The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 36, Issue No. 12 (DECEMBER 2022)

arolinaCCCattle onnection

Spotlight on RED ANGUS

Ph.D.

American Angus Association News

American Brahman Breeders Association News

American Hereford Association News

page 12

page 22

page 42

page 33

Ashley’s Beef Corner — What We Discovered with Barnyard Beango, by Ashley W. Herring …...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…...…....... page 10

Beef Checkoff News

Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods

page 52

page 37

Beef Quality Assurance Update ..................................................................................................... page 57

BioZyme News .................................................................................................................................. page 60

Carolina Cooking — Beef Rib Roast with Chocolate Port Sauce .............................................. page 19

Certified Angus Beef News .............................................................................................................. page 21

Clemson University 84 Day Bull Test Report — Opportunity Awaits on February 4, 2023, by Steven E. Meadows, Ph.D. ........................................................................................................ page 46

Clemson University Bull Test Program GrowSafe Tested Bulls Offer a Focus on Efficiency and Lower Feed Cost, by Drs. Matthew Burns & Steven E. Meadows ..................................... page 45

Director’s Report — Gifted, by Bryan K. Blinson ............................................................................. page 3

E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — A Language Barrier, by E.B. Harris ................................ page 15

Fall Supreme Court Session Opens with WOTUS Case ............................................................. page 51

Farm Credit News ............................................................................................................................. page 62

Have You Herd — Saving Hay Dow to the Last Straw, by Brenna Carter .................................. page 16

Herd Management — Winter Mangement of Cattle, by Nicole Correa & Hillary Pope …...… page 13

John Deere News . page 62

Making the Most of Your Mineral Program, by Ty Davis, Ph.D. .................................................. page 34

N.C. Angus News — Learning and Networking at N.C. Angus Association’s Field Day, by Cortney Holshouser ................................................................................................................. page 30

N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation — 2022-2023 Scholarship Applications ................................... page 65

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ............................................................................. page 58

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — Google - Search Beef Sustainability, by Don Schiefelbein ................................................. page 57

North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ................................................................... page 67

Pasture Management Systems, Inc. Mile of Fence Program Update ...................................... page 48

Purina News ......... page 42

Premier Select Sires News

page 28

Ranch Resilience Grant — Knowledge is Your Greatest Resource ......................................... page 65

Riomax News

page 64

S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ……............................................................................. page 39

Senator James D. Speed Achievement Scholarship Presented, by Martha Mobley ............... page 63

South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices .................................................................... page 69

The Chaplain’s Corral — Reunited, by Joel Nupp .......................................................................... page 12

The Simmental Trails, by Jennie Rucker .......................................................................................... page 40

Trending in Food & Media

page 53

You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden ..................................................................................................... page 14

Young Beef Producers’ Tour Experience, by Stephen Scala ........................................................ page 50

Zoetis News .......... page 59

Association

President BURON LANIER

2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425

Vice Presidents SCOTT WEST 489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850 RYAN CLARK 5250 NC 772 Hwy. • Madison, NC 27025

BRANDON BOWMAN 2346 Ann Street • Claremont, NC 28610

Immediate Past President KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734

NCBA Regional Vice President (Policy) FRED SMITH, JR.

NCBA Policy Division Director - JOHN LANGDON N.C. Beef Council Director RALPH BLALOCK, JR.

Beef Board Director - BRIAN WARREN

Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON Directors At Large MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE

Executive Director - BRYAN K. BLINSON 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information ASHLEY W. HERRING

Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE

Vol. 36, No. 12 DECEMBER 2022

Sales & Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Phone: 919-552-9111 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.

STAFF

Manager, N.C. BRYAN BLINSON

Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL

Editor & Advertising Director

CASEY L. HINNANT

Assistant Editor & Proofreader KIM BURDGE

N.C. Circulation KIM BURDGE S.C. Circulation TRAVIS MITCHELL S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Executive Director - TRAVIS MITCHELL P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138 Phone: 803-609-2828 Email: twmitch@clemson.edu Website: www.sccattlemen.wildapricot.org Executive Committee President - Timmy Benton 1st Vice President - Joe Oswald IV 2nd Vice President - Gene Crim Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Roscoe Kyle William Brigman, Latta • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg Eddie Evans, Easley • Cecil Eaddy, Manning Thomas Legare, Johns Island • Richard Sox, Lexington Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Clay Alexander, Starr Timmy Benton, Walterboro • Michael Bailey, Lancaster Bonnie Cann, Abbeville • Ashley Mills, Blair Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Eric Seymour, Columbia

803-917-1119 Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov Website: www.sccattle.org

Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All submissions become property of The Carolina Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to return items such as photographs and artwork as requested.

The Carolina Cattle Connection, the official publication of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association is published monthly by the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

A complementary subscription is included with membership to each state’s association. Nonmember subscriptions are $30 per year.

All address changes for NCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

All address changes for SCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138

Director’s report

By BRYAN K. BLINSON Executive Director, NCCA

Gifted

It is December, and we are in the middle of the holiday season. I hope all of you have enjoyed this wonderful time of year thus far and take the time to drink in all the joy and happiness that the season can bring. At Christmas, we often focus on gifts, and that is great. It seems that every commercial is about some sort of Christmas gift, and songs and Hallmark movies are filled with gifts that are both physical and emotional. I am going to make an attempt at weaving this into a column for The Carolina Cattle Connection

All of us have been blessed with loved ones for whom we enjoy selecting the perfect gift and are excited to see their reaction to receiving it. Even more gratifying is when later, often much later, we see them using and or enjoying the gift. As I was reading my morning devotional, the focus and the scripture described the gifts that we have been given and the opportunities to use them. In the devotional, these gifts were not ones that we could unwrap, hold in our

hands, or deposit in the bank but rather ways that we can help each other, our communities, or a cause. I could not help but think about how relevant this is to our organization. The N.C. Cattlemen’s Association is made up of thousands of people with countless skills and talents to offer that make the NCCA what it was designed for — an association of farmers and their families with similar goals, interests, and challenges working together to make our industry better for everyone.

In my opinion, there is not a single member of our association who does not have a talent that can add value to our organization and, in turn to the betterment of the cattle industry in North Carolina. Often, we may think that only the staff, the officers, or the committee leaders use their talents to help. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone has an opportunity to use their gifts to make for a stronger association. Having been blessed to work with many volunteer leaders and members over decades at

the association, it is amazing to see how various leaders (Note: the newest member is a leader of those who has yet to join the association) have used their unique gifts to make us better and better. There have been leaders who are amazing at taking the microphone to conduct a meeting or speaking to the membership at a large gathering. Others have been petrified to do so, and a “to the point” meeting or more free time for fellowship became their gift to the group. We have leaders and members whose gift is recruitment, while others are amazing at coming up with new ideas that we can try. Members who can cook a brisket with no more notice than is required to season and smoke a delicacy are a blessing, certainly, to those in attendance. There are those who can teach a 4-H’er or FFA’er how to raise a calf or show a steer and win the state or those whose talent is putting an arm around one who has done their best but might have been the last one to walk out of the ring. (I can’t help but think that leader may have been the most impactful.) Even the occasional member, whose unique gift is to identify and point out what we are not doing or are doing wrong, can help us all to stay on our toes.

I cannot begin to identify all the gifts that members contribute to other members and the membership as a whole that make this not just an organization but truly an association. If you are reading this column, you are either a member or a member who has provided you the gift of providing you with this magazine that has information contributed by hundreds of gifted and dedicated people across the country. We are in the final month of our Mile of Fence program that is being sponsored by Pasture Management Systems. As you can see later in this issue, this program has stimulated lots of new members for the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, and we truly appreciate it. If you want to give a special gift to a fellow cattle producer, someone who is interested in the industry, or one of the millions who enjoy beef, sign them up for 2023 and welcome them into the fold to help us be stronger together.

I cannot express enough how thankful I am for the GIFT of working with and for each of you and for the friendships that I value more than you can imagine. I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Spotlight on RED AngUS e Special Section f

Net Return is Focus of Red Angus Programs

By JERRY SIMPSON Red Angus Association of the Carolinas

An often used cliche’ is “the easiest money you will ever make is the money you don’t spend.” Regardless of whether it’s crops, poultry, or cattle, a certain level of production requires a certain level of inputs, and lowering the costs of these inputs is often the key to a net return on investment and, in some cases, financial survival.

This is particularly true in the cattle business as with a decline in prices, producers have failed to realize a similar decline in the cost of inputs. Often this can result in producers who get caught up in a failed paradigm; that is, they keep managing their operation

the same way while expecting different results. Such is the case with beef cattle. As beef producers, we are no longer in competition with pork and poultry producers for market share alone. We are also in competition with those same industries along with others for inputs like fertilizer, fuel, grain, and land. There just seems to be no “free lunch” when it comes to the cost of beef production. These changes require a new shift in management away from maximum output and more towards efficiency. Since its inception in 1954, Red Angus has had among its core values, “…to discourage the more artificial practices

in purebred cattle production and to place its faith instead in objective tests, consisting for the most part of measurements of important factors of known economic importance.” Focusing on these “Economically Relevant Traits” most important to commercial producers has allowed Red Angus to become the fastest growing purebred breed today and the only breed to show an increase in registrations over the last two years.

Why? Fertility - Profit starts at Reproduction. No trait impacts profitability like fertility, especially fertility with reproductive pressure. It’s one thing to have a 95 percent pregnancy

rate, but can you do it in less than 60 days to yield more calves in the first 21 days of the calving season and yield a more uniform, higher value calf crop?

Rather than simply using yearling bulls’ scrotal circumference as an indicator of their daughters’ age at puberty, the Red Angus Heifer Pregnancy (HPG) EPD predicts producer desired results.

Pregnant Heifers - Producers who can count on a higher percentage of pregnant heifers will have a larger number of replacements they can cash crop.

Longevity - University studies estimate a cow must produce until age

Contact these RAAC members to learn more about Red Angus genetics and how they can fit into your herd.

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE

Ronnie & Donna Holman

4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659 ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com

JK RED ANGUS

Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-315-3821

jkredangus@gmail.com

LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL

John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010

johnlangdon5@gmail.com

ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY

Johnny & Sharon Rogers 945 Woodsdale Road • Roxboro, NC 336-504-7268 rccbeef@gmail.com

PRESNELL RED ANGUS

Jonathan & Jacob Presnell 368 Whitaker Road • Shelby, NC 704-473-2627 (Jonathan) • 704-616-8775 (Jacob)

BULL HILL RANCH

Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828 bullhill2@mindspring.com

COUNTRY BOY FARMS

David Miller

316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709

Terry Boyles, President - twinbfarm1@gmail.com

e Special Section f

five or six in order to break even. Females that stay in the herd mean reduced replacement rates and more valuable heifers to sell, which is a huge economic driver for cow/calf producers. As one of the few breeds with mandatory Total Herd Reporting (THR), Red Angus offers the advantage of Stayability (STAY) EPDs, which predict a bull’s ability to sire daughters that remain productive past their breakeven point. Red Angus females sired by high Stayability Red Angus sires are the foundation of a cow herd built to last.

Cows Eat Money! Feed costs

Spotlight on RED AngUS

typically represent producers’ largest expense, and this is never truer than today. In this era of increased input costs (grain, hay, land value, fertilizer, etc.), reducing annual cow maintenance costs is paramount to profitability. Red Angus’s Mature Cow Maintenance Energy Requirement (ME) EPD arms producers with a tool to help keep feed costs in check. Efficient, easy fleshing Red Angus replacements can help you get a handle on feed costs and make the most of available forage.

Calving - Profit begins with a live calf. Heifers that experience calving

RED ANGUS NEWS

she also loves to travel and following graduation in May, spent a couple of weeks in Europe traveling around different countries.

problems are often slower and harder to rebreed. Calving ease is a trait of major economic impact, and Red Angus describes the trait genetically with Direct and Maternal Calving Ease EPDs. Purchase Red Angus replacements sired by high Maternal Calving Ease Red Angus sires and you’ll sleep better.

Disposition - Beyond obvious safety issues, the superior docility of Red Angus increases profits through easier handling, better A.I. conception, faster gains, higher USDA quality grade, and fewer dark cutters.

It just makes sense, lowering the cost of inputs while adding value leads to increased opportunity for profit. I know I told you earlier there’s no such thing as a free lunch, well actually there is...heterosis! Every cattleman knows

the impact hybrid vigor can have on performance and added value when used in a well planned crossbreeding system. Premium Baldy and Red Navigator are two programs that offer commercial producers opportunities to capitalize on heterosis through the use of Red Angus genetics. Since 1954, Red Angus has focused its efforts on commercial profitability. These efforts have been realized when net return is key because Red is Right Now!

If you would like more information on how Red Angus can add to the efficiency of your operation or if you need help in locating Red Angus bulls or replacement females, feel free to give me a call at 704-302-2940, or contact any of the breeders listed on our website at www.redanguscarolinas.com. a

“We are excited to have Ryan join the DNA department at RAAA. As the use of DNA technology in the Red Angus breed increases, having valuable team members like Ryan helps continue improving the efficiency and services provided by the department,” said Ryan Boldt, RAAA director of breed improvement.

Starkey graduated from Kansas State University in May of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and animal sciences and industry, with a focus in production management, with a minor in leadership studies.

While at KSU, she worked part time for the International Brangus Breeders Association, where she served as an assistant to the DNA department, conducting parentage verifications, genetic condition evaluations, and animal data uploads. She also completed an internship at Triumph Foods as an operations intern. Starkey credits these work experiences as providing her with valuable start-to-finish vantage points of production agriculture.

Since moving to Denver from the Kansas City area, Starkey has enjoyed exploring all of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. Starkey said

“I’m excited to be working here at the Red Angus Association because it means being part of an industry that I have so much respect for. Growing up, I did not come from an ag background but when I was at K-State, I really grew to appreciate the hard work and dedication of the livestock industry as a whole,” said Starkey. “The RAAA is looking to the future to see what can be improved upon in the cattle industry. I look forward to serving our members on a day-to-day basis. I’m excited about my position here at Red Angus and to see how I grow within this company.”

Starkey can be reached at ryanstarkey@redangus.org or 940-3873502 ext. 5.

About the Red Angus Association of America. RAAA serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and utilizing scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.

Starkey Joins Red Angus Member Services Team. The Red Angus Association of America welcomes Ryan Starkey to the member services department as a member services and DNA specialist.

Spotlight on RED AngUS e Special Section f

Cattlemen Collaborate to Elevate the Industry’s Most Favored Female

The ballroom was filled with cattlemen collaborating to learn about innovating the industry’s most favored female during the Commercial Cattlemen’s Symposium at the 69 th Annual National Red Angus Convention at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell, Montana.

Jordan Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor, and state beef reproduction specialist in the Division of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri, kicked off the symposium with his keynote address titled, “The Building Blocks of a Profitable Commercial Cow: What Do Heifers Need to Do?

Thomas began his address by defining the job description of replacement heifers. Thomas shared that heifers have to be structurally sound, in good health, and of good disposition; have a low likelihood of calving difficulty by having an adequate pelvic area and bred to a calving ease bull; conceive early in their first breeding season; be of high genetic merit for profitable traits and have the desired visual phenotype and confirmation.

Thomas explained the “Red Choice” program launched by the Red Angus Association of America is not just a marketing program. It’s a program to elevate Red Angus females in future generations. The primary goal of the program is to take better managed females and increase their retention in the herd of origin, where their extra value will be measured over time. Females eligible to sell as a Red Choice female provide buyers with confidence that she has been managed to the highest quality standards possible.

Pelvic area measurements are important in selecting replacement females. However, they don’t control for everything. The service sire still matters, and producers need to remember there is always a bell shaped curve to the collected data.

“Being honest about what contributes to whether a heifer breeds early or late is all about management, environment, and randomness. It depends on the operation and how it fits into their management system,” explained Thomas.

The symposium highlighted a heifer

nutrition panel featuring Jeff Heidt, Ph.D., beef technical services lead and U.S. ruminant innovation lead with Micronutrients USA LLC, and Brian Fieser, Ph.D., nutrition support specialist for ADM Animal Nutrition, which discussed the “Pros and Cons of Low versus High Input.”

As genetic progress changes, the nutrition process also adjusts to feed the animals. According to the panel, many producers underfeed their animals to maximize their genetic potential, but they should be careful when they cut corners on nutritional inputs to avoid sacrificing future opportunities for cow productivity.

“Don’t get so consumed in minimizing the checks you write, that you minimize the checks you receive,” said Fieser.

Forage testing is crucial, so producers know which nutrients are available and which ones to supplement. They should never cut an animal short on available protein, the most important nutrient. With drought conditions, it is important for producers to maximize on the created risk and advance their operation instead of setting themselves back, as pregnancy rates tend to suffer two years after a drought.

Producers who plan to keep their drought heifer calves for themselves should manage them differently than heifers sold as breeding stock by slowing the gain on their replacement heifers and pushing sale heifers harder. Bigger heifers bring more money than smaller heifers

sold as replacements. They should avoid extremes but optimize their planned output.

“The quality of cattle replaced during drought sales are exponentially better and may be the result of such exponential genetic progress,” explained Fieser.

“The Importance of Good Heifer Nutrition” was the keynote address of John Hall, Ph.D., professor and Extension beef cattle specialist at the University of Idaho Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center, where he also serves as the station superintendent.

Hall explained that nutrition management in replacement females can be difficult and is not similar for every operation. Producers need to comprehend the effects of undernutrition at various gestation periods. Studies have shown that supplementing protein to cows grazing protein deficient range altered pregnancy outcomes in heifer offspring. Strategic use of supplementation, weaning, and specific nutrients are useful as first calf heifers that delivered during the first 21 days remained in the herd longer than heifers who calved later.

“We have to be aware that the point we decide to raise heifers to in the prebreeding period may have subsequent effects on future generations,” discussed Hall.

A heifer marketing panel provided opportunities to collaborate and innovate with Dave Patterson, Ph.D., chancellor’s professor in the Division of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri,

and producers John Maddux of Nebraska and John Price of Colorado.

The panel explained that programs like Red Choice add genetic improvement to operations that aren’t suited to develop their own heifers. Producers can develop a heifer of value that isn’t bred to calve at their ideal time of year but might be a fit for another producer, adding value to both operations. Heifers that breed in their first cycle will optimize their lifetime production by producing offspring that will be profitable in other operations.

“Having a sale with a large volume of females hasn’t required us to adjust our production system at all. The key point is we make sure the female leaving the ranch is pregnant and that adds a tremendous amount of value to her,” said Maddux.

To increase competitiveness in the global market, the panel recommended that producers adopt the concept of traceability by applying RFID tags. This management practice provides an opportunity to control animal disease but allows the traceability of animal data to improve genetics at an increased rate of time.

“We have used the Feeder Calf Certification Program since 2001. This is one of the most successful marketing programs from a breed association. Red Angus has been so great because they put so much focus on commercial cattlemen and don’t forget about us. We DNA test every calf to utilize the data to make our breeding decisions,” explained Price.

The panel expressed the importance

Spotlight on RED AngUS e Special Section f

of continuing to invest in developing females while much of the country is experiencing drought. This time of hardship can be used to capitalize on a strong market coming forward with time and rain.

“We have faith that the market will come. We have faith that there will be some really good times ahead, and we will keep our inventory around to build as much volume as we can so we can take part in the better times ahead,” said Maddux.

The symposium concluded with the keynote address, “Genomic Technologies for Selection of Replacement Heifers,” from Jared Decker, Ph.D., Wurdack Chair in animal genomics and an associate professor in the University of Missouri Division of Animal Science, Genetics Area Program.

According to Decker, performance data, contemporary group information,

and genetic similarity are the three essential pieces for accurate replacement heifer selection. Producers need to understand the definition of Expected Progeny Differences - or EPDs. “Expected” refers to the future, average, and mean; “progeny” focuses on the offspring; and “differences” implies comparison between animals.

“The most loaded word in this acronym is ‘expected.’ In an EPD, expected means the discussion of average or the mean. We’re predicting the average performance of the progeny of the animal. With an EPD, we are not trying to predict the performance of that animal, but instead the offspring of that animal. The difference allows the EPD to be compared to another animal or to the breed average,” explained Decker.

Genomic predictions of heifers provide additional information for ranking

replacements, increase the precision of genomics for re-ranking heifers, and provide information equivalent to 1020 progeny. Producers need to test many more heifers than they plan to keep and must use the information to see the return on their investment. When testing a registered animal, breeders should use the association’s genomic prediction to produce GE-EPDs for the animal. Commercial straight bred cattle should be tested on a breed specific test as it will outperform a multiple breed test.

“When you DNA test your heifers, you now have the genomic profile for the rest of her life. The test results should be used as a keep-cull decision and will allow you to select bulls to account for her strengths and her weaknesses,” said Decker.

Decker also reminded attendees that when selecting replacement females,

she is a candidate, not a replacement, until she is pregnant within a desired breeding season. Producers should select females for performance and genetic improvement, ones that are meeting performance metrics or are well positioned to do so in the future. Additionally, he said to select heifers to improve the genetic merit of the calf crop and herd.

The Commercial Cattlemen’s Symposium fueled the collaboration of producers through the discussion of industry innovations to elevate the industry’s most-favored female. The discussion sparked ideas that producers can incorporate into their herds when developing replacement females and left attendees optimistic about the future of the beef industry. To learn more about how Red Angus breeders are elevating the industry, visit RedAngus.org

Spotlight on RED AngUS e Special Section f

Understanding Heterosis Helps Producers Develop Crossbreeding Plan

By RYAN BOLDT Director of Breed Improvement, RAAA

Commercial operations often look to crossbreeding to give their calves an extra boost in performance and to produce replacement females with increased fertility and longevity. By understanding heterosis created through crossbreeding – and the different types of heterosis – cattlemen and women can develop a crossbreeding system that best suits their individual environment and management scenarios.

Factors Affecting PerformanceThe equation to calculate the expected phenotype of an animal is relatively simple. The factors that affect the performance of the animal are the animal’s genotypic value and the environment that the animal experienced.

Within this equation, an animal’s genotypic value can be broken down further into two main parts.

The first component is an animal’s breeding value or additive genetic value. This part of the genetic model is important as it’s the portion of an animal’s genotypic value that can be passed on through selection and mating.

The second part of an animal’s genotypic value is the gene combination

value. This portion of the genotypic model focuses on the combination of alleles possessed by an animal. Due to the fact that animals generally receive half of their genetic makeup from each of their parents, the gene combination value that an animal possesses is not passed from one generation to the next. However, through the set up of proper mating systems, the benefits of increased gene combination value can still be utilized.

Types of Heterosis There are three main types of heterosis that can be utilized within beef cattle production. These types include individual, maternal, and paternal heterosis.

When most people think of heterosis, they think of it in terms of individual heterosis. Take weaning weight, for example. If the average performance of the breed of the sire was 550 pounds and the average of the purebred dam’s breed was 540 pounds, the average or expected performance of this cross would be 545 pounds. If the average performance of the calves was 555 pounds, the increase of ten pounds over the average of the parents would be individual heterosis

of the progeny. Commonly, heterosis is expressed as a percent. In this example, the percent individual hybrid vigor that would be expressed is 1.8 percent.

The other two types of heterosis relate to the ability of crossbred parents to outperform straight bred counterparts. An example of maternal heterosis is improved mothering ability in crossbred dams. The

main way that these are separated out is that individual heterosis focuses on the current generation, whereas maternal and paternal heterosis are part of the previous generation that is used to breed the current generation.

The most common method to introduce heterosis in commercial cattle production is through the use of crossbreeding. There are multiple mating strategies that allow for the increase of hybrid vigor. However, hybrid vigor can also be achieved within a breed when individuals from distinct lines or pedigrees are mated. The reason for this is as animals become more inbred, they may exhibit what is known as inbreeding depression. This is caused by an increase in homozygosity and a reduction of gene combination value. However, when these inbred individuals are mated to animals that are not closely related – known as outcrossing – the potential inbreeding depression in the offspring is reversed.

In order to be successful, one of a commercial operation’s main goals should be to maximize all three forms of heterosis. The most common method is to do this through the use of a mating system that takes advantage of breed complementarity. The first step to this process is to develop a plan to take advantage of heterosis. Once the plan is established, producers can continue to make mating decisions and purchases that allow that plan to be successful.

Ashley’s Beef Corner T

What We Discovered with Barnyard Beango

By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council

The N.C. State Fair is a peak consumer interaction event, and we prepare year round. Our educational exhibit is a partnership with N.C. Soybean Producers Association, N.C. Pork Council, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Choices, and N.C. Dairy Alliance. We pool our resources, time, and collective staff to offer a feature that will invite fair attendees to take a break, view educational and promotional videos, and a new feature, this year.

As our agricultural commodity education exhibit came together, we knew it would be necessary to add an interactive feature to engage visitors and help them learn more about how their food is produced. We borrowed an idea from Kentucky Soybean and Pork organizations that went well at their state fair. A “Barnyard Beango” game put together facts and trivia type questions, which encouraged visitors to walk through our exhibit and read signage to find the answers.

To win a prize, one must have five squares in a row. Our organizations offered various giveaways, and partner Tractor Supply Company donated most items. Frisbees, hand sanitizer, hats, and more were given away to beango winners.

I’m including a copy of one of the cards so you can see the types of questions that we asked to help educate visitors and engage in conversation. We did not know the level of participation to expect, but we were very pleased with the entire experience. All ages participated, with some adults helping children, teens, and more seasoned folks enjoying the fun.

missed question involved antibiotics in meat and milk. Many folks were not aware of withdrawal periods and how farmers keep extensive records through programs such as Beef Quality Assurance to ensure our food supply is the safest.

the 11 days. Many beef farm families were paired with a chef as a beef meal was prepared and shared with four lucky audience members. Honeycutt Farms of Coats, Shipley Farms Beef of Vilas, Northwest Land & Cattle of Brunswick County, and Cole Creek Farms of Benson were featured.

Many participants decided to complete their whole card after starting. Their comments that they truly learned something and thought this was interesting gave us a positive impression of the experience. The most frequently

I also had an incredibly memorable conversation with a visitor who asked about how input prices were affecting farmers. He had concerns about young farmers staying on the farm and continuing the production of beef. The junior livestock shows at the fair are a great example of how young agriculturalists are learning the skills necessary to have a career on the farm and provide food for consumers. He closed by asking me to express his appreciation for all the work you, as beef producers, have done and to keep on making his favorite protein.

Also taking place during the fair, the Got to Be N.C. cooking stage in Dorton Arena featured beef several times during

Chefs created an original dish, and farmers were able to speak with the audience about how they raise and take care of their cattle. There was also a bit of trivia questions with giveaways. We were excited to see this take place and highlight our beef farm families from throughout the state.

As we wind down 2022, I wish your family a healthy and Merry Christmas. Here’s to a wonderful 2023!

You shouldn’t have to have a gun held to your head to take advantage of the expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies featured in the Classifieds in this issue!

By LEANNE DILLARD, Ph.D., Auburn University

Interseeding Clovers into Perennial Pastures

As we are preparing for winter, now is a good time to consider adding clover to your pastures. Adding clovers (or any legume) to perennial and annual pastures increases forage production and quality, which increases cattle performance. The inclusion of clovers can also lengthen the grazing season, resulting in less stored feed needs. They also reduce N fertilization needs, which decreases costs and increases profits. Research in South Carolina has shown that bahiagrass production with and without nitrogen fertilizer was greater when crimson clover was included in the stand. Other research in Georgia has shown that adding white clover to a ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass increased crude protein to 13 percent (stands without clover had a crude protein of 9 percent).

Nitrogen fertilizer typically accounts for 20-40 percent of our grass production costs. While the amount of nitrogen fixed in a stand is dependent upon legume species and the fertility of the soil, we

can expect 50-200 or more lb of nitrogen per acre to be fixed by legumes. Alfalfa will fix the most nitrogen (200+ lb of nitrogen), with other perennial legumes (i.e., red and white clover) producing 100200 lb of nitrogen per acre. Our annual clovers (i.e., crimson, arrowleaf, and ball) will fix less nitrogen ranging from 50-150 lb per acre. At a nitrogen value of $0.45/lb of nitrogen, this equals $23135/acre saved in fertilization costs. This is almost triple the cost of seed. Clover also increases the average daily gain on ‘KY 31’ tall fescue. Research in Georgia showed that cattle grazing ‘KY-31’ with white clover gained almost 1 lb more per day than cattle grazing ‘KY-31’ alone.

Unfortunately, there are some limitations when we use clovers in our pastures. Clovers (and all legumes) are broadleaf plants, which means any broadleaf herbicide or herbicide residue from previous applications can damage and kill the plants. If you are considering using legumes, check your herbicide label. Some herbicides have a legume planting restriction of up to 12 months or longer. Also, consider your current weed problems. If you have pastures that are very weedy (greater than 30 percent), get the weeds under control and then establish clovers once any herbicide residue is gone.

a no-till drill, observe the seeding depth very closely. The number one cause of stand failure is planting too deep. Many drills contain a small seed box that will allow you to plant your annual grasses and clovers at the same time using different planting rates. However, the planting depth will be the same for both seedboxes, so use the shallower of the two depths. Also, whether you are borrowing a drill or using your own drill, make sure to calibrate the drill rate and depth to ensure correct seeding rate and depth.

Once you have an established clover stand in your pasture, make sure to maintain it through proper grazing management. White clover is very grazing tolerant due to its low growth, but many clovers are not grazing tolerant. This is often the case because cattle will seek out clover due to its superior forage quality and palatability. Rotational grazing is important in order to maintain

a strong clover stand and reduce weed recurrence in pastures.

White clover is by far the most commonly used forage clover on the market. However, several other species exist. Crimson clover, arrowleaf clover, and ball clover are all annual clovers that can be used in Alabama. While the clovers are annuals, if they are allowed to seed out, some reseeding will occur over time. White clover is the most used perennial clover. There are many different types and varieties of white clover. Ladino type white clover has the most consistent persistence and grazing tolerance as compared to general white clover varieties. Red clover is a biennial forage that will act as an annual in the Deep South. It has good yields and forage quality. While not as high yielding as crimson clover, its quality and persistence are comparable. There are several red clover varieties on the market.

the chaplain’s corral

By JOEL NUPP Chaplain, Cowboys for Christ

Reunited

Hebrews 10:25 - “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Y’all have stumbled on the best place to advertise expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies. Check the Classifieds in this issue!

When establishing clovers into perennial pastures, make sure to take a soil sample before planting. Clovers are very sensitive to soil pH, and many soils in Alabama are acidic. Liming may be necessary before you plant, as legumes require at least a soil pH of 6.0. Also, maintaining proper soil pH will ensure the persistence of perennial clovers. In order to maintain proper pH, soil test at least every two years in pastures and every year in hay fields. The easiest method of establishment is broadcasting prior to grazing and then allow the cattle to tread in the seed as they graze. Clover seeds are very small, so graze or mow very closely and limit the amount of residue on the soil surface prior to planting. If planting using

We went past the field, where we saw the lone lamb standing on the rock. You remember Christmas Eve...the lost lamb. Or was he? The cars and tractor trailers roared past us, oblivious to the newly born lamb. Lost. Abandoned. Forsaken. Cold. Alone.

We’ve all been there at one time or another. All of us. But in that moment of lost hope, God saw us. He was there all along.

So we excitedly saw the hundreds of sheep on our way to the feed store. I literally stopped as I made my left off of the main highway that runs west from Chambersburg to Pittsburgh. I asked my wife, “Which one is our lamb? The one we told the farmer about at Christmas time. The lost lamb.” We couldn’t distinguish which one he was. They all looked the same, but he was in there.

Recently we drove back to the farmer’s lane. We had never been there. There came the farmer from the old stone house. I said, “You don’t know me, but I wrote an article about your lost lamb.” “I remember,” he said. “I got your call. The lost lamb was reunited with his mom.” We looked over the fence to the hundreds of sheep. I’m not sure which one he is, but he’s in there.

God knows. He knows which one was lost. He saw him. He initiated things that happened, us calling the farmer and the farmer coming to get him. God was there. He orchestrated the whole thing.

This morning was glorious for us. The power of assembly, the church, the flock. “Where ever two or more are gathered, I am there.”

As we navigate these troubled times, we are reminded...Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, for never leaving us or forsaking us. For continued blessing on our lives.

It’s Sunday morning. I’m going to church.

Herd ManageMent

By NICOLE CORREA & HILLARY POPE, Clemson University

Winter Management of Cattle

Preparing your livestock for the winter months may seem less daunting here in the South, as opposed to some of the mid-western states that see a lot of snow. However, it is just as important for us as it is for others. We would like to include a few tips and suggestions to help producers ensure the most productive livestock possible. A few important considerations include hay selection, breed on your operation, and are they getting the proper amount of water. For hay, what type, and why? How much will you be providing? What stage of production are you feeding?

Considering the Body Condition Scoring (BCS) of all livestock will also be very important in determining the herd’s needs and whether splitting livestock is necessary. Generally, a suitable score is between 5-7, where the lower the number, the thinner the animal. Keeping livestock within this range for winter will allow them to handle colder conditions1. For high rebreeding rates, it is important to note that cattle must be at a five or higher2 , so even during the warmer months, it is ideal to keep them within the 5-7 range.

During the warmer months, dry cows consume about 1.9-2 percent of their body weight in forages, and a lactating cow consumes 2.4-2.5 percent of her body weight2. Providing 3 percent of their body weight daily during the winter will ensure that each animal gets all they need. This is because livestock use digestion to warm up their body. As digestion occurs, the body gets warmer. For every degree drop in temperature below 55ºF, a cow’s energy requirements increase by 10 percent3

If you do not have the ability to provide hay 24/7, providing more hay during colder times of day, such as overnight, will help to keep them warm

and will help to keep the pounds on them. Providing higher quality hay will be very important for livestock in more demanding stages of production, such as lactating cows. When cattle are fed lower quality hay, they will decrease their consumption2, making it more difficult for them to weather the winter temperatures.

For those who want to add a variety to their cattle diets and potentially help their pocketbook, adding winter forages can help. They have highly digestible forages and provide added protein2 that is lacking in lower quality hay. It is recommended that you allow plants to be 6-8 inches prior to the start of grazing and allow them 3-4 inches upon moving the cattle out of the pasture. Grazing too early can reduce annual production by at least ⅓ throughout the grazing season, so timing and management are vital4. Allowing cattle to graze on winter forages for just three hours a day can provide them with up to 30 percent of the nutrients that cattle will need per day2. Integrating this into your management system allows you to save your higher quality hay during the gap in perennial spring/summer grazing and the start of winter grazing.

Another way to provide adequate nutrition is to provide protein or mineral tubs. Supplements can account for 5-20 percent of the total daily dry matter intake5 Offering protein and energy supplementation will stimulate livestock’s appetite and digestibility of low quality forages. Free choice mineral needs to be just that, free choice, or the cattle will not get the amount of nutrients they need. If they are rushing for the tubs or consuming a lot at once, they should get minerals offered more frequently. Place your mineral tubs away from water and in poorly grazed areas to balance your grazing pressure. Another option is to

provide a supplemental grain ration to go along with their forage consumption. For a specific ration, please contact your local livestock and forages agent.

A final consideration for nutrition requirements is water consumption in the winter. Cattle are less likely to consume water during the winter months, going from roughly 2 gallons/100 lb body weight to 1 gallon/100 lb body weight6. Providing fresh, clean water will help them to consume the proper amount. It is also possible to include free choice salt or salt in their diet to help ensure that cattle are drinking7

The chart on this page, taken from an article by Dr. Francine Henry with UGA5, discusses some requirements of beef cattle at different mature weights.

Aside from nutrition, there are a few additional considerations and methods to ensure that cattle stay healthy during the colder months. Muddy conditions can affect an animal’s ability to stay warm, even if the animal is getting the proper amount of forage8. Proper management of forages and rotation to provide areas where cattle can stay out of the mud is important. Of course, different breeds will also tolerate cold differently. Although the Brahman influenced cattle are great for the heat, they have a harder time than some other breeds because of their short hair coat9. Keeping that in mind will help you determine whether you need to provide shelter like a three sided run-in or a windbreak. During severe winter weather, “A windbreak is the single most important factor for the success of your cattle10.”

References

1 https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ clayco/2018/01/04/common-tips-wintermanagement-livestock/

2 https://site.extension.uga.edu/ colquittag/2021/11/winter-feeding-tips/

3 https://colorado.agrilife.org/ publications/winterizing-your-cow-herd/ 4 https://site.extension.uga.edu/ lincoln/2020/10/fall-and-winter-foragesfor-cattle/

5https://site.extension.uga.edu/beef/ files/2021/11/Francine-Henry-NovemberIssue-1.pdf

6 https://beef.unl.edu/ amountwatercowsdrink#:~:text=As%20 a%20rule%20of%20thumb,and%20 other%20debris%20is%20important

7 https://news.okstate.edu/articles/ agriculture/2016/remember-livestockdrinking-water-needs-during-winterweather.html?Forwarded=www.dasnr. okstate.edu/Members/donald-stotts40okstate.edu/remember-livestock-drinkingwater-needs-during-winter-weather

8 https://lgpress.clemson.edu/ publication/mud-management-for-southcarolina-livestock-farmers/

9 https://lsuagcenter. com/profiles/lblack/articles/ page1536598953594#:~:text=The%20 heat%20tolerance%20of%20 Brahman,more%20susceptible%20to%20 cold%20stress

10https://extension.umn.edu/beef-cowcalf/preparing-your-cattle-severe-winterweather

Table 1. Nutrient requirements of beef cows at different mature weights.

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus N.C. State University

You Decide: If Inflation Subsides, Will Everything Be OK? I came to Raleigh and joined the N.C. State University faculty in 1978. Then, manufacturing dominated the North Carolina economy. Manufacturing production accounted for almost a third of the total economic output in the state, and 30 percent of the workforce had jobs in manufacturing. No other sector of the state economy came close to these numbers.

Today, the situation is dramatically different. Manufacturing accounts for about 16 percent of North Carolina’s economy, and 10 percent of workers are in manufacturing.

Much of the demise of manufacturing

was due to increased international trade. Two international trade agreements – the WTO (World Trade Organization) and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) – moved a large part of North Carolina’s manufacturing of textiles, apparel, and furniture to countries with lower labor costs. Many communities in the state had their entire economies almost wiped out.

Fortunately, the North Carolina economy expanded in other industries, such as finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology and information. But many of the jobs in these industries require four year college degrees or more. Unfortunately, a large share of the workers who lost their jobs in North

Carolina’s traditional manufacturing don’t have this level of education. Hence, there’s been a mismatch between the skills of former manufacturing workers and the skills of the expanding jobs with better pay.

Yet, there may be hope. Economic conditions never remain constant. There is some optimism that economic factors are now changing to create a regeneration of manufacturing both in the country and in North Carolina.

The big game changer to worldwide manufacturing in the 21st century has been China. China has dominated manufacturing in this century due to its competitive –meaning low – costs, particularly for labor. Once China joined the WTO, firms worldwide set up manufacturing operations in the United States. Thousands of products now say “Made in China” rather than “Made in the USA.”

However, the attractiveness of China for international manufacturing is being re-evaluated for several reasons. First and foremost, China’s labor costs are no longer the lowest in the world. Second, many international companies have become suspicious of China over concerns about protecting company technology and secrets from being copied by China. Last, China has become very blunt about its plans to challenge the existing geo-political order. Translated, China wants to supplant the U.S. and its allies as the dominant power in Asia. China is now a major military competitor to the United States.

Like many things, the pandemic also impacted manufacturing. So called “supply chain” disruptions around the world continue to impair our ability to purchase many manufactured products. Or, if the products are available, their prices are much higher. More importantly, during the pandemic, we saw how our country’s reliance on foreign producers’ supplies of medical products could be disastrous.

Lastly, I think we have realized we need a robust number of middle income jobs that don’t require a four year college degree to have a thriving economy, and manufacturing is a core part of those jobs.

The culmination of these factors is that manufacturing appears to be enjoying a rebound. There are now renewed efforts to “re-shore” manufacturing from foreign countries to the United States.

There are indications that these efforts are having an impact, particularly here in North Carolina. In the last decade, manufacturing jobs have increased. Also, a recent study focusing on re-shoring ranked North Carolina second among all states in 2022 in generating almost 46,000 manufacturing jobs that typically would

be located in foreign countries. Recent announcements of computer chip, battery, and auto assembly factories are good examples.

The excitement about revived manufacturing and re-shoring does have challenges. International competition for manufacturing goes beyond China. Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and others have significant manufacturing operations. However, they have limited capacity. The big question is whether India – soon to be the most populous country in the world – could take the place of China. Also, even if China is losing favor as an international manufacturing hub, it takes considerable time and money for companies to re-route their supply chains.

Finally, it is imperative to realize today’s manufacturing is very different from the manufacturing of even 20 years ago. Like most of the economy, manufacturing is more high tech and automated. Machines have replaced human muscle. Hence, workers in today’s factories need different training than their counterparts of the past.

Fortunately, North Carolina has world class community colleges that can provide rapid and specialized training needed by modern factories. Short-term apprenticeship programs are another way of securing qualified labor.

Manufacturing’s revival and reshoring could go a long way to rebuilding the state’s middle class and giving improved economic opportunities to thousands of North Carolinians, many of them living in rural regions. Will this lead to a new age of manufacturing? You decide.

You Decide: Where Can We Cut Back? Both of my grandfathers were farmers in southwestern Ohio. One had a hog farm, and the other raised beef cows. This was a century ago, and farming then – like now – was very risky and unpredictable. My grandfathers and their families had to be prepared to periodically tighten their belts when adverse economic conditions popped up.

My father didn’t take up farming. After returning from World War II, he trained to become a carpenter, and he stayed in that occupation for over 40 years. I don’t know if he pursued that career to have more stable finances, but if he did, he was wrong. My father typically didn’t have work for several months during Ohio winters. His family –including me – had to hunker down and cut back until he went back to work.

Many households today are faced with a challenging economy. For two years, the prices households pay have outpaced the incomes households earn.

Simply put, people can’t buy the same amount of products and services today that they bought two years ago. Standards of living have dropped.

To make matters worse, the job market seems to be weakening, and some economists are predicting unemployment will eventually rise. If this happens, it will put a further strain on household finances.

What can people do? Can economists like me use our training to make any useful recommendations? I think we can.

The first task is to know where you stand, financially speaking. Get pencil and paper together and begin to track where your money is going. Also, tally both the current values of your investments and debts. This information will allow you to see how much of a financial challenge you have.

Now comes the hard part – assuming you have a financial challenge, what do you do? Here’s where some economic principles can help.

One important economic principle is substitution. Simply put, we are constantly looking for ways to meet the same need less expensively. So, when one way becomes costlier, we’ll try to find another way that gives us the same result but at a lower cost.

Let’s say you enjoy eating meat. While meat prices, in general, have risen during the last two years, some meat prices have risen less than others. Among the top three meats – beef, pork, and poultry – beef prices are up four percentage points less than pork and eight percentage points under poultry. Eating more beef and less pork and poultry would therefore help you budget.

One of the biggest changes in eating has been in meal preparation. When I was a child in the 1950s, eating out at a restaurant was saved for special occasions, and delivery of meals to homes was unheard of. Meals were prepared at home using ingredients from supermarkets.

Today, 40 percent of meals are eaten away from home. But eating meals at restaurants can be up to five times more expensive than making and eating that same meal at home. The reason is you’re paying someone else to prepare your meals in a restaurant.

Therefore, by substituting making and eating meals at home for meals served in a restaurant or delivered to your home is one way to reduce spending. You’re substituting your time for the money you would spend in a restaurant.

Another economic principle is the time value of money. The value of money depends on when it is spent or earned. A dollar today is worth more than a dollar in future years because prices will likely

be higher then. Therefore, to move future dollars to now, you’ll need to pay a cost. This is why an interest rate is paid to borrow against your future income.

With interest rates rising and expected to increase, even more, borrowing is more expensive. As a result, it makes sense to postpone borrowing when interest rates are high. For example, if you want to buy a house but don’t want to pay today’s mortgage interest rate –which is more than double from a year ago – then put that dream aside until rates come down. And P.S., I think interest rates will be dropping a year from now.

A third applicable economic concept is productivity. In business terms, productivity is output compared to inputs. For example, productivity in an auto factory is the number of vehicles rolling off the assembly line compared to the amount of labor and machinery used to make those vehicles. Higher productivity – meaning more vehicles per worker and machine – usually results in more profits for the company.

Even if you don’t have a home based business, you want to run your household productively. You want to use your two major resources – time and money – in ways that give the highest results.

A good example is driving. Given the level of gas prices today, cutting back on driving can produce big savings. If you can consolidate driving trips by doing numerous errands on the same trip, then you can drive less and reduce spending at the pump.

These are some economic ideas for coping with a difficult economy. Can you use them to ease some of the economic pain of today’s world? You decide.

E.B.'s ViEw

from thE Cow PasturE

By E.B. HARRIS

A Language Barrier

We were invited to a cattlemen’s meeting in Halifax County (this is the next county east of me) last month, and it was hosted by Dr. Oberlin McDaniel, the local veterinarian in the area. She had as the speaker Dr. Mark Hilton from Indiana. He gave a very informative and enjoyable program. I don’t care what you know, you can always find out more if you keep your ears open. It’s what we learn after we know it all that really counts.

Dr. Hilton recognized at the beginning of his speech that there is a language barrier between Indiana and North Carolina. He told us at the beginning of his speech that if he needed to slow down or speed up his speech, he would do whatever he needed for us to be able to understand him. He did not say anything about him not being able to understand our southern language.

Comments were made by the cattlemen that were in attendance during his presentation. As he went on through his slides, he got to one showing one particular herd that ended up weaning 87 percent of the calf crop, resulting in about

a 13 percent calf crop loss. He asked if anyone wanted to venture to say why he had a 13 percent calf crop lost. No one spoke up.

You know the old saying, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” A moment or two of silence went by, and you could tell he wanted an answer from the crowd. I spoke up and said, “Buzzards.” He turned around, rolled up his eyebrows, looked around the room for a second or two, and then paused. He said, “Buzz, buzzer,” looking somewhat confused. Finally, someone in the room that could translate what I said spoke up and changed the word buzzard to vultures.

This got a good laugh from the crowd of him not understanding my southern drawl “buzzard. “He said that was a good answer, but the reason for this ratio was a 24 hour below 0ºF freeze that came through and caused the calf crop loss.

Just remember that if you go up north or someone from up north comes down south, even though we all speak English, there may be a language barrier.

By BRENNA CARTER N.C. State University -- ANS 402 Beef Management

Saving Hay Down to the Last Straw

Hay prices have been troubling beef cattle producers and are still going up drastically ever since the COVID-19 pandemic; it is important now more than ever to save on feed costs and reduce waste to maximize profits. Farmers can waste between 2-60 percent of their hay every year due to incorrect storage, quick spoilage from contamination, trampling, bedding in, or cattle rejection, which amounts to an estimated $3 billion annually (University of Kentucky) There are some key things to consider implementing in your cattle operation if you are looking to decrease your farm’s hay waste.

Feeding Free Hay - Feeding free hay involves putting out hay in the field that has no barrier between the hay and the cattle. Feeding free hay is a popular method for supplying cattle with forage because it is cheap, and you can put out exactly the amount you would like your cattle to eat in a one day period. One way to reduce hay waste while feeding free hay is to move around the spot where you put the hay in the pasture, which allows manure to be evenly distributed and keeps grass from thinning. When you move hay around, keep it out of spots that lie near streams or in ditches to keep hay from getting wet (University of Kentucky). Only put out enough hay for one day. This reduces the risk of the extra hay deteriorating and decomposing in the field, getting mixed with feces, or getting bedded in by cattle (University of Kentucky)

Storage of Hay - Storing your hay inside is the best way to preserve your hay, especially in the winter months when hay is relied on more. It is not always feasible to store round bales inside due to shape and size; however, square bales can be stored inside due to their smaller size and ability to be stacked. If you have the facilities to store your hay inside, do so in a dry storage climate. Storing hay inside with good ventilation can help prevent moisture build up in the hay and keep it fresh (Radke, 2013)

Using hay that is being stored outside first is the best way to guarantee you are supplying your cattle with the

freshest hay. When stored outside, it is recommended to keep the hay off the ground. Hay stored on the ground “can result in a 30-40 percent dry matter loss in six months” (Kosto, 2020). Cattle are less likely to eat lower quality hay which leads to cattle rejection of hay and large amounts of waste. Another way to prevent nutrient loss and damage to hay is to keep rain and snow off of it by adding a shelter over it. Providing a tin roof, a tarp stretched over the top of it, or an open air shelter (Figure 1) can add a little bit more protection and keep in more nutrients when storing.

the bale (Ishmael, 2011) . This type of feeder can feed about ten cows at a time (Kallenbach, 2022). Because this feeder is limited to the number of cattle it can feed at one time, it is recommended that this type of feeder be used for a smaller operation of less than 30 head or in fields with smaller groups of cattle.

A cone feeder is similar to a ring feeder, but it uses a cone structure within the metal ring that elevates the round bale above the ground (Figure 3). This feeder can reduce hay loss by 43 percent compared to the ring feeder (University of Kentucky). This is because the slotted bars along the ring encourage the cows to keep their head in the feeder while eating from the hay within the cone, which keeps hay from being pulled out onto the ground (Stockdale’s). It takes longer to start breaking down because it is not in contact with water or dirt. This feeder is preferred among a lot of producers to help

cut costs.

A trailer feeder is a good fit for a larger cattle operation. It can be moved to different locations as needed, and it can hold higher volumes of hay (Figure 4). As seen in Figure 4, five round bales of hay are contained in that feeder. According to Kallenbach, one 900 lb round bale feeds

Baling hay correctly can keep it fresher for longer. Keep bales tightly packed to reduce the chance of moisture buildup. During the winter, snow and rain can penetrate through the bale and sink down into it. To check for moisture buildup, push the palm of your hand into the round bale. If it sinks in more than about half an inch, this is evidence that nutrients have been lost (Radke, 2013)

Using Feeders - There are many different types of feeders you can use to help decrease your hay loss. A ring feeder is one of the most common feeders used in modern farming. It consists of a metal ring that sits on the ground and holds the round bale in one place (Figure 2). It creates a barrier between the cattle and hay, so the hay doesn’t get trampled or bedded in (Stockdale’s) . Although this feeder can reduce waste, it is seen as less effective than the cone feeder because the ring feeder allows hay to be in contact with the ground. Moisture, dirt, and bacteria are able to get into the hay and start to break it down. Open bottom feeders can waste as much as 21 percent of the original weight of

Figure 2. This depicts an open bottom ring feeder (Wells, 2018).

Figure 1. This depicts an open air hay storage shelter (Winkler Structures, 2020).

Figure 3. This depicts a cone feeder (Roesler, 2015).

30 head of cattle a day, so that specific trailer feeder could feed 150 head of cattle a day. It is longer than the other two feeders and can hold more hay, so it can feed more cattle at once, which is ideal for a larger operation. A trailer feeder adequately keeps hay elevated and out of contact with the ground, but cattle still tend to pull hay out and place it on the ground to eat. Hay can get left on the ground, which will lead to cattle rejection if it stays there for multiple days.

Summary - With the costs of hay rising, it is important to utilize techniques to keep your hay waste down. Moving hay around the field and keeping it away from streams and ditches while feeding free hay keeps it from getting soiled and

protects your pasture. Storing hay inside and off the ground keeps moisture out and keeps it fresh all winter long. Additionally, making sure round bales are packed tightly can also keep moisture out. Using a cone feeder as opposed to a ring or trailer feeder can reduce waste by up to 43 percent and keep your hay off the ground. Utilizing these techniques will maximize your profits and allow you to provide the best quality hay for your cattle.

References

“Arrow Front® Feeders.” Feeders, www.sifeeders-simetals.com/feeders.html

Ishmael, Wes. “Reduce Hay Waste.” Beef Magazine, 27 December 2011, www. beefmagazine.com/feeding-systems/ reduce-hay-waste

Kosto, Allison. “Broadwater County Blog.” Broadwater County BlogMontana State University, Broadwater County Extension, 20 March 2020, broadwater.msuextension.org/blogarticle.html?id=19719

Roesler, Sue. “Feeder Allows Cattle, Sheep, Horses to Eat More ‘Effectively’ by Design.” AgUpdate, 13 October 2015, www.agupdate.com/tristateneighbor/ news/technology/feeder-allows-cattlesheep-horses-to-eat-more-effectively-by/ article_eb3be76e-9e3a-5903-8527a66793f88bbc.html

Radke, Amanda. “5 Considerations for Proper Hay Storage during Winter.” Beef Magazine, 2 December 2013, www. beefmagazine.com/blog/5-considerationsproper-hay-storage-during-winter

“Save Hay by Choosing the Right Type of Feeder.” Stockdales, 9 October 2019, www.stockdales.com/ask-an-expert/savehay-by-choosing-the-right-type-of-feeder/ University of Kentucky. “Minimizing Hay Waste While Feeding.” Minimizing Hay Waste While Feeding|Master Grazer, grazer.ca.uky.edu/content/minimizinghay-waste-while-feeding.

Wells, Robert. “Hay Feeder Design Can Reduce Hay Waste and Cost.” Noble Research Institute, February 2018, www.

noble.org/news/publications/ag-newsand-views/2013/november/hay-feederdesign-can-reduce-hay-waste-and-cost/

Winkler Structures. “How Fabric Covered Buildings Are Safer for Unloading Hay Bales.” Winkler Structures, 22 July 2020, winklerstructures.com/news/ agriculture/fabric-buildings-safer-for-haybales-video/

Have You Herd article written as a portion of the ANS 402 Beef Management course requirement at N.C. State University Department of Animal Science. The opinions of Brenna Carter are not necessarily those of N.C. State University or Dr. Carrie Pickworth.

NOTICE

Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input.

HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.

Figure 4. This depicts a trailer feeder (Arrow Front Feeders).

Carolina Cooking

Beef Rib Roast with Chocolate Port Sauce

Total Cooking Time - 3 hours

1 beef ribeye roast, bone in (2-4 ribs), small end, chine (back) bone removed (6-8 pounds)

Salt

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Goat cheese Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)

Seasoning

3 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon coarse grind black pepper

Chocolate Port Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

¾ cup finely chopped shallots

1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1¼ cups port wine

1 can (14-14½ ounces) beef broth

¾ cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon soy sauce

¾ ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine seasoning ingredients; press evenly onto all surfaces of beef roast.

Place roast, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so the tip is centered in the thickest part of beef, not resting in fat or touching bone. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 350°F oven for 2¼-2½ hours for medium rare; 2½-3 hours for medium doneness.

Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate Port Sauce. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme; cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until shallots are lightly browned. Add port; cook 5-7 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15-17 minutes or until reduced by one half, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and soy sauce; cook 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Keep warm.

Cook’s Tip: Sauce may be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before serving. Do not boil.

About 45 minutes before serving, prepare Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Remove roast when the meat thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 145°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand for 15-20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°-15°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)

Cook’s Tip: To prevent seasoning on roast from overbrowning, tent loosely with aluminum foil after roasting for 1 hour.

Carve roast into slices; season with salt, as desired. Serve with sauce and mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes - Peel 3½ pounds all purpose potatoes and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Place potatoes in a stockpot and add enough water to cover the potatoes; add salt as desired. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes

are tender. Drain well. Mash potatoes with 1½ cups milk, 6 ounces softened goat cheese, and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Season with 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper, as desired. Keep warm. Makes 10 servings.

Beef Rib Roast with Chocolate Port Sauce

Certified Angus Beef Welcomes New Director of Producer Communications. Lindsay Graber Runft brings energy and industry experience to the brand. Genetics and management are at the forefront of targeting the Certified Angus Beef brand but communicating beef value propositions to cattlemen guides informed business decisions.

To bring the most relevant production and economic information to cattlemen, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) hired fifth generation rancher Lindsay Graber Runft as director of producer communications.

Runft oversees communications strategy and leads the brand’s producer facing messaging for seedstock breeders, commercial cattlemen, cattle feeders, and allied industry organizations as CAB continues working to strengthen its relationship with those who supply the brand.

“Providing consumers with the highest

quality beef doesn’t just happen by chance. It takes initiative and focus by those raising and feeding cattle with an eye toward continual progress and improvement,” says Melissa Brewer, CAB vice president of communications. “With Lindsay’s years of experience and production background, we’re excited to have her credibility on our team leading the engagement efforts producers in these areas.”

A native of south-central Kansas, Runft was raised on a small family farming and ranching operation. She graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, double majoring in agricultural communications and animal science. Runft earned a master’s degree in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University, with research focuses on media market research and crisis communications.

For more than a decade, Runft

has served the livestock industry’s communication needs and elevated the voice of beef producers. Prior to joining the brand, she was executive director of the Livestock Publications Council and a public relations consultant for clients such as the Kansas Beef Council. Her experience also includes leading communications efforts for Livestock Marketing Association and managing creative services for Hereford Publications, Inc.

“Certified Angus Beef is known for its high caliber work, progressive leadership, and excellent culture,” Runft says. “I am thrilled to be joining the powerhouse communications team at the brand and look forward to continuing to serve the beef industry through strategic communication efforts.”

Runft started with the brand on September 12 and serves as the point contact for all producer facing communications for CAB.

She can be contacted by emailing LRunft@certifiedangusbeef.com

Who is Certified Angus Beef? At Certified Angus Beef, we know people want to put great meals on the table. Our employees work across the beef supply chain to ensure chefs and home cooks find and prepare the best Angus beef. Led by our culinary, beef, and marketing experts, our team provides consultation, marketing materials, training, market insights, and tools that help businesses like grocery stores and restaurants thrive. Our team is also dedicated to sharing the story of family farmers and ranchers who supply the brand.

ANGUS NEWS

American Angus Association Internship Applications Open. Applications for four internships are open until January 10, 2023. In a world full of opportunity, internship experiences allow students the best trial run. The American Angus Association is excited to announce four internship positions for the summer of 2023. These ten week internship programs provide a unique, hands-on experience to allow students to grow and prosper while dipping their toes in the workforce.

“This internship is one of the most unique opportunities in the cattle industry for young professionals,” said Ian Kane, 2022 intern. “The Association staff is welcoming, helpful and are great teachers, plus you get to travel and meet with Angus breeders — I just can’t say enough about this experience.”

Internships allow students to gain industry relevant experience and refine their skills. Still, the value of networking and working alongside the team at the Association will prove valuable for a lifetime. The summer 2023 internship experience will be filled with Angus cattle, tasty beef, and a staff eager to share knowledge and wisdom.

The four internships being offered are:

• Angus Media - This writing intensive opportunity offers the chance to join a multi-media effort, which includes the Angus Journal print publication and the AJ Daily electronic newsletter, as well as the Angus Journal’s website and social media presence. The internship can be tailored to the intern’s strengths, but many duties can be anticipated, including

traveling to industry events. Experience in news and feature writing, editing, and photography is strongly suggested.

• Communications - From print stories to video scripts, photography, graphic design, and more, the communications intern will truly gain valuable agricultural communications experience. Applicants should have strong writing and design skills and have completed coursework in news and feature writing, editing, and design. Experience in photography, video, and social media is preferred.

• Events & Junior ActivitiesThe intern will assist in planning and executing youth events hosted by the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), including preparations, correspondence, and coordination for junior shows and events. Applicants should be self starters, detail oriented, and outgoing, with the ability to work well with others. Livestock and event planning experience is preferred but not required. Travel to the 2023 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) Conference, and other events is expected.

• Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI)Students pursuing their master’s degree or Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics are encouraged to apply for the AGI summer internship. The intern will have the opportunity to work with one of the world’s largest beef genomic databases. The internship will focus on research that involves data analysis. Therefore, candidates should have experience in analyzing animal breeding data sets and genomic data.

For more information and a full description of each internship opportunity, visit angus.org/careers . Students who wish to apply should upload their resume, cover letter, and references by January 10.

Keeping Cows Maternal. Breeders explore strategies for cattle that ‘do it all.’ A cow that can have a calf all on her own has become so commonplace it’s a trait that’s easy to take for granted.

“One of our biggest success stories is calving ease. Obviously tracking calving dystocia events at birth and weighing those calves have allowed Angus to have a lot of success in the calving ease debate,” says Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of Angus Genetics Inc.

But the “maternal” discussion is far more complex than a healthy live birth, she says, and seedstock producers are using more data and knowledge to create better dams each year.

Retallick-Riley joined breeders Chad Denowh, Gartner-Denowh Angus, and Joe Lowe, Oak Hollow Angus, on The Angus Conversation podcast to discuss

what it takes to have cows that work where they live and work further down the line.

“The cows are kind of the employee,” Lowe says. “They have to show up. It’s our job to take care of the cow. It is the cow’s job to take care of the calf.” He and his father raise Angus seedstock near Smiths Grove, Kentucky, where they use both genomics and phenotype to select for good mothers.

“If they can walk, if they can slick off, and they can breed — those are the three non-starters if they don’t exist in our environment,” he says, noting many of his customers deal with fescue pressure.

Both he and Denowh have been early adopters of programs that help turn data into answers, such as the American Angus Association’s Maternal Plus record keeping system.

“We want the cows to look the part first and foremost, but they also have to have the structure, the leg structure, the udder structure, to hold up and stay in these herds for a long amount of time,” says Denowh, who is the sixth generation on his family’s Sidney, Montana, ranch. “Everybody up in this country culls their open cows, and if they don’t stay in the herd, they don’t make you money.”

His family adopted the Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR) program when it came out in the 1970s, so they have more than 50 years of trends to draw on.

“We work a lot with efficiency and raising a good calf in a timely manner,” Denowh says.

Both cattlemen work at having a calf crop that is in demand, no matter the intended marketing.

“There’s a lot of guys that don’t think you can have maternal and carcass together — sure you can, it just takes longer,” Denowh says.

Sometimes that means not using the top carcass bull if it doesn’t meet certain maternal parameters. He’s seen mature cow weights stay moderate while pushing growth, and he’s made improvements in calving ease while also improving marbling.

“I don’t think they’re antagonistic at all, any of the traits. I think you just have to find out which traits are most important to you and have a program and stick to it,” Denowh says.

The best cows are those you hardly notice.

“Everyone says the best cow’s the one you don’t know she’s there until she’s six, and you look down, and she’s got two daughters in the herd,” Lowe observes.

Retallick-Riley and her team at AGI continue to use the Association’s database — the largest single beef breed database

in the world — to find ways to better characterize maternal genetics. That will allow them to create additional selection tools, such as cow fertility or regionally adapted expected progeny differences (EPDs).

Since calving ease EPDs came out in 2005, the breed has steadily added additional traits that aid in cow herd selection, such as docility, heifer pregnancy, hair shed, foot angle, and claw set.

“We’ve been spoiled because we have great members who really take care of their cow herd. They cull hard,” Retallick-Riley says. “They really get rid of those problem animals in those problem areas, but we’re here to help them figure out which animals they need to remove from the herd sooner, and that’s really where our genetic tools can come in.”

To listen to the whole conversation on maternal function, subscribe to The Angus Conversation on your favorite podcast platform or visit TheAngusConversation.com

American Angus Association concludes a strong fiscal year. 2022 signals strong demand for Angus cattle, beef product. The American Angus Association concluded a successful fiscal year packed with member wide comradery and industry leading advances. The year marked the eighth consecutive year of more than 304,000 registrations, with an additional 141,385 recorded transfers. The fiscal year, which concluded September 30, tallied a grand total of 22,488 regular and junior memberships combined.

“Angus breeders have completed a successful year, despite many challenges with weather and rising input costs,” said Mark McCully, CEO of the Association. “Angus females averaged $6,023 last year and bulls averaged $5,909, signaling that Angus genetics are very much in demand.”

Angus Genetics Inc. continued to plant itself at the forefront of the industry to help breeders achieve their goals and serve as the trusted industry source of advanced genetic solutions. Boasting 1.229 million animals with profiles in the genetic evaluation, a ten percent increase in profile tests, and 13 ongoing research projects, AGI plans to keep the momentum heading into the new year and to new heights.

In efforts to provide tools to enhance breeder success, the AHIR program transitioned the Hair Shed EPD from the research environment to a production EPD due to the hard work of Angus breeders who diligently collected data. The EPD aims to help breeders find

animals best genetically equipped to handle hot, fescue filled environments. Additionally, AHIR continued to promote the importance of complete cow herd data through its Inventory Reporting program, enrolling 97,271 head from 768 herds.

The Angus Media SM team created The Angus Conversation and Angus at Work podcasts to provide on-thego information for Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen. Found anywhere you listen to podcasts; the episodes feature a variety of guests who discuss everything from technology and breeding philosophies to marketing and traditions.

With its goal of providing cost effective and quality marketing services to Angus breeders, Angus Media helped foster 34,000,000 online sale book page views and 3,500,000 email marketing sends.

The Certified Angus Beef brand affirmed its quality standard with another year of exceeding consumer expectations. Combined focus on genetics and management led to a 35.5 percent brand acceptance rate. More than 5.78 million carcasses were certified, and CAB marked 1.234 billion pounds sold. That’s an impressive 3.4 million pounds of CAB sold per day, and the entity worked with more than 18,000 licensed partners in 54 countries this year.

With the value of Angus cattle consistently increasing, the Association continued its Powered by Angus SM advertising campaign. Combating the “black hided confusion” in the marketplace, the campaign illustrates the confidence cattlemen can put in the power of EPD data, documented pedigrees, and marketing programs with the purchase of registered Angus.

The Angus family continued to pour their support into the Angus Foundation’s mission of education, youth, and research. With a record setting $1.4 million in donations, each cent will impact the lives of Angus generations to come.

To view the 2022 Annual Report with in-depth information about the year, visit bit.ly/2022AngusAnnualReport and to view the Association’s complete financial report, visit bit.ly/2022AngusFinancials

Angus enthusiasts gather for 2022 Angus Convention. Thousands travel West for the Business Breed event of the year. After a weekend exploring new learning and networking avenues, the American Angus Association concluded a successful 2022 Angus Convention. The four day event, held in Salt Lake City on November 4-7, attracted 1,400 registrants and nearly 80 trade show vendors.

“This year’s convention was without a doubt a tremendous success,” said Mark McCully, Association chief executive officer. “Our Angus family left Salt Lake City energized, equipped, and inspired to reach new levels of success.”

Each day was loaded with educational sessions, networking opportunities, and wall-to-wall trade show vendors. On day one, Angus enthusiasts had a chance to partake in various tours, including the National Angus Tour and the Beef Blitz tour hosted by Certified Angus Beef. That evening marked the kickoff of the trade show floor during the Trade Show Grand Opening and Welcome Reception.

On the main stage, three general sessions presented attendees with industry relevant, cutting edge information. The opening session, Exploring Your Potential, welcomed the Angus family with remarks from McCully and panelists about defying standards, the scope of the beef business, and what’s on the industry’s horizon. Later, Kelli RetallickRiley and panelists of the Genetics Symposium, sponsored by NEOGEN, discussed the functional longevity

EPD, genomic advancements, and the value of the Angus cow. The Consumer Perspectives Panel, sponsored by Zoetis, concluded the trio of general sessions, where Bruce Cobb, CAB executive vice president of production, alongside industry professionals, shared how cattlemen can earn consumer trust and continue driving demand for CAB.

Throughout the weekend, educational opportunities filled the schedule. Angus University continued to provide attendees opportunities to learn from industry experts, both in classroom settings and with live cattle in the Priefert Cattle Demo Area. Topics covered ranged from capturing value for all sectors and bovine heart health to innovative production practices.

To hear a few breeders recap the Angus Convention, listen to the latest episode of The Angus Conversation at www.angusjournal.net/episodes/ episode/7b49f40b/in-demand-whyangus-breeders-are-so-optimistic . The 2023 Angus Convention will be held November 4-6 in Orlando, Florida.

For news and further information

about this year’s Convention, visit www. angus.org

Beef Industry Panel Shares Insight on Future Challenges and Opportunities. Perspectives from all sectors were discussed in the panel at the 2022 Angus Convention. Cattlemen and women from across the United States work in different sectors of the beef industry, deal with different environmental issues, and have different business strategies. But at the end of the day, all farmers and ranchers work toward the same goal; to continue raising and selling the best beef possible.

Raising top quality beef comes with both barriers and optimism. During the 2022 Angus Convention first general session, Exploring Your Potential, five Angus breeders and industry experts spoke on a panel with Mark McCully, American Angus Association chief executive officer, as the moderator.

The panel included the following backgrounds and perspectives: Jerry Connealy with Connealy Angus; Mark Gardiner with Gardiner Angus Ranch and U. S. Premium Beef; Ed Greiman with Greiman Brothers and Upper Iowa Beef; Joe Goggins with Vermillion Ranch and Northern Livestock Video Auction; and Matt Perrier with Dalebanks Angus.

Big opportunities lie ahead for the industry, the panelists said. Perrier spoke about the importance of influence and the next generation. Greiman discussed how vital it is for producers to continually improve quality so packers can find new ways to add value to the carcass. The type of supplies and increasing packing capacity brought excitement to Goggins, and Connealy shared his perspective on the value of Association tools.

“It’s full circle. The American Angus Association provides the tools, and you guys [producers] have obviously done a tremendous job using those tools making a premium as demand has gone up,” said Connealy. “But there is still upside that we can get better. We can always get better.”

Vertical coordination is also an answer to improving the beef industry while avoiding vertical integration, said Gardiner. He defines vertical integration as an entity owning things from the cut of beef all the way to genetics.

“The only way we keep that from happening, in my opinion, is through vertical coordination and passing that information, building those alliances, sharing and being transparent with whoever it is we sell product to and with who they sell product to,” said Gardiner.

Perhaps the biggest challenge, the cattlemen said, is ensuring that beef industry profitability is spread over all segments of the industry. In the past, when one segment made money, the others lost it — the “skin thy neighbor approach,” as Gardiner put it.

The panelists talked about the value and quality of Angus beef, creating more profitability. Perrier mentioned a quote from John Stika, Certified Angus Beef president, who said the only new money in the beef industry comes from the consumer. If that is the case, we must ensure there is an opportunity to make money through consumer demand, said Perrier.

Increasing consumer demand also means increasing consumer trust, which Connealy said is the most significant barrier to the industry’s future success. If we don’t do the right things or represent our cattle and our industry correctly, consumer trust could drag us down, he said.

Pull through demand for Certified Angus Beef is key. As long as we can keep that, he said, “We will come out on top. I am confident in that.”

The group’s morale was bullish as they considered environmental and economic factors influencing the profitability of producers in the coming years. Considering the market’s improvement and opportunity, the group also recognized the effect rising input

costs will have on cattle prices. Greiman discussed how producers should use the tools and resources available to them as prices swing. Risk management was a tool discussed as well as a genetic hedge — or the ability to protect yourself through the use of good genetics.

The Angus breed is positioned well to help with that, Perrier said. “We have one breed that can do what we do from an end product, growth standpoint and yet still have a pasture full of females that are going to make the producer money.”

As the Angus breed and beef industry work toward a successful future, the panel reminded attendees how everyone is facing the same challenges and opportunities. Regardless of size and shape, there is room for success and probability of cattle producers.

Genetics Symposium Panel explores future genetic opportunity. Panelists discuss the functional longevity EPD and genetic enhancements. Take a look into the future, and what do you see? For the Angus breed, the future includes leaps into enhanced genomic comprehension and expanded maternal tools for breeders. The 2022 Angus Convention featured a Genetics Symposium sponsored by NEOGEN, which hosted a panel of industry leaders to discuss the future of genetic data.

Speakers included moderator Kelli Retallick-Riley and five panelists – Larry Kuehn, USDA Meat Animal Research Center geneticist; Andre Garcia, AGI geneticist; Gale Haynes, owner of Haynes Cattle Company; Alan Miller, owner of Prairie View Farms and 2021-2022 AGI board chairman; and Duc Lu, AGI geneticist.

For several years, the focus to understand and leverage maternal traits has been a top priority and only continues to become more important. Providing a progress update on the Functional Longevity EPD research for the American Angus Association, Garcia explained the EPD relies on robust data in mass amounts.

“For those maternal traits it comes down to the data,” Garcia said. “We need to collect those records in order to characterize the genetic variability in the population. To get good spread and accuracy behind those EPDs, we really need to have sires with a lot of daughter records in the population specifically for functional longevity which is lowly heritable.”

As with any EPD, the prediction has little value without accuracy. Lu explained how accuracies shift — when new progeny data is added to an EPD with low accuracy, the accuracy shifts. When new data is added to a high

accuracy EPD (accuracy > 0.90), the accuracy isn’t likely to change much because the bull himself is already proven with progeny data. If the animal is already genotyped, this change, or forward movement, can only occur from the collection of more phenotypic data.

“Animals with low accuracies need to have more data because there is not much information estimating that particular animal,” said Lu. “You have to increase the number of phenotypes. You need to collect on that particular animal or its relatives in order to move the accuracy.”

Kuehn added that to increase the spread in EPDs, phenotype and genotype must be used in tandem to create variation in the population.

“We’re actually tying together parts of the family and assumptions about how [animals are] inheriting genetics from those families much better with genomics than what we were ever able to do with pedigree based genetic evaluation systems alone,” said Kuehn.

Garcia reminded breeders that genetic change cannot occur overnight. He said through careful planning and selection, breeders will see progress.

“Not only is it important to create a breeding objective and have clear goals of where you want to go, but also being disciplined because to make genetic change, it takes generations,” said Garcia. “Creating those goals, being disciplined and following those goals along the way, I think that’s what really is going to move the needle to see the population evolving.”

To aid this forward movement, the Association must continue to add value to the database and tools for the membership. Miller stressed the freedom the Association grants AGI to work with industry partners in order to develop new tools to leverage the competitive advantage.

“We have to make sure we provide that next level of tools so our membership can really be at the forefront of quantifying all sorts of traits and not fall behind any competitors out there,” said Miller.

Angus Foundation raises $15,000 with sale of Certified Angus Beef barn painting. Funds raised at Angus Convention will benefit the Angus Foundation’s mission. The Angus Foundation raised $15,000 with the auction of a highly desired Certified Angus Beef barn painting at the 2022 Angus Convention. The painting was auctioned at the annual American Angus Association Awards Dinner and Reception and was purchased by Gardiner Angus Ranch of Ashland, Kansas. Funds raised will help further the Foundation’s mission of supporting Angus education,

youth, and research.

In 2018, CAB celebrated 40 years in business with the “Brand the Barn” campaign, painting 40 barns belonging to Angus breeders in 25 states across the country with the Certified Angus Beef brand logo. In response to the campaign, many Angus enthusiasts joined the waitlist to have their own barn painted. The Foundation offered breeders the unique chance to skip the line and proudly represent the brand on their operation.

“We’re incredibly thankful for the Angus family’s support of this offering from Certified Angus Beef,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “The generosity of the Gardiner family will help continue the Angus legacy and is an investment in the future of our breed.”

CAB will commission artist Troy Freeman to brand the Gardiner Angus Ranch barn and will also provide $1,000 to host a celebration event in conjunction with the barn painting. Funds raised will support a variety of programs, including educational opportunities for breeders, leadership development conferences for Angus youth, and groundbreaking industry research.

To learn more about the Angus Foundation, visit www.AngusFoundation. org

About the Angus Foundation. Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $4.2 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade. For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 22,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers. For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www. angus.org

Premier Select Sires Scholarship

Opportunities Total $20,000 in 2023. Premier Select Sires will award up to $20,000 to students within the Premier territory through the 2023 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program. Two exemplary students will receive $2,500 scholarships through either the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship or the Wayne Dudley Scholarship. Several other students will receive scholarships of $750-$1,000 in value.

Scholarship application forms are available under the “News” tab of www. premierselectsires.com , by calling 570-836-3168, or by emailing office@ premierselect.com. Completed scholarship applications are due January 31, 2023.

Eligible students include high school seniors through college seniors presently enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate agriculture related major. The student or his/her parent or guardian must reside in the Premier membership area and must be an active Premier customer in good standing. Previous scholarship winners remain eligible during subsequent award years; however, a student can only receive a $2,500 scholarship once in his/her school career.

The Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program provides financial support to eligible college undergraduates in agricultural majors. The program provides additional return to the cooperative’s member-owners by

supporting the next generation of young people desiring to study and work in the agriculture industry. The Premier Select Sires, Inc. board of directors has made a commitment to providing money to support this scholarship program on an ongoing annual basis.

About Premier Select Sires. Premier Select Sires is a farmer owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23 state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides:

• Industry leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands

• Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies

• Reliable services and programs backed by years of success

• Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance

Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.

Have you forgotten something? Make sure your cattlemen friends are members of your state association!

Carolina Cattle Connection

NORTHCAROLINAANGUSASSOCIATION

By CORTNEY HOLSHOUSER, NCAA Executive Secretary

Learning and Networking at N.C. Angus Association’s Field Day

The N.C. Angus Association held its Field Day on September 16 at the Upper Piedmont Research Station (UPRS) in Reidsville. It was a beautiful, sunny day with perfect Fall weather. The day started with a welcome from N.C. Angus Association President Mike Moss and Field Day Committee Chairman Mark Wilburn. Mike emphasized what a great opportunity the day would be to highlight the research being conducted at UPRS and to understand what’s going on and how it affects us as breeders.

manager of UPRS, did want to pass along one piece of advice if you are building your working facilities from recycled parts… always set your pivot first and then build the rest of your system around it. UPRS has a 63 percent pregnancy rate, even with not consistently using one protocol. They are constantly trying different protocols to test their efficacy. One thing they always do each time a cow comes through the chute as part of their proactive management style is to take body condition scores.

confinement or hindering their joints.

The team has faced a few environmental challenges since putting in the GrowSafe system. A week after installation, lightning from a storm fried the computer board. Shortly after, tornados ripped through the area and even touched down directly across the road in another area of the farm.

The automatic waterers on the GrowSafe system are also helping to measure efficiency. The waterer is divided by a fence, so it is accessible to both pens of heifers. Underneath the concrete is a set of scales that measures the animal’s front body weight. The water intake can then be calculated by using a conversion equation. In the Spring, water intake data will be collected on a set of heifers at UPRS. The team hopes to be on the cutting edge of water intake efficiency studies.

on research projects being conducted by N.C. State University graduate students. Benjamin Rajo began by giving us an update on his study of developing methods to identify fescue tolerant animals. Through his research at UPRS, he found that fescue tolerant cows had almost a 30 percent higher pregnancy rate than susceptible cows. He suggested that breeders can select for fescue tolerance by utilizing hair shedding score, body temperature, body condition score, and birth weight. The two EPDs that will benefit breeders the most in the Southeast United States when selecting for tolerance are hair coat shedding and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) score.

Dr. Daniel Poole, N.C. State University Professor, led us on a tour of the farm and the cattle working facilities. The research station runs 140 mama cows, all Angus. It is a historic herd in that it has been involved in research projects for many years, some conducted by the American Angus Association. Dr. Poole explained that the research station likes to capitalize on different varieties of forages, such as Eastern Gammagrass because it is a warm season perennial that needs lots of water, which is ideal for this part of the country. They also plant corn in their winter pastures to utilize the nitrogen from manure. One challenge the station faces is the number of public visitors they receive on their walking trail and their perception of production agriculture.

Dr. Poole demonstrated the new Arrowquip chute, noting its low stress handling design. The chute, paired with their sweep system made from an old grain bin, allows for an easy flow of cattle. Joe French,

Our next stop was the new GrowSafe System facility. The GrowSafe feed intake system, which looks similar to a regular feed trough system, has individual feed bunks that allow only one animal to feed at a time. When an animal enters a bunk, GrowSafe recognizes that animal specifically through a special electronic ear tag and then relays information back to a central computer. The system is so advanced that it starts sending data as soon as an animal crosses the feed trough threshold. It knows the start weight of the feed bunk, how often an animal eats, what times, how much active eating an animal does versus time just standing over the trough, etc. Each bunk sits on weigh bars, so every bite is calculated. The system can also be a tool to monitor animal health. If an animal decreases feed intake, GrowSafe will alert you. This project at UPRS is made up of 62 heifers divided into two groups. These heifers will be in this system for 45-60 days, saving a month of feeding and labor to collect data. In talking to other producers using this system, hay feeding has also decreased. On the reproduction side of things, the heifers in the GrowSafe system are replacement heifers. They have more area to roam within the system. This means no

The data being collected through GrowSafe is helping researchers understand animal feeding efficiency and eating behavior. They are measuring growth EPDs in the American Angus Association database. Dr. Poole did note that they must have phenotypes to have the genomic tests valid and accurate. He stressed the importance of not single trait selecting. If we only focus on dry matter intake, we could be left with unproductive cattle. It is very much a balancing act. The research conducted through this system is very impressive. It allows precision data to be collected at lightning speed and is made possible through contributions by N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and N.C. State University Department of Animal Science. Dr. Poole also thanked the N.C. Angus Association for their continued support, making projects like this possible.

After the tour, we headed across the road to enjoy a delicious lunch featuring Biltmore Beef hamburgers. A special thank you to Kyle Mayberry for supplying them and coordinating the meal with Joe French.

After lunch, we received updates

Next up was Katie Williams’ presentation on deworming protocols in mature cattle and comparing current practices to future needs. Research suggests herds are developing a resistance to dewormers from overuse. Currently, most producers operate on a traditional calendar or convenience based deworming strategy. Katie suggests a more strategic deworming protocol based on the stage of production and herd needs would be more effective. By taking samples and recording fecal egg counts (FEC) from April to July at UPRS, her team found an average herd FEC of 172 in virgin heifers and an average herd FEC of 3 in mature cows. Mature cows develop some level of immunity to gastrointestinal parasites, whereas younger animals are susceptible to infection. Some solutions to this problem include rotationally grazing animals or even co-grazing different species to decrease parasite load in pastures; avoiding overgrazing pastures as the lower cattle graze to the ground, the higher risk they are at for ingesting parasites, and managing manure on pastures by exposing it to heat and sunlight by dragging fields or harvesting hay.

then gave an update on the multi-species grazing project conducted

the NCSU Small Ruminant Educational Unit from July-September. The objective of the study was to demonstrate perennial and annual forage

Nicole Valliere

at

establishment and renovation, focusing on management, forage selection, and economics. The study also illustrated the potential benefits of including sheep in cattle grazing systems. Some opportunities for multi-species grazing are decreasing parasitism since parasites are species specific. Another benefit is small ruminant productivity. Calf weight relative to cow body weight is 40-60 percent, whereas litter weight relative to ewe body weight is 50-100 percent. Data collection for this project included botanical composition, forage heights and quality, fecal egg counts, body condition scores (pre and post project), and weights (pre and post project).

heat detection times for each protocol. The biggest takeaway was that not one protocol fits everyone’s operation. He stressed that you must critically evaluate your own operation to determine which type of breeding protocol fits you best based on production costs, your need for improved genetics, and your management capabilities. Then you must clearly define the goal you hope to achieve. One resource that he finds helpful is the Estrus Synchronization Planner, which can be downloaded for free from Iowa Beef Center (iowabeefcenter.org/estrus_synch. html). The planner features recommended systems for cows and heifers, and you can select systems by type (heat detection and A.I. systems, heat detection and cleanup A.I. systems, and fixed timed A.I. systems). It also provides a list of daily activities, generates a barn calendar, calculates the cost per A.I. pregnancy, and support materials.

North Carolina Angus Association

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS

Backed by the world’s largest and most reliable genetic evaluation program. Registered Angus genetics deliver better calving ease, more growth, and superior marbling.

455 GORE FAMILY ANGUS Mark & Lori Gore Tabor City 702-401-8005 • 455goreangus@gmail.com www.455farms.com

4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS

Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 • rdk.cefa@gmail.com

BACK CREEK

Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) robinbackcreek@att.net Facebook: Back Creek Angus

BILTMORE ESTATE Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 • livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com

CARSON FAMILY FARM, LLC John, Callie, Isaac & J.R. Carson Laurel Springs 336-818-9087 • carsonfamilyfarm@gmail.com

CHAPMAN CATTLE COMPANY Bryant Chapman Taylorsville 828-514-0526

Dr. Andrew Weaver then explained lamb feed efficiency and how it relates to the data collected from the GrowSafe system at UPRS. The system was used to feed out a group of 27 ewe lambs and 20 ram lambs from NCSU’s campus Katahdin flock. The lambs were fed using the GrowSafe system for 53 days. Equipment had to be modified a bit to accommodate the size difference. The average daily feed intake was less for the low residual feed intake group throughout the feeding period despite similar weight gains. Dr. Weaver also explained feed efficiency metrics (intake, feed gain, and residual feed intake) and compared the pros and cons of measuring and comparing them.

Dr. Daniel Poole then gave an update on the latest in reproductive research and strategies. After touching on the science behind estrous synchronization, Dr. Poole highlighted the pros and cons of many of the protocols being used today, including the 7&7 Synch, which has resulted in a 72 percent pregnancy rate to artificial insemination (A.I.) at UPRS. He broke down drug costs, the number of trips through the chute, and

Lastly, we learned about the research station’s involvement in the Select Sires Young Sires program from Mark Wilburn. Mark noted that over 9,000 units of semen had been donated to 26 herds across the country, 25 of those being land grant herds. Through this program, proven sires are being tested against young sires. The matings are completely random to ensure unbiased data collection and reporting by research professionals. Mark says they are learning data quickly and learning data early. The program is a huge benefit to both parties. All 62 heifers being fed in the GrowSafe system are products of the Young Sires program.

A special thank you to Joe French and crew at the Upper Piedmont Research Station for hosting our field day and all their hard work in preparing for the day, along with Mark Wilburn, NCAA Field Day committee chairman, for planning the day. If you are interested in learning more about industry related issues, the latest in research projects being conducted, educational opportunities, and networking with fellow producers, be sure to join our next Field Day. The technological advances of the Angus breed combined with our wonderful N.C. State University resources provide a unique opportunity to those seeking advancements in their herd.

FOUR S FARMS Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 • kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com

GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 • whgentry@windstream.net

GRAGG FARMS Paul, Chris & David Gragg Boone

828-268-4136 (Paul); 828-268-4137 (Chris) 828-268-4135 (David) gragg_farms@hotmail.com

H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 • jennham@bellsouth.net

HI-LO FARMS, LLC William & Kate Reichert Fuquay-Varina 919-812-0435 • hilofarmsblackangus.gmail.com

HILL ANGUS FARM

Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 • gmhill@uga.edu

JACK KNOB FARMS Karl, Janet & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 • karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com

JENKINS ANGUS FARM Jaime & Christy Jenkins Marshall 828-206-1345 • jenkinsangusfarm@gmail.com

KNOLL CREST FARM

The Bennett Family Red House, VA 434-376-3567 • knollcrestfarm@knollcrestfarm.com www.knollcrestfarm.com

LANE ANGUS

Roger & Bundy Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7705 (Bundy); 252-398-7719 (Miranda) 252-357-1279 (Office) bundylane@hughes.net; laneangusbeef@gmail.com www.laneangusbeef.com

PANTHER CREEK FARMS

John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 • johnsmith3982@embarqmail.com

S&J Farms

Steven & Julie Lung Nathan Lung - Manager Carthage 910-947-3414 • sandjfarms2013@gmail.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 • mrooker@mrookerlaw.com

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Phil Goodson Louisburg 919-880-9062 • philgoodson2@gmail.com www.springfieldangus.com

TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 • greg.little@atimetals.com

VANDEMARK ANGUS Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 • keaton@vandemarkfarms.com

WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC

Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-460-7451 • windyhillfarmsllc@gmail.com

WINSLOW GENETICS

Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 • bensbulls@gmail.com

WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 • rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

4B FARMS, LLC Shelby, NC

Bryson, Wren, Beau, Belle, Bonnie & Bennet Westbrook 980-230-4868 brysonw@thewestbrookco.com

4K RANCH Nelson, VA Rick & Linda Kern 919-272-6124 4kranch@bellsouth.net

AWC CATTLE COMPANY Winston-Salem, NC Andie & Wes Carpenter 336-970-1655 jcarpenter@alphagraphics.com www.windmillacresfarms.com

BLINSON

POLLED HEREFORDS

Lenoir, NC

Keith & Peggy Blinson - 828-310-4526 Bryan & Beth Blinson - 919-422-9108

DOUBLE J FARM Traphill, NC • Earlysville, VA John Wheeler 910-489-0024 doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com www.doublejfarmllc.com

FIVE J’S BEEF & CATTLE COMPANY Clayton, NC Jody & Angela Standley Kim Prestwood (Manager) 828-320-7317 - Kim jodystandley@gmail.com

GRASSY CREEK FARM Bullock, NC Scott, Pam, Hailee, Lillee, & Elizabeth Bissett 919-482-1176 Bissettsp1@gmail.com

HEREFORD HILLS Greensboro, NC Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative

LOOKABILL FAMILY LIVESTOCK Lexington, NC Reggie, Patty, Tyler & Noah Lookabill 336-240-2142 rlookabill6015@gmail.com

McCOY CATTLE FARM Cove City, NC Myron & Charlie McCoy 252-229-4602 mccoycattlefarms@gmail.com

MITCHEM’S FARM 3C Vale, NC Wayne, Crystal, Regan & Jordan Mitchem 704-472-4369 mitchemsfarm@bellsouth.net

NORTH PINO LAND & CATTLE COMPANY Mocksville, NC Kevin Robinson 336-940-2547 kevrob1@aol.com

P and J FARMS Monroe, NC Andy Smith 704-400-3436 pandjfarmsherefords@gmail.com

QUAIL RIDGE FARM Rutherfordton, NC Mark Brewer 828-329-2074 markbrewer65@gmail.com

TAYLOR’S MILL FARM Zebulon, NC J. Brent Creech 919-801-7561 tmfherefords@icloud.com

TERRACE FARM Lexington, NC Jim, Linda & Chad Davis 336-247-1554 jgdavis101@yahoo.com

TRIPLETT POLLED HEREFORDS Statesville, NC James Triplett 704-902-2250 triplettmarble@bellsouth.net

W&A HEREFORD FARM Providence, NC George, Tammy, William, & Andy Ward 434-251-3637 waherefordfarm@comcast.net

Check out the North Carolina Hereford Advantage at www.nchereford.com

2022

Myron McCoy

N.C. Hereford Association Secretary/Treasurer 252-637-4995 ncherefordassociation@gmail.com www.nchereford.com

ews

GE-EPDs — A Ten Year Milestone. Beef producers mitigate future risk and reach goals at a faster rate with GE-EPDs. Better genetics are quickly becoming the hero to developing sustainable, efficient cattle herds. As producers seek reliable genetics to improve efficiency and carcass quality, animals with genomic information provide opportunities to reach goals at a faster pace.

In 2022, the American Hereford Association (AHA) reached a milestone of ten years for using genomic enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) in its genetic evaluation. By blending conventional EPDs with genomic data gathered from DNA testing, GE-EPDs have a significantly higher success rate in predicting progeny performance. Shane

Bedwell, director of breed improvement for the Association, explains the benefits.

“Commercial producers — they’re buying a well rounded bull that has the guesswork taken out of it. The amount of breed improvement those producers can make in buying a bull that has its data captured at an early stage in life, they have a great leg up,” Bedwell says. “The possible change of a young sire becomes minimized drastically when you’re buying a bull that has all of the phenotypic and genomic data included in its EPDs.”

Commercial cattlemen who buy bulls with GE-EPDs — or producers who request cattle to be genotyped — will mitigate future risk in their breeding programs. The more genomic information they have, the more accurate genetic

predictions and expressed phenotypes become. The accuracy of GE-EPDs on unproven animals is equal to 20 progeny records on average, depending on the trait.

“When our producers request an animal to be genotyped, they get lots of information,” says Jack Ward, AHA executive vice president. “If all of the parents are there, they get a parent verification. They get all of the genetic abnormalities tested for. And then, we produce a genotype that is used in the evaluation to help predict the EPDs and make them more reliable.”

The AHA was one of the first to develop and market genomic predictions, and Hereford breeders saw the improvements after applying the technology to their herds. Since then, the Baldy Maternal Index (BMI$) increased 43 percent, the Brahman Influenced Index (BII$) increased 55 percent, and the Certified Hereford Beef Index (CHB$) increased 10 percent.

But ten years is only the beginning for applying genomic technology to trait

selection. Ward expects there to be more EPDs added in the future that will help the breed and its producers select for sustainable genetics in the industry.

“When you talk about sustainability and effects on the environment, I believe there is either going to be a trait in terms of an economic index or an EPD that will help us predict those genetics that are less harmful to the environment, or have a better effect on it,” Ward says. “I think the sky is the limit on what we might do.”

To learn more about GE-EPDs, visit Hereford.org

About the American Hereford Association. AHA, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The notfor-profit organization, along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth, and research.

FOR SALE ON THE FARM

Making the Most of Your Mineral Program

By TY DAVIS, Ph.D. Purina Animal Nutrition

I know this is something that is on everyone’s mind right now, but things are getting expensive. Especially when we consider the resources necessary to run a successful beef cattle operation. We’re all trying to find ways to cut costs and be better in our management decisions. Essentially, we’re trying to become more efficient. Our goal is to have the lowest amount of input costs and as much profit as possible. When I consider the most cost effective way to positively impact a cattle operation, I immediately go to a sound mineral program. Just as a brief recap for minerals, macrominerals are often those shown as a percentage on your mineral tag and include phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and salt. Microminerals are typically shown in concentrations of ppm, including copper, iodine, cobalt, manganese, iron, zinc, and

selenium. By definition, macrominerals are typically required in a higher quantity than microminerals, but this does not mean they are more important. This is something I will touch on here soon.

Now, what is it that makes a mineral program sound? Several factors can influence what makes a mineral high or low in quality. The first, of course, is the types of minerals included and their relative concentration. I would love to be able to sit here and riddle off the exact concentration your mineral supplementation needs to be. However, mineral requirements are ever-evolving depending on the stage of production your cows are in and where your forage/ soil concentrations are at. Liver biopsies have been the best method to use to estimate the mineral requirements of your animal for a while now. But, we are

continually learning that these minerals are stored all over the body and in varying concentrations as well. Long story short, none of us know the exact concentration your mineral needs to be. However, when we are thinking of what will make a mineral program as good as it can be, two factors will impact the quality of your mineral program. The first is bioavailability, which refers to the amount of that mineral that can be absorbed and utilized by the animal. I’ve run across several mineral programs where the amount of micro and macro minerals look great on the tag, but when we look at the source and quality of the mineral, there may be very little that is bioavailable or utilized by the cow. Essentially, the mineral that is not absorbed comes out the other end of the cow and is wasted.

The ranking of types of mineral forms from worst to best in terms of bioavailability goes: oxides, sulfates, carbonates, hydroxychlorides, and organic or chelated forms. Most lower quality minerals will contain almost exclusively minerals in oxide forms. Then you can get into the mid-tier minerals, which will work well for most cattle operations and will include a mix of sulfates and carbonates. Then into our top tier of minerals which will include the chelated or organic forms of trace minerals to ensure the maximum amount of absorption and usage of these minerals. In my opinion, the top tier minerals are a worthy investment for those of you who are utilizing any kind of assisted reproductive technology like artificial insemination or embryo transfer. The second factor that affects the quality of a mineral is its intake. Your cattle must consume the mineral that you put out for you to see the benefits of it. The only way to know this is to track your mineral intake. I typically recommend calculating this monthly. If your cattle are underconsuming their mineral, then you run the risk of them being insufficient in their mineral needs. If they are overconsuming, then you are in a situation of overpaying for your minerals.

On a cost/ton basis, yes, minerals can appear to be quite expensive. But, on a cost/head/year basis, it’s less expensive than you probably think. For a $35 bag of minerals at a 4 oz/head/day intake rate, your cost per head only comes out to just under $64 for the year and just under 18 cents per head per day. Now, how can a strong investment in your mineral

program influence your operation’s profitability?

I think we all know that calving rates are important for your profitability. But just how important are they? Multiple things can go into your loss in profit with conception rate, including but not limited to, increased bull utilization/ artificial insemination costs, potential veterinary expenses for culled cows, increased calving windows, etc. These are factors that I think we all know to exist but can be rather difficult to quantify adequately on paper. But to attempt to show the actual cost of a missed breeding opportunity. If we assume that the price of a feeder calf is $1.70/lb and that your calves have an average daily gain of 2-2.5 lbs. With 21 days until the next cycle, that means your calves missed the opportunity to gain at least 42 pounds between birth and your weaning date. Then taking those 42 pounds multiplied by the cost of the feeder calf comes out to $71.40 of lost profit. Which already more than covers your cost of minerals for that cow for the entire year. This does not include the overall health of the cow, the improved colostrum and milk quality, and the improved body condition that a good quality mineral can provide to your cows.

With Purina Wind & Rain Minerals, you can be sure that your trace mineral sources are bioavailable, with all of them being a sulfate source. We also provide an Availa 4 option which will have 100 percent chelated forms of copper, zinc, cobalt, and manganese so your cattle are getting the best mineral supplementation they can. We also provide predictability with our intakes and weatherability with our weatherized technology to prevent bricking and souring so your cattle continue to consume their mineral no matter the elements. We offer trials for you to try our minerals for 90 days with a rebate of $2/bag that you use in those 90 days. During these trials, we help you track your mineral intake to make sure they are always hitting their 4 oz/head/ day prescribed intake. From 2012-2022 in the southeast region alone, we have conducted trials with over 83,000 head on our mineral with an average intake of 4.04 oz/head/day.

To find out how you can participate in one of our trials or if you have any questions, reach out to your local Purina dealer, or you can contact me directly at 817-727-2250 or Tdavis1@landolakes. com

Alltech opens Vietnam’s first organic mineral production facility. The organic mineral facility, Alltech’s 8th globally, was engineered to reduce environmental impact. Alltech, a global leader in the agriculture industry, opened its newest Bioplex plant today, the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant is Alltech’s eighth mineral production facility worldwide. The plant’s production capacity is 7,000 metric tons per year, and it has the potential to create 100 new jobs while being conveniently located to serve local customers and support import/export activity.

Alltech is one of the world’s largest producers of organic minerals for animal nutrition. The company has committed significant resources into organic trace mineral production, quality control, and research, as trace mineral nutrition is essential to animal health.

Alltech’s Bioplex range of minerals is supported by more than 21 years of research and offers higher bioavailability to animals than inorganic minerals. The minerals are readily absorbed, stored, and utilized by the animal, supporting overall health, immune status, and reproductive function. Furthermore, because Alltech’s organic minerals are better utilized by animals, producers are able to achieve more with less. Mineral excretion from animals through manure is also reduced, resulting in less environmental impact.

“Our organic mineral program reflects our focus on sustainability in all aspects, from the health of the animal and the nutrition of the meat, milk, and eggs produced to the economic well being of the producer and the impact we have on our planet’s land and water,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president, and CEO of Alltech. “Our investment in enhancing our mineral production in Asia reflects our confidence in the market’s continued growth and our alignment with our customers’ commitment to better nutrition from farm to market.”

Feed production in Vietnam increased by nearly 7 percent in 2021, according to the Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company’s annual global feed production survey. Vietnam’s total feed production in 2021 was 18.5 million metric tons, led by the swine sector with 7.84 million metric tons, an increase of nearly 20 percent over 2020. Aqua feed production increased 40 percent in 2021 to 6 million metric tons, broiler feed increased 9 percent to 2.12 million metric tons, layers feed production increased 11.7 percent to 2 million metric tons, and dairy

increased 22 percent to 520,000 metric tons.

Consistent with Alltech’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, the production facility in Vietnam was engineered to reduce the environmental impact of production:

• The use of CNG versus fuel oil, a common fuel source in Vietnam, is expected to reduce the mineral plant’s nitrogen dioxide emissions by 80 percent and carbon monoxide emissions by 87.5 percent.

• The facility uses high pressure, clean-in-place (CIP) pumps for tank cleaning, reducing wastewater by 50 percent. Its dust collection system is 99 percent efficient.

• The use of inverter motors saves electricity consumption by 5 percent by utilizing variable frequency drive (VFD), which also allows for the control of speed and torque to reduce chances of mechanical failures.

• The production system uses fluid bed drying (FBD) technology, which requires 48 percent less thermal consumption than conventional spray dryers.

• The facility is certified by ISO 22000:2018, which sets out the requirements for a food safety management system.

• Organic trace minerals are more bioavailable to the animal, contributing to improved animal health. Because more of the minerals are taken up by the animal, mineral excretion through manure is reduced, minimizing the environmental impact on land and water.

The new facility also utilizes the Alltech Q+ (Quality Plus) Program, a mineral quality control program unique to Bioplex trace minerals that guarantees quality, safety, and performance in every batch. Alltech Q+ sets the industry standard, enabling Alltech to offer a global quality guarantee to customers using Bioplex trace minerals around the world. It forms an integral part of the Alltech Quality System (AQS), which was designed to meet or exceed all global market regulatory standards and ensures that proper approvals and analyses are performed for suppliers, raw materials, and finished goods.

For more information about Bioplex and the Alltech Mineral Management program, visit alltech.com/mineral-management

Alltech introduces Egalis high quality silage inoculants. Alltech is proud to introduce Egalis, a new range of high quality silage inoculants that maximize nutrient quality, increase forage stability , and reduce dry matter

loss to help maintain optimal animal performance. Egalis drives proper fermentation and assists epiphytic bacteria to control the fermentation through the use of specific bacteria.

“The Egalis range of products brings together decades of expertise in fermentation, utilizing bacteria strains specifically selected by Alltech scientists to maximize nutrient and dry matter protection,” said Matthew Smith, vice president at Alltech. “Together with our onfarm support teams and range of services, Alltech helps to improve fermentation to produce superior quality silage, enabling producers to hold onto more of what they grow, from field to feed passage.”

The Egalis range of silage inoculants available in the United States are:

• Egalis Ultra

- Suitable for use on all forages, Egalis Ultra efficiently and rapidly drives fermentation to a stable, final pH. It is comprised of specific strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, which work in conjunction to rapidly lower the pH to a more stable, desired final pH. Egalis Ultra is available in a few packaging options for farms of all sizes. Benefits of Egalis Ultra include maximizing forage quality, supporting nutrient retention, reducing dry matter losses, and driving sustainable feed usage.

• Egalis Ultra HC

- Suitable for use on all forages, Egalis Ultra HC provides the same

benefits as Egalis Ultra and is offered in a concentrated formula to provide more ease of application for larger amounts of silage.

• Egalis Ultra HC OA

Specifically formulated for organic use, Egalis Ultra HC OA drives lactic acid production and maintains dry matter, which leads to more feed preservation, digestibility, and palatability. It is formulated using specific strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillus plantarum . Benefits of Egalis Ultra HC OA include a rapid drop in pH and more dry matter recovery in a certifiably organic package.

For more information on Egalis, contact your local Alltech sales representative or visit Alltech.com/Egalis About Alltech. Founded in 1980 by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech delivers smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture. Our diverse portfolio of products and services improves the health and performance of plants and animals, resulting in better nutrition for all and a decreased environmental impact.

We are a global leader in the agriculture industry. Our team produces specialty ingredients, premix supplements, feed, and biologicals, backed by science and an unparalleled platform of services.

Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Ken., Alltech serves customers in more than 120 countries, has five bioscience centers, and operates more than 80 manufacturing facilities across the globe. For more information, visit alltech.com

S.C. CharolaiS NewS

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

First of all, keep Mike King in your prayers. He is doing better but still has a long road ahead of him. I talked to him this week, and he is in good spirits.

If you missed the Southern Connection Sale in Knoxville, you missed a good sale and a good time. We had a great dinner the night before, and everybody was laughing and smiling, so I assume they were having a good time. It was great to see everyone, lots of folks that I had not seen in several years. The cattle sold great, and I never heard anyone complain about selling their cattle. We saw something on the way up there that I had never seen. There was a dead black bear on the left side of the road that had been hit by a vehicle. I hope it was a semi and not a passenger car because if it was, somebody’s vehicle would have been torn to pieces. The leaves were beautiful in

North Carolina and Tennessee.

I called the AICA office the other day and talked to Clint Rusk, our new Executive Vice President. I don’t think any of you have called because he got tickled with my Southern accent. He is awfully nice and if any of you have a question, give him a call. We talked for almost an hour. I thought after our conversation that I might give my buddy Bruce Roy a call and get him to call Clint. Boy, if he thought I had a Southern accent, he should talk to that Cajun cowboy. Mercy, I have to listen hard to figure out what he says. I can only imagine. Blending Southern with Cajun is a learning experience.

The January issue of The Carolina Cattle Connection is Spotlight on Charolais, and John Dellinger and I are planning on something special so stay tuned.

Updated Website! It was finally time, so the N.C. Simmental Association has finally updated our website. It should be phone friendly and user friendly. We are working with Generation 6 Marketing and also with Rossie (Blinson) Stephens as the organizational manager. Please check out our new look at www.ncsimmental.com

Carolina Classic Fair Results. The Carolina Classic Fair was held in Winston-Salem, N.C., with cattle showing in the open show on October 7 and the junior show on October 9. Alexis Wivell from Blacksburg, Va., judged the open show, and she selected TX Electra as her grand champion and calf champion Simmental heifer. In fact, this heifer went

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association

on to be selected as the supreme overall champion female. Electra is sired by Conley GCC Shocker C19 and is shown by Charlie Thomas of Winston-Salem. The reserve champion was TX Raquel, also shown by Charlie Thomas. This heifer was the senior champion heifer and is a daughter of LLSF Vantage Point F398. The reserve calf champion was TX Luna, a daughter of W/C Bank On It 273H and shown by Charlie Thomas.

In the bull show, Charlie Thomas also exhibited both the grand and reserve champion bull. Grand champion was TX Full Disclosure, a son of W/C Bank On It 273H. The reserve champion bull was TX Rio Lobo, sired by FELT Last Call 304F.

These bulls were also the calf champion and reserve calf champion, respectively.

In the junior heifer show, Jefferson Keller flew out from St. Paul, Neb., to judge the show. Ella Knight from Catawba, N.C., exhibited the grand champion Simmental heifer, TX Charlene. This heifer is sired by LLSF Vantage Point F398. The reserve champion Simmental heifer was STCC Lila’s Gift, shown by Rylea Suddreth of Catawba, North Carolina. This heifer is a daughter of TJSC Hammer Time 35D. N.C. State Fair Results. This year the N.C. State Fair started things off a little differently, with the fair beginning with the open beef cattle shows. The Simmental and Percentage Simmental Shows were actually held before the fair was open on October 13 in Raleigh. In the purebred Simmental show, Ty Bayer from Ringle, Wis., selected STCC Lila’s Gift as his grand champion heifer. This junior champion heifer is shown by Rylea Suddreth of Catawba and is sired by TJSC Hammer Time 35D. STCC Lila’s Gift went on to be selected as the supreme

overall female. The reserve champion heifer was also the calf champion, Miss Star Power K16, shown by Evie Jones of Shelby and sired by Pay The Price C11.

The reserve calf champion was STCC Lila’s Vision 163J, also shown by Rylea Suddreth and sired by GTWY-Foreman. The reserve junior champion was a daughter of Rubys Turnpike 771E, Miss Star Power J61, shown by Evie Jones. The senior champion heifer was TX Raquel, shown by Charlie Thomas and sired by LLSF Vantage Point F398. The reserve senior champion was JSUL TSSC Cherri Cola 1059J, shown by Shelby Candler of Weaverville, North Carolina. This heifer is a daughter of HPF Quantum Leap Z952. The champion cow/calf pair was Baileys Red Velvet 046H, shown by Evie Jones. Red Velvet is sired by Profit.

In the purebred bull show, TX Rio Lobo was grand champion bull. Rio Lobo is sired by FELT Last Call 304F and shown by Charlie Thomas of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This bull was also the calf champion. The reserve grand champion bull and also the reserve calf champion

was CSFS Blue Sandy Randy J002, shown by Cayte Mitchell of Hiddenite, N.C., and sired by CSFS Eugene Blue Bull. Charlie Thomas was premier exhibitor for the Purebred Simmental.

For the Percentage Simmental Show, grand champion heifer was the junior champion, TBM Earth Angel, shown by Shelby Candler and sired by Profit. The reserve champion heifer was DADC Julia 2115J, shown by Evie Jones. This heifer was the calf champion and is the daughter of W/C Executive Order.

The reserve calf champion was PACC Legally Blonde J12, shown by Allyson Helms of Norwood, N.C., and sired by W/C Doctor’s Orders 665F. The reserve junior champion was Seldom Rest Lucy 1132J, shown by Emma Vanhoy of Catawba, N.C., and sired by TJSC Hammer Time 35D. The senior champion was Stare 009J STCC/RJ, sired by PVF Blacklist 7077 and shown by Rylea Suddreth.

For the Percentage Simmental bulls, TX Full Disclosure, the calf champion was selected as grand champion Percentage Simmental bull. This bull is sired by W/C Bank On It 273H and shown by Charlie Thomas. The reserve champion bull and reserve calf champion

was Mr On The Ridge K12, shown by Evie Jones and sired by B/C Casino 0009.

The Junior Simmental and Percentage Simmental Show was held on October 17, with Jerry McPeak from Warner, Okla., judging the event. McPeak selected a red heifer, JSUL TSSC Cherri Cola 1059, as his grand champion heifer. This heifer was shown by Shelby Candler and sired by HPF Quantum Leap Z952. The reserve champion heifer was STCC Lila’s Gift, shown by Rylea Suddreth and sired by TJSC Hammer Time 35D. The Got To Be N.C. Simmental Champion was JSF3 Gossip Girl 222K, shown by Shelby Candler, and sired by JSUL Something About Mary 8421.

For the Percentage Simmental Show, grand champion heifer was ELMR Tru Course 40H, shown by Isaac Lidke of Newton, North Carolina. She is a daughter of JASS On The Mark 69D. The reserve champion was Stare 009J STCC/ RJ, shown by Rylea Suddreth and sired by PVF Blacklist 7077. The Got To Be N.C. Percentage Simmental champion was FGS Prairie 736K, shown by Abigail Blankenship of Castalia, N.C., and sired by TLLC One Eyed Jack. Congratulations to all these exhibitors!

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N.C. State Fair open show reserve champion

Percentage Simmental bull.

Carolina Cattle Connection

State Fair open show grand champion Simmental bull.

State Fair open show reserve champion

Simmental heifer.

State Fair open show grand champion

Simmental heifer.

State Fair open show reserve champion Simmental heifer.

State Fair open show grand champion Simmental and supreme overall heifer.

N.C. State Fair junior show Got To Be N.C. Purebred Simmental champion heifer.

N.C. State Fair junior show Got To Be NC Percentage Simmental champion heifer.

N.C. State Fair junior show reserve champion Percentage Simmental heifer.

N.C. State Fair junior show grand champion Percentage Simmental heifer.

State Fair junior show reserve champion Simmental heifer.

State Fair junior show grand champion Simmental heifer.

Carolina Classic Fair reserve champion Simmental bull.

Carolina Classic Fair grand champion Simmental bull.

Carolina Classic Fair open show reserve champion Simmental heifer.

Carolina Classic Fair open show grand champion Simmental heifer and supreme overall champion female.

Carolina Classic Fair junior show reserve champion Simmental heifer.

State Fair open show grand champion

Simmental bull.

Carolina Classic Fair junior show grand champion Simmental heifer.

Finish the race strong: Quality nutrition a must for cowherd success. The third trimester is critical to calf development – like the final leg of a race – and cows need to be primed to reach the finish line. The finish line is nearly in sight for cowherds around the country as spring calving season looms. For many spring calving herds, late fall or early winter marks the start of the third trimester and a significant upward shift in nutrient requirements. Coincidentally, it’s also when most available forage resources are the lowest in quality. This creates a significant gap between nutrient needs and nutrient delivery during what is arguably the most critical trimester in calf development.

This year, the ongoing drought around the country is compounding nutrient needs for cowherds. Dryness in your area may have you facing difficult decisions like feeding more hay and supplements than normal or culling animals.

“The drought and subsequent liquidation of cows have made late gestation nutrition all the more important this year so the next generation of the cowherd can be set up for success,” says Patrick Gunn, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition.

Cow nutrition during these three months influences everything from calving ease, calf vigor at birth, long term calf performance, and the next season’s breeding success for the cow.

Short and long term impacts of cow nutrition for the calf - Initial investments in quality nutrition have the benefit of positively affecting performance at calving and later in the calf’s life, benefiting your overall profitability. Insufficient nutrition in the final trimester has significant ramifications.

“Cows channel 30 percent of their energy to support fetal growth and development during the third trimester,” says Gunn. “The fetus needs more nutrients from its dam than the previous two trimesters to fuel the final calf development of its organs, skeleton, lungs, and immune system.”

If calf development requirements aren’t met in-utero, it can result in the following:

• Reduced birth weight and impaired growth

• Lower likelihood for the calf to reach its genetic potential

• Compromised immune system with a lifelong impact

• Long term negative effects on fertility

• Setbacks to the dam’s reproductive efficiency

“The third trimester offers a unique opportunity to proactively invest in the future of your calf crop and replacement heifers,” says Gunn.

Cutting corners on nutrition to save money upfront has an impact on performance and, subsequently, your pocketbook. Fetal nutrition studies in Oklahoma and Nebraska demonstrate that calves born to cows with adequate levels of protein and energy in the diet during the third trimester have improved average daily gain and overall health.1,2

The Nebraska study compared the reproductive performance of heifers born to supplemented and non-supplemented cows while grazing corn stalks. Supplemented cows produced heifers with higher overall breeding season pregnancy rates (93 percent) compared to heifers from non-supplemented cows (80 percent).3

“The bottom line? Whether the calf is destined for the feedlot or the cowherd, adequate cow nutrition is paramount for their future performance,” says Gunn.

Meeting third trimester requirements - Calving is the main athletic event a cow fuels her body for. Prepare the cow and her growing fetus for successful calving by focusing on the essentials – protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins. And don’t forget to factor in changing weather. The colder it gets, the more energy cows need to maintain core body temperature, diverting energy away from the growing calf.

“Feed your cowherd with supplements that deliver additional energy and protein in a palatable package,” says Gunn. “Some supplements are designed to complement your existing forage resources, so cows only consume supplement when they need it.”

Year round mineral supplementation is another great strategy to help meet third trimester requirements. Constant access to quality mineral helps cows build up mineral and vitamin reserves. Cows can pull from those reserves during critical times, including the third trimester, to support nutrient needs without depleting their stores.

The third trimester serves as the final sprint to the finish line – a time to dial in cowherd nutrition and not hold back, ultimately helping performance and your bottom line.

Visit purinamills.com or contact your

local Purina dealer for tips on providing the nutrition your cowherd needs to perform for the long run.

References

1Range Beef Cow Symposium XXIII. 2013.

2Moriel, P., M.B. Piccolo, L.F.A. Artioli, R.S. Marques, M.H. Poore, and R.F. Cooke. 2016. Short term energy restriction during late gestation of beef cows decreases postweaning calf humoral immune response to vaccination. J. Anim. Sci. 94. doi:10.2527/jas2016-0426.

3Funston, R.N., J.L. Martin, D.C. Adams, and D.M. Larson. 2010. Winter grazing system and supplementation of beef cows during late gestation influence heifer

progeny. J. Anim. Sci. 88: 4094-4101.

About Purina. Purina Animal Nutrition is a national organization serving producers, animal owners, and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other large retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients, and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

BRAHMAN NEWS

American Brahman Breeders Association Names Joe Paschal Executive Vice President. The American Brahman Breeders Association (ABBA) named Dr. Joe Paschal, Executive Vice President, starting December 1. Paschal joined ABBA after his recent retirement as a professor and livestock specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

“This is truly a great day for the Brahman breed,” said President Barry Smith after the unanimous board approval to hire Paschal to lead ABBA, which is approaching their 100 th anniversary in 2024.

“For the last four decades, Dr. Paschal has been an innovator and visionary leader in directing research and educational programs documenting the efficiency and economic impact of Brahman and Brahman influenced cattle,” Smith said.

Paschal brings 40 years of experience to the table, including providing educational programming in over 26 countries to help producers improve their ranching operations. He also conducted the Texas A&M University Ranch to Rail South program, which specifically evaluated the feedlot performance of Brahman and Brahman influence steers. He was instrumental in developing the initial Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) for the ABBA and in creating the ABBA National Cattle Evaluation. For decades, he has assisted in conducting and evaluating the ABBA Steer Feedout and Bull Gain Test Programs.

“I am truly excited to be able to work for the world’s greatest breed of cattle,” Paschal said. “I have spent over 45 years of my professional career doing research on the breed and working with breeders. There are so many opportunities for success!”

In addition to his research expertise, Paschal is a globally recognized beef cattle evaluator. He has judged Brahman cattle and many other breeds in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Paschal is the recipient of the Continuing Service Award from the Beef Improvement Federation and the Superior Service and Distinguished Service Awards from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. He is the only person to have been awarded the prestigious ABBA “Brahman Friend of the Year” Award twice.

Paschal received his Ph.D. in animal breeding from Texas A&M University. He and his family will reside at their ranch in Brenham, Texas.

About the American Brahman Breeders Association. The American Brahman Breeders Association is the world registry for Brahman cattle, the #1 beef breed for efficiency, hybrid vigor, and environmental adaptability. ABBA provides an array of member services, educational opportunities, and a wide array of programs to assist the profitability of its members. For more information about the American Brahman breed or the many opportunities offered by the ABBA, visit www.brahman.org.

2022 Edisto REC Consignment Performance Heifer Sale Results

By STEVEN E. MEADOWS, Ph.D. Clemson University

The Clemson University 2022 Edisto REC Consignment Performance Heifer Sale was held on October 8 at the Edisto Research and Education Center cattle sale facility. We all enjoyed the great weather and a wonderful crowd of producers who were there to evaluate and bid on the offering. These heifers were the culmination of the 2022 Edisto Heifer Development program and were consigned by producers from South Carolina and Georgia. The heifers were developed at Edisto from December to sale time. Performance data, as well as reproductive data, was collected and compiled during the test period. This data was available to all prospective buyers and was also combined with the Igenity DNA rankings for buyers to sort these future replacements. The heifers were well received by a very active and enthusiastic group. The sale order was

based on the combined maternal Igenity index scores and rather they were A.I. bred or pregnant by the cleanup bulls.

The large group of buyers in attendance, as well as online, certainly showed their appreciation when the auction started. Col. Carroll Cannon of Cannon Marketing Services sold the 53 head in short order and tallied an average of $2,428 across the board. Several heifers sold for $3,000 each with a sale high of $3,100. Whitney Farr won the day on Lot 208 when he paid $3,100 to set the sale top. This powerful black baldie female was certainly a sale highlight. Following close behind was Lot 166 from Clinton Angus, who sold for $3,000 to Whitney Farr as well. The bred heifers sold at a very fast pace, and most stayed in South Carolina, with some headed to North Carolina. We want to thank everyone who attended, bid, or watched.

A special thanks also goes to those folks who worked tirelessly at the Edisto Research and Education Center to make this all happen! Volume buyers of the

day all were from South Carolina. These farms were JCO Farms of Allendale, Whitney Farr of Reidville, and Clarence W. Senn of York.

Clemson University Bull Test Program GrowSafe Tested Bulls Offer a Focus on Efficiency and Lower Feed Cost

DRS. MATTHEW BURNS & STEVEN E. MEADOWS, Clemson University

Balancing performance and efficiency to maximize profits in our cattle herds should be our goal year after year. We have seen why that statement is so important and are experiencing it now. During 2022, cattlemen have seen vast changes in the price of fertilizer, feed, fuel, vaccines, etc. The year has certainly been challenging, and many are wondering what they can do to control the cost of production. On the flip side, cattlemen have enjoyed great prices but with record input costs. Producers are scrambling for alternative sources of many products just to cheapen the cost of production. We, as cattlemen, tend to get complacent when things are going well and forget about what we know will inevitably come. If you have been in the cattle business for a long period of time, you have seen ebbs and flows of the “cattle cycle.” When prices are high, we tend not to look at input cost reduction but only think about “how much higher will they go!” Yes, cattle seem to be selling well and are predicted to hold or increase over the next year. Current and projected inventories of the nation’s cow herd also support that line of thought. So, until input costs retreat, the question remains, what can we do to increase efficiency in our herd? This article focuses on a management step that will pay dividends in the future and across years to come. So, what are you going to do to address this situation in your breeding herd? Well, we can’t control the cost or the market, but we can certainly control the genetics we purchase to place in our breeding herds.

The Clemson University Bull Test has one of a few Grow Safe Systems east of the Mississippi. This system allows us to measure relative feed intake (RFI) of the animals on test. Slow gaining animals that require more feed per pound of gain can be identified as well as high gaining cattle that require less feed to gain that same pound. I pose this question,

“Why would you not put a high quality, performance tested bull in your herd that can also subsequently lower your feed cost through daughters retained from the bull?” One option is to study data from the Clemson University bull test GrowSafe system.

Bull eating out of center feeding node. The bunk weight, EID tag number, date, and time are being recorded every second.

All sale bulls will have this data in the catalog for you to study, reflected in the RFI value, overall index, and any efficiency EPDs that are provided by individual breed associations. Another option is to acquaint yourself with referenced EPD values within a breed that measure and compare relative feed intake and gain (efficiency). Almost ten years ago, Clemson committed to putting in a GrowSafe system certainly proved to be a good move for producers. Clemson University utilizes a feeding system to help measure individual feed intake. For 40 years, we have been a concentrated, performance based bull test. By making the move to address feed intake, we can utilize the GrowSafe feeding system (GrowSafe Beef Systems, Alberta, Canada) to provide feed intake and, consequently, residual feed intake as a measure of efficiency. This data can be balanced with standard performance data to allow producers to make more informed decisions about animal performance and how it may affect their bottom line.

Let’s look a bit more at how this system functions and allows the measurement of individual feed intake for each animal. The typical system for feeding bulls at the Clemson Test was to use conventional J bunks. The new system utilizes more of an individual feeding system, meaning that one bull eats at a time, but any bull in the pen can eat out of any feeding bunk/node within that pen. The bulls are tagged with an RFID tag upon arrival to the test. Each feeding node is equipped with a separate

bunk, which sits on a set of load bars and is wrapped with an EID tag reader. When a bull puts his head through the bars and begins to eat, the node records his EID tag number, the weight of the bunk, date, and time for every second he is eating at the bunk. Each node is hardwired to a data acquisition panel located within 30’ of the feeding space. The data acquisition panel then wirelessly transmits the data back to the office computer for recording and data analysis. The system has certainly served in its role to calculate feed intake, but it also has offered valuable information for test managers during the duration of the test. Data transmitted back to the computer is analyzed and presented on the computer in several different screens, but one of the most useful screens is the ‘reduced intake’ screen. When a bull has a reduced intake, meaning decreased from the pen average or decreased 25 percent or more from his previous day’s intake, his number shows up on this screen. Reduced intake information is used on a daily basis to help identify bulls that may have health concerns.

A positive residual feed intake means the bull ate more feed than expected to achieve his actual performance.

In contrast, a negative residual feed intake means the bull ate less feed than expected to achieve his actual performance. For example, if we have two bulls (start weights are the same) both gaining 2.5 lb per day over a 75 day period. We would expect them to eat approximately 1,500 lb of feed per bull over the test period.

However, bull #1 ate 1,717 lb of feed, and bull #2 ate 1,232 lb of feed. Bull #1 residual feed intake would be: 1,717 –1,500 = 217 lb, and bull #2 residual feed intake would be: 1,232 – 1,500 = -268.

Overall, bull #1 ate 485 lb more feed over a 75 day test period to gain the same amount of weight as bull #2. Therefore, in this scenario, bull #2 could be considered “more efficient” than bull #1.

So, now that we have all this data, what can we, as producers, use this information for, and what does it mean? I mentioned above that we would use the data to calculate a measure of efficiency known as residual feed intake. Residual feed intake is simply: actual feed intake – expected feed intake = residual feed intake. What does this number mean?

Breed associations are now including relative feed intake (RFI) type EPDs in their genetic evaluation. This is going to allow a producer to select cattle that are more efficient over time but not give up overall performance. Just as an example, the American Angus Association has included in their suite of selection EPDs the ability to address feed intake, RADG, and $EN. These EPDs measure/compare the difference between feed conversion between animals. The great thing is you do not have to give up other traits you desire but just place pressure on and selection for a more efficient herd. Other beef breeds have similar calculations in their EPDs but note they may be named something slightly different.

We all know that feed is the number one cost in the cow business, and we must do all that is possible to monitor and decrease those

Three feeding nodes are pictured. From the left side, you can see the feed bunk resting on the load bar.

Data acquisition panel hardwired to each node, then transmits data wirelessly back to the office computer.

Office computer screen shows a bar for each feeding node. The bar corresponds to the weight of the bunk. The darker bars indicate bulls eating.

GrowSafe

costs. Selecting bulls that will continue to give you your needed performance in their progeny but sire animals that will do it at less cost is a great deal. If you are feeding your cattle at a feed yard or selling at weaning, feed intake coupled with increased efficiency is a win for you and the cattle. Remember, the heifers sired by these bulls are also the future brood cows in your herd. That is a win for all of us, regardless of how we market our cattle. We may not be able to control market prices, but we can control our genetics!

As producers, it is important to remember that our goal in applying selection pressure is to keep everything in balance. We certainly don’t want to over select for certain traits or completely forget about other variables. The beef industry has made available a multitude of different indexes, EPDs, and ratios to help us select better cattle based on our individual parameters. Still, until now, the efficiency of individual animals has

escaped our grasp. The GrowSafe System now allows us to better identify and utilize efficient animals. Clemson University Bull Test Facility currently has four, 5 acre paddocks with ten GrowSafe nodes, which have the capacity to hold approximately 80 animals on test at any given time. The industry now has a facility and system that is being utilized not only at Clemson University but also at other universities and private institutions to help better identify these more efficient animals for the future of our industry. The Clemson University Bull Sale will be held on February 4, 2023, at 12:00 noon. The location of the sale is the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena-Cattle Complex. For current performance data, you may look under “Clemson Bull Test” on the Clemson University website at www. clemson.edu/extension/bulltest/clemson/ index.html . If you have any questions about the bulls on test, please contact Steve Meadows, Ph.D., at smdws@clemson.edu

USDA Abattoir and Processor

Clemson University 84 Day Bull Test Report — Opportunity Awaits on February 4, 2023

By STEVEN E. MEADOWS, Ph.D. Clemson University

Wow! What a set of bulls. I am impressed more and more as I watch this set of power packed animals perform. Phenotypically they are on the money and are sired by the breed leaders across the board of each respective breed. The bulls were weighed on November 9 for the 84 day weigh period. The bulls pushed the upper limits on gain this period, with most breeds averaging 4.5-5 lb ADG for the 84 day period. The consignors are to be commended for this set of bulls, as they have certainly outdone themselves this time. The 47th annual test is proving to be a “horse race,” for sure.

Top gaining senior Angus bull of the period was Lot 5 from Paul Boyd Angus of Clover, South Carolina. This brute is a son of Tehama Tahoe B767 and posted an impressive gain of 6.96 lb for the 84 day weigh period. Following close were Lots 6 and 13 Angus bulls. These two bulls both rang the bell with a 6.61 lb ADG. The Lot 6 bull is a son of ECO Lombardi 1512 and is a consignment from Yaupon Land and Cattle of Inman, South Carolina. The Lot 13 bull, also posting a 6.61 lb ADG, is consigned by Triple S Farm of Oakboro, North Carolina. Overall, the senior Angus bulls gained, on average, 4.98 lb/day.

Just as impressive are the junior Angus bulls on test. The Lot 37 son of Byergo Black Magic 3348 was the high gaining in this division with a 5.89 ADG. He is consigned by Oakhill Farm of Six Mile, South Carolina. Close behind in second place are Lot 47 at 5.18 lb ADG and Lot 46 at an even 5 lb/day gain. The Lot 47 bull is consigned by a new consignor to the Clemson program, Simpkins Angus of Clyde, North Carolina. The Lot 46 bull

is also consigned by a new consignor to the Clemson test. This growthy calf is consigned by Sonny and Martha Winters of Thomasville, Georgia.

The senior Hereford group averaged 3.82 lb for the period. On top in this group is the Lot 53 bull of Riley Farms of Saluda, South Carolina. This son of UPS Sensation 2504 pushed the scales to average 4.29 lb/day overall for the period.

In the Balancer division, there are some very strong potential herd bulls that check all the boxes. This group averaged an even 5 lb/day overall. However, the Lot 81 calf stole the show with a 6.07 lb ADG. Lot 81 is consigned by Misty Hill Farm of Westminster, South Carolina. This group of senior bulls will be ready to work by sale time for anyone.

Not to be outdone by any measure are the SimAngus bulls and the purebred Simmental bulls. The Lot 79 bull of AK/ NDS of Six Mile, S.C., pounded out an impressive 6.79 lb ADG for the period and is sired by WLE Copacetic E021679. Lot 79 is one of the good purebred Simmentals that will be in the offering. The SimAngus bull Lot 64 followed in second behind Lot 79 to tally an ADG of 6.43 pounds. This calf is consigned by Broadway Cattle Company of Monroe, North Carolina.

It is not an exaggeration at all to say this is a great set of bulls! Top to bottom, these bulls will impress you and fit your needs at home. I encourage you to visit the Clemson University Bull Test website at www.clemson.edu/extension/bulltest/ clemson/index.html and keep up with all the bulls and their progress. Mark your calendar and look for more information in The Carolina Cattle Connection. See you on February 4 at the Garrison Arena in Pendleton, S.C., for the 47th Annual Sale.

Our advertisers are “Champions” too. For expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies, check the Classifieds in this issue!

New NCCA Members for 2022

In 2007, members of the Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection at the NCCA Annual Conference in Hickory. A new member is defined as someone who has never been a member or someone who has rejoined after a brief break in membership. The new members are identified in this new members section by name and county of residence.

Below is a list of NCCA’s new members for the last month:

Alamance County

Joshua Brooks

Alexander County

Laurel Mitchell – Mountainside Farms

Buncombe County

Jayson Harwood – Harwood Family Farm

Cabarrus County

Johnathan Wiles – Wiles Family Farm

Caldwell County

Ronald Houck Nicholas Wilson – DC Farms

Chatham County

James Fields Darrel Harris

Cleveland County

John Max Bridges – Rolling Hills Farm 2

Davidson County

Phillip Sink

Duplin County

Charmae Kendall

Blake Phillips

Cameron Phillips – Phillips Family Farms

Jason Phillips – Phillips Family Farms, Michael & Rose Smith

Henderson County

Rachel Gordon – 3 Kids Farm

Iredell County

Mitch Stinson – Reavis Road Farms

Pitt County

Josh Edwards – Lazy E Ranch

Robeson County

Maggie Love - Loveland

Rockingham County

Christopher Bowman – Bowman Cattle Company

David Holleman – Holle Evergreen Farm

Stanly County

Mike Brayall – Flatwoods Farm

Stokes County

Daniel Westmoreland – Westmoreland Farms

Surry County Gilvin Guyer

Union County

Bradley Coone – B. Coone Farm

Watauga County

Chad Cole – Ellis Cattle Company

Wilkes County

Ryan Bledsoe – Carolina Farm Credit Chip & Cory Cleary – Cleary Farms

Young Beef Producers’ Tour Experience

By STEPHEN SCALA

This trip was really great for farmers to go and learn about the different practices of farming. It also provided me with a great perspective on larger farming operations. The two states we went to were Oklahoma and Kansas. They were absolutely amazing. I had never been out west before, so it was an eye opener for me to see the land and the different ranches and how they were operated.

My favorite stop was the National Stockyards. It was very neat to see what all happened here, along with all the sales that go on in one day. It was shocking to see that a lot of the cattle that go there actually come from all over the country. I also really enjoyed the hat shop as well. I never knew how cowboy hats were made, so it was interesting to know how that was done.

Express Ranch was a really awesome stop, also. I learned about everything on the ranch, along with what they feed cattle and also their show cattle. This helped me to understand the feed rations, like what I am feeding at home, so this had an impact on my operation!

As we traveled, making our way to Kansas, we stopped at a feedlot called Buffalo Feeders. Tom Fanning gave us information about this feeder and how

the operation worked. He gave some really good ideas and good things to find out when selling your cows to feeders. He went over the quality and yield and the different grade, how the beef was sorted in the grid, and how this made a difference when it got sold in the store. This was some great stuff to know when dealing with cows.

We then went to a stockyard with around 12,000 head of cattle in Scott City. This feedlot was very informative, and it was a great feedlot, in my opinion. The way the manager had everything set up and how the feed was mixed made this process really smooth and efficient, which was good to see. I was able to see different herd management ideas as well as feed management. These ideas contribute toward making your cattle the best in the shortest time.

This was a great trip, and I am very fortunate that I was able to participate in and learn the different ways of farming. I want to take the time to thank the N.C. Farm Bureau as well as the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association for organizing and contributing their time for us to go. I really appreciate this opportunity, as well as your time!

Fall Supreme Court Session Opens with WOTUS Case

On the morning of October 3, Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts, opened the Supreme Court’s fall session with 13 words: “We will hear argument first this morning in Case 21-454, Sackett v. EPA.” With these words, the court considered a case challenging one of the longest standing environmental issues impacting the cattle industry — the definition of “Waters of the United States (WOTUS).”

Despite WOTUS’ impact on the cattle industry, the case at the Supreme Court has nothing to do with cattle or even agricultural production. Eighteen years ago, Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased a lot in Idaho and planned to build their dream home. As construction began, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers arrived on the scene and ordered them to halt, arguing that their land contained a wetland adjacent to jurisdictional navigable waters, qualifying the wetland as “navigable water” under the Clean Water Act. Over the following years, the Sacketts sued EPA, with their case eventually reaching the Supreme Court this year, asking the Supreme Court to decide, once and for all, which test should be used when determining Clean Water Act jurisdiction over wetlands.

The answer to that question has implications far beyond the Sacketts’ home. In the last 50 years, cattle producers have experienced numerous, often conflicting definitions of WOTUS. On average, the federal government has changed the definition of WOTUS every 3.8 years since the Clean Water Act’s passage in 1972, leading to decades of uncertainty.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA could finally provide certainty for cattle producers by solidifying where the EPA’s proper jurisdiction lies,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “NCBA has long fought for a consistent WOTUS definition that offers clarity to producers.”

The limits of federal water regulation have been hotly contested since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, involving numerous rulemakings and Supreme Court cases. In 2015, following the Supreme Court’s fractured Rapanos decision, the EPA created a widely overreaching definition that subjected nearly every water feature — including isolated features and areas that only held rainwater — to federal jurisdiction. Some of the common water features that fell under the 2015 WOTUS rule included grassed waterways, prairie potholes, rainwater, snow melt, small

creeks, dry washes, drainage ditches, isolated wetlands, vernal pools, coastal prairie wetlands, pocosins, waters within a 100-year floodplain, and waters within 4,000 feet of a high tide line or ordinary high-water mark.

“The 2015 WOTUS rule was a massive jurisdictional overstep. A water feature that you can step over, a feature that only holds water when it rains, or a feature with no impact on downstream water quality should not be regulated by the federal government,” Hart said.

During the Trump Administration, cattle producers saw relief from the onerous 2015 WOTUS rule with the finalization of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). The NWPR limited the definition of a WOTUS to substantial bodies of water, like oceans, large lakes, tributaries that run during a typical year or seasonally, and directly abutting wetlands. While the NWPR was not perfect, it was substantially better than the 2015 WOTUS rule. NCBA supported the NWPR and intervened in several court cases to uphold it before it was struck down by a U.S. District Court in Arizona.

Even before the District Court struck down the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, the Biden Administration made their intentions clear to craft yet another regulatory WOTUS definition. The Biden Administration’s proposed rule does not go as far as the 2015 rule but removes longstanding bipartisan agricultural exclusions that prevented isolated water features on farms and ranches from falling under federal jurisdiction. NCBA submitted technical comments calling for the reinstatement of those agricultural exclusions while also launching a grassroots campaign to add producer voices to the conversation.

“We were pleased to see over 1,700 cattle producers send comments to the EPA reminding them that an overreaching WOTUS rule would be harmful to their operations. Our staff in Washington have told the EPA every day that farmers and ranchers need flexibility out in the country, but letters from producers proved that point,” Hart said.

As the Biden administration finalizes its WOTUS rule, NCBA has urged EPA and the Army Corps to pause its rulemaking until the Supreme Court reaches a decision in the Sackett case.

“If the EPA releases a rule now and the court makes a decision in 2023, the rule will almost certainly have to be amended,” Hart said. “This only adds to the longstanding uncertainty cattle

producers have faced for decades.”

The October oral arguments are the fourth time the Supreme Court has considered the definition of WOTUS, but new justices have joined the bench since the last WOTUS case. For six of the nine justices, the WOTUS issue has come before them.

“The makeup of the court is very different from the last several WOTUS cases, and we’re cautiously optimistic for a positive ruling, but we also need to remain focused on pressing agency policymakers and Congressional leaders to craft a long term WOTUS solution,” Hart said.

To ensure that cattle producers’ voices were heard in the non-agricultural Sackett case, NCBA submitted an amicus brief to the court arguing for a new legal

test to determine whether a feature is a “water of the U.S.” NCBA’s test would combine the existing significant nexus test and the relative permanence test to create even more narrow WOTUS conditions. Following NCBA’s argument, a WOTUS definition should exclude isolated features (like prairie potholes), exclude ephemeral features (water that only flows when it rains), and maintain agricultural exclusions for features like stock ponds, prior converted cropland, and farm ditches.

Now that oral arguments are complete, we look forward to the court reaching a verdict. In the meantime, NCBA will continue defending cattle producers from overreaching environmental rules — like WOTUS — that threaten the success of farms and ranches.

A MessAge froM the Ceo

By COLIN WOODALL National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Ranching on Public Lands

The United States government owns and manages roughly 640 million acres, which is approximately 28 percent of the nation’s land. In Nevada, for example, a little over 80 percent is federally owned. Most of the public land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service. Fortunately, legislation passed in the ‘60s and ‘70s requiring multiple use on these lands, so every citizen has the chance to experience these vast parts of our country. Tourism is a big part of multiple use allowing for hiking, biking, and camping, but multiple use also means that these lands can be used for energy, timber, and livestock production. As you can imagine, there are many activist groups that support public access to the great outdoors but bristle at the thought of grazing cattle on “their” land. This sets the stage for conflict, especially as activist groups, such as the Western Watersheds Project, work to have livestock production restricted or removed from public lands.

The Public Lands Council (PLC) was established in 1968 to be the voice for cattle and sheep producers who operate with federal grazing permits. The voices who only want access to public lands for recreational use are loud, but cattle industry leaders at the time knew we could be effective in countering that rhetoric. NCBA has been a proud member of the Public Lands Council since it was formed. We share staff, office space, and a commitment to protect grazing access. The president of PLC also serves as an ex-officio member of our Executive Committee. Public lands ranchers are faced with the same challenges as every other cattle producer. However, they have the additional challenge of trying to raise cattle with government agencies looking over their shoulder, dictating the terms of their operations, and threatening the loss of their permit if they do not follow the guidelines exactly as written. Given that significant numbers of cattle graze

on public lands, their challenges can ultimately have an impact on overall beef production in the United States.

Experience shows that activist groups like to push their anti-grazing efforts on permittees first in hopes they can get sympathy from government agencies and the recreational users. If they are successful in those efforts, they use it as a playbook to take on producers on private lands. This is why it is important to protect our access to public lands and stop the activists before they can do even more harm. We do that by promoting the benefits of grazing. We all know how responsibly managed grazing can increase the health of pastures and rangelands. The same is true of federal lands and may be even more important given some of the marginal conditions found in the West. Grazing permits are not free. Producers pay the U.S. government for the access these permits provide. The government also receives the benefits from grazing, such as improved range health, overall landscape aesthetics, and protecting open space.

Grazing permittees help provide and protect critical habitat for many species with high conservation needs. The Greater Sage Grouse is just one example of many critters that have benefited from enhanced and improved habitat thanks to the efforts of cattle producers. Over seven million acres of Sage Grouse habitat have been restored or conserved by public lands ranchers. Hikers and bikers are not doing that. Grazing permittees also help maintain migration corridors utilized by thousands of mule deer, elk, and other species. Responsible grazing also helps to fight invasive species. Cheatgrass plagues western states, but grazing helps mitigate its spread by promoting the growth of perennial grasses. Fire suppression may be one of the greatest benefits grazing provides for these lands, local communities, and the government’s firefighting budget. Cattle grazing on public lands helps remove the buildup of excess grass and other fuels that cause

wildfires to spread quicker and burn hotter. We cannot forget that public lands ranchers are also the lifeblood of their local communities. Recreation alone is not going to sustain these towns. The Department of the Interior estimates that public lands ranchers contribute $1.5 billion a year to local economies across the western United States.

While activists and some within the Federal agencies continue to work against us, NCBA and PLC will keep fighting for producer access to public lands. Our permittee members are sustaining local communities, improving the land, and protecting against wildfires while constantly worrying about some hiker leaving a gate open.

Beef CheCkoff News

Beef Advocacy Program Seeks New Applicants. The Beef Checkoff funded Trailblazers program is seeking applications for its next class of beef advocates. Trailblazers, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, takes advocacy to the next level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths.

“Trailblazers develops the next generation of beef advocates through a highly engaging and interactive program,” said Chandler Mulvaney, director of grassroots advocacy and spokesperson development at NCBA. “Our goal is to empower the beef community to share their stories, which ultimately helps safeguard the work of cattle farmers and ranchers across the country.”

Trailblazers is looking for new spokespeople to participate in a year long hands-on program designed to train, equip and empower beef advocates. Selected candidates receive training to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews, and understand how to build confidence in beef related practices when talking to consumers.

Each year, ten new Trailblazers are selected to create a tight knit community that works together to find solutions to social and practical issues impacting the beef community. Throughout the year, Trailblazers receive advanced in-person and virtual training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media, and enhance public speaking skills. Upon completion of the program, Trailblazers serve as industry spokespeople and inform beef advocates at the local and state levels on

advocacy, media, and spokesperson best practices.

“The Trailblazers program increased my confidence to share the truth about beef in my own unique way while providing the resources, experiences, and network to do so,” said Trailblazer Shaye Koester of North Dakota. “This professional, yet fun program is like no other.”

Applications will be accepted through December 30, and selected participants will be notified mid-January. Applicants must be 21 years of age, have completed their Masters of Beef Advocacy certification, and provide at least two references with their online application. To apply, visit the website and for more information, contact Chandler Mulvaney at cmulvaney@beef.org

About Trailblazers. The Checkoff funded Trailblazers program was created in 2021 to support the efforts of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in identifying, recruiting, empowering, and engaging with advocates in the beef community. The program provides a train-the-trainer model to support state beef councils and partner organizations in mobilizing a cadre of spokespeople who are equipped to have tough conversations and seek solutions in telling the beef story.

About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50¢ of the dollar and forward the other 50¢ per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

NCBA PresideNt’s rePort

By DON SCHIEFELBEIN National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

GoogleSearch Beef Sustainability

As I talk to cattle producers throughout the country, I’m frequently asked why NCBA talks about sustainability. I know this word can generate alarm bells, but NCBA has embraced this topic because sustainable exactly describes American cattle production. It is our duty to share the sustainability story of our industry and help ato keep the media, policymakers, and consumers informed with the most accurate, science based information on beef sustainability.

The daily practices you employ on your farm or ranch contribute to cattle industry sustainability, whether you associate the word with them or not. All of us in the industry have a connection to the land, and our businesses would not survive unless we cared about protecting healthy grasses, rich soils, and clean water. All these practices ensure that our way of life can continue for generations — that’s sustainability.

Recently, NCBA learned that Google was implementing a new search feature that would steer consumers away from beef. If someone Googled a recipe, the feature would show the carbon emissions associated with the recipe and how those emissions could change depending on the main ingredients used. As you might expect, beef is at the top of the list for protein-related emissions in this feature.

Through singling out carbon emissions, this Google feature will mislead consumers into believing that they should not choose beef as a sustainable part of a nutritious diet. This search feature is flawed for many reasons, but at the top of the list is Google’s failure to account for the full, science based picture of the sustainability of beef production.

To create this feature, Google is relying on data from the United Nations, which pulls from a few different sources to provide a general estimate of carbon emissions per kg of food. In any of these instances, beef will always come out looking to be the most impactful food option, and this is primarily due to the methodology used to estimate carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, placing a higher weight on the shortlived greenhouse gas, methane than the long lived carbon dioxide. However, in a system as complex as beef production, a short sighted view on greenhouse gas emissions is misleading and, frankly, dangerous.

As soon as we heard about this issue, NCBA contacted Google and the media about our concerns with this feature. We pushed back on the claim that Google’s feature would improve “sustainable” eating by highlighting all the conservation practices that cattle producers employ. We also argued that true sustainability is about more than just carbon in the atmosphere; it’s about protecting land, strengthening rural communities, and feeding a hungry world with the high quality protein that is beef.

When NCBA released sustainability goals last year, we recognized that measuring true sustainability means considering the entire impact of beef on the environment and society. While emissions play a role — and the science consistently proves that the U.S. has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from cattle of any country in the world — sustainability should also reflect beef’s value to the environment. For example,

cattle grazing improves grassland soil health and helps grasses store more carbon. Grazing also reduces wildfire fuels, which protects communities throughout the country. Since 1975, American cattle producers have reduced emissions by more than 30 percent while producing more beef per animal. The result is fewer emissions with more beef to feed the world.

As a protein source, beef plays an important role in our diet. Beef provides essential nutrients like vitamin B12, folate, and iron, which are especially important for growing children and pregnant women. The cattle industry also supports the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans, not only producers but also truck drivers who haul cattle, feed producers, equipment manufacturers, veterinarians, and more.

Keeping rural communities strong, feeding the world, and caring for our

nation’s land is sustainable in my book. All these practices ensure that our way of life can continue for generations to come, and that is the pinnacle of sustainability.

Unfortunately, only a small number of Americans ever see a farm or ranch, and the media has spread the myth of “factory farming.” To combat this narrative, we use words like sustainability to talk about the hard work and dedication that goes into raising cattle. While companies like Google may have billions of dollars to spread their message, we have the truth and data on our side.

Every day, NCBA is fighting back against the falsehoods being spread about the cattle industry. We’re in the trenches, so you don’t have to be, and you can focus on what you do best: raising the highest quality beef in the world. Thank you for placing your trust in NCBA. By being a member, you’ve shown that you have our backs in this fight.

Beef Quality Assurance Doesn’t End at the Farm Gate. Cow/calf producers, stockers, and feedyards implement Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) practices on their operations to produce the highest quality cattle and provide consumers with the best possible eating experience. However, BQA doesn’t end at the farm gate, and those transporting cattle are encouraged to become BQA Transportation (BQAT) certified.

“Hauling can be one of the most stressful times in the life of cattle,” said Colby Carpenter with W&J Carpenter Trucking Inc., a 2022 BQA Award winner. “BQAT provides anyone transporting cattle with the information and resources they need to make sure animals are handled properly, resulting in less stress and a higher quality product for consumers.”

BQAT is a comprehensive management program that incorporates responsible practices in all phases of transporting cattle. In-person training and free online courses are designed for both ranchers hauling cattle in gooseneck trailers and professional drivers who are transporting animals in semi-trailers. These courses teach proper methods for hauling cattle, including biosecurity, fitness for transport, pre-trip planning and loading, and emergency

management.

UPDATEBQAT is science based and producer driven, and online modules have been updated. A working group of industry leaders from all sectors of the cattle industry came together to revise BQAT material and provide updates needed to fit industry needs for hauling cattle.

“As the industry changes and evolves, educational materials are revised,” said Trey Patterson, Wyoming rancher and chair of the Beef Quality Assurance Advisory Group. “We work with producers and those hauling cattle to create a program that meets the needs of the animals and the industry.”

The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, funded by the Beef Checkoff, provides information to U.S. beef producers and beef consumers about how common sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA guidelines are designed to make certain all beef consumers can take pride in what they purchase – and can trust and have confidence in the entire beef industry.

BQA and BQAT certifications are available through in-person training and online courses. To learn more about BQA and to become certified, visit www.bqa.org

NCBA News

NCBA Honors Veterans with Special “Cattlemen to Cattlemen” Episode. “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” the television show of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), aired a special “Salute to Veterans” episode on November 8 in honor of Veterans Day. The show highlighted the service of veterans involved in the beef industry and explored the connection between patriotic farmers and ranchers and our nation’s service members.

“Cattle producers are a patriotic group, and we are extremely grateful for the sacrifices military men and women have made to protect our freedoms and way of life,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein, a Minnesota cattle producer. “NCBA is proud to salute our nation’s veterans and highlight their personal stories.”

The special episode follows a group of veterans on a Tour of Honor organized by Honor Flight Central Coast California. The Honor Flight program provides veterans with the opportunity to visit monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., and be recognized for their service.

Three past presidents of NCBA joined this Honor Flight, including Jerry Bohn, John Lacey, and Kevin Kester.

NCBA would like to thank key supporters that made this episode possible, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. Naval Academy, National Park Service, Military Women’s Memorial, and Honor Flight Central Coast California.

“It was an honor for Cattlemen to Cattlemen to share the story of these veterans,” said Kate Maher, executive producer of NCBA’s “Cattlemen to Cattlemen.” “We also thank our partners at Elanco Animal Health for their sponsorship, which made this production possible.”

For more information on NCBA’s “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” contact Executive Producer Kate Maher at kmaher@beef.org

USDA Announces Funds to Expand Processing Capacity Following NCBA Advocacy. Recently, NCBA commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) following Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement of over $223

million in grants and loans to support small to mid-sized processing facilities.

“NCBA has long advocated for expanded processing capacity to provide cattle producers with additional options for turning their cattle into high quality beef. Today, the cattle industry needs more targeted capacity in high need areas, and we look forward to these facilities launching and expanding operations,” said NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer. “We appreciate USDA working with NCBA to strengthen the marketplace and support America’s cattle producers.”

The announcement is the first round of investments in additional meat processing capacity totaling $73 million across 21 grant projects. NCBA has advocated for funds in the form of grants and lowinterest loans to help small and mid-sized processing facilities open their doors and expand existing capabilities, all to increase competition and strengthen the beef supply chain. In total, the federal government has announced a combined investment of $1 billion allocated to the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, workforce development, and technical assistance.

NCBA Hails White House Focus on Protecting Food and Ag Sector. Recently, NCBA hailed the signing of the National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture, which will allow the federal government to identify the threats facing our food supply and enhance national preparedness and response.

“Our agricultural sector faces a variety of threats that could inhibit cattle producers’ ability to bring beef from pasture to plate,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA appreciates the Biden administration’s focus on identifying threats and developing new ways to mitigate them. Together, we can protect our industry while ensuring that all Americans have access to wholesome foods like beef.”

The memorandum instructs top government officials, including the Secretaries of State, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland

Security, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to identify threats to the food and agriculture sector and coordinate with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to develop responses.

Ahead of the memorandum signing, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall attended a pre-briefing at the White House that included discussion of key security issues for the cattle industry — tools like the National Veterinary Stockpile, which helps prevent the spread of disease and aids recovery, and cybersecurity and worker training programs that support the continued operations of other members of the beef supply chain.

“I am particularly pleased to hear that the administration is making security and resiliency decisions based on data. These data driven decisions are the ones we can support,” said Woodall.

Nominations Accepted for 2023

Environmental Stewardship Award Program. Annual Award Recognizes Stewardship Efforts of Cattle Producers. Applications are being accepted until March 10, 2023, for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award. Established in 1991, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program annually recognizes outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers across the nation.

“Cattle producers, as individuals and as an industry, are actively working to protect and improve the environment because they know environmental stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein. “A common trait among all ESAP winners is the desire to leave the land in better condition for future generations and inspire the next generation of land stewards.”

Any individual, group, or organization is eligible to nominate one individual or business raising or feeding cattle. Individuals and families may not

nominate themselves, although nominees may be involved in the preparation of the application. Past nominees are encouraged to resubmit applications; however, previous winners may not reapply.

Along with a typed application, one nomination letter and three letters of recommendation highlighting the nominee’s leadership in conservation are required. Nominees do not have to be members of NCBA but should support the objectives of their state and national organization.

Award winners are selected by a committee of representatives from universities, conservation organizations, as well as federal and state agencies. For guidance, the judges consider the management of water, wildlife, vegetation, air, and soil, along with leadership abilities and the sustainability of the business.

Seven regional winners will be recognized at the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando, Fla., in February

2024. The national winner will be announced at the Celebration of America’s Land Stewards Event in Washington, D.C., in spring 2024. Travel and registration are provided by ESAP for winners.

The Environmental Stewardship Award Program is an initiative of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and is funded by Corteva Agriscience, McDonald’s, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information and to download the nomination packet, visit www.environmentalstewardship.org

In addition to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) practices and proper injection technique information, the 2023 Redbook has more than 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture use, cattle inventory, body condition, cattle treatment, A.I. breeding records, and more. It also contains a calendar and notes section.

Redbooks can be purchased online at https://store.ncba.org/ for $7.50 each, plus shipping. Customization, including adding a company logo on the cover, is available in quantities of 100 books or more. For more information on custom orders, contact Grace Webb at gwebb@ beef.org or 303-850-3443.

Zoetis Presents Folds of Honor With $195,000 Donation. Veteran’s Day weekend tailgate event brings year-to-date contribution to $487,000. A tailgate event in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at the Oklahoma State University vs. Iowa State University football game took on a special meaning as representatives from Zoetis presented the company’s third donation to Folds of Honor. Based in Owasso, Okla., Folds of Honor provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of men and women who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the U.S. armed forces or as first responders.

Zoetis made this donation to Folds of Honor based upon each bottle of select Zoetis products purchased by beef and dairy producers from across the country. Representatives from the U.S. cattle division presented a donation of $195,000 to Ben Leslie, chief impact officer for Folds of Honor.

“Zoetis is grateful for the continued support of our customers. Folds of Honor has put our year-to-date contribution of $487,000 to work helping fund scholarship programs for the families of the heroes that help protect our communities and our freedoms,” said Jared Shriver, senior vice president of U.S. Cattle and Pork at Zoetis.

Folds of Honor was founded in 2007 by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot who served three combat tours of duty in Iraq. Folds of Honor is proud to have awarded nearly 44,000 scholarships in all 50 states.

“The support of Zoetis allows us to continue providing more life changing educational opportunities for the families of our military heroes,” said Leslie with Folds of Honor.

As host of the tailgate event on Veteran’s Day weekend, Tom White, area business manager with Zoetis, said

Folds of Honor is an organization their customers believe in. “Our customers are patriotic, loyal supporters of armed forces and first responders,” said White. “Many of them have family members that have served or have lost family members in the service, so Folds of Honor hits close to home for them.”

Zoetis is committed to supporting the legacy of leaders in agriculture and communities across the United States. Zoetis will donate $1 per bottle of sales of select cattle anti-infectives through December 31 to Folds of Honor. Qualifying products are Draxxin ( tulathromycin injection) Injectable Solution, Draxxin KP (tulathromycin and ketoprofen injection) Injectable Solution, Excede ( ceftiofur crystalline free acid) Sterile Suspension, and Excenel RTU EZ ( ceftiofur hydrochloride ) Sterile Suspension.

For more information about Folds of Honor, visit www.foldsofhonor.org If you would like to learn more about how Zoetis works with Folds of Honor, contact your local Zoetis representative or visit www.zoetisus.com/misc/folds-ofhonor-faq.aspx

About Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After 70 years of innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide, from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $7.8 billion in 2021 with approximately 12,100 employees. For more, visit zoetis.com

NEWSCattle Recordkeeping Made Easy with NCBA Redbook. 2023 Edition Now Available. For more than three decades, cattle producers have simplified their recordkeeping with a handy pocket sized booklet from NCBA. The 2023 version of the Redbook is now available to help cattle producers effectively and efficiently record their daily production efforts, which can help enhance profitability and reduce stress levels.

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org

IRM Red Books Are Here

Due to increased printing costs, the price of the books have increased to $7.00/each this year.

We would like to thank Performance Livestock & Feed Company and Carolina Stockyards for again sponsoring this book.

The 2023 version is now available to help cattle producers effectively & efficiently record daily production efforts, which can help enhance profitablity and reduce stress levels. In addition to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) best practices and proper injection technique information, it has more than 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture use, cattle inventory, body condition, cattle treatment, A.I. breeding records, and more. It also contains a calendar and notes section.

Simply return the order form below, along with $7.00 for each book to: N.C. Cattlemen’s Association 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

You can now order them through our website at www.nccattle.com/resources/merchandise/red-book-order-form

You can also call our office at 919-552-9111 or email us at kim@nccattle.com.

Danielle Johnson Joins BioZyme Sales Team. Danielle Johnson, Dunn, North Carolina, is the new BioZyme Inc. Area Sales Manager (ASM) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. In her role, she will work with the dealer network to promote the BioZyme product lines and brands and educate dealers and customers about high quality nutrition.

Johnson has an extensive background and passion for agriculture and animal health. She was raised on her family’s fifth generation row crop farm and cow/calf enterprise, where they also raised thoroughbred horses. She earned an associate degree in Agribusiness Management with a double major in livestock and poultry management from N.C. State University. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture education - professional service from North Carolina A&T University. Johnson has five years of professional experience in the feed sales industry.

“I love this industry. I am extremely excited about my territory, and I look forward to building strong and trusting relationships with the dealers and customers,” Johnson said.

As the ASM, she will travel the three state area and work closely with dealers to keep them informed on product offerings and help them educate their customers on the best ways to use the BioZyme products.

“Danielle brings a wealth of product knowledge and industry experience to this role. She will be able to hit the ground running with the elite products that BioZyme offers. Her passion for the agriculture industry is evident when you talk to her. I am so pleased to have Danielle join the BioZyme family in the ASM role,” said Bob Burkham, BioZyme National Manager of Supplement Sales.

Johnson enjoys being outdoors when time allows. Her hobbies include fishing and hunting.

Feed Additive Categories — What Exactly Do They Mean? Global food demands continue to outpace available resources. Consequently, producers are continually asked to “do more with less” as urban sprawl, regulations, and consumer concerns continue to add pressure to the agricultural industry. Animal performance is a major influence on profitability, and achieving those extra pounds per head is based on excellent genetics, premium nutrition, and optimum health. A growing emphasis in production agriculture is the use of feed additives, and the interest has

been cultivated from the link between the gut and overall animal health and performance. There are many probiotics and prebiotics available, and many fit into both all natural and conventional programs. Both are engineered to benefit the host animal; however, they have many different targets, modes of action, and returns for your investment.

The animals we feed and care for contain a microbiome, and some (ruminants) are extensive and complex. An animal’s microbiome can contain bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and much more, but their role in the gastrointestinal tract is simple. Their purpose is to digest and ferment consumed feed, then convert it into nutrients that the host can utilize to produce meat, milk, and eggs. Simply, if we feed the “bugs” in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract, then the “bugs” give off energy and protein that the animals can use for themselves. This symbiotic relationship results in high performing, healthy animals for the producer.

The difference between a probiotic and a prebiotic can be simply defined. While both contribute to a benefit to their host, a producer can either add more beneficial, living organisms (probiotic) or feed/stimulate the ones that already exist (prebiotic). A probiotic can be derived from any isolated strain of bacteria, which makes it very specific to a desired outcome like digestibility or rumen buffering. However, a probiotic is a living organism, and there are many things to keep in consideration. Living single cellular organisms in the probiotic supplement can be sensitive to heat, moisture, and acidity. This is important because it must be handled and stored properly, and producers must hope it survives the low pH of a true stomach to be effective. Not to mention, the gut microbiome is sensitive to its environment. In grazing vs. grain fed situations, for example, cattle rumen microbial populations look drastically different. Therefore, producers need to know exactly which one to add, or they will be wasting their money and labor on an additive that is doomed to fail.

Alternatively, prebiotics come in the form of a substrate that is designed to fuel or stimulate the established microbial populations. They are not usually living organisms, so they are versatile in their handling capabilities and survivability. Therefore, they are cost effective and easy to administer to large groups of livestock

in many forms, including processing chute side, mixed in a TMR, or mineral and protein supplements. Prebiotics serve as a growth medium for all the microbiomes, including fungi, and don’t target just one specific bacterial strain within a population of millions. Amaferm is a precision prebiotic that is derived from a total fermentation product from a specific strain of Aspergillus oryzae. This prebiotic is unique in its ability to stimulate fungal branching and enzymatic activity, which accelerates the degradation of feed delivered to animals. Amaferm promotes the growth rates of fiber and starch digesting bacteria, as well as ones that scavenge lactate. Collectively, this bacterial stimulation allows for better feed utilization and a more stable gut pH so that microbial and host health can be maximized. A robust and diverse microbiome yields performance and health benefits to the animal, which returns a significant return to the operation.

Producers are constantly asked to produce more with less with the vision of feeding the world. The adoption of feeding technologies will play a key role in meeting this goal. A cost effective investment in a prebiotic like Amaferm gives their animals the tools to maximize performance from within and return more profitability to the producer.

Seedstock Producers Appreciate “Progress you can See.” Registered Angus producers Katie and Jason Jagels are focused on raising top quality genetics for the commercial cattle producer on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills. However, they are just as passionate about being stewards of the land while building personal relationships with their customers and others in agriculture.

“We like to say we are borrowing this land from the next generation, so being able to run cows on as minimum of a product is super important,” Katie said.

The combination of tall native grasses and VitaFerm products has proven successful for the Jagels family. They have been feeding exclusively VitaFerm supplements, powered by Amaferm, for the past five years, and Jason doesn’t plan

on changing anytime soon. With visible benefits like an increase in both A.I. and embryo conception rates and having nearly every cow clean out at calving since he started the mineral, he can’t imagine switching something that works so well.

“It’s progress you can see,” Jason said.

That progress and Jason and Katie’s story was featured in a recent segment of The American Rancher on RFD-TV.

Fifth generation agriculturists, Katie and Jason, haven’t always lived in the Sandhills. However, the opportunity presented itself to operate a ranch where Jason interned in college. They bought it from a long time Hereford breeder who wanted younger people to make it their own and follow their dreams. They continue to host the Cattlemen’s Cut Bull Sale each February. Not only do they rely on the VitaFerm minerals for their herd, but they share some philosophies with the parent company, BioZyme Inc.

“Standing behind your product and knowing your handshake and your word means that we’re in this together, we just really pride ourselves on submitting good, honest cattle and standing behind them all year long,” Jason said.

To learn more about these products or to find a BioZyme dealer near you, visit www.vitaferm.com

About BioZyme ® Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include Amaferm®, VitaFerm®, Gain Smart®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, DuraFerm®, and Backyard Boost®. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com

John Deere Wins Two CES 2023 Innovation Awards in Robotics and Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility Categories. John Deere has been named a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Best of Innovation honoree in the Robotics category and an honoree in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category for its fully autonomous tractor. This is the fourth consecutive year John Deere has received an Innovation Award from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The announcement was made ahead of CES 2023, the world’s most influential technology event, during which John Deere will deliver a keynote. CES 2023 takes place January 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nev., and digitally.

John Deere’s fully autonomous tractor integrates technology such as cameras, artificial intelligence (A.I.), sensors, and ultra fast GPU processors to navigate through a field without an operator in the cab – helping customers be more efficient, productive, and profitable.

“Farmers never have a shortage of work to do on any given day,” said Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer for John Deere. “With our fully autonomous tractor, farmers have the flexibility to focus on the most pressing tasks within their operation while the machine handles what they don’t have time or labor to do. We continue to invest in autonomy and automation to support the important work our customers do every day.”

The CES Innovation Awards program, owned and produced by the CTA, is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in 28 product categories. Judges reviewed submissions based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetic, and design.

The Robotics category of the Innovation Awards highlights programmable or otherwise intelligent machines capable of performing specific tasks or replicating human movement or interactions. The Vehicle Intelligence & Advanced Mobility category highlights automotive and other transportation products and services that integrate technology into the driving or riding experience, whether by enhancing safety and navigation, improving the passenger experience, or enabling self driving

functionality.

John Deere updates, adds to its lineup of orchard and vineyard tractors. John Deere is widening its lineup of specialty tractors designed for work in narrow orchards and vineyards with the addition of the new 5EN and 5ML Series.

The popular 5EN from the past is back and updated with a 5075EN model available in an open operator station or cab configuration. Inside the cab, operators will find all day comfort with AC/heat, ergonomic levers and implement controls, cell phone and cup holders, 12 volt outlet, a USB port, and a pair of service ports. An air ride seat is optional. With 75 engine horsepower, the 5075EN is the highest horsepower that can be purchased that meets emission requirements without the management of diesel exhaust fluid or diesel particulate filters.

“The 5075EN is an economical, narrow tractor that can be configured to a working width as minimal as 51 inches and can also be outfitted with a front hitch and mid SCVs for the ultimate implement versatility. It’s ideal for fruit handling and hauling, spraying, mowing and any application that takes place within the narrow confines of an orchard or vineyard,” said Greg Christensen, marketing manager for John Deere. “Not only will customers find the 5075EN to be reliable, nimble and easy to use, they’ll be surprised at how much John Deere Precision Ag Technology is available to help them monitor, manage, and maximize their farm or business.”

Two proven transmission options are available for the 5075EN – the 12x12 PowrReverser™ and the 24x12 PowrReverser with High-Lo. A creeper option on both transmissions lets operators choose the right speed for spraying, mowing, hauling, or any slow speed application. A left hand reverser is standard and makes changing directions easy while freeing up the person’s right hand for other tractor controls.

Moving up in horsepower and spec level, the 100 to 130 horsepower 5ML Series also gets significant updates.

“The 5ML Series has been a proven tractor in fruit and nut orchards for years, but customers either had to use it as an

open operator station tractor or find a cab solution on their own, costing them time and money,” Christensen said. “Now, customers can get a low profile, feature packed, John Deere cab that shows up from the factory ready to work.”

The new 5ML cab provides headto-toe comfort with a flat floor, spacious headroom, and ergonomic, well placed

controls. A reconfigurable in-dash, three screen LCD display allows operators to customize their view.

On cab versions of the 5ML, two front axle options are available for working widths as narrow as 71 inches and down to 61 inches on the 5ML Narrow. Each comes equipped with programmable LED lighting, options for

Farm Credit News

AgCarolina Farm Credit employees donate to Hope for Hardy. AgCarolina Farm Credit is proud to announce a $3,000 donation to Hope for Hardy, a non-profit with the mission to promote organ donation as well as help those in need of organ transplants.

Employees have the option to participate in AgCarolina’s “A Cause a Quarter” program. The quarterly campaign requires a $25 donation from participating employees to a nonprofit voted on by all employees of the Association. Participants can dress casually each Friday of the quarter in which they participate.

Chosen by employees for the third quarter of 2022 was Hope for Hardy. With employee and Association contributions, the total donation amount is $3,000.

“AgCarolina Farm Credit, and its employees, are proud to present these funds to Hope for Hardy,” said Skipper Jones, AgCarolina Senior Vice President - Marketing & Communications. “AgCarolina Farm Credit’s employees believe it is vital for our local communities

to have active and engaged citizens. A Cause a Quarter is the product of an employee suggestion and has been a great way for the AgCarolina team to understand how we can make an impact in the communities we serve in North Carolina. There are many great organizations throughout our state doing outstanding things like the folks with Hope for Hardy. We wish them continued success in supporting those in need of organ transplants.”

About AgCarolina Farm Credit. AgCarolina Farm Credit is a farmer owned financial cooperative with headquarters in Raleigh. They are the leading provider of credit to farmers in central and eastern North Carolina. AgCarolina Farm Credit has over $1.5 billion in loans and commitments outstanding to nearly 3,000 North Carolina farmers. Loans are made to finance land, homes, farm buildings, operating expenses, livestock, and equipment, as well as other purposes. Credit life insurance, appraisal services, and leasing are also available through AgCarolina Farm Credit.

Pictured from left to right - AgCarolina Branch Manager (Halifax), Jeff Faison, Sue Hardy, Tom Stanfield, Flora Beth Hardy Butts, AgCarolina Branch Manager (Williamston, Austin Britton, and Donna Hardy).

a front hitch, and front PTO for added versatility, plus the choice of an easyto-use PowrQuad™ PLUS or Powr8™ transmission.

Customers can also choose two new dealer installed kits. A Cat IV filtration system provides an additional level of cab filtration and pressurization. A new Limb Lifter kit can be added to gently move away low hanging branches, reducing the potential for damage to the tree and tractor.

Integrated technology on the 5EN and 5ML Tractors includes JDLink™– an industry exclusive in this class of tractor that keeps growers connected to what matters. JDLink can be used to remotely

track machine data – especially useful for customers who operate orchards or vineyards or manage fleets of tractors. JDLink helps customers efficiently track equipment location and proactively monitor machine health and productivity. JDLink can also be used to provide job details and work direction to operators.

For even greater efficiency and productivity, the 5EN and 5ML are AutoTrac™ capable, with AutoTrac Universal available on the 5EN and Integrated AutoTrac through the in-dash display on the 5ML. AutoTrac guidance gives operators the ability to eliminate implement overlap and optimize machine efficiency when completing jobs such as

spraying, planting, or mowing.

For more information, visit JohnDeere.com or your local John Deere dealer.

About John Deere. Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are

more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technologyenabled products, including John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray™, and E-Power Backhoe are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial.

Senator James D. Speed Achievement Scholarship Presented

By MARTHA MOBLEY

During the 2022 N.C. State Fair, the Senator James D. Speed Achievement $1,000 Scholarship was presented to an outstanding youth who exhibited beef heifers, Aiden Kernodle from Alamance County. Mark Speed, son of the late James Speed, presented the scholarship award to Aiden after the ‘Sale of Champions’ on October 23 in the Graham Livestock Building. The scholarship continues the legacy that Senator Speed created as a 32 year member of the North Carolina State Legislature and through his commitment and dedication to agricultural interests.

To honor his memory, the Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association established an N.C. State University endowment in 2010 to present an academic scholarship to an outstanding achiever in the Junior Beef Program. In 2016, the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, Inc. began contributing an additional $500 to the Speed Award on an annual basis. The N.C. Small Farms Association based in Franklin County also contributes the award plaques.

Aiden, 17, demonstrates strong leadership skills, integrity, good sportsmanship, achievement of goals, and is an advocate for today’s agricultural industry. The scholarship will be awarded during Aiden’s freshman year in college. He is the son of Clark and Leslie Kernodle of Graham, North Carolina. He is currently an outstanding high school senior with the goal to study animal science at a top ag university. Aiden is a member of the N.C. Junior Hereford Association, in addition to having many achievements in the beef cattle industry.

For more information on livestock topics, contact Martha Mobley at martha_ mobley@ncsu.edu

Pictured from left to right - Joe Nusser, Mark Speed, Aiden Kernodle, and Steve Troxler.

Three Triangle Ranch — Keeping the Ranching Ethic Alive. Adding Riomax to the mix keeps cattle and calves healthy. Ask Ralph Stock for his definition of a good rancher, and he sums up his thoughts succinctly. “A good rancher is someone who cares as much for their cattle and their horses as they do their family.”

Think of the cattle like a factory. “If your factory is no good, your product is going to be no good,” says the manager of the Three Triangle Ranch near Webb, Saskatchewan. “If you don’t look after your cattle, whatever you’re producing isn’t going to be as good as it can be.”

And when you’re ranching in the sand hills of southern Saskatchewan, fulfilling that expectation isn’t easy. It’s hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and the wind blows. A lot. That means taking care of cows, especially during the winter’s cold and wind, requires the best.

But that doesn’t mean Stock babies the cattle. “We don’t winter them anywhere close to corrals so we can’t be babying,” he says. Their winter pastures have plenty of trees, however, and he feeds hay and pellets comprised of barley and pea and lentil screenings. He puts feed down on the lee side of the trees, and after the cattle get their fill, all they have to do is walk to the trees to get out of the wind.

“What I give them a day depends on how cold it is,” he says. “If it’s -22°F, they’re probably going to get 30-35 pounds (of hay) a day plus 2-3 pounds of pellets. But if it warms up to 50°F, I’m going to cut them back 5 or 6 pounds.”

However, true to his definition of a good rancher, Stock, and the ranch owner believe in giving their cows the best they can buy. “If you’re going to buy feed, buy the best feed you can because the freight’s the same.”

Common to quality - Stock came to the ranch in 2009 when the owner, a rancher, and cattle feeder from Alberta, bought the place. “We started out with about 300 cows,” he says, adding that the cattle on the ranch when the owner bought it were “pretty common cows.”

They started upgrading the quality of the cow herd, buying 100 bred heifers a year beginning the first year. “We were at 800 last year (2021), but we really had to cull hard. It’s just so dry.”

In fact, it’s been dry for several years, which has really hammered their pastures. Their country is half leased government land, and half deeded land. The pastures are big, 3-5 sections, and sandy, with lots of brush and trees. However, the grass is good feed, primarily buffalo grass, blue grama, spear grass, and others. “We rotational graze a lot,” Stock says, which allows the pastures to recover.

While hide color isn’t the first priority when buying bred heifers, they do concentrate their genetics on the bull side of the equation. For much of the time Stock has been managing the outfit, they used Salers bulls, both red and black. However, those bulls are getting harder to find, so they shifted to horned Hereford bulls, “trying to get a little more hair on them.” Currently, their herd genetics are about half Hereford, a quarter Angus, and

a quarter Salers.

Riomax to the rescue - Leaning on their philosophy of buying the best for their cattle, Stock and his boss were quick to add Riomax to the operation. When Stock first came on as manager, sick calves were a real problem, as were cows that didn’t clean properly. As they were upgrading the quality of the cow herd, they learned of Riomax and the benefits the orange tubs could bring to a ranch.

They tried a few tons, and that’s all it took. Initially, out of 400 head, 300 of which were the cows that came with the place, Stock had 10 or 12 that didn’t clean, “which is really high for that amount of numbers,” he says. “I calved out 800 (in 2021) and I don’t think I had more than three that didn’t clean right away.” Two of those had twins. He added, “So all bets are off when they have twins on how good that works.”

Additionally, he went from treating 20-30 calves in the spring to treating one. “And the only difference is the tubs. Their milk is stronger, the cows get what they need, and one thing goes to another.”

Calving season begins about April 10, and since the bulls are turned out for only two cycles, calves are on the ground by around the middle of June. “The sickness in the calves, once we started using the tubs, I think was a pretty big, obvious difference.”

The proof’s in the pudding - In the case of droughted out pastures, one thing going to another means the cows and calves still perform. Stock keeps Riomax in front of the cows all year, and, as he says, “The proof’s in the pudding.” The cows get more out of the grass when they’re on the tubs, he says. “They’re digesting more of what they’re getting, even if it isn’t top quality grass because it’s dry.”

The “pudding” for the Three Triangle Ranch is the condition of the cows and

calves when they came off summer pasture. “The calves came off looking good,” he says. He weaned early in 2022 to give the cows a break. They regained condition quickly and were looking good heading into winter, he says.

Beyond that, he says the tubs are an advantage when it does rain. Prior to going with Riomax, they were using a dry mineral, and if it got rained on, it was ruined. “You end up taking a hammer and busting it all up and throwing it out because they won’t eat it once it gets rained on. This stuff (Riomax) can get rained on and they slurp it out of the tub and don’t waste anything,” he says.

Following up on his philosophy of what it means to be a good beef producer, Stock believes if cattle don’t mean anything to you other than a way to make money, you’re an investor, not a rancher. “If I know they’re not comfortable, well, how am I going to be comfortable sitting in my warm house when it’s cold and windy?”

It’s that ethic that has long been the standard for ranchers. It’s that ethic that means you take care of your cattle when it’s several notches below zero in the winter and when the sun scorches the land in the summer.

And it’s that ethic that brought Stock and his boss to Riomax. “I think it’s a really good product,” Stock says. “It’s definitely an investment because it’s not cheap. But I think you definitely get your money back.”

About Riomax. Riomax started in a one car garage and today works with countless ranchers all across the United States and Canada. Their mission? To bring profitability back into agriculture. Learn more about their nutritional products for cattle, horses, sheep, and soil at www.riomax.net/products

Rancher Resilience Grant — Knowledge is Your Greatest Resource

As cattle producers, it is rare to come across an opportunity to leave the farm or ranch behind for a few days. There is always fence to mend or cattle to sort, and without a doubt, there is never enough time in the day to get it all done. However, there are a few things worth giving up your time to experience.

Cattle producers are the original stewards of land and livestock, and constantly striving to improve your operation is an integral component of that. By attending professional development events, such as grazing conferences, Cattlemen’s College, and Stockmanship and Stewardship events, you are exposing yourself to new perspectives and innovative practices.

As a means of investing in producer education and resources, the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill formed a strategic partnership to establish a professional development scholarship program for producers which encourages experiential learning. This program is called the Rancher Resilience Grant and is rightfully named — recognizing the strength and determination cattle producers display every day.

“Our industry continually explores technologies and production practices to support more efficient operations that focus on profitability and consistent high quality beef,” said NCBA Senior Executive Director of Producer Education Josh White. “It’s exciting to see industry partners come together through a shared commitment to promote the long term economic well being of farmers and ranchers across the beef value chain while also improving our product and our care for livestock and natural resources.”

No matter where your farm or ranch factors into the beef supply chain, there is a professional development opportunity that fits your program. Since its origin in 2020, the Rancher Resilience Grant has provided financial support and educational opportunities for hundreds of producers to attend events across the country. Past participating events include the following: Cattlemen’s College, the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium, the National Grazing Lands Coalition Conference, Stockmanship and Stewardship, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management events, the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Convention, and many more.

Why should I apply for funding? The Rancher Resilience Grant was created with the intention of reducing the financial burden of attending conventions and meetings while also providing cattle

producers access to new information and resources they can utilize on their operations. According to past recipients of the grant, it has accomplished just that.

“I am so thankful for this program. It eliminated one less cost on our operation and made it a much less stressful trip knowing the larger costs for the [Beef Improvement] Symposium are covered. It allowed me to solely focus on the event and improving mine and my customers’ operations,” shared Samantha England.

Sharing a similar account of his experience, Michael Hodges, who attended the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Convention, said the Rancher Resilience Grant is a great way to help producers during tough times, especially in consideration of the high input costs and inflation many are experiencing today.

For other producers, a key benefit of the grant opportunity was the ability to reallocate operating funds from travel costs to ranch improvements.

“Having opportunities like the [Rancher Resilience Grant] make it easier for us to work educational programs into our financial and operating budgets. Because we participated in the grant opportunity, we can focus those funds we would have paid out-of-pocket elsewhere on the farm,” said Emily Herbst.

While financial support is a well valued component of the Rancher Resilience Grant, there are numerous other benefits the program was designed to deliver, including connecting producer networks and providing exposure to new production methods.

“Being able to attend these conferences in different parts of the country is so important to having a very broad perspective of other regions and how other people do business,” said Erin Thomas, a National Grazing Lands Coalition Conference attendee. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Aimee Blackburn echoed Thomas’ testimonial by expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to attend Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in 2022.

“I met so many other producers from other areas of the country at the Cattlemen’s College meetings. It was great to talk to them and get an understanding of how different our operations are in different parts of the United States,” Blackburn said.

What will I learn? The Rancher Resilience Grant program was designed to offset expenses for farmers and ranchers to attend educational events that address topics such as animal health and

well being, profitability, natural resources, sustainability, genetics, and reproduction.

Not only did past grant recipients say they found the content of the events to be educational, but they also took away action items to implement back home.

For Kinzie Burtrum, she found value in an estate planning session, a topic not commonly discussed at the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Convention.

“The estate planning information session was very eye opening. Dr. Ferrell explained the importance of developing a transition and an estate plan while you are still living to ease the burden when you die,” Burtrum explained. “I will be sitting down with my family to talk about our transition and estate plans.”

Other favored topics at various educational events include the value of working cattle in a low stress environment and how that affects the efficiency and profitability of an operation, as well as estrus synchronization protocols and grazing management plans.

“Attending the convention and Cattlemen’s College gave me new ideas on how to improve and grow my operation,” Sean Chambers shared about his experience. “Since returning home I have revised my grazing plan. In addition,

I have drawn up plans for adding additional fence in order to better control grazing in sensitive areas such as riparian areas and wildlife corridors. The hope is to not only improve forage quality but also extend our grazing period.”

What is next? The educational events supported by the Rancher Resilience Grant are in place to provide practical tools to help cattle producers manage market shifts, mitigate financial risks, manage natural resources and withstand extreme weather events.

Past recipients of the grant have explained the value of stepping away from the ranch to take advantage of the networking and educational opportunities encouraged by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill partnership.

If you are interested in investing your time to learn about new tools and management resources to improve your operation, the Rancher Resilience Grant is available to invest the finances necessary to make that happen.

Upcoming events covered by the grant program include the 2022 Angus Convention and the 2023 NCBA Cattlemen’s College. Visit www.ncba.org/ producers/rancher-resilience-grant to get more information and to apply.

2023-2024 Scholarship Applications

The N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation is now receiving applications for undergraduate scholarships and graduate student travel funding for the 2023-2024 academic year. This is the fourth year the foundation will award scholarships to students who are North Carolina residents. However, they are still eligible if they are attending college in another state.

The applications for both scholarships and graduate student travel are available on the main webpage of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association. Completed applications must be submitted online from www.nccattle.com . However,

printable versions are available to assist you in gathering information for your applications. If applicants are unable to submit completed applications online, they must contact Casey Hinnant at mail@ nccattle.com for other accommodations. All applications are due by 12:00 midnight EST on January 15, 2023.

Applications will be reviewed and recommended for NCCF board approval at its meeting in mid-February. Awards will be announced after that meeting.

Questions regarding the application process can be addressed to Dr. Roger Crickenberger at 919-464-5636 or at cricks4@mac.com

Showmanship

Grand champion novice showmanshipBeau Surratte; reserve champion novice showmanship - Allie Pitts.

Grand champion junior dairy showmanshipLane Gordon; reserve champion junior dairy showmanship - Allie Shuford.

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and

Prices

for the Month of OCTOBER 2022

Cattle Receipts: 18,945 • Previous Month: 17,768 Feeder supply - 27% steers • 43% heifers • 30% bulls

SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Grand champion junior showmanshipBrantley Meadows; reserve champion junior showmanship - Peyton Taylor.

Grand champion intermediate dairy showmanship - Natalie Hensley; reserve champion intermediate dairy showmanshipAlexis Barnett.

Grand champion intermediate showmanship - Montana Boatwright; reserve champion intermediate showmanship - Lydia Crocker.

Grand champion senior dairy showmanshipAva Manning; reserve champion senior dairy showmanship - Karina Morrow.

Grand champion senior showmanshipSchyler Crocker; Reserve champion senior showmanship - Shelby Candler.

Breaker

1,422 $68.08 Boner 1,242 $70.43 Lean 1,056 $59.75

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2 1,532 $95.44

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2)

Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $152.05 $643.17 450-500 473 $156.13 $738.49 500-550 523 $150.94 $789.42 550-600 571 $142.72 $814.93 600-650 619 $141.86 $878.11 650-700 669 $141.02 $943.42

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2)

Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $150.36 $636.02 450-500 474 $142.46 $675.26 500-550 522 $136.27 $711.33 550-600 570 $131.94 $752.06 600-650 621 $122.41 $760.17 650-700 670 $119.43 $800.18

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 425 $136.95 $582.04 450-500 474 $135.10 $640.37 500-550 521 $130.34 $679.07 550-600 571 $126.98 $725.06 600-650 623 $119.80 $746.35 650-700 670 $118.63 $794.82

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

Steer Shows

S.C.

Cattle

Receipts,

Trends, and Prices

for the Month of OCTOBER 2022

Cattle Receipts: 13,509 • Previous Month: 11,773 Feeder supply - 32% steers • 48% heifers • 20% bulls

Grand

Grand champion steer, shown by Jacob Sherriff.

Reserve

Showmanship

Grand champion novice showmanshipLillian Wilkins; reserve champion novice showmanship - Trey Davis.

Grand champion intermediate showmanship - Breanne Black; reserve champion intermediate showmanship - Amberlyn Christenbury.

Grand

Grand

Reserve

Reserve

Avg. Wt. Price Cows - % Lean Breaker 1,502 $70.27 Boner 1,217 $72.11 Lean 972 $68.52 Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2 1,588 $98.32 FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2)

Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $173.80 $735.17 450-500 467 $165.32 $772.04 500-550 517 $159.03 $822.19 550-600 574 $150.73 $865.19 600-650 629 $142.63 $897.14 650-700 670 $141.88 $950.60

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2)

Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 421 $164.66 $693.22 450-500 466 $163.25 $760.75 500-550 515 $149.29 $768.84 550-600 563 $136.60 $769.06 600-650 615 $131.55 $809.03 650-700 663 $124.47 $825.24

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2)

Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 430 $142.27 $611.76 450-500 474 $137.86 $653.46 500-550 522 $135.61 $707.88 550-600 568 $132.87 $754.70 600-650 623 $125.00 $778.75 650-700 668 $124.88 $834.20

SLAUGHTER CLASSES Regular copy deadline is DECEMBER 5 for the JANUARY issue

champion junior showmanshipAudrey-Kate Bolt.

champion senior showmanshipTanner Foster.

champion senior showmanshipMattie Harward.

champion steer, shown by Brealyn Andrews.

champion Zebu heifer, shown by Jade Young.

champion junior showmanshipCaleigh Fowler.

Reserve champion Zebu heifer, shown by Anna Grace Cross.

The Josey Agency, Inc.

ANGUS

Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total

Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Dec. 3 — N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Waynesville, N.C.

Dec. 3 — The Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C.

Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 10 — Springfield Angus Bull Sale, Louisburg, N.C.

Dec. 16 — N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Butner, N.C. 2023

Jan. 7 — 14th Annual EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Feb. 4 — 47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale, Clemson, S.C.

Feb. 9 — 30th Annual UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale, Athens, Ga.

VENTS

Feb. 11 — Black Crest Farm Annual Bull & Female Sale, Sumber, S.C.

Feb. 18 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.

Feb. 25 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 31st Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Apr. 8 — Knoll Crest Farm’s Spring Bull & Female, Red House, Va.

Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Black Hereford

Dec. 10 — 20th Annual Charolais Source Bull Sale, Shelby, N.C

Charolais

Dec. 3 — The Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 10 — 20th Annual Charolais Source Bull Sale, Shelby, N.C.

HE IDE

A man goes out with his friends for the night. Before he leaves he tells his wife, “I promise I will be home by midnight.”

Midnight comes and goes. He finally arrives home at about 3:00 a.m. As he walks in he realizes the cuckoo clock is about to go off. As it begins to go off he has a flash of genius and decides to coo another 9 times. He sneaks in to bed satisfied with himself.

The next morning he wakes up and his wife has breakfast made. She doesn’t seem to be mad. Satisfied with himself he asks her, “You sleep okay last night?”

She replies, “Yeah, but we need a new cuckoo clock.”

He asks her why and she tells him, “Last night it cooed 3 times. Then it yelled, ‘Crap!’ It cooed another 6 times and giggled a little bit. Finally it cooed 3 more times and tripped on the carpet.”

* * *

There once was a blind man who decided to visit Texas. When he arrived on the plane, he felt the seats and said, “Wow, these seats are big!” The person next to him answered, “Everything is big in Texas.”

When he finally arrived in Texas, he decided to visit the hotel restaurant for

some dinner. Upon arriving, he ordered a drink and got a glass placed between his hands. He exclaimed “Wow these glasses are big!” The waiter replied “Everything is big in Texas.”

A little later the blind man asked the waiter where the bathroom was. The waiter replied, “Second door to the right.”

The blind man headed for the bathroom, but accidentally tripped and entered the third door. This door lead to the swimming pool and he fell in by accident.

Scared to death, he started shouting “Don’t flush, don’t flush!”

* * *

Three elderly ladies are discussing their mental health. The first lady says, “Today I was at the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t remember if I had just gone up or was about to go down.”

The second lady says, “I was sitting at the edge of my bed and I couldn’t remember if I was about to sleep or just woke up.”

The final lady says, “My memory is as good as ever, knock on wood.” With this she hits the table twice. Suddenly she is startled and looks up, “Who’s there?”

GELBVIEH

Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total

Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 3 — N.C. BCIP Performance

Tested Bull Sale, Waynesville, N.C. Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2023

Feb. 4 — 47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale, Clemson, S.C.

Feb. 18 — Locust Hill Cattle Company 2nd Annual Production Sale, Pelham, N.C. Feb. 18 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.

Feb. 25 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 31st Annual Replacement

Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Apr. 8 — Knoll Crest Farm’s Spring Bull & Female, Red House, Va. Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

HEREFORD

Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 3 — N.C. BCIP Performance

Tested Bull Sale, Waynesville, N.C. Dec. 16 — N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Butner, N.C. 2023

Feb. 4 — 47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale, Clemson, S.C. Feb. 25 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 31st Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Apr. 8 — Knoll Crest Farm’s Spring Bull & Female, Red House, Va. May 12 — N.C. Hereford Association Annual Banquet, Statesville, N.C. May 13 — 55th Annual N.C. Hereford Classic Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

RED ANGUS

Jan. 21 — Bull Hill Ranch 12th Annual “More Bull For Your Buck” Production Sale, Gray Court, S.C.

SIMMENTAL

Dec. 3 — N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Waynesville, N.C. Dec. 3 — The Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C.

Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 16 — N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Butner, N.C. 2023

Feb. 4 — 47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale, Clemson, S.C.

Feb. 9 — 30th Annual UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale, Athens, Ga.

Feb. 25 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 31st Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Oct. 21 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.

Livestock market sales

Dec. 5 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C. Dec. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Dec. 7 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C. Dec. 12 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C. Dec. 14 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C. Dec. 19 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C. Dec. 21 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C. Dec. 28 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

OTHER EVENTS

2023

Feb. 1-3 — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention & Trade Show, New Orleans, La. Feb. 24-25 — N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Conference, Hickory, N.C.

Our breed Spotlight

special sections are excellent forums to reach producers and cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the Southeast. Advertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.