyrics of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” to illustrate that it can be difficult to predict when the best time is to buy or sell replacement heifers. There are multiple factors that play into making the buying or selling decisions that cattle producers need to be aware of and there is just no particular right answer. Lemenager said that the most recent factors include the cow inventory increase of 400,000 head from 2014 to 2015, which, in turn, has led to moderate cattle prices compared to the historic highs seen in late 2014 and early 2015. In addition, Lemenager said the value of land has increased sharply since 2000. He showed a chart with cropland value and pastureland value having increased 316 percent and 269 percent over the past 15 years, respectively. Unsurprisingly, the annual cost of keeping a cow has also increased in price. Based on Lemenager’s projections, the cost of keeping a mature cow is approximately $727, first-calf heifers come in at approximately $776 and replacement heifers cost approximately $567. All of these factors combined, in addition to estimating future cattle prices and other ranch expenses, illustrate the importance of knowing what it costs to raise your heifers to keep or sell them as replacements. Estimating how much heifers are worth becomes the challenge, according to Lemenager. “All cattle are worth market price, anything above or below that is based on perceived value,” Lemenager said. Therefore Lemenager encourages cattle producers to find a value for today’s replacement heifers that is realistic for them. 96 | FEBRUARY 2016

The approach that Lemenager took is using the net present value (NPV), which is defined as the difference between present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over the lifetime of the investment. To help calculate the value of raising replacement heifers, Lemenager used a spreadsheet put together by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Ranchers can enter in the cost of the would-be purchased heifer and also the variable costs such as feed, veterinary, equipment, marketing, transportation, etc. Then the spreadsheet produces a summary for raising replacement heifers where it subtracts the total added costs from the total added returns. Lemenager then used these numbers to calculate the maximum he would bid for heifers in that scenario. This spreadsheet can be found by following the link below. Lemenager also presented a spreadsheet published by Kansas State University (KSU) that varies a little bit from the Iowa State spreadsheet. The KSU spreadsheet uses USDA prices and NPV to predict the economic value of replacement heifers. Ranchers are able to add in the numbers that are realistic for them and the spreadsheet will then tell them their maximum bidding price when buying heifers as well. Both spreadsheets are great tools to use when trying to make the decision on buying or selling replacement females. Lemenager specifically pointed out that every ranch needed to use the numbers that are realistic and specific to their operations. Ranches also should look at their own NPV numbers by using herd weaning weights, annual cow cost,

price expectations for the next five years and include a discount for loan interest and family expenses. After Lemenager discussed how much the heifers are worth, he then posed the second question, “How many do you keep?” He said that the answer to that question depends on the ranch. Ranchers need to consider how much risk they are going to take. They should look at how much debt they have, interest payments, annual cow costs, weaning weights, and whatever other risk they have and then decide whether or not they should keep or sell heifers. After analyzing the spreadsheets, Lemenager’s recommendation to the audience was to maintain the genetic base already there and to keep only the best heifers. Also considering the current economic situation, it may be smarter to maintain the current herd size rather than expanding for the time being. Although, if income is needed for the ranch, sell the heifers when there are premiums in order to pay down the ranch debt and interest payments. It is always somewhat of a gamble when marketing your cattle. As Kenny Rogers sings, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” Lemenager’s speech and PowerPoint can be found at www.rangebeefcow.com. Below are the online resources referenced in the article. Iowa State University Extension Calculator http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/ livestock/html/b1-73.html Kansas State University Calculator http://www.agmanager.info/livestock/ budgets/production/ Colorado State University Cow Cost Calculator www.coopext.colostate.edu/ABM/ cowcarryingcosts2011.xls nnn

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100% of bulls selling are sired by leading AI sires

•

All bulls sell with a First Breeding Season Guarantee

Selling 125 Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bulls FALL 16-18 MONTH OLD BLACK AND RED BULLS • SPRING YEARLING BLACK AND RED BULLS Many bulls selling are homozygous black and/or homozygous polled.

Sale broadcast live online at www.dvauction.com Videos available of all sale bulls at www.mms.bz

J BAR M GELBVIEH

Jon E. & Edna Miller 28760 Norway Rd, Stark City, MO 64866 417-632-4925 home • 417-437-5250 cell Please no Sunday calls!

J & K GELBVIEH FARMS, INC. Jerry & Karen Wilson 335 Gelbvieh Lane, Ava, IL 62907 618-426-3885 • 618-521-8620

Broadcasting Real-Time Auctions

Elmer, Brenda, Brad & Benny McWilliams Asbury, MO 417-642-5871 • 417-529-0081

www.mms.bz SALE MANAGEMENT BY: Mitchell Marketing Service Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

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Places to Be February 2016 Feb. 1 Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 6 Feb. 9 Feb. 13 Feb. 13 Feb. 13 Feb. 13 Feb. 16 Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Feb. 18 Feb. 19 Feb. 20 Feb. 20 Feb. 20 Feb. 22 Feb. 22 Feb. 24 Feb. 25 Feb. 26 Feb. 27 Feb. 27 Feb. 27 Feb. 28

Taubenheim Gelbvieh 26th Annual Production Sale, Amherst, NE Lemke Cattle 10th Annual Production Sale, Lawrence, NE Black Hills Stock Show Gelbvieh Show and Sale, Rapid City, SD Lost River Livestock Bull Sale, Clearbrook, MN 43rd Annual Gelbvieh Gold Sale, Des Moines, IA LeDoux Ranch Annual Production Sale, Agenda, KS Barwick/Lammers Production Sale, Kearney, NE Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic Gelbvieh Show & Sale, Kearney, NE Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Annual Bull Sale, Dickinson, ND Cedar Top Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Burwell, NE Iowa Beef Expo, Des Moines, IA Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh Annual Production Sale, Mandan, ND Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic, Kearney, NE KY Beef Expo Gelbvieh & Balancer Show KY Beef Expo Gelbvieh & Balancer Sale Overmiller Gelbvieh & Red Angus Production Sale, Smith Center, KS Golden Buckle Gelbvieh Bull Sale, Napoleon, ND Beastrom Ranch 36th Annual Bull Sale, Pierre, SD First AGA American Rancher Episode on RFD-TV Grund Beef Genetics Annual Bull Sale, Oakley, KS Plateau Gelbvieh Annual Bull Sale, Brush, CO 25th Annual “Pot of Gold” Gelbvieh, Angus & Balancer Bull Sale, Montrose, CO Swanson Cattle Company 29th Annual Production Sale, Oxford, NE Post Rock Cattle Company Cowman’s Kind Bull & Female Sale, Barnard, KS Seedstock Plus North Missouri Bull Sale, Kingsville, MO Ceroll Gelbvieh Annual Silent Auction & Bid-Off Bull Sale, Sisseton, SD

March 2016 Mar. 1 Warner Beef Genetics Genetic Investment Bull Sale, Arapahoe, NE Mar. 2 Ferguson Angus 26th Annual Production Sale, Agra, KS Mar. 4 Chimney Butte Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Mandan, ND Mar. 5 Judd Ranch 38th Gelbvieh, Balancer & Red Angus Bull Sale, Pomona, KS Mar. 5 SEGA Gelbvieh Annual Bull Sale, Pierce, CO Mar. 5 Thorstenson Lazy TV Annual Bull Sale, Selby, SD Mar. 5 Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 27th Annual Bull Sale, Ponteix, Saskatchewan, Canada Mar. 5 Flying H Genetics Roughage ‘N Ready Bull & Female Sale, Arapahoe, NE Mar. 5 Cib’s Gelbvieh Bull and Female Sale, Clutier, IA Mar. 7 Hojer Ranch 24th Annual Production Sale, Huron, SD Mar. 7 MLM Gelbvieh Open House Private Treaty Kick-Off Sale, Superior, NE Mar. 8 Bar Arrow Cattle Company 26th Annual Production Sale, Phillipsburg, KS Mar. 9 Hart Farm Gelbvieh 2nd Annual Private Treaty Online Bull Sale Mar. 10 Raile Gelbvieh/Balancer Bull Sale, Burlington, CO Mar. 11, 12, 13 Tennessee Beef Agribition Show & Sale, Lebanon, TN Mar. 12 2nd Annual REDstock Sale, Chilicothe, MO Mar. 12 Genetic Power Bull Sale, Springfield, MO Mar. 12 Annual Midwest Beef Alliance Bull Sale, Marshall Junction, MO 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Mar. 12 Mar. 17 Mar. 18 Mar. 19 Mar. 19 Mar. 19 Mar. 19 Mar. 26 Mar. 26 Mar. 26 Mar. 26 Mar. 26

Rippe Gelbvieh 17th Annual Bull Sale, Bellville, KS Kicking Horse Ranch Annual Production Sale, Great Falls, MT Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale, Creston, IA Pearson Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, Lake City, SD Flying H Genetics Roughage ‘N Ready Bull Sale, Butler, MO Lone Oak Cattle 4th Annual Private Treaty Bull Sale, Mechanicsville, IA Jumping Cow Gelbvieh & Ridinger Cattle Co. Customer Appreciation Day, Ramah, CO Oklahoma Gelbvieh Association “Sooner Select Sale”, McAlister, OK Bluegrass Gelbvieh Invitational Sale, Mt. Sterling, KY Seedstock Plus South Missouri Bull Sale, Carthage, MO Harriman Santa Fe “Top of the Breed” Bull Sale, Windsor Livestock Auction, MO Cranview Gelbvieh Annual Progress and Performance Sale, Rugby, ND

April 2016 Apr. 2 Apr. 9 Apr. 9

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh Private Treaty Sale, Jasper, IN Bar T Bar Ranches Annual Bull Sale, Winslow, AZ Middle Tennessee Gelbvieh/Angus Invitational, Centerville, TN

July 2016 July 23

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch Cattle Tour & Customer Appreciation, Ponteix, Saskatchewan, Canada

Visit the online version of Places to Be at www.gelbvieh.org for additional dates on upcoming sales and more information on each event. Editor’s Note: If you have sale or event information for this listing, please email the information to megans@gelbvieh.org. This includes tours, expos, field days and other Gelbvieh events. Places to Be at www.gelbvieh.org contains additional contact information for each event.

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Ad Index 3 G Ranch............................................................. 64 ABCS Gelbvieh.................................................... 83 Adkins Gelbvieh......................................45, 55, 84 AGA...................................................................... 61 B/F Cattle Company............................................ 78 Bachman Farms.......................................48, 49, 78 Bar Arrow Cattle Company.......................78, 101 Bar IV Livestock.................................................. 63 Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc.....................................15, 81 Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch............................84, 94 Blackhawk Cattle Company............................... 64 Bluegrass Gelbvieh Invitational......................... 74 Boehler Gelbvieh................................................. 79 Bolton Cattle Ranch............................................ 81 Bow K Ranch.................................................23, 81 Brandywine Farm................................................ 83 BV Ranch.............................................................. 84 Canadian GV Assn.............................................. 66 Cattlemen’s Connection..................................3, 66 C-Cross Cattle Company................................... 63 Cedar Top Ranch.............................................2, 79 Ceroll Gelbvieh.................................................... 47 Chimney Butte Ranch...................................73, 83 Circle S Ranch...................................................... 78 CJ&L Livestock.................................................... 84 Cranview Gelbvieh........................................83, 93 Cunningham, Ronn............................................ 66 Danell Diamond Six Ranch................................ 81 Davidson Gelbvieh.............................................. 31 DDM Gelbvieh..................................................... 64 Diamond L Farms............................................... 65 Diamond V Gelbvieh.......................................... 78 Dobson Ranch..................................................... 26 Dromgoole’s Heaven........................................... 65 Eagle Pass Ranch................................................. 84 Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch...................... 84 Ferguson Angus................................................... 17 Flying H Genetics........................................79, 104 Gelbvieh Bull Barn........................................22, 66 Gelbvieh Media Productions............................. 24 Genetic Power Bull Sale...................................... 97 Golden Buckle Gelbvieh.............................. 83, 91 Golden Rule Sale................................................. 57 Green Hills Gelbvieh........................................... 63 Grund Beef Genetics.....................................32, 33 GS Ridge Top Ranch.....................................21, 83 Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh.....................83, 89 Hampton Cattle Company................................. 63 Harriman, Bob...............................................77, 78 Hart Farm Gelbvieh........................................7, 78 Hartland Farm..................................................... 78 100 | FEBRUARY 2016

Hilltop Farms....................................................... 78 Hodges Ranch...................................................... 65 Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch.............................45, 57, 84 Iowa Beef Expo.................................................... 70 J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh...................................... 59 J&K Farm.............................................................. 64 J Bar M Gelbvieh................................................. 78 Judd Ranch, Inc. .....................................52, 53, 78 Jumping Cow Gelbvieh.................................18, 19 Kentucky Beef Expo............................................ 94 Kenyon Cattle ...................................................... 21 Kicking Horse Ranch..............................13, 81, 82 Kittle Gelbvieh Farms......................................... 65 Knoll Crest Farm................................................. 63 Koehn Cattle Co.................................................. 51 Land of Oz/ John C Oswald............................... 78 Lambert, Doak..................................................... 66 Ledgerwood Gelbvieh......................................... 81 LeDoux Ranch.......................................23, 78, 102 Lemke Cattle........................................................ 79 Leonhardt Cattle Company................................ 84 Linquist Farms..................................................... 83 Little Windy Hill Farms...................................... 63 Lone Oak Cattle.............................................50, 83 Longleaf Station................................................... 63 M&P Gelbvieh..................................................... 79 M&W Farms........................................................ 63 Maple Hill Farm................................................... 64 Markes Family Farms..............................42, 43, 65 Martens Gelbvieh..........................................21, 83 Martin Cattle Company................................43, 65 Mattison Family Farm........................................ 83 Middle Creek Farms.....................................81, 82 Miller Gelbvieh.................................................... 65 Mills’ Diamond M Ranch................................... 54 Mitchell Marketing Service..........................66, 87 MLM Gelbvieh.........................................16, 60, 79 Mulroy Farms....................................................... 78 Murray Farm........................................................ 25 Nowack Cattle Company.................................... 45 Overmiller Gelbvieh........................................... 71 Pearson Cattle Company.................................... 37 Plateau Gelbvieh......................................28, 40, 81 Pope Farms Gelbvieh.......................................... 79 Post Rock Cattle Company............................9, 78 Pot of Gold Bull Sale.....................................28, 90 Prairie Hills Gelbvieh............................................ 5 Poverty Hill Farms.............................................. 51 Oklahoma Sooner Select Sale............................ 46 Rafter R Gelbvieh..........................................21, 54 Raile Gelbvieh................................................27, 60

RedStock Sale....................................................... 48 Register Farms..................................................... 63 Ridinger Cattle Co.........................................18, 19 Rippe Gelbvieh...............................................58, 60 Rocking GV Gelbvieh......................................... 78 Rocky Top Gelbvieh............................................ 63 Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh.......................51, 79 Russell Family Livestock..................................... 84 Sawtooth Gelbvieh Cattle & Hay....................... 81 SEGA Gelbvieh.................................................... 56 Schafer Farms, Inc............................................... 83 Seedstock Plus Genetics..................................... 66 Seedstock Plus................................................66, 99 Southwest Iowa Bull Sale.................................... 39 Spring Flood Ranch............................................ 79 Swanson Cattle Company............................75, 79 Swenson Gelbvieh.........................................45, 83 Taubenheim Gelbvieh......................................... 79 The 88 Ranch........................................................ 79 Thorstenson Gelbvieh...................................11, 84 TJB Gelbvieh........................................................ 29 Treble W Ranch................................................... 63 Triple H Farms..................................................... 83 Triple K Gelbvieh................................................. 78 Volek Ranch.............................................41, 45, 84 Warner Beef Genetics ......................................103 White Oak Farms................................................ 79 Wildwood Acres.................................................. 64 Wilkinson Gelbvieh............................................ 81 Wolf Gelbvieh..........................................68, 69, 79 Wyndemere Farm LLC....................................... 63 Yoder’s Prairie Acres.....................................44, 64

Feeding the World is our #1 Priority 26th Annual Production Sale Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Bar Arrow Cattle Company, North of Phillipsburg, Kansas

featuring Performance, Maternal, Carcass and Docility Selling 80 Gelbvieh & Balancer

Bulls • 20 Gelbvieh & Balancer® Fancy Open heifers

We are offering several high Calving Ease bulls suitable for breeding heifers. • 35 bulls in top 20% of breed for WW & YW EPDs • 40 bulls in top 20% of breed for carcass EPDs

2016 Reserve Champion Balancer Pen of 5

For sale book or video, call or email Stuart or go online to www.bararrowcattlecompany.com

Stuart Jarvis 26 E. Limestone Rd. • Phillipsburg, KS 67661 e-mail: bararrow@ruraltel.net • 785/543-5177 Stuart cell: 785/543-8120 Cody cell: 785/543-8121

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102 | FEBRUARY 2016

GeneticINVESTMENT WARNER BEEF GENETICS

Bull Sale

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 • 1:00 PM ( CST ) • At the Ranch, Arapahoe, NE JACKPOT 7551B ET

Purebred 88% Gelbvieh Bull Homo Black Homo Polled SIRE: Adkins Jackpot 906W DAM: Ms Matron 802U Breeder’s Choice Gelbvieh Bull Futurity Entry. Four ET brothers also sell.

INDUSTRY 0006B

38%GV 62%AN Balancer® Bull Double Black Double Polled Industry 301X x XXB 06X

SANDHILLS 472B ET

50%GV 50%AN Balancer® Bull Homo Polled SIRE: CTR Sandhills 0065X DAM: Lee Ann 963U ET

WATCHMAN 2501B

50%GV 50%AN Balancer® Bull Homo Black Homo Polled Lazy TV Watchman W021 x Ms X102 2501Z of 7105

EDISON 1202B

38%GV 62%AN Balancer® Bull Homo Black Homo Polled SIRE: Industry 301X DAM: Ms Platinum 1202Y of 7105

CONFIDENCE 022B ET

50%GV 50%AN Balancer® Bull Homo Black Homo Polled Connealy Conﬁdence 0100 x Ms Season 5115R ET

Sale broadcast live online at www.liveauctions.tv

www.mms.bz

LiveAuctions TV

GELBVIEH & BALANCER® BULLS

Selling 150 lots ANGUS BULLS

SALE MANAGEMENT BY: Mitchell Marketing Service

WARNER BEEF GENETICS Dan and Kate Warner 42198 Road 721, Arapahoe, NE 68922

Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

Dan Warner: 308.962.6511 Monte Warner: 308.962.6136 Darren Warner: 308.824.2950

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THEY’RE LIKE...

Complementing the best Angus and Red Angus with Superior Simmental and Gelbvieh genetics produces... Other Gelbvieh/ Balancer sires: Flying H Professor 22W BGGR Gravity 803A Butlers Red Oak 908W

Lazy TV Watchman W021 (GV/BA)

✔ MORE MUSCLE and more pounds while qualifying for Angus quality programs...

✔ IMPROVED FERTILITY and increased longevity equals better cows...

✔ BETTER FEED EFFICIENCY in the

pasture and the feedlot saves money...

✔ AND MORE PROFITS!!! Other Simmental sires: Mr. Beef Maker102Y TNT Tanker U263 W/C United 956Y

THEY’RE LIKE ANGUS ON STEROIDS– ANGUS + HETEROSIS!!

Roughage N’ Ready Bull SaleTM featuring our Money Makin’ MamasTM

CCR Cowboy Cut 5048Z (SM)

March 5, 2016 — Arapahoe, Nebraska Grown On Grass® Bull Sale featuring Fescue Adapted Bulls

March 19, 2016 — Butler, Missouri Other Angus sires: KCF Absolute Duff New Edition 6108 Schiefelbein Effective 61

Connealy Consensus (AN) Other Red Angus sires: Schuler Rogue A669 FHG Lacy Legacy 6097

BULLS

250

The Tradition Continues...

SELL!

Call, Text, email or click on our web site for more information FLYING H GENETICS

Schuler Rebel 0029X (AR)

Find us on Facebook

104 | FEBRUARY 2016

Kyle & Kayla Helms, NE 308.962.6940 Cody & Casie Helms, MO, NE 303.842.9071 Aaron Ishmael, MO 417.309.0062 Dick and Bonnie Helms 308.962.6500