A NEWS SOURCE FOR COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCERS
MARCH•APRIL 2009
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 2
FRONTLINE beef producer
Grazing Management
+
Herd Health
TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES
FRONTLINE Beef Producer
12 Cowboy or Grass Farmer?
Managing Editor
Grazing System Improves Land and Benefits Livestock. by Clifford Mitchell
20 A Complex Recipe
There is No Generic Formula for Herd Health. by Clifford Mitchell
DEPARTMENTS
6 Out Front
Challenges Facing the Cow Calf Producer. by Dr. Joseph Massey
7 Field Medicine
Trichomoniasis. by Soren Rodning, DVM, MS, DACT
8 Genetic Strategies The Value of Heterosis. by Mark Enns, PhD
10 Market Intelligence
The Economy Weighs Down the Cattle Market. by Dr. Dave Anderson
16 Nutrition Strategies
Pasture Stocking Density and the Relationship to Animal Performance. by Dr. Matt Hersom
Duncan MacRae Administration/Circulation
Frances Miller
Contributing Editors
Dr. Dave Anderson Dr. Mark Enns Dr. Matt Hersom Dr. Joseph Massey Clifford Mitchell Marcine Moldenhauer Advertising Director
Sara Calhoun
Layout and Design
Duncan MacRae Copy Editor
Carolyn Kobos Proofreader
Jim Bulger Operations
Mary Douglass Rosanne Sralla Patti Teeler
FRONTLINE Beef Producer is a product of:
Brangus Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 696020 San Antonio, Texas 78269-6020 Phone: 210.696.8231 Fax: 210.696.8718 Brangus Publications, Inc. Directors: Dale Kirkham - Chairman Dr. Joseph Massey - President Don Cox - Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Robert Vineyard E. Lynn White Information appearing in this issue may be reprinted only with written permission of Brangus Publications, Inc.
LPC Livestock Publications Council - Member
25 STATE DIRECTORY 31 ADVERTISER INDEX 31 CALENDER OF EVENTS
OUT FRONT | by Dr. Joseph Massey
Challenges Facing the Cow Calf Producer
A
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Massey has served as Executive Vice President of the IBBA since 2004. In 2007, he started Genetic Performance Solutions, LLC, a breed registry services and performance analysis company serving the cattle and breed association industry— a joint venture between the IBBA and the Red Angus Association of America. GPS manages online registry programs for breed associations and the data base management of performance data like multibreed EPDs.
s we start to make decisions about our spring and summer pastures, the one challenge that seems to be hitting us across the face is that cost of inputs, such as fertilizer, labor and feed supplement have not reset relative to the price that we can expect for our calves. In addition, different regions of the United States have different environmental stress factors which affect the costs of inputs. The questions that face us today, maybe more than in the past, is what type of animals should we be raising when it comes to breed or breed type and what size animal as it relates to ability to maintain, breed and raise a calf with the inputs available. We need a better understanding of not only the types of animals we want to produce but the type of animals we don’t what to produce. Perhaps we should change the way that we view our cattle: maybe we should take better care of the bred, thin looking cow with a big calf at side rather than the cow without a calf which looks good. This observation helps us to understand size, frame and the genetic potential of the resulting offspring. We might have been forced over the last
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several years to sell off animals that have not produced for any number of reasons from environmental factors to the cost of production. We should all be aware that the production model may be changing and we can’t afford to make the same old mistakes breeding or managing as we have in the past. We need to realize that identifying the do’s and don’t of our business carry equal weight today. We sometimes think that what is good for our neighbor is good for us and that prevents us from changing our way of thinking and taking action. You do not need a crystal ball to know that the genetic value of your bulls plays a more important role today in the management of your cow herd. Making predictions based on offspring from phenotypic bull selections is too costly a proposition and a risk that we can no longer take. We can no longer pretend that EPDs don’t work if we don’t understand them. Although EPDs are a tool like your records, computer, scale and so on, EPDs are only one tool and their value depends on how you learn to use them for your operation. No tool is absolute and EPDs are certainly not a simple tool but EPDs may be one of the best tools available to all cattlemen in the cow calf business. I have been struggling to understand what our model of production will be over the next several years in order for us to make money in the cattle business. I have to be honest and and admit that I wish I had a magic crystal ball to predict the right model. What I do know is that producing animals which grow, thrive and produce efficiently will give me the best chance of making money going forward. This is not the time to save a dollar on an unknown source of genetics; you need to commit resources and effort in selecting bulls with known predictability of performance. I cannot stress strongly enough, that our only real chance of success rests on our ability to identify bulls with high levels of predictability. Selecting a bull with no knowledge of its genetic value is like gambling at your favorite recreational watering hole.
FIELD MEDICINE | by Soren Rodning, DVM, MS, DACT
Trichomoniasis
T
richomoniasis is a bovine venereal disease that can cause substantial reproductive and economic loss in cow-calf operations that use natural service. The disease is caused by the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus), and is commonly referred to as ‘Trich’. Bulls can become chronic, asymptomatic carriers of T. foetus, because the organism can live in the microscopic folds of a bull’s penis and prepuce. However, infections in cows can result in early embryonic death, abortion, pyometra (pus-filled uterus detected at pregnancy examination), or infertility, influencing the reproductive performance and economic profitability of a cow-calf operation. How does trichomoniasis affect a cattle herd? Some indications that your herd may be experiencing a problem with trichomoniasis:
• Repeated breeding resulting in long, drawn-out breeding and calving seasons. • A high percentage of open cows at pregnancy examination, or detection of a wide range of gestational ages. Most embryonic/fetal losses occur during the first trimester, and late term abortions are not common with trichomoniasis. Therefore, most reproductive losses are detected during pregnancy examination or the calving season. • Pyometra(s) detected at pregnancy examination; this typically occurs in less than 5% of animals. • Bulls show no clinical signs, but can become chronic carriers. • Cows and heifers will rarely show a very mild vaginal discharge, but this is usually never noticed. Therefore, like the bull, there are typically no initial clinical signs that a cow or heifer is infected with T. foetus. • Cows and heifers can usually clear the infection in 2 to 6 months (sometimes longer), but usually not before sustaining some type of reproductive loss.
With so few noticeable clinical signs of trichomoniasis it is important to view a herd’s overall reproductive performance to look for any indication of a problem. Trichomoniasis should be suspected, along with many other culprits, anytime herd reproductive performance declines in a natural service herd. In herds with new infections, the results can be devastating, with a long, drawn-out calving season and only a 50% to 70% calf crop. In herds where trichomoniasis has gone undetected for a long time, the results may be less dramatic because of temporary herd immunity. In such cases, the calf crop may only be reduced 5% to 10%; however, this loss is still enough to have a substantial economic impact. Economic impact The economic impact of trichomoniasis is primarily due to three factors: • Loss of calf crop due to early embryonic loss or abortion. • Loss of income due to lighter weaning weights resulting from delayed conception and late calving (since calves are born later in the season and then sold at lighter weights).
• Culling of open cows and infected bulls, and the costs associated with replacing valuable breeding stock.
Risk factors associated with trichomoniasis Some factors that put a herd at risk for acquiring and maintaining trichomoniasis: • Natural service • Using leased or borrowed bulls, or introducing any ‘non-virgin’ bulls into a herd without prior testing • Large herd size (smaller herd size decreases exposure potential)
Transmission Tritrichomonas foetus is transmitted when an infected bull breeds a susceptible cow or heifer, or when a susceptible bull breeds an infected cow or heifer. Very rarely is T. foetus ever transmitted by contaminated semen or artificial insemination (AI) equipment, especially if semen is purchased from reputable AI studs and used with hygienic AI techniques. Reputable AI studs have strict biosecurity and quality control measures in place to ensure that their bull semen is not contaminated with T. foetus. So, AI using hygienic techniques with bull semen from a reputable source is an excellent way to prevent the introduction of T. foetus, although AI may not be practical in larger herds. Treatment Trichomoniasis is usually self-limiting in cows and heifers (they will usually clear the infection in 2 to 6 months), as opposed to bulls that typically become chronically infected. Unfortunately, one of the complicating factors associated with trichomoniasis is that there are currently no effective treatments with Food and Drug Administration approval. Therefore, infected bulls must be culled. Prevention of trichomoniasis Some recommended practices to prevent the introduction of T. foetus into a cattle herd include: • Utilize artificial insemination • Have your veterinarian test new ‘non-virgin’ bulls at least once along with a breeding soundness evaluation. This includes leased and borrowed bulls. • Purchase replacement animals from reputable sources and test appropriate animals prior to introducing them to the herd
If you suspect trichomoniasis in your herd, contact your veterinarian for a thorough investigation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Soren Rodning is an Assistant Professor and Extension Veterinarian in the Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Current Extension efforts primarily involve promoting herd health management for beef cattle.
GENETIC STRATEGIES | by Mark Enns, PhD
The Value of Heterosis
A ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Enns’ research focuses on methods to genetically evaluate and select animals that fit their production environment both biologically and economically. These efforts include development of new methods for evaluating and improving cow and heifer fertility, cow maintenance requirements, time to finish in the feedlot; and development of methods to better use economic information in selection decisions for increased profitability of beef production.
nd the cycle continues…. Another breeding season is on the horizon, and it is the time when we start to think about our breeding program. What do we need to change about our selection program to make be more profitable? Is our selection focus on the right traits? How have our bull purchase decisions in the past turned out? Did they help us become more profitable? From the commercial producer’s standpoint, there are two things to think about as you consider your upcoming bull purchases: 1. Selecting the best bulls to purchase and 2. Taking advantage of heterosis. The goal of both of these is to improve profitability through either reducing production costs or increasing income. In the past this column has discussed the importance of narrowing the traits selected to those that directly influence profitability, but has not addressed the importance of heterosis and complementarity in organized crossbreeding programs for the commercial producer. The two reasons for crossbreeding is to take advantage of complementarity and heterosis, or hybrid vigor. Complementarity occurs when two breeds or biological types are combined to produce especially desirable offspring, or as in the case of Brangus, to produce a composite that retains hybrid vigor. The formation of Brangus combined the strengths of the Angus and Brahman breeds into a single new breed. The formation of Brangus also took advantage of heterosis. Heterosis is an increase in performance in offspring above what is expected given the performance of the parental breeds. Normally we would expect progeny performance to be the average of the parents. For many traits when we cross animals of different breeds, we see an increase in performance of those offspring beyond what is expected. This is heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor. Heterosis is not manifested at the same levels in all traits and generally is most beneficial for lowly heritable traits—traits such as calving rate, calf sur-
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vival, cow productivity, and weaning rate. It is in these traits where we expect the biggest “boost” in performance, often in the range of 10% to 30% improvements in performance of first cross animals. While in other, more highly heritable traits, such as mature weight, and carcass traits we see smaller improvements in performance, often in the range of 0% to 5% increased performance. Typically more heterosis is exhibited in the crosses of diverse breeds such as Angus and Brahman as opposed to less diverse breeds and the maximum amount of heterosis is always exhibited in the first generation of the crossbred individuals. In many operations, however, continually generating a first cross is not feasible due to problems in sourcing purebred female replacements. This is where the appropriate use of a good composite breeding program comes in to play. Composites are designed to maintain favorable levels of heterosis even when the same breeds are mated, such as in mating Brangus to Brangus. The appropriate mating of Brangus to Brangus will maintain nearly 47% of the heterosis exhibited in offspring resulting from an Angus to Brahman mating. The key to maintaining heterosis in a composite mating system is to avoid inbreeding. So as you consider mating decisions in the coming year, avoid inbreeding as that only serves to reduce the benefits of hybrid vigor. Composites likely provide one of the easiest ways to capitalize on hybrid vigor and the performance advantages it brings. In the end good crossbreeding programs will result in improved profitability. Research studies show improvements in cow lifetime productivity of over 500 lbs (or 1 calf ) and perhaps more meaningfully, research from the mid-1990s shows improvements in profitability of $75 per cow exposed due to the benefits of heterosis in a commercial setting. Given current economic conditions, all improvements in profitability are welcome!
MARKET INTELLIGENCE | by Dr. David Anderson
The Economy Weighs Down the Cattle Market er exports, and the same problems plaguing the rest of the economy. This milk price decline has taken milk prices from profitable levels to red ink in a short period. Increased dairy cow culling in response to huge financial losses is already appearing. Continued large numbers dairy cows going to market will weigh on the cull cow market. Overall, the cattle market will be supported by tighter supplies of beef, not only shorter term, but into 2010 and 2011, as well.
T
he year started out with continued bad news across the whole economy. The nation’s Gross Domestic Economy (GDP), the measure of the size of the economy, declined in the first quarter indicating a shrinking economy and continued recession. Unemployment continued to grow. The cattle market hasn’t been immune to the ills felt in the overall economy. But, for all the bad news there are a few positives for the cattle market that may balance out some of the negatives.
about the author Dr. Anderson is a Professor and Livestock Economist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at Texas A&M University. His work involves livestock market and policy research.
Fewer Cows Overall, the biggest potential positive for the cattle market comes from the supply side. USDA’s Cattle Inventory report was released at the end of January. The report indicated that the United States had a total cattle inventory of 94.5 million head, the fewest since 1959. The number of beef cows declined 764,000 head, or 2.4%. That was the fewest beef cows inventoried since 1963. While those declining numbers are dramatic, it’s important to remember that more beef is produced per cow today than ever before. But, those numbers do mean that the United States will produce fewer calves and less beef in the future. The cow herd inventory indicates longer term declining supply of beef. Both the pork and broiler industries are also contracting supplies due to financial losses, largely because of high feed costs. Financial losses in the cattle feeding sector have led to fewer cattle on feed, reducing beef supplies shorter term. It appears that 2009 will be the first year since 2004 that total meat supplies declined, year-over-year. Declining competing pork and poultry should help to support beef prices. The dairy industry may have a significant effect on beef prices over the next few months. Milk prices have collapsed over the last two months due to large supplies, sharply low-
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It’s The Economy… Yet, even with tighter supplies of beef and all meats, the demand side has been the key factor in cattle and beef markets. Financial losses in the feeding sector cut into the demand for feeder cattle. The lack of wheat pasture grazing establishment and credit tightening cut into the demand for stocker cattle. And fears about the economy have cut into beef demand and prices at the wholesale and retail levels, as well. Consumer’s fears about the economy and fears for their own financial situation have led to a substantial cutback in spending on all goods. A shrinking economy and an increasing savings rate indicate that people are spending less money. Reduced spending has shown up in the cuts of beef that people are purchasing. Wholesale prices for “endmeats” like chucks and rounds are higher than a year ago, while “middle meats,” like steaks, are lower (middlemeats and endmeats refer to the location on the carcass that they come from). Ground beef prices have also been higher than last year. These price changes provide some evidence that consumers are changing how they spend their beef dollar. Consumers have been switching to lower priced cuts to make their money go further. Where Are We Headed? On balance, the state of the economy has had the upper hand on the beef market so far in 2009. “When does the economy begin to recover?” is the key question for the cattle and beef market. Supplies of cattle and calves are tightening to the point that if economic recovery begins prices could jump much higher, quickly. At this point, the consensus seems to be that it will be 2010 before any recovery begins. It would appear that beef cow numbers will continue to contract in 2009. When recovery begins, tighter cow and calf numbers means that there will be a rush to find replacements to begin to build herds. While there is a lot of market uncertainty, replacement producers could see an even larger jump in prices from a rising cattle market and increasing demand for heifers
FEATURE | by Clifford Mitchell
Cowboy or Grass Farmer? Grazing System Improves Land and Benefits Livestock
M
ost winemakers coddle their vines waiting for the exact time to harvest the grapes to produce that perfect vintage. Tobacco growers are constantly monitoring their crop adding water at the right time to make sure the plants yield that expensive cigar. Orange groves are protected from freezing temperatures to make sure each type—organic, extra pulp, no pulp or calcium enriched—is on the table come breakfast time at an affordable price. Even the do-it-yourself gardener, who is unknowingly competing with his neighbors to have his flower beds alive with color and his lawn highly manicured for people to see as they drive through the neighborhood, brings forth a certain passion that can only be shared between man and the ground he works. To the outsider, most would say the cowboy’s passion is to take care of the animals that walk his pastures; giving his horse a good rub down and a bite of grain after a hard day’s work or making sure the newborns are sheltered from the next storm. These are jobs that, to most, regularly fall under the term “cow hand”. Real cattlemen show their true colors and don the hat of a “grass farmer”. Not “sodbuster”, but yes, “grass farmer”. Unlike the vineyard, tobacco field and the orange grove that depend on fancy machines to add timeliness and efficiency to the harvest, beef producers depend on that four-legged critter to get the job done. Harvesting forages this way cuts down on the fuel bill and there are no high priced dust collectors waiting to be used one time a year. Growing higher quality forages and using the “beef machines” to harvest them more efficiently should help keep costs down in this era where everything’s getting more expensive. “Rotational grazing will allow for better forage utilization and keeps forage quality more uniform throughout the pasture. Continuous grazing allows for animals to concentrate on one area and control weed intrusion,” says Dr. Rocky Lemus, Mississippi State University extension forage specialist. Rotational grazing can make the most of different grasses. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Proper management will help utilize forage species, improve Clifford Mitchell is a second stocking rates and make more efficient use of the acreage. generation cattleman who “We are running 300% more cattle now, in the same area, currently owns and operates than we were when we were continuously grazing. Every year Elkhorn Creek, a freelance communications business in we have improved our forages and increased stocking rates, grazing our native range pastures,” says Bill Jacobs, Jacobs Guthrie, Oklahoma. Upon Ranch Sulphur, Oklahoma. graduation from Oklahoma State University he began a “For the warm season bahia and bermuda grasses, the career in communications, forage grows better and producers get more gain per unit starting as a field reporter. of land. Producers can increase stocking rates, average daily Mitchell currently writes gain might suffer, but there are more animals per acre,” says for a wide range of beef publications.
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Dr. Joao Vendramini, forage specialist, University of Florida Range Cattle Research Center. The phrase “rotational grazing” sometimes scares a lot of producers for a couple of reasons: it is not traditional, and some producers are not comfortable when it comes to making decisions. “You have to make decisions with rotational grazing. It’s not continuous. Producers have to make the decision when to move cattle,” Vendramini says. “I want to make it clear rotational stocking is not intensive grazing. For instance, if you had one 30 acre pasture and made two 15 acre pastures and rotated cattle back and forth, this is not intensive, you are just moving cattle.” “I would recommend producers start on a small scale when they start cell grazing. It takes some time getting used to the concept,” Jacobs says. “If you’re running 1000 yearlings, take 200 or 300 head, divide some ground and see if you can adjust to moving cattle.” “You have to get used to the system. You have to pay more attention to a lot of the small details. Initially it will be a little more intense, but cattle will perform better and will utilize forage better,” Lemus says. “Once you get a handle on the system, management becomes very easy.” As cattlemen make the decision to breech tradition, getting started will take some time and investment; there is an initial cost some producers may face. “Electric fence works well for most producers. However, it doesn’t work in every situation. Some people want a more permanent fence,” Vendramini says. “Water can be an issue. Design your grazing system to make water accessible.” “I like solar powered chargers and electric fencing to divide my paddocks. Electric fence is cheaper and faster to put up than some form of permanent fence,” Jacobs says. “Water supply is a big deal. A large density of livestock can foul a stock pond pretty quickly.” The actual design of the grazing system could vary from place to place. Many factors are involved when producers actually divide acreages to rotational graze. Forage type, soil quality and water availability can make the difference for either a really clean system that looks like the drawings in some textbooks or paddocks that vary in size to best utilize available resources. “There’s no way every paddock can be exactly the same size. Producers should adjust grazing time to the number of acres,” Lemus says. “Make sure animals have access to clean water. If pond water is the only option fence the ponds so livestock can drink, but can’t get in them. I like to have an isolated water source to keep it clean. Make sure the water source is accessible and animals don’t have to walk too far to get a drink. If cattle aren’t getting enough water it will affect the amount of grazing.”
“Make life easy on yourself. Try to design paddocks that are relatively the same size. If the paddocks are different sizes adjust the grazing period accordingly. Keep in mind, larger paddocks sometimes don’t get grazed as effectively as the smaller ones,” Vendramini says. “Large densities of livestock need to have enough space and it becomes more demanding on the water supply.” “If you have a 1000 acre pasture you want to divide: it doesn’t mean you have to divide it one third, one third and one third. In large areas, soil quality could be different and some areas grow better forage than others. Fence your pastures according to production ability and adjust the time period you are going graze each paddock,” Jacobs says. “I like to have two ponds in each paddock. Because I have large densities of livestock, I usually run out of good water before I do grass and have to leave more forage than I want to.” Once the paddocks have been fenced and water sources identified, management will have to continue evaluation, to make the best use of available forages. By maintaining an efficient system, the pastures and livestock will benefit. “By maintaining forages at a more uniform height, legumes can be incorporated much easier. This helps forage quality, plus puts atmospheric nitrogen back into the soil. We can also over-seed most pastures with small grains to maintain grazing quality,” Lemus says. “As manure breaks down, there will be more efficient nutrient distribution throughout the pasture. Forages that are in the vegetative state recover more quickly, and have better digestibility.” “Grasses grow better and producers can more efficiently harvest them in a rotational system. As fertilizer prices continue to rise most producers want to fertilize at a minimum rate and get maximum return,” Vendramini says. “If you are managing the system properly and not overgrazing, there will be an increase in the amount of desirable species to compete with weed species, which will soon be eliminated.”
Benefits from this system aren’t confined to the health of the pasture and harvesting forages more efficiently. Direct benefits can be seen in reduction of labor costs and benefits to the bottom line. “I know it saves labor on this ranch. If I was continuous grazing, I would have 12 pastures to check every day. By rotating through 12 paddocks, I only have to check one pasture,” Jacobs says. “We’re moving cattle typically every fourth day and I can doctor a lot of cattle on that fourth day. The last ones through the gate are usually the ones that have a problem. I continue to rotate during the winter even though most of my forages are dormant; cows can still take advantage of some winter annuals in each paddock. If I have to break ice, I only have to do it in one pasture.” The system can be adapted to different classes of livestock. Special needs will exist with each class, but the bottom line could see significant improvements by adapting management philosophy to rotational grazing. “You can’t rotate cows and calves when the calves are younger than 45 days. If you keep moving cattle, you’ll find you’re orphaning lots of calves. I changed my breeding season and only turn bulls out for 60 days. This does two things, it makes my calf crop more uniform when it comes time to market them and I can start rotating cattle when the youngest calf is 45 days old,” Jacobs says. “This works best if you can have two calving seasons. You don’t lose your investment in a good young cow when she doesn’t breed because you can rotate her to the next season. Once you bite the bullet and limit the breeding season, conception rates will usually be in the 90 to 93 % range. Cell grazing puts a premium on fertility because all the calves have to be 45 days old to rotate the group.” “You can creep graze animals in this system pretty easily,” Lemus says. “Lightweight calves can graze ahead of the herd to improve gains, therefore increasing profit.”
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According to Jacobs, external parasites can also be controlled in a more cost effective manner. “If paddocks are set up right, there should be very little need for fly control,” Jacobs stated. “By the time the larvae hatch, we’re four miles ahead of them. They go to the nearest cattle which are usually my neighbors.” Knowing a little about the psyche of the beef animal may also help producers more readily adapt to the rotational system and preserve pasture quality. “There has been research done involving cattle and a maze. When these cattle were taken away from the maze for more than 60 days they had to learn to find the feed again,” Jacobs says. “Yearlings, in particular, like to walk the fence and ruin part of the pasture. If we keep rotations under 60 days, cattle will remember the boundaries and won’t walk the fence.” Rotational grazing systems are kind of like a factory. To be efficient that factory needs a certain number of workers to handle the job. On the other hand, for that worker to be efficient, requires a certain amount of rest to achieve peek performance. Managed correctly, stocking rates and rest period will determine the success or failure of the rotational system. “I usually try to design a system that rotates every five to seven days. With warm season grasses, the quality declines very quickly if they aren’t utilized. By maintaining these forages in a vegetative state, the quality is much better and they recover more quickly,” Lemus says. “This system allows producers to calculate available forages and how many grazing days they have left. Just because you have a rotational system set up doesn’t mean you have to graze all the paddocks. Producers can leave a paddock for an emergency situation or they can bale hay. ”
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“Because a lot of people aren’t familiar with grasses they want to move every seven days. It doesn’t work that way. Decisions have to be made on stubble height, weather and fertilization,” Vendramini says. “There are times of year we have good rainfall and you have to move cattle through the system faster. If the forages get ahead of you, sometimes you can utilize them better by baling hay or stockpiling grasses. Sometimes you need to increase the number of animals. Whatever management strategy you take, you don’t want to leave grass and waste it.” “With native range we need a little more of a rest period than you do with warm season improved grasses. It will take a little time for each producer to figure out what his country can handle and how best to rotate,” Jacobs says. “In periods of limited rainfall, we have to slow down our rotations. When we get more rain and the grass is growing faster we have to move them through more quickly. There are many advantages to cell grazing. Adding efficiency to many different areas, increases my total profit picture.” It’s sometimes hard to read today’s cowboy, but most are extremely fond of the land with which they are entrusted with and passionate when they talk about their livestock. Finding a system that makes both land and livestock work in harmony will draw direct comparison to the grape grower searching to refine his passion with the perfect vintage
NUTRITION STRATEGIES | by Dr. Matt Hersom
Pasture Stocking Density and the Relationship to Animal Performance
A
n important step in improving the production efficiency of beef cattle operations is to consider the inter-relationship between the cattle and the pasture forage supply. Management of stocking density is one such relationship between grazing cattle and pastures. The stocking density of pastures can impact beef cattle production, forage production, and enterprise profitability. This integrated approach becomes more important in an environment of high fertilizer and weed management costs. The overall goal of managing grazing animals is to utilize the forage that a pasture already produces to its optimum potential.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Hersom is currently an Assistant Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Specialist at the University of Florida, specializing in the development of strategic nutritional and supplementation programs to optimize beef cattle performance utilizing forage and roughage based diets and evaluation of calf production and growing practices to improve animal performance in integrated beef production systems.
Cattle Forage Interaction There are many factors that affect a cattle producer’s ability to properly stock pastures. These influential factors include agronomic, animal, and management considerations. Table 1 lists some of the factors that contribute to stocking density considerations. Many of these factors are inter-related with one another and thus decisions made about one factor can have extensive effects on multiple related factors. However, the ultimate goal of any forage management system is to provide the required nutrients to grazing animals using pasture forage. Some well-defined relationships have been established concerning stocking density, individual animal performance, and gain per unit of land area. Figure 1 portrays the relationships between the grazing pressure on the pasture exerted by nominal stocking density and the responses of animal perfor-
Figure 1. The relationship of grazing pressure and animal performance.
mance. Unfortunately, exact numbers in the figure cannot be indicated because of the many inter-related factors concerning stocking density. Results of Stocking Density Research There is limited data in the Southeast that has addressed the effect of stocking density on cow-calf performance. Research from one experiment summarized in Table 2 demonstrates the effect of different stocking densities on cow and calf performance. Pastures that are more densely stocked during the winter do not support cow performance as well as pastures stocked less densely. However, because of pasture growth during the summer, stocking density did not affect overall cow performance. Calf performance also was not affected by stocking density. In contrast, calf production mea-
Agronomic
Animal
Management
Forage species
Herd size
Supplementation amount
Fertilization application
Bodyweight
Supplementation type
Precipitation
Dry matter intake
Grazing management
Pasture size
Nutrient requirements
Forage allowance
Season Forage seasonal growth Forage chemical composition Forage yield Table 1. Pasture stocking considerations.
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Future forage needs
Stocking density Low (8.6 ac/cow)
Medium (6.5 ac/cow)
Winter BCS change *
0.0
-0.85
-1.0
Summer BCS change
0.6
1.8
1.85
Item
High (3.7 ac/cow)
Weaning weight, lb
544
522
527
Calf ADG, lb/d
1.95
1.74
2.03
Calf Production, lb/ac
60.4
77.4
136.5
*
BCS = body condition score
Adapted from Arthington et al., 2004. Table 2. Effect of pasture stocking density on cow-calf performance in Florida.
sured as total pounds of calf produced per acre was greater on high stocking density pastures because more pounds of calf were produced on less land area. Because of the ability to produce more pounds of calf on a given land area, there was nearly a one-to-one relationship between stocking density and ranch revenue. A decrease in stocking density of 10% resulted in a decrease in ranch revenue by 10% because there were less cows across which to spread the fixed costs associated with the land in the less densely stocked pastures. It should be noted that these were not aggressively stocked pastures and that similar to Figure 1, there will be a maximum profitable stocking density for every pasture. The affect of year can influence the effect of stocking density on cattle performance. While there is an optimal stocking density for each pasture, this stocking density will vary from year to year and likely month to month. Figure 2 shows an example of the variation across four years in low
If forage allowance is too low, cattle forage intake could be limited and cattle performance may then be sacrificed. A forage allowance that is too great may also limit cattle performance since forage quality may decline with additional forage yield and under-utilization/ maturation of the forage. 18 FRONTLINE Beef Producer
and high stocking density pastures for carry capacity. In years three and four, high stocking density decreased the grazing season length by 20 and 10 days respectively. In contrast, the high stocking density did significantly increase the carrying capacity of the pastures, thus providing more steer grazing days per acre of pasture. Figure 2 also demonstrates the variation between years in cattle performance between low and high stocking density. Individual steer live body weight gain was greater on low stocking density pastures compared with highly stocked pastures in all years. This occurred because in lowly stocked pastures individual animals are generally allowed to gain to their genetic potential or the potential limited by forage quality. In contrast, high stocking density pastures had greater total live body weight produced (pounds/acre) than lowly stocked pastures. Highly stocked pastures limit individual cattle gains, but provide a greater number of cattle gaining body weight from the land area. Body weight gains of cattle on highly stocked pastures are generally limited by forage availability rather than cattle’s genetic potential. Optimal forage yield balances the pasture forage yield and quality of the forage to provide a nutrient source for grazing cattle. Forage allowance (pounds of forage yield/lbs of animal/acre) also indicates an optimum range as it relates to stocking density. If forage allowance is too low, cattle forage intake could be limited and cattle performance may then be sacrificed. A forage allowance that is too great may also limit cattle performance since forage quality may decline with additional forage yield and under-utilization/maturation of the forage. Additionally, too great of forage allowance wastes available forage through trampled and fouling of the forage. Issues Affecting Desired Stocking Density Animal Requirements. Often stocking density for a pasture or ranch as a whole is determined by history, or what has always been done. However, the number of cattle a given piece of land can handle evolves as the genetic makeup and potential of the cow herd evolves. Fifteen to 30 years ago the average cow might have weighed 900 to 1100 lbs. Recently, average cow body weights have likely increased to 1200 1300 pounds. If the herd’s pasture area has not changed during that time then the stocking density (lbs of live weight / ac of pasture) has increased by nearly 50%. Dry matter intake is linked to body weight, thus greater body weight equals increased forage intake. Without a change in land area or forage growth a decrease in forage allowance occurs, and a de facto
scheme. Other factors to consider between continuous and rotational grazing include pasture topography, water source accessibility, fencing options, labor availability, and pasture grazing distribution.
Figure 2. Effect of stocking density on pasture productivity and steer production.
increase in stocking density even though cow number and land area has not changed. Forage Species. Differences exist between forage species for growth pattern, forage yield, grazing tolerance, and forage quality. Each of these factors enters into the stocking density decision making process. Additionally, many pastures are not monocultures of a forage species, thus complicating the decision making process. One should refer to the appropriate forage and site specific recommendations for planting, fertilization, and management of forage and pasture species. Soil Fertility. Soil fertility can have profound effect upon forage growth, yield, quality, and ultimately stocking density. An optimal soil fertility level exists for every grazing and stocking situation. Maximal soil fertility and subsequent forage growth may be wasted if the forage cannot be utilized through grazing, conserving the forage as hay or balage, or some combination. Likewise, deficient soil fertility makes inadequate use of the grazable land area for forage production and grazing. Additionally inadequate soil fertility allows weed encroachment further decreasing pasture production, utilizable forage yield, and forage quality.
Stocking Density Generalizations In grazing management systems, a producer must determine their individual goal. Generally, the goal is to utilize forage in a manner that maintains forage quality, and quantity for current and future grazing use. Low stocking density scenarios generally maximize individual animal performance because the cattle have the opportunity to selectively graze the pasture and thus sacrifice production per unit of land area. Increasing stocking density generally will decrease individual animal performance but increase the production per unit of land area up to a given point (see Figure 1). Overall forage quality may be increased in heavy stocked pastures because the forage is being maintained in a vegetative state, but total quantity is depressed. Stocking density decisions may be a direct reflection on the assumption of the level of risk and/ or level of management involved References Arthington, J., P. Bohlen, and F. Roka. 2004. Effect of stocking rate on measures of cow-calf productivity and nutrient loads in surface water runoff. 2004 FL. Ruminant Nutr. Symp. Gainesville, Florida. http://dairy.ifas.ufl.edu/files/rns/2004/Arthington.pdf Mott, G. O., and J. E. Moore. 1970. Forage evaluation techniques in perspective. In Proc. Natl. Conf. Forage Qual. Eval. and Util. Lincoln, Nebraska Center of Continuing Education , L1-10. Popp, J. D., W. P. McCaughey, and R. D. H. Cohen. 1997. Grazing system and stocking rate effects on the productivity, botanical composition and soil surface characteristics of alfalfa-grass pastures. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 77:669-676.
Environment. Initiation of the grazing season and subsequent forage growth will be affected by ambient temperature and accumulated degree days. The amount and timeliness of precipitation during the growing season will affect forage yield and quality. Additionally, seasonal differences affect forage growth patterns that will result in stocking density differences. Grazing Management. Opinions vary regarding the benefits of continuous or rotational grazing management. Often the effectiveness of either management system is dependent upon the forage species utilized. Some forage species and pastures, particularly those that incorporate legumes benefit from a rotational grazing management scheme. Conversely, some perennial grass monoculture pastures do not demonstrate any benefit from a rotational grazing
FRONTLINE Beef Producer 19
FEATURE | by Clifford Mitchell
A Complex Recipe There is no generic formula for herd health.
C
attlemen, over the years, have worked diligently to produce the best product possible. Different philosophies have developed different components of the management scenario. Keeping all of these components working together in harmony is still a challenge for most operators. Each operation, based on location, history and climate has a different set of rules that governs how management should be applied. Tailoring management not only takes into account what is best for the herd, but must gently marry in cost concerns that seem to dominate an industry that is losing some ground from a profit standpoint. Herd health is one of the management components that depends on doing everything else right. “You won’t get an immune response if the cattle are stressed or have other problems such as lack of nutrition or a poor mineral program. Without taking care of some basic management, you’re wasting money buying the vaccines. Proper management and low stress handling are very im-
20 FRONTLINE Beef Producer
portant to getting a good immune response,” says Mike Milicevic, Lykes Bros. Inc., Okeeechobee, Florida. Lykes Bros. Inc. is a century old diversified firm that includes many agricultural enterprises, including cow/calf operation that utilizes Brangus, Angus and Charolais genetics. “First and foremost, nutrition is at the top of the list when it comes to maintaining herd health. Cattle need proper nutrition from an energy and protein standpoint, as well as, good vitamin and mineral supplementation,” says Dr. Soren Rodning, Extension Veterinarian, Auburn University. “I push nutrition to producers. If that’s not there, then the immune system won’t be functioning properly anyway. The vaccines just help fine-tune the immune response in that well-maintained animal,” says Dr. Christine Navarre, Extension Veterinarian, Louisiana State University. Many producers look to vanilla protocols or general herd health rules to start up a vaccination program. Each herd health concept should be unique to individual areas, if not
specific ranches. Enlisting help could be the first step in getting herd health right. “A generic calendar that works for everyone, in my opinion, is a form of malpractice,” Navarre says. “Herd health has to be tailored to each individual farm. Ask your vet to help with timing different vaccinations or de-worming strategies.” “For most, the timing of different vaccinations depends on the production calendar. With some operations this will depend on if you have a daytime job and are just working on the weekends,” Rodning says. “The health of the calf crop, early on, will usually depend on if that calf ingests the adequate quantity and the quality of the colostrum. More mature cows will usually pass better colostrum. Proper nutrition and a properly stimulated immune system will usually get those calves off to a good start.” “Everybody has a little different problem. Work with your local veterinarian to know what to vaccinate for,” Milicevic says. “With the size of our operation, we have a hard time hitting exact dates. Don’t worry about exact dates, but there is a proper time of year to vaccinate. Make sure you get them worked in that time frame.” Properly maintained herds will adjust and respond to herd health practices. Poorly managed herds offer distinct problems before the first shot or vaccination is administered. Good husbandry will go along way to planning and implementing a good herd health strategy. “A vaccination program plays an important role and enhances the natural ability of a properly maintained animal to deal with disease,” Rodning says. “In most cases, an outbreak occurs due to a breakdown in animal husbandry.” “In our area, controlling both internal and external parasites is very important. We have to control parasites because they are immune suppressors, which make animals more susceptible to disease. June or July is a great time to de-worm cattle because the parasites on the pasture die from heat. In September and October we have to choose products that will provide liver fluke protection,” Navarre says. “The timing of the de-worming is so important sometimes we have to shift the vaccination schedule. This is not ideal, but we’re going to get a pretty good immune response in a well managed herd.” The opportune time to vaccinate will differ from herd to herd. Taking an approach that will work with the animal’s natural immune system will impact the vaccination schedule.“Calves are born with the immune system fully intact. It takes several months before it is fully functional. There has been a longstanding debate on when is the best time to vaccinate those calves the first time because of interference from maternal antibodies,” Rodning says. “When calves are two to four months of age there is a time lapse from the protection they receive from maternal antibodies, found in the colostrum, and the their own immune system providing protection. Producers can raise the level of immunity with that first round of vaccinations at this time.” Handling cattle in a low stress manner is equally important to getting the desired immune response. Different strategies will come forth as operations fine tune the vaccination program. Working calves will also depend on the marketing strategy planned for the calf crop. “There are a lot of arguments as to age and weight for the ideal time to vaccinate the calf crop the first time. We like to vaccinate the calves in the spring at marking or branding time with a modified live (MLV) IBR BVD PI3, an 8-way colostridial, dehorn and castrate all at the same time,” Milicevic
22 FRONTLINE Beef Producer
says. “It is also a good time, for us, to vaccinate the cows for reproductive diseases and put on a pour-on product to control lice, flies and other parasites. This will protect those cows through breeding season.” “I recommend a blackleg shot at two to four months of age and a lot of people like to give that first respiratory vaccination at that time. With the development of some of the MLV vaccines, having cows vaccinated with this product gives us a lot of options,” Navarre says. “From a cost and labor standpoint, it is critical every time we work cows through the chute, we perform multiple management tasks, if we can. The earlier we can catch calves, castrate and dehorn the better. At two months of age there is very little stress on the calves or producers can use a homozygous polled bull to help eliminate the horns.” “A lot of the losses incurred from herd health issues can be avoided with proper animal husbandry followed by vaccination. A great time to vaccinate the calf crop for the first time is when the majority of calves are three to four months old. The younger an animal is when you dehorn and castrate, the quicker they’ll recover,” Rodning says. “The respiratory diseases and a blackleg shot are pretty important for protection at this time. Boost these calves before, or the very latest at weaning. Increasing immunity and decreasing disease are accomplished through good bio-security, proper nutrition and low stress-handling. All these factors come into play with disease prevalence.” Working within the herd to establish proper time frame windows will help manage against disease outbreaks. Health problems will often dictate the vaccination strategy. Taking the most effective route to ensure healthy animals depends on a variety of factors. “Pre-calving vaccinations at least 30, if not 60, days before calving season work well to improve colostrum quality or the vaccinations can be given a little closer to breeding season,” Rodning says. “Decide if you’re having more reproductive problems during the breeding season or more calf infectious disease problems during or shortly after calving season. This will dictate if we need to focus on pre-breeding or pre-calving vaccinations. The duration of immunity with each vaccine is different.” “Some of the timing issues will depend on how tight the calving season is. Pick a time when the vaccination will work for every animal. There are some specific dates we have to keep in mind, but we can maintain some flexibility in the system,” Navarre says. “Each problem can be different from herd to herd and sometimes we have to work cattle in a time frame that may not be ideal. Vaccination sometimes depends on the problem. Ask yourself do we need more protection at the front end of calving season or are we having reproductive problems? This will answer some questions as to the timing of vaccinations.” “We’re actually vaccinating calves two times before we go to market. We’ll boost the entire calf crop 30 to 45 days before we ship. This will give them time to have the adequate immune response to that vaccination,” Milicevic says. “Getting cattle worked in the fall, to provide adequate fetal protection, is important. I like to make sure those cows have a vibrio-lepto shot right before we turn the bulls out.” Bio-security is a relatively new word for beef producers. For most, this is something that has not often been referred to when talking about maintaining herd health. Management systems must account for the factors that will introduce harmful pathogens to the herd.
To get the most benefit, producers have to understand how and why the vaccines work. It’s usually not the vaccine’s fault when producers are disappointed. “There are some simple practices to follow that will help maintain bio-security and lower the risk of introducing disease to the cow herd. If you purchase replacements, narrow it down to fewer sources and know their management,” Navarre says. “New purchases are stressed and usually more likely to get sick. Quarantine any new purchases, ideally for four weeks, but at least two weeks minimum. Pregnant animals that you bring in from another source, increase the risk of exposing the herd to BVD. The quarantine period does little to protect the herd from things like BVD and Johne’s disease.” “Maintain good bio-security,” Rodning says. “On an individual basis, there are some diseases we can do a very good job testing for. Those things should come into question with new herd additions. Quarantine these new purchases and take the preventive measures best suited to the management program.” Planning for herd health procedures can be a daunting task for some operations. Different situations call for utilization of day labor or positioning the cow herd to maintain a low stress environment. Regardless of the size of the operation or other limiting factors, plan to work cattle in the most efficient manner. “Planning is extremely important even if it is just to make sure the local supplier has the vaccines on hand ahead of time. This will also help those who utilize day labor to get the job done,” Milicevic says. “For our operation, after that first round of vaccinations, that group will stay together until weaning. We’ll estimate a shipping date and line the herd up with the group of calves that will be shipped the earliest. This gives a good interval to get that second shot of MLV into them. Once a group has been worked, we can move the next group closer to the pens a week or two ahead of time.” Purchasing vaccines can be another barrier to herd health. From a cost standpoint some producers are trying to adjust to new levels for many inputs. However, for most, the cost of the herd health program is minimal compared to other factors. “Some vaccines are better than others. Preference or cost usually dictates which one a producer will use,” Milicevic says. “Most are about the same price. I like to keep everything as simple as I can and I don’t like to change things up. I’ll stick with the same program unless there is a glaring difference in price. Stick with a reputable brand. Even cost conscious producers can’t skimp on herd health. A penny or two saved today may cost you in the long haul.” “There are different product choices, MLV, killed or chemically-altered products and they usually don’t differ that much in price. Therefore, use the most effective vaccine that is labeled for safe use ain particular class of animal,” Rodning says. “In general, the largest expense, for most operations, is feed costs and you can’t really skimp on that because nutrition is so important to everything else a producer is trying to accomplish.” “Be careful if you start getting a good deal on vaccines. Make sure they aren’t counterfeit. Talk to your vet and have
24 FRONTLINE Beef Producer
him help make these purchases. Buying from someone you trust is really important,” Navarre says. “Get together with your neighbor. There could be a price break if you can purchase vaccines and other products in volume at the same time.” Continued education is also another important component of sound herd health. Many states have Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programs. Enrolling your labor force in this program will help handle and administer vaccines correctly. “BQA certification could be a good start to herd health. It is a big waste of time and money to give injections that haven’t been mixed or handled properly. We see this a lot of times when producers have problems,” Navarre says. “Pay attention to how you store de-wormers, this could affect efficacy. Producers need to make sure they use vaccines in the proper time frame and have good climate control because products are sensitive to many different things.” “Following Alabama BQA guidelines, with respect to storage, handling and administration of vaccines will give the best results,” Rodning says. “Read the label instructions. Some vaccines are time, light and temperature sensitive.” “All of my staff have been trained through the Florida BQA program. They understand proper technique, where to give shots and how to handle vaccines,” Milicevic says. “We’re getting ready to have a refresher course for all our managers and ranch hands. To get the most benefit, producers have to understand how and why the vaccines work. It’s usually not the vaccine’s fault when producers are disappointed. It’s because of a contaminated needle and syringe or cattle are nutritionally compromised to the point where they don’t respond to the vaccine.” “A vaccination program does not constitute a herd health program,” Rodning says. “Bio-security, low stress handling and dealing with environmental challenges will go further toward a healthy herd than any vaccination program out there. A breakdown in animal husbandry is often the cause of poor herd health.” “For most operations in our area there are critical times for parasite control, but most herd health practices can be pretty variable from operation to operation,” Navarre says. “Producers need to find a herd health program that works for them and time the management to get the most ‘bang for their buck.’” “Herd health is like a three-legged stool, each part must be equally up to the task. If one part of the management program falters then you’re off kilter,” Milicevic says. “The real expense is not in the vaccine, it’s if you didn’t do something right and you’re trying to mass treat a group of calves. Losses in performance and the cost of antibiotics will increase production costs. The main goal of our herd health program is to provide good solid cattle. Our reputation depends on it, and we can’t afford to lose that status with our buyers.” Maintaining a “top notch” operation goes above and beyond an actual vaccination program. Many variables can affect the overall health of the herd. Most operations look to practice humane handling, treat sick animals and provide adequate protection from pathogens. Letting the system dictate the management practices should help producers improve husbandry skills
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ADVERTISERSINDEX ADVERTISER
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CALENDEROFEVENTS MARCH 3-22
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DJM Farms “The Cowman’s Kind of Cattle” Bull and Commercial Female Sale, Byars, OK
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Oak Creek Farms Forage Tested Bull Sale, Chappell Hill , TX
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