Fall 2013 Frontline Beef Producer

FRONTLINE

A NEWS SOURCE FOR COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCERS

FALL 2013

VOLUME 5

ISSUE 2

beef producer

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 1

Your SOURCE for Top Quality Registered & Commercial Brangus Cattle

Proud Members of

Circle Land & Cattle Co., Ltd. Bobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley Spring Valley Ranch • Windy Hill Ranch • Vista Ridge Ranch 2 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

located just off Hwy. 6 and OSR P.O. Box 4747 • Bryan, Texas 77805 Office: (979) 776-5760 • Fax: (979) 776-4818 Website: www.circlexbrangus.com Steve Densmore, Cattle Mgr., (979) 450-0819, cell • (979) 778-1055, home Chris Duewall, Operations Mgr., (979) 777-6803, cell

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 1

FALL 2013

4

MARKETING:

Six Reasons Social Media Will Help Your Operation by: Lauren Chase

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FEATURE: The Little Details on a Cattle Operation source: Jane Parish

FRONTLINE Beef Producer Brangus Publications Inc. Representative and Layout/Art Director

Tyler Dean

IBBA Comunications Coordinator

12

FEATURE:

Brittni Drennan

Administration/Circulation

20

FEATURE:

24

MANAGEMENT:

28

MANAGEMENT:

32

MANAGEMENT:

36

INDUSTRY:

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Bull Buyer’s Guide by: Ted G. Dyer and Ronnie Silcox

Beef Cow Efficiency by: Brody Wallis and Dillon Sparks

Are You and Your Facilities Ready for Pre-Conditioning by: John Patterson

Early Pregnancy Detection A Tool for Managing and Marketing the Cowherd by: Aaron Berger

Eight Factors for Confident Vaccine Selection source: Pfizer Animal Health

New Burn-Detection-Modeling System in Development to Help Identify Potential Wildfire Threats source: Blair Fannin

SERVICES

Frances Miller

Contributing Authors

Lauren Chase Jane Parish Ted G Dyer Ronnie Silcox Brody Wallis Dillon Sparks John Patterson Aaron Berger Pfizer Animal Health Blair Fannin Advertising

Tyler Dean 405.867.1421 IBBA Office 210.696.8231 Copy Editor

Lindsey Matli Operations

ADVERTISER INDEX and CALENDER OF EVENTS

Rosanne Sralla Patti Teeler

FRONTLINE Beef Producer is a product of:

Brangus Publications, Inc. 5750 Epsilon San Antonio, Texas 78249 Phone: 210.696.8231 Fax: 210.696.8718 Brangus Publications, Inc. Directors: Ron Flake, Chairman Brandon Belt, Secretary/Treasurer Mike Burke, Director R.L. Robbs, Director Information appearing in this issue may be reprinted only with written permission of Brangus Publications, Inc.

ON THE COVER: A Red Brangus donor enjoys a day under the shade trees at Diamond K Ranch. Katy Knox of Hempstead, Texas, snapped and shared this great photo.

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LPC Livestock Publications Council Member

Town Creek Farm WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2013 • 12 NOON at the farm in West Point, Mississippi

150 Town Creek Farm Bulls Brangus and Ultrablack Bulls INCLUDING 60 2 YEAR-OLD BULLS

Ultrablack bull 5441Y6 sells.

Entire 2 year-old calf crop sells, no bulls sold from this group.

Powerful, practical, functional bulls developed on a high roughage forage-based ration. Sound footed, problem-free bulls guaranteed fertile and reproductively sound. Largely Cow Creek Ranch based genetics.

275 Commercial Brangus Bred Heifers Multi-generation genetically-tracked heifers sired by Cow Creek Ranch bulls and bred back to Cow Creek Ranch and Town Creek Farm bulls.

Brangus bull 024Y3 sells.

BRangus bull 18Y sells.

■ Entire calf crop of two-year old bulls sell. No bulls have been sold.

■ Bulls developed on high roughage, foragebased low energy ration to ensure durable, reliable feet and legs and weight maintenance.

■ Heat and humidity adapted bulls raised in southern, fescue environment.

■ Sound footed, functional bulls with no joint stress, development pressures or hoof issues.

■ Large selection of user-friendly, high maternal, low birthweight bulls needed to produce valuable replacement heifers.

■ Bulls sell Trich tested, Johnes tested and BVDpi tested.

■ Problem-free bulls guaranteed fertile and reproductively sound.

BRangus bull 223Y sells.

THESE COMMERCIAL BRED HEIFERS SELL from williamson cattle co., plus 275 MORE JUST LIKE THEM.

Since 1993

Milton Sundbeck, Owner Ron Flake, General Manager 662.509.2233 Ron@TownCreekFarm.com Joy Reznicek, Marketing 205.399.0221 Joy@TownCreekFarm.com Post Office Box 1217 call or email to reserve West Point, Mississippi 39773 your sale catalog. www.TownCreekFarm.com

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DVAuction.com

MARKETING

by Lauren CHASE

Six Reasons Social Media Will Help Your Operation

M

y grandfather was a corn farmer and raised cattle in Iowa for the majority of his life. Now that he is retired, he and his fellow farming buddies head to the local coffee shop at least once a week to brag about grandkids and analyze what’s happening in society. While this type of gathering is still useful and enjoyable, the younger generations are finding other ways to communicate with each other and to market their cattle.

As the beef industry continues to innovate, so do the ways of doing business. Social media has changed how every company markets and brands themselves, as well as public figures, artists and athletes. In our business, it should be no different.

Here are a few ways that social media will help your cattle operation: 1 - Peer Recommendation If our friend has it, we have to have it too, right? In most cases, the answer

is “yes”. What social media has created is a space for your friends, family and acquaintances to share how they feel about all sorts of things even if they enjoyed your bull sale.

If a rancher down the road posts on Facebook that he bought a good bull from XYZ Ranch, I’m more inclined to check out the bulls at that ranch because I trust my friend’s opinion.

And thus begins the word-of-mouth, free advertisement for XYZ Ranch.

Opportunities abound to share your operation’s story in today’s world of Facebook and Twitter.

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2- Beef Business Online Today, there are so many ways for a person to contact another person.

If I want to reach a friend, I could call, text, tweet, Facebook message, email, instant message, SnapChat, Instagram them, etc. As chaotic as this sounds, the upcoming generations of beef producers will conduct business through a variety of these forms, and because social media allows for instant contact and an easy way to share visuals, it becomes another way to

MARKETING conduct business.

Are you trying to get people to your bull sale? Post photos of the bulls on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Potential buyers are out there and could message you for more details.

Are you trying to make people aware of a legislative issue affecting cattle producers? Post the link to your sites and spread the word. Are you trying to communicate with members in a committee? Develop a group forum on Facebook to keep everyone up to date.

3- Telling the Beef Story Not only can social media be used to do business, but it is a great way to reach networks of people outside of the beef industry and teach them about agriculture. You become a spokesperson and a face for beef, essentially “humanizing” the industry and making it relatable to the consumer.

Also, the photo of the bull you posted may be geared towards buyers, but it could also catch the eye of your wife’s cousin in New York City who doesn’t know how his steak is produced. Maybe the photo makes him think: “Hmm, I wonder why the bulls are sold like that,” and then messages you to learn more about your sale. Advocacy is a collective effort and the more we can

reinforce the beef lifestyle through imagery and social media, the better we can tell the beef story.

4 - Other Advantages Social media is free and it is relatively easy to produce content.

If you have a smartphone, you’re golden. Cross-promotion of content on major social media sites is also easy and will only increase your marketing.

5 - Tips Carefully consider your content and be ready to engage in conversation if people comment.

Reciprocity is key --- when you go from being a “talking head” to allowing your customers to have a voice, your interaction will greatly increase.

Watch trends and be willing to try new things. Hashtags are huge on Twitter and have become more frequent on Instagram and Facebook. For those who don’t know, hashtags are like “key words” and can help you engage in the conservations you want to be in. For example: #ranchlife #beef #Texas 6 - @GoBrangus The IBBA has done a terrific job of establishing itself on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

As a Brangus producer, utilize the services they have provided for you.

For example: If you are out checking cows and snap a photo of a new calf, tweet it and include a mention to the IBBA (@gobrangus). Most likely, you will be retweeted by them. What does all of this mean? Not only will your photo go out to your followers, but once it’s retweeted, it will go out to all of IBBA’s followers. People who follow IBBA on Twitter, most likely have some interest in Brangus cattle.

One of those followers could be a potential buyer for you. It’s a winwin!

Understanding these trends and new marketing techniques is essential for the beef industry in the upcoming decades. Even though our businesses may look different than how our grandparents ran it, we all still share the same passion for the beef industry and want our operations to be successful for our own grandchildren!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lauren Chase graduated from the University of Iowa with degrees in journalism and anthropology. She now works as the multimedia outreach specialist for the Montana Stockgrowers Association, working to tell the story of Montana family ranching.

Lauren can be contacted by email at lauren.chase4@gmail.com or through twitter at @LaurenMSea.

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FEATURE

source Jane PARISH EXTENSION BEEF CATTLE SPECIALIST MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

The Little Details on a Cattle Operation

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ittle Things Matter. Most producers would assert that they do a pretty good job of managing their cattle operations. They implement many recommended production practices. Yet, beyond this, care must be taken to ensure that these efforts get the results that they are intended realize. This means not only doing the right thing, but also doing it the right way. Taking care to get the little implementation details done well can make a noticeable difference in production outcomes.

Avoid the Weak Link The commonly quoted saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link has relevance for cattle operations. A producer can do many things right in a process and still not achieve the desired result.

This happens because one or more critical aspects are overlooked or not managed properly.

Take animal health program planning and administration, for example. A producer can design an appropriate vaccination program, acquire vaccines and supplies from a reputable supplier, place vaccines in refrigerated storage as directed by product labels, and then administer the vaccines to the target animals with the end result being that the desired immune response in the vaccinated cattle is not obtained if there is a weak link in this chain of events.

Where could these weak links occur to make this process a waste of time and money? Here are some possibilities: 1. Vaccine was stored improperly before getting to the user.

2. The “refrigerated” storage that the cattle producer used was not within the appropriate temperature range (e.g., the old 8 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

farm refrigerator did not keep it cold enough).

3. The vaccine was not administered at the appropriate time to the cattle.

4. Modified-live vaccine was placed in a syringe containing chemical residue from cleaning agents that rendered it ineffective.

5. Modified-live vaccine components were mixed, and then the leftover mixture was saved later use. Once mixed, these products need to be used within a few hours.

6. The vaccination administration technique was incorrect (e.g., the needle was pointed upward when the vaccine was released from syringe causing the product to leak excessively from the administration site).

7. The dosage was incorrect, or a booster shot was missed.

A case in point of this type of weak link actually occurring is documented in a recent University of Idaho study. Only one-third of beef cattle producers’ and animal health product retailers’ refrigerators were deemed acceptable for animal health product storage.

The majority of their refrigerators did not adequately maintain the

recommended temperature range for animal health product storage.

Exposure to temperatures outside of the recommended range can affect the efficacy (effectiveness) of animal health products such as vaccines. In fact, it has been suggested that the leading cause of immune response failure is improper vaccine storage.

So, not only were the animal health products stored by the producers whose refrigerators did not function as needed potentially compromised, but it is also plausible that some of the producers with properly functioning refrigerators could have purchased vaccine from retailers with malfunctioning refrigerated storage units and also experience product effectiveness problems.

Critical Control Points Persons involved in the meat processing industry are likely familiar with the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) concept. It is a management system to address food safety through the analysis and control of various hazards at all stages of production, distribution, and other processes to the point of consumption. In essence, HACCP is a preventative system to control hazards in foods.

FEATURE It involves hazard analysis, critical control point identification, and establishment of critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification procedures, and documentation procedures.

Critical control points are steps where control measures are needed to achieve the desired outcome.

In the case of meat processing, a desired outcome may be food safety; whereas, a desired outcome in a cattle operation might be a particular rate of reproductive efficiency or average daily gain.

There are many important critical control points on cattle operations. A review of financial, economic, and biological data from domestic cow-calf producers in the late 1990’s revealed a particularly crucial critical control point that is likely still very relevant today.

Feed cost was determined to be responsible for over half of the herdto-herd variation in profit. Thus, it was deemed to be a “critical” control point for improving herd profitability. This suggests that if cattle operation managers do all the little things right when it comes to managing feed cost, then they will take control of profitability in large part. By identifying and controlling other key control points, producers can also improve their chances of realizing desired production or financial outcomes.

Assess and Act So how do cattle producers put these concepts into practice? A logical place to start is by developing a farm-level procedure similar to HACCP. A self-audit of the beef cattle operation is one way to

begin this self-monitoring exercise.

Start by developing a thorough review checklist or set of questions for important processes on the operation. Then go through and answer these questions for the operation. From this self-audit, farm managers can determine where improvements or better controls are needed. Corrective actions must then be followed through with and then reviewed once again to determine future adjustments needed to continue fine-tuning production processes.

There are some existing selfassessments available that apply specifically to cattle operations. The Beef Quality Assurance program offers free cow-calf and stocker self-assessment booklets online to help producers benchmark their operations: http://www.bqa.org/ assessments.aspx. Producers may also want to develop their own assessment tools tailored to their specific resources, circumstances, and goals. Another useful approach is to ask someone from outside the operation to assist in reviewing it.

This helps provide a fresh set of ideas to be tapped that might not come to light from people engrained in the operation themselves.

To be effective over the longterm, producers must not view this approach as a one-time event that permanently “fixes” all of the inefficiencies or ineffective aspects of the operation. It must be done from time to time on a continuous basis to maintain and advance production efficiency and effectiveness. If producers do not continue to closely monitor and manage the various production processes, then they

risk lapsing into wasteful or useless decisions that ultimately take away from productivity and profit.

Cattle operations could take a page from the playbook of industrial manufacturers. Just ask a manufacturer about what lean manufacturing can do to improve an operation. This approach can work for cattle operations, too. There are plenty of books and other references on lean manufacturing to learn more about it. Try searching online for “lean”, “six sigma”, “continuous improvement”, or “kaizen”.

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FEATURE

revised by Ted G. DYER and Ronnie SILCOX original by Dan T. DROWN and Ronnie SILCOX EXTENSION ANIMAL SCIENTISTS THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Bull Buyer’s Guide

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ever underestimate the power of your bull. Selecting and purchasing a bull for your beef herd could be considered one of the most important decisions you make in your operation. Don’t make a quick, unprepared decision on purchasing a bull. Never consider purchasing a bull without a proven record and a sound genetic background. Using a bull with poor performance and a weak genetic base could delay improvements in your herd for several years. The small expense you have in purchasing a bull is the difference between the purchase price of the new bull and the salvage value of the old bull (see Example 1). This investment will add efficiency and profitability to your herd for years to come.

Example 1. Cost of a bull purchase

$3000 - 2090 $ 910

Purchase Price of New Bull Salvage Value of Old Bull (1900 lbs. X 1.10/lb.)

Net Cost of New Bull

If the new bull sires 90 calves over the next 3-5 years, $910 ÷ 90 = $10.11 cost/calf. If the bull sires 90 calves that are 10 pounds heavier at weaning and they sell for $1.09/lb. (3-year average for 500-pound calves – GA Auction Markets, 20092011) at weaning, you will have paid for the bull.

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The cost of purchasing a bull may seem high at a glance; however, that expense becomes relatively small when it is spread across your bull’s calf crop for a three- to five-year period. Example 1 shows how you can turn an expense into a savings.

Bull procurement decisions can greatly impact your future calf crops and herd genetics for many years.

When you consider that the bull contributes one-half of the genetic makeup of your calf crop and may sire 25 to 40 or more calves per year, it is easy to see that he is the most

FEATURE important individual in the herd.

Keep in mind that a bull that will improve a herd must have genetic superiority over both the cows in the herd and over pervious bulls.

The best way to remain efficient in today’s beef industry is continue to produce more pounds of product per cow exposed. That task can become hard to achieve without the help of a superior bull. Fortunately, weight at various ages is heritable.

Birth weight and weaning weight are estimated to be about 30 percent heritable, while yearling weight is about 45 percent heritable. This means that a certain degree of birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight is inherited from the parents and that progress can be made by selecting for these traits.

SELECTION TOOLS Birth, weaning and yearling weights are normally used to evaluate breeding animals. Actual or adjusted weights may help in making

comparisons between bulls in the same contemporary group (a group of animals from the same herd, year and season that is raised together under the same conditions). Since environmental factors like feed and weather affect weights, actual or adjusted weight can be misleading if bulls come from different contemporary groups. Within a herd, weight ratios help account for some of the environmental differences between contemporary groups. But, ratios can also be misleading if bulls come from different herds. Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), on the other hand, are calculated across herds. A bull’s EPD for a trait is a more accurate estimate of his genetic worth than his weight, adjusted weight or ratio. EPDs not only account for contemporary group and herd differences, they also include information on a bull’s relatives as well as his individual performance. Breed associations report EPDs on weights and many

other traits.

Most major breed associations have National Cattle Evaluation programs. Breeders who are involved in their breed’s performance program should have birth, weaning and yearling weight EPDs available on yearling bulls. In all of these breeds, weight EPDs are expressed in pounds of calf. For example, if bull A has a weaning weight EPD of +45 and bull B has a weaning weight EPD of+35, the calves produced by bull A are expected to weigh, on the average, 10 pounds more at weaning than those of bull B, assuming the bulls are bred to comparable cows.

Advances in National Cattle Evaluation have made estimating a bull’s genetic worth more accurate than ever before. EPDs allow valid comparisons of all bulls of the same breed, but they do not allow comparison of bulls from different breeds. Since breeds have different average performance, base years (continued on page 14)

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FEATURE (continued from page 13) and evaluation procedures, direct comparison of EPDs from different breeds can be extremely misleading.

It should also be noted that a bull with an EPD of zero is rarely average.

In most breeds, zero is the average of some base group of animals. Since breeds change over time, in some breeds it is possible to find bulls with positive weaning and yearling weight EPDs that are several pounds below the average of all yearling bulls in that breed. Current breed averages and information on how to use EPDs are included in breed association sire summaries, which are available on most major breed association websites.

Accuracy Values (ACC) are usually published with EPDs. The accuracy values indicate the reliability of the EPD, or how likely the EPD is to change as more information becomes available. Accuracies are usually expressed as correlations ranging from zero to one. The

closer the accuracy is to one, the more reliable the EPD is. Yearling bulls normally have low accuracy values. Older AI sires can have very high accuracies.

RECOMMENDED PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Weaning Weight- Yearling Weight Commercial producers are paid for pounds of calf. Two very important traits to consider are weaning and yearling weights. However, single trait selection may result in problems with other traits. A good example is selecting for yearling weight alone, which results in increased birth weight because the two traits are genetically correlated. Select bulls that have an excellent combination of performance EPDs that are at or near the bulls’ breed average.

Desired genetic improvement involves a combination of several traits, including weaning and yearling weights.

Milk Production Maternal ability within a breed can best be evaluated with milk EPDs; however, milk is not measured directly in beef cattle performance programs. It is measured in terms of how it affects weaning weight.

Milk EPD on a bull is an estimate of pounds of calf at weaning produced by the bull’s daughter due to her milking ability. For example, if bull A has a milk EPD of +5 and bull B has a milk EPD of +2, all other things being equal, bull A’s daughters should produce calves that wean 3 pounds heavier than those from daughters of bull B due to extra milk production. There is some variation in the terminology used by different breed associations in reporting maternal EPDs. An explanation of maternal EPDs is included in a breed’s sire summary.

Producing extra milk requires that a cow consumes extra protein and energy. High milk production can affect a cow’s ability to breed back after calving. For this reason, selecting for maximum milk production is not a good idea in most commercial herds.

Conformation The cattle industry produces cattle of all breeds, sizes, ages and quality.

There is a market for all of them.

However, if you sell feeder calves or feed out your own cattle, consider the following points: • Good quality cattle eat no more feed than low quality cattle and are just as efficient at converting feed to beef.

• Bulls should generally have a muscling score of one and be

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FEATURE medium plus to large minus framed, according to the USDA feeder calf standards (Table 1).

Such calves will bring a higher price than lower grade calves.

• Low quality cattle with poor conformation usually are more subject to price declines in years of over production than are high quality cattle. Small framed cattle mature early and are slow, inefficient gainers if fed past maturity.

Frame Score Hip height in inches is used to give an indication of frame size.

Most bull test stations and a large percentage of purebred breeders will have a yearling hip height for each animal. Table 1 gives the ranges of hip height as they relate to mature frame size. Remember, taller cattle do not necessarily grow faster or more efficiently, but they do have a later maturity pattern. Small-framed cattle are discounted in Georgia markets. A bull needs to have enough frame to produce calves that are at least USDA Medium.

Birth Weight First calf heifers have the most calving problems, so buying a bull

with a low birth weight EPD is extremely important when the bull is to be used on heifers. Birth weight is the single most important trait that influences calving difficulty.

While many cattlemen look at actual birth weights on bulls, birth weight EPDs are the most accurate measure of a bull’s potential calving ease.

Many breeds report Calving Ease EPDs that are calculated using birth weight and calving scores. These can also be helpful in selecting bulls.

Refer to the breed association’s sire summary for a description of how these are reported for a particular breed.

Scrotal Circumference Research indicates that yearling bulls with large testicles sire daughters that show estrus at an earlier age than bulls with smaller testicles. Be sure the bull you select has a scrotal circumference that is at least 30 cm at 1 year of age.

Physical and Semen Evaluation If the bull you are considering buying is 12 months or older ask for a physical and semen examination.

This can be done by the local veterinarian and will increase your confidence that the bull will be able

to settle cows.

Other Traits Breed associations report EPDs for many other traits and this large volume of information can be overwhelming to the bull buyer, so focus on the basics listed above. You do not have to understand every aspect to be able to select a good commercial bull. When you become comfortable with the basics, consult the breed association website for updates on the most recent developments.

HOW MUCH “BULL-POWER” DO I NEED? Several factors can help determine the number of cows that can be bred to one bull.

Age The number of cows per bull will vary with the bull’s age, condition and libido. Use an adequate number of bulls with good libidos. Bulls should be in good body condition, but not fat, at the beginning of the breeding season. Young, growing bulls may require extra feed during the breeding season to meet their protein and energy needs. A yearling (continued on page 16)

Table 1. Hip height relative to mature frame size

Small Frame score 7-month hip height (in) 12-month hip height (in) Potential slaughter weight

1 36 41 800

2 38 43 900

3 40 45 1000

USDA Frame Medium 4 5 42 44 47 49 1100 1200

Large 6 46 51 1300

7 48 53 1350+

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FEATURE (continued from page 15) bull should not be expected to breed more than 20 to 25 cows, while a mature bull with large testicles, good semen and good libido can breed 25 to 40 or more cows.

Condition You cannot expect fat or thin bulls to perform up to the standards of properly conditioned bulls. Poor nutrition can influence semen quality. Fat bulls lack the stamina to breed enough cows.

Length of Breeding Season Length of the calving season and number of calves born during each 21 day period of the calving season does have some influence on the number of cows that can be bred to one bull. Mature bulls can breed up to 40 cows during a 60- to 90day breeding period and sire a high percentage of these calves in the first 40 days of the calving season.

If cows are run in large groups, two

bulls that are the same age and breed could run with 80 cows.

Breeding Systems An artificial insemination (AI) program will not require as many bulls, but the quality of the bulls turned out after the AI period needs to be very high to ensure against poorer quality calves than the AI sired calves. Have a short AI program, no longer than 40 days, and then turn out the cleanup bulls.

OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A BULL The bull you buy should be functionally sound -- a good breeder with a long life ahead -- and he should be structurally correct, with sound feet and legs and strong pasterns.

The bull should not have swollen joints and should be able to move freely and easily.

The bull should not be extremely nervous. A bull with a mean

disposition is difficult to handle and he may pass on his nervousness to his offspring.

Be sure you do not buy disease when you buy a bull. Request a copy of the bull’s health record. Place new bulls in an isolation paddock where you can observe them for 30 days before putting them with the herd.

WHERE TO BUY A BULL Many top cattlemen think where to buy a bull is the most important choice involved in their purchase.

You need to know that records of birth dates, rate of gain, weaning weights and health conditions of a bull are just as the seller says.

You need to know that the breeder will live up to his responsibilities.

It has been said that records and pedigrees are as good or as poor as the integrity of the breeder. Here are some recommendations: • Buy from a breeder whose integrity is above reproach.

• Buy from someone who has complete performance records on his cattle, and knows what those records mean.

• Buy from a place where you know the type of management under which the bulls were produced.

• Buy bulls from central test stations where all records are available.

• Buy bulls from performance oriented producer sales.

• Buy bulls from breed association sponsored sales.

USING ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION Artificial insemination increases your chances of promoting the important traits. Since many of

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FEATURE the bulls in the AI studs have a great number of progeny with performance records, you can predict more accurately what their calves’ performances will be in your herd. AI services also screen their bulls closely for any undesirable traits.

Whether you breed your cows

by AI or not is a decision you must make based on your own labor and management situation. However, you can consider AI as one method of “buying a bull:’ SELECTING A BULL FOR CROSSBREEDING It is just as important to select bulls for a crossbreeding program based on traits that are heritable as

it is for other breeding systems. You can improve your herd by careful selection and produce hybrid vigor at the same time.

DETERMINING A BULL’S WORTH It is very difficult to predict the dollar value of a particular bull; however, the following factors can affect a bull’s value: • The number of calves the bull may sire.

• The performance level of the herd on which the bull is to be used. Almost any good bull will improve the performance of a poor herd, while only very superior bulls can help a high performing herd.

• The type of breeding system you select. Purebred breeders can usually justify a higher bull investment than can commercial producers.

SUMMARY Selecting and buying a herd bull is the quickest way to make genetic improvement in your herd. The selection process must include looking for those traits that are economically important and highly heritable. Your own herd records are necessary if you are to select a bull that will improve your genetic base.

Demand and buy bulls with total performance that will improve your herd.

INDIAN NATION Annual Fall Brangus Sale

Saturday, October 26, 2013

12:00 Noon McAlester Union Stockyards, McAlester, OK 40 Registered Brangus Bulls  30 Registered Brangus Females 100 Commercial Brangus Replacement Females

Sponsored by Oklahoma Brangus Association

Still Taking Commercial Sale Consignments

WWW.OKBRANGUS.ORG

For more information or to request a catalog please contact Mike Vorel OBA Sales VP - (405)826-6959 Wes Dotson, Auctioneer - (580)541-3799 FRONTLINE Beef Producer 17

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FEATURE

by Brody WALLIS and Dillion SPARKS

Beef Cow Efficiency “We are going to be your dam tour guide. Does anybody have any dam questions about dam milk?”

W

hat if we told you that you could improve your profit potential by decreasing your calf weaning weights? Throughout the course of the last half-century, cattle producers have predominately adopted a theory of maximizing production outputs to maximize profit. However, during that same period, input costs have continued to rapidly rise with no sign of slowing down. As milk production, weaning weights and cow size in the cattle industry continue to climb, you may need to consider the hidden costs of increased production before making your bull buying decisions this fall.

Research has shown that increasing cow size can increase weaning weight. That sounds simple enough, but the economic viability and physiological consequences must be considered when choosing cattle based solely upon mature size.

Research conducted at Oklahoma State University in 2011 indicates that to increase calf weaning weight a mere six pounds in a crossbred cowherd, you must increase cow body weight 100 pounds! That means a 1,400-pound cow will only wean a calf 12 pounds heavier than a 1,200-pound cow based on cow body weight alone. Cow dry matter intake increases as weight increases, meaning you would have to reduce

20 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

stocking rates to maintain a larger cow.

Data returned from some of the pioneering research in cow efficiency has shown that accepting moderate weaning weights from a more efficient cow is more profitable than trying to maximize weaning weight.

Bob Kropp, PhD, (Oklahoma State University, 1971) demonstrated that increasing a dam’s milk did in fact increase calf weaning weight and dollars per calf but decreased total profit due to increased forage and supplement intake.

When comparing cows at three different levels of milk production, a University of Nebraska, Lincoln study conducted by Lewis found

that cows with increased milk production weaned heavier calves.

However, as level of milk increased, it took more milk per pound of additional calf weaning weight (or a greater milk to gain ratio) resulting in a less efficient conversion of dam’s milk to calf weaning weight. At low levels of milk production, each additional pound of calf weaning weight required 11.8 pounds of milk. In contrast, high levels of milk production required 52.6 pounds of milk for each additional pound of calf weaning weight. Several other institutions have conducted similar studies with the results being strikingly similar with average milk use efficiencies of these studies being

FEATURE 42.6 and 20 for high and low milking cows, respectively. There is no doubt that increasing milk production in a cowherd can improve weaning weights. However, this research indicates that increasing milk production as a means to increase calf weaning weight is clearly an example of diminishing returns and economic viability is paramount when considering the increased inputs required to increase milk production.

As milk production in a cow herd increases, so do the requirements of those cows. Research done at Oklahoma State University in 2003 shows that for every one-pound increase in milk production of a cow, her dry matter intake is increased by 0.33 pounds. Using our averaged milk use efficiency values of 42.6 and 20 pounds along with the increase in cow dry matter intake per pound of milk, a feed conversion of cow intake to calf weaning weight ratio can be calculated. High milking cows require an additional 14 pounds of forage intake to yield a single additional pound of calf weaning weight due to milk production. In contrast, cows producing lower levels of milk only require an added 6.6 pounds of forage intake per pound of additional calf weaning weight due to milk production.

There are not many scenarios where

a feed conversion of 14 pounds of feed per pound of gain is profitable, regardless of the source of feed.

Also, keep in mind the increased intake due to milk production is in addition to what the cow needs to eat to maintain bodily functions. As with increasing cow weight, stocking rate must be reduced as level of milk increases to adjust for increased cow dry matter intake.

Lewis also found that in the low milking cow group, as calf weaning weight increased, postweaning gain decreased. What does this mean? Calves from lower milking cows, while weaning slightly lighter calves, may have weaned at a lower fat comp osition therefore having a g r e a t e r propensity for postweaning compensatory gain.

The calves from the lower milking cows compared to calves from the high milking cows were 35 pounds lighter at weaning

but were only 19 pounds lighter at slaughter, which was not significantly different. Additionally, steers from lower milking cows showed a better feed:gain ratio in the feedlot. Not only does increasing milk production in cattle decrease cow efficiency, it even decreases the efficiency of their steer and heifer progeny.

In conclusion, increasing cow mature weight and level of milk production will improve calf weaning weights in a non-limiting environment.

However, the consequences include increasing cow forage and supplement intake (continued on page 22)

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 21

FEATURE (continued from page 21) leading to a decreased stocking rate, increasing milk to gain ratio of the calves, increasing cow nutrient requirements, and decreasing postweaning gains and feedlot efficiency. In effect these signs all lead to increasing calf weaning weights at a decreasing efficiency. In a limited environment, selecting for increased mature weight and milk production could be potentially devastating to a ranching operation by decreasing calving percentage and cow stayability. Regardless of environment, selecting for increasing cow size and milk will reduce the efficiency of turning forage into calf weaning weight.

Consider this a challenge to you to make informed decisions regarding your cowherd and be aware of the consequences of selecting breeding animals simply on the basis of maximizing production traits.

Remember, the only trait that should be maximized is profit.

EFFECT OF COW SIZE AND LEVEL OF MILK ON GROSS INCOME Small BW Low Milk

Small BW High Milk

Avg. BW Low Milk

Avg. BW High Milk

Cow BW, lb

1200

1200

1400

1400

Milk Yield lb/d

15

25

15

25

Equivalent BW

1200

1400

1400

1600

Total Cows

100

85

85

73

Total Calves

88

75

75

65

Calf WW

540

588

552

600

$/CWT

163.79

158.3

162.40

156.96

$/Calf

884.47

930.82

896.45

941.75

Herd Gross Income

77,833

69,812

67,234

61,214

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FRONTLINE Beef Producer 23

MANAGEMENT

by John PATTERSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PRODUCER EDUCATION NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION

Are You and Your Facilities Ready for Pre-conditioning

N

ational BQA programs advocate the usage of scientific information and validated practical knowledge to develop recommendations for best practices, development of self-assessment tools, development of measurable audit processes and the implementation of credible third-party audits.

The beef industry is working on formalizing welfare assessment tools and realizes that third-party audits can be an effective system for ensuring that animal well-being practices are implemented.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has worked diligently to articulate the “Producer Code for Cattle Care,” which are sound production practices.

These practices include: 1) To provide adequate food, water and care to protect cattle health and well-being; 2) To provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health; 3) To provide facilities that allow safe and humane movement and/or restraint of livestock; 4) To provide personnel with training to properly handle and care for cattle and; 5) To make timely observations of livestock to ensure basic needs are being met. Persons who willfully mistreat animals will not be tolerated ( http : / / w w w. e x pl ore b e e f . org / CMDocs/ExploreBeef/FactSheet_ AnimalWelfare.pdf).

Clint Peck, the former Director of the Montana BQA program proposed that by following BQA recommendations a rancher could theoretically add significantly to yearly income if the practices shown in Example 1 were implemented.

24 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

EXAMPLE 1.

HOW BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE (BQA) COULD ADD VALUE TO A 300 COW RANCH AND AT THE SAME TIME ENHANCE ANIMAL AND HUMAN WELFARE Management practice

$/herd of 300

Handling calves quietly when processing; 5 lbs extra gain/calf

$1,650

Vaccine was handled and administered properly

$1,650

Two extra calves/year because cows and calves were handled and vaccinated properly before and after calving

$1,320

Improvement in 1200 lb cull cows that were sound at sale time and were not crippled ($.15/lb added value)

$360

Decrease in repair costs 5% on $2500 worth of equipment because cattle are not crammed and jammed through working facility

$125

Decrease annual workmen’s comp and medical expenses by 5% because people are not getting injured from improper livestock handling

$250

Total annual savings or increase in incomewith no significant cash outlay

$5,355

From Clint Peck, Director of Montana Beef Quality Assurance Program

Working/Processing Cattle Standard Operating Procedures 1. Processing is a quality, not quantity, driven task.

2. Proper cattle handling and facilities are imperative to assuring cattle health and performance.

3. (The maintenence crew) will inspect the working facilities prior to use to ensure proper

and safe operability.

4. Any processing equipment malfunctions or issues that may cause animal or human injury should be reported to (operation manager) immediately.

5. The (manager or trainer name) will be responsible for ensuring that all employees have been properly trained on the operation of the equipment and/or instruments that they are

MANAGEMENT using.

6. Cattle are much more susceptible to heat stress than cold stress.

Processing cattle increases body temperature. It is best to work cattle in the cool portion of the day, and to avoid days in which a large increase in temperature is expected (especially days preceding extremely warm nights).

7. Electric prods will not be used unless the animal is extremely resistant. If the electric prods are used (on greater than 10%) of the cattle (the manager) will be required to (inspect the facilities for physical objects or other conditions that are impeding the

cattle, or to retrain the employees on proper cattle handling, or remove those employees are contributing to cattle handling challenges).

8. All crew members will be trained by the (trainer and/or the veterinarian) on the proper Beef Quality Assurance guidelines on injections, injection techniques, and injection locations.

9. No injections will be given anywhere but in the neck of cattle except by order of the herd veterinarian or as directed by the medication label.

10. All processing tasks will be recorded (on a processing map sheet).

11. Each lot of cattle will be worked according to instructions given (by the operation manager to the head processor). Instructions will be adjusted according to the risk status of each lot of cattle.

12. A protocol for the processing of high- and low-risk cattle will be established by (the herd veterinarian) and applied accordingly to the cattle.

Can your ranch pass the cattle handling audit found on page 26?

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 25

MANAGEMENT BQA Cattle Handling Practices Audit

Is an electric prod used on < 10% of cattle?

Not Applicable

Use* of electric prods should be minimized. Record the number of cattle on which an electric prod is used. Calculate the percentage that are prodded and record the percentage.

Number of cattle prodded ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % prodded *Use is defined as discharging electric current while in contact with the animal.

If 10% or more of the cattle are prodded, mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Needs Improvement*

Animal Handling Scoring Driving Aides

Measure “Needs Improvement” items require a description to be placed in the “Comments” field (Comments are optional for “Acceptable” markings.)

Acceptable

Category/ Point

% (Acceptable is <10.0%)

Falling

Not Applicable

Number of cattle that fall ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % falling *Falling is defined by the animal’s torso/belly touching the ground.

If 2% or more of the cattle fall, mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Needs Improvement*

Cattle should not fall* upon release from the chute. Record the number of cattle that fall. Calculate the percentage that fall and record the percent- age.

Acceptable

Comments: Animal Handling Scoring Chutes/Restraints Falling

% (Acceptable is <2.0%)

Stumbling/Tripping

Not Applicable

Cattle should not stumble/trip* upon release from the chute. Record the number of cattle that stumble following release from the chute. Calculate the percentage that stumble/trip and record the percentage.

Number of cattle that stumble ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % stumbling/tripping *Stumbling/tripping is defined as an animal contacting the ground with a knee.

If 10% more of the cattle stumble/trip, mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Needs Improvement*

Animal Handling Scoring Chutes/Restraints Stumbling / Tripping

Acceptable

Comments:

% (Acceptable is <10.0%)

Vocalizing

Not Applicable

Most cattle will not vocalize when in the chute, following restraint but prior to occurrence of a procedure.

Record the number of cattle that vocalize following improper restraint but prior to occurrence of a procedure. Calculate the percentage that vocalize and record the percentage.

Number of cattle that vocalize ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % vocalizing If 5% or more of the cattle vocalize following restraint, associated with improper restraint, but prior to occurrence of a procedure mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Needs Improvement*

Animal Handling Scoring Chutes/Restraints Vocalizing

Acceptable

Comments:

% (Acceptable is <5.0%)

Comments: Needs Improvement*

Not Applicable Not Applicable

Running/Jumping

Needs Improvement*

Number of cattle that jump or run ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % jumping or running *Do not count a trotting/loping as running.

If 25% or more of the cattle jump or run upon release from the chute, mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Acceptable

Most cattle will not jump or run* out of the chute following release. Record the number of cattle that jump or run upon release. Calculate the percent- age that jump or run and record the percentage.

Acceptable

Animal Handling Scoring Chutes/Restraints Running / Jumping

% (Acceptable is <25.0%)

Comments: Animal Handling Scoring Chutes/Restraints Miscaught

Chutes should be operated such that the position of the animal is read- justed if it is improperly caught*. Record the number of cattle that are miscaught. Calculate the percentage that are miscaught and record the percentage.

Number of cattle that are miscaught ÷ Total cattle observed x 100 = % miscaught *Miscaught is defined as the animal being in any position other than with its head fully outside of the chute and the balance of the body within the chute, or if an animal is caught in the tail/back gate and not released.

If any cattle are miscaught and not readjusted, mark Unacceptable/No and complete the comments section.

Miscaught Comments:

26 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

% (Acceptable is <0.0%)

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 27

MANAGEMENT

by Aaron BERGER, UNL EXTENSION EDUCATOR PANHANDLE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - LINCOLN

Early Pregnancy Detection A Tool for Managing and Marketing the Cowherd

E

arly pregnancy detection in replacement heifers or cows is a tool producers can use to increase profit. Traditionally, cows and replacement heifers are pregnancy tested in the fall of the year and then non-pregnant cows and cull cows are marketed at that time. This is also when cull cow prices are seasonally at their lowest.

Timing of Pregnancy Test Pregnancy can be detected in cows as early as 30 days using ultrasound and blood tests.

For cows to be identified as pregnant utilizing the palpation method, cows often need to be at least 35-50 days pregnant. Experience of the person palpating can make a significant difference on how early in this range that pregnancy can be detected.

Producers should realize that stress to heifers and cows early in pregnancy can result in loss.

Research has shown a pregnancy loss of 1-3.5% when palpation or ultrasound are used for pregnancy diagnosis at 40 - 75 days of gestation.

Selling Non-pregnant Cows in August For cow herds calving January April, cows can be pregnancy tested in late August and non-pregnant cows sold at that time. Marketing at

this time provides two advantages.

The first is that cull cow prices in August tend to be 5-10% higher than they are in October or November.

The second is that cows that are nursing a calf will typically lose weight from August through the time that calves are weaned due to forage quality having matured and decreasing in its nutritive value.

Selling non-pregnant cows in August when they weigh more and prices are seasonally higher provides the opportunity for producers to capture more value from these cows than leaving the calves on the cows and waiting to pregnancy test at weaning.

Early weaning calves from cows in August will require additional high quality feed and management.

However calves at this age are very efficient and the cost of supplemental feed is often not much more expensive than the cost of carrying

the pair.

Comparing Methods of Pregnancy Testing There are several advantages and disadvantages to each of the three methods of pregnancy testing. In some instances using a combination of these methods within a herd may be a valuable tool to accomplish marketing goals.

A webinar titled “Early Pregnancy Diagnosis, a Management and Marketing Tool” was recently recorded that highlighted pregnancy diagnosis methods and how they can be utilized.

Other Considerations For producers whose firstcalf heifers calve in the January - May time frame, utilizing early pregnancy diagnosis on these heifers as yearlings provides producers the opportunity to timely market

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES FOR THREE METHODS OF PREGNANCY TESTING

When Pregnancy can be Detected

Age of Calf

Sex of Calf

Experienced Technician Needed?

Cost Per Cow

When Results Known

Palpation

35-50 Days

Yes

No

Yes

$3-$10

Immediately

Ultrasound

30 Days

Yes

Potentially

Yes

$7-$15

Immediately

Blood Test

30 Days

No

No

No

$3-5

2-4 Days

28 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

MANAGEMENT non-pregnant heifers. These nonpregnant heifers can be marketed as soon as they are identified or a producer may choose to continue to put weight on them and market later if conditions warrant. These non-pregnant heifers may also be implanted provided that ownership will be retained long enough to see the benefit of the implant.

For producers, leaving bulls with the cows for a long breeding season provides the opportunity to potentially get a higher percentage of cows pregnant. Cows that will calve later than desired can be sold to someone else whose calving season fits that time frame. This can be a way to capture additional value from later calving cows that would

otherwise be sold as non-pregnant females in a short breeding season – provided feed resources allow this.

Summary Non-pregnant heifers and cows as well as cull/bred cows can provide as much as 20% of the gross income to a cow-calf operation on an annual basis. Taking advantage of opportunities to effectively add value to and market these cows through the use of timely pregnancy diagnosis along with an understanding of market seasonality can allow producers to capture more profit from this segment of the cowcalf operation.

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Valley View Ranch

James Ottmann  Est 1967  Membership 1537 PO Box 22  Rock Port, MO 64482 (816) 387-7322  valleyviewranch@tarkio.net Chad & Mandy Ottmann (660)787-0220  chadottman@yahoo.com FRONTLINE Beef Producer 29

30 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 31

MANAGEMENT

source PFIZER ANIMAL HEALTH

Eight Factors for Confident Vaccine Selection

N

ot all vaccines are created equal, and the myriad of choices can be confusing.

Your veterinarian is the best resource to help you sort through product information and make science-based vaccine recommendations to provide complete protection for your herd. If your cattle aren’t fully protected against respiratory and reproductive diseases, your herd’s health, productivity and profitability could be at risk.

“Vaccines need to be carefully assessed and chosen to ensure your dairy operation isn’t in danger of a disease outbreak,” says Greg Edwards, DVM, Cattle Technical Services, Pfizer Animal Health. “The investment you make in selecting the right disease prevention products also can help reduce the significant costs and labor associated with disease treatment.”

Dr. Edwards suggests sitting down with your veterinarian to evaluate vaccines based on eight areas of product differentiation and

pick vaccines that best fit your management needs and vaccination program goals.

1. Label indications and levels of protection: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants label claims based on demonstrated efficacy for each disease organism in the vaccine. These levels of protection include: Prevention of Infection, Prevention of Disease, Aids in Disease Prevention, Aids in Disease Control and Other Claims.

Lack-Morrison Brangus Bulls, Females, Semen and Embryos

Bill Morrison 411 CR 10 Clovis, NM 88101 (575) 482-3254 (575) 760-7263 Cell bvmorrison@yucca.net

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www.lackmorrisonbrangus.com 32 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

2. Duration of immunity: Duration of immunity (DOI) is the minimum amount of time you can expect a vaccine to help protect your cattle, based on manufacturer efficacy and disease challenge studies.

A vaccine’s DOI should help protect during the critical risk period for disease risk. Your veterinarian can help schedule revaccination protocols according to your vaccines’ DOI. 3. Immune response time: Some types of vaccines stimulate protective immunity more rapidly than others. For example, intranasal vaccines can help provide a quick immune response.

4. Modified-live virus vs. killed virus vaccines: Modified-live virus (MLV) vaccines contain live organisms that can undergo limited replication within the body. MLV vaccines can have benefits including rapid immune response,1 comprehensive immune response and duration of immunity,2-4 and few postvaccination reactions.4 5. Route of administration: Follow the route of administration indicated on the label to help

MANAGEMENT achieve the expected efficacy of the vaccine. Your vaccine choice and preferred route of administration may depend on your management capabilities, and training your employees on administration may be necessary.

6. Safe for use in pregnant cows and calves nursing cows: Choose vaccines that are safe for use during pregnancy to help bolster immunity of the cow and enhance colostrum quality.

Having flexibility to revaccinate cows during gestation provides protection against viral shedding and supports herd immunity.

7. Convenience: Vaccines come in a variety of combinations that

can be tailored to fit your disease challenges and management needs. Your veterinarian can help you identify disease risks based on herd history or geographic challenges. When choosing combination vaccines, remember that DOI and levels of protection may be different for each antigen in the vaccine.

8. Cost-effectiveness: Profitability on the operation is important, and cost-effectiveness is always a factor in product selection.

Work with your veterinarian to discuss factors that impact a cost-effective vaccine, including management time and labor for administration, vaccine combinations, levels

of protection, duration of immunity, cost of a potential disease outbreak, and price.

Partner with your veterinarian to select vaccines that provide complete protection for your cattle and optimal results for your operation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pfizer Animal Health, a business unit of Pfizer Inc, is a global leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of animal vaccines, medicines, diagnostic products and genetic tests. We work to assure a safe, sustainable global food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry, sheep and fish while helping dogs, cats and horses live healthier longer lives. We strive to be the animal health company that provides full healthcare solutions to veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners. To learn more, visit https://animalhealth.pfizer.com.

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 33

8.13 1.9 1.9

c

5.23 2.1

R= 4.6 3

38 o 10.86

7.78

7.78

8.13

9.15

6.2

ratio : 2 measure : cm

8.784

c

● Higher conception rates

2.1 5.58

● Environmental adaptability

90o

● More pounds of calf per cow ● Fescue Fungus Tolerant

39.78

● Increased Longevity ● Increased efficiency

● Added heat tolerance ● Fewer days on feed

● Consistently earn premiums in Angus product lines including CAB ● Lower yield grades

● Research proven tenderness

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www.GOBRANGUS.com

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 35

INDUSTRY

source Blair FANNIN TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

New Burn - Detection - Modeling System in Development to Help Identify Potential Wildfire Threats

A

burn-risk-detection modeling system in development by a consortium of Texas A&M University System researchers will help predict potential wildfire threats throughout the Lone Star State, according to its developers.

The modeling system will be used by the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Researchers with the Center for Natural Resource Information Technology, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, are developing the modeling program. One of those researchers, Dr. Richard Conner, also an AgriLife Research economist and professor in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M, said the system is a modification of several modeling projects developed a decade ago.

“This current modeling system measures the amount of forage fuel load in a county and is used to predict potential fire danger,” he said.

The modeling system will provide real-time information on fuel loads using vegetation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather information for regions susceptible to wildfire.

“In the wildfire predictive services arena, one of the hardest things to get a handle on is herbaceous fuel load across the state,” said Tom Spencer, head of fire predictive services, Texas A&M Forest Service. “It’s challenging to determine the condition and amount of it. There’s no good way to do that through remote sensing. It’s always been the case where someone 36 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

has to physically go out and look, then make a judgment call.

“This project will help determine if it is possible or not. We think it is, but we still need to determine if the science supports it. Overall, we are looking forward to seeing how this helps us understand potential fire season severity, which will help us assist local governments to better plan ahead. It’s a huge deal if this works out.”

The project has received $125,000 in funding by a federal fire plan grant. So far, the project has been implemented in three counties – Stephens, Palo Pinto and Jack. In these counties, researchers have identified major plant communities and developed field monitoring sites to be included as part of an overall web interface monitoring system.

The team members working on the project include Wayne Hamilton, AgriLife Research range scientist, Jay Angerer, assistant professor at the Blacklands Research and Extension Center in Temple, Ed Rhodes, a research associate at Blacklands, and Jason Jones, an assistant research scientist with the department of ecosystem science and management at Texas A&M. “We will delineate land areas into

ecological sites for an inventory to be used in the modeling system,” Hamilton said. “Ecological sites are areas of the landscape that produce similar kinds and proportions of plant species and total annual yield.

This will allow us to expand our field sampling information across similar areas (ecological sites) and save time and costs in the inventory process.”

Ecological sites also provide “state and transition models” that help identify plant communities and changes likely to occur from management inputs, he said.

“What we are hoping to do is to provide vegetation information that the Forest Service can use to monitor potential wildlife threats across regions of the state.”

Angerer and the center’s team have developed the simulation model framework to run the monitoring system. It includes data such as types of vegetative plants growing in a county or region, soil data and historical weather data.

“We are also using NOAA data with the other information on soils and plant communities we have collected to help predict how much vegetation is growing in a particular area,” he said.

Angerer said vegetation samples are

INDUSTRY clipped to help calibrate the model.

A similar system was developed during a research project at Fort Hood. The collected data, along with remote-sensing information, will be used to identify similar sites in the county so that the entire county can be monitored.

“Once we get the model working, the model will provide a base view of vegetative characteristics of a particular site, and can use this to see how many similar sites we have in an area,” he said. “We then can model these points and build landscape maps of potential fire threats.”

The plant community database is built by taking measurements of plant cover and clippings of vegetation in the field.

“We take the basal area of grasses and measure the canopy cover of shrubs,” Angerer said.

The project uses the PHYGROW modeling system, which computes grass, herb and shrub growth, forage consumption by livestock, and hydrologic processes. The project also uses the Burning Risk Assessment Support System, or BRASS, which is a decision support tool that provides a continuous means for land managers to assess vegetation and weather to support decisions related to prescribed burning and/or the risk of wildfire by utilizing near real-time weather conditions and fuel loads.

The PHYGROW model was first coded in 1990 and has undergone many enhancements since that time.

The model’s original computation algorithms are a mixture of formulas adapted from other plant growth models, as well as biological relationships from grass-tiller-

level research and livestock dietary selection conducted at Texas A&M University.

“The PHYGROW model is capable of simulating growth of multiple species of plants subject to selective grazing by multiple animals on a soil with multiple layers for indefinite periods of time,” Conner said. “The model is designed to be integrated with a wide variety of weather databases, vegetation databases and stocking rule databases, and provides output for a wide variety of data sources and formats including all relational databases.”

BRASS, they explained, is a webbased interface that allows users to examine fire risk for points using an interactive map interface. Simulation modeling of rangeland forage and grazing dates back to the late Dr. Jerry Stuth, an AgriLife R e s e a r c h scientist, who, working with Conner and Hamilton, started the initial Ranching Systems Group seeking research funds for information technology research.

The new m o d e l i n g tool will aid Forest Service personnel in tackling the challenge

of changing range conditions throughout Texas, especially since land has changed ownership through the years and traditional management practices vary.

“Some land is not grazed as heavily as a tract say next door where there may not be any cattle on the property,” Conner said. “There’s fuel build up there and an increasing risk of wildfires. There’s more risk than there used to be, due to people having more land and using it for purposes (other) than cattle production to make money.”

For more information about the Center for Natural Resource Information Technology, visit http:// cnrit.tamu.edu/.

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 37

38 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

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Editorial Calendar Issue

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Spring Mails Feb. 1

January 10

January 20

Fall Mails Sep. 1

August 10

August 20

The Spring and Fall issues of the FRONTLINE Beef Producer will focus on timely and relevant topics aimed at commercial cattlemen to assist and inform producers of the latest technologies, genetics, production techniques and management practices as well as highlighting other successful producers.

5750 EPSILON | SAN ANTONIO, TX 78249 | 210-696-8231 | www.GoBrangus.com

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 39

ADVERTISERSINDEX 101 Ranch

18

Diamond K Ranch

Lack-Morrison Brangus

32

T3 Brangus

33

2H Brangus

18

Doak Lambert

IBC 40

Lakin Oakley

40

The Branch Ranch

23 30

Blackwater Cattle Co.

6-7

Elgin Breeding Service

40

Livestock Photos by Nancy

40

The Wahlberg Texas Co

Cattle Brokers

6-7

Farris Ranching Company

14

Multimin

25

Town Creek Farm

1

Oak Creek Farms

BC

Triple JR Cattle Company

16 29

Cattle Max

40

GeneTrust

Centralized Ultrasound Processing

40

Hill Country Brangus Breeders

35

RA Brown Ranch

27

Valley View Ranch

Circle X Land & Cattle Co.

IFC

Hughes Cattle Service

40

Ritchey Livestock ID

37

Wes Dotson

Coale Cattle Company

22

Indian Hills Ranch

18

Salacoa Valley Farms

38

Westall Ranches

Coastal Tex Genetics

40

Indian Nations Brangus Sale

17

Santa Rosa Ranch

31

Cox Excalibur Brangus

19

IRBBA

Spitzer Ranch

35

INSERT

3

40 10-11, 18

CALENDAROFEVENTS September - 2013

November - 2013

7

Brangus Show of Merit Entry Deadline

1

Concord, AR

14

Don Thomas and Sons “Cadillac of Brangus” Sale

Madison, MO

GeneTrust at Chimney Rock Cattle Company Female Sale

2

Western National Brangus Show

Oklahoma City, OK

GeneTrust at Chimney Rock Cattle Company Bull Sale

Concord, AR

21

26-27 Southeast Regional Junior Brangus Show Lake City, FL

2

Brangus Show of Merit

Shreveport, LA

28

9

The Cattleman’s Kind Bull Sale at Blackwater Cattle Company

Lake Park, GA

9

Hill Country Brangus Breeders Sale

San Angelo, TX

9-13

Branch Ranch Brangus Bull Internet Sale

15

World Series of Brangus Female Sale

Palo Pinto, TX

16

World Series of Brangus Bull Sale

Palo Pinto, TX

SBBA Female Sale

Lake City, FL

October - 2013 9-11

RA Brown Ranch Legacy Sale

Throckmorton, TX

12

CX Advantage Sale

Weimar, TX

12

Salacoa Valley Bull and Female Sale

Fairmount, GA

14-16 4th Annual Gorczyca and Son Elite Show Heifer Internet Sale Poteet, TX

December - 2013

19

Doguet’s Diamond D Ranch Annual Production Sale

19

Town Creek Farm Bull and Commercial West Point, MS Female Sale

February - 2014

26

Indian Nations Fall Brangus Sale

McAlester, OK

22

26

Oak Creek Farms Forage Tested Bull Sale

Chappell Hill, TX

26

Miller Brangus Bull and Female Sale

Waynesboro, TN

7

GeneTrust at Cavender’s Neches River Jacksonville, TX Ranch Bull and Commercial Female Sale Spitzer Ranch’s Professional Cattlemen’s Fair Play, SC Brangus Bull and Commercial Female Sale

For the most current listing of Upcoming Events visit gobrangus.com/calendar

40 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

FRONTLINE Beef Producer 41

Oak Creek Farms Forage Tested Bull Sale

Saturday, October 26, 2013 - 12:30 p.m.

Oak Creek Farms Sale Facility, Chappell Hill, Texas

Selling 125 Forage Tested OCF Bulls

55 Brangus  55 Red Brangus  10 Irish Angus  5 Red Angus Source Verified Commercial Heifer Sale to follow Bull Sale Pre-Sale Activities, Friday, October 25, 2013: 2:00 PM - Parade of Bulls  6:00 p.m. - Seminar followed by Ribeye Steak Dinner sponsored by Pfizer Seminar Speakers: Dr. Rick Machan, Texas A&M - Grassfed Beef  Kevin Milliner, Pfizer - DNA Technology Update Ranch Tours Available Thursday and Friday

Input costs are increasing more rapidly than prices for cattle. Oak Creek Farm’s Forage Developed Cattle thrive and perform on grass year after year without any additional inputs.

Dr. Rick Machen of Texas A&M will address the different options for producing and marketing cattle including Traditional, Natural Grassfed, Organic Beef, and Niche Marketing.

Over Thirty Years Experience Breeding Low Input, Highly Efficient, Easy Fleshing Cattle That Thrive in The Pasture OCF Bulls gathered for Forage Test Weigh Out in Brazos River Bottom

On October 26, Our Top 125 Coming Two Year Old Forage Tested OCF Bulls Will Sell!

Bulls Forage Tested at OCF beginning on March 1st and ending September 1st under guidelines of Texas Forage & Grassland Council. Weights and Measures recorded by Texas A&M Extension Service.

oakcreekfarms.com- customer’s OCF sired calves achieve 80-90% choice & prime!

www.oakcreekfarms.com

Oak Creek Farms  info@oakcreekfarms.com

Going on ten years using DNA to identify desirable heritable traits.

Creek 42 FRONTLINE BeefOak Producer

John & Carolyn Kopycinski  Chappell Hill, Texas 979/836-6832

Directions from Houston: Hwy 290 (60 mi west) then 4 mi south on FM 1371

Farms - Celebrating our 46th Anniversary - Breeding Brangus Since 1967