CC C
arolina attle onnection NOVEMBER 2020 •
Vol. 34, Issue No. 11
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
OPTIMAL CATTLE NUTRITION IS MORE THAN HAVING LOTS OF GRASS Performance Extra 16% is utilized in the development of heifers before breeding season. Feeding Performance Extra 16% prior to breeding will ensure those animals intake adequate energy to cycle properly and lead to a successful bred heifer or cow. This ration also works well in all stages of cattle production where there is a need for a higher protein and energy.
Nutritionally balanced with vitamins and minerals - Promotes development, proper growth, and overall health
Performance Bull Developer #2 is formulated to be fed as a complete ration for bulls in confinement. This unique blend of pellets, cracked corn, soybean meal, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, and a complete mineral package including yeast and ZinPro allows bulls to reach their full genetic growth potential without digestive problems. It is university tested and farm proven.
Performance Extra Calf is a very palatable blended feed designed for the producer who wants more texture in their feed product. Cattle start on Extra Calf quicker than with a straight pellet. This product consists of whole cottonseed, soybean meal, and the 16% Performance Extra Pellets.
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ONNECTION A Message from the CEO — VOTE!, by Colin Woodall ................................................................... page 55 Amazing Grazing — Selection Considerations for Your Next Herd Sire, by Dr. Deidre Harmon ........................................................................................................................ page 14 American Angus Association News ................................................................................................. page 29 American Gelbvieh Association News ............................................................................................ page 52 American Hereford Association News ............................................................................................ page 24 American Simmental Association News ......................................................................................... page 49 Animal Agriculture Alliance News ................................................................................................... page 39 Ashley’s Beef Corner — Baby Food and Sustainability, by Ashley W. Herring ............................ page 12 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges News ..................................................... page 34 Beef — The Most Valuable Protein ................................................................................................... page 69 Beef Checkoff News ............................................................................................................................ page 57 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods .......................................................................... page 56 BioZyme Incorporated News ........................................................................................................... page 64 Boehringer Ingelheim News ............................................................................................................. page 70 Carolina Cooking — Beef Stuffing with Apples & Cranberries .................................................... page 13 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary ........................................................................... page 37 Cattlemen’s Beef Board Update, by Greg Hanes ............................................................................ page 68 Cattlenomic$ — Back to the Futures, Part I, by Bernt Nelson ...................................................... page 20 Clemson University 2021 Bull Test 28 Day Report and Update, by Steven E. Meadows, Ph.D. ............................................................................................................. page 49 Cows Prefer “Live” Co-Moo-Nication, Study Reveals .................................................................. page 57 Diamond V News ................................................................................................................................. page 35 Director’s Report — Going Virtual, by Travis Mitchell ...................................................................... page 3 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — The Up and Coming Cow Dog, by E.B. Harris .................. page 18 Farm Credit News ............................................................................................................................... page 34 Future Carolina Cattlemen! .............................................................................................................. page 39 Inaugural Cattlemen’s Congress Replaces National Western Stock Show ............................... page 51 Merck Animal Health News ............................................................................................................... page 59 N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame Inductees — Ray and Suzanne Brewer ........................... page 30 N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test 84 Day Report, by Gary Gregory ......................................................... page 42 N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test 84 Day Report, by Gary Gregory & Deidre Harmon ................ page 43 N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation News — 2021-2022 Scholarship Applications ............................ page 70 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report ......................................................................................................... page 63 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ................................................................................ page 62 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — NCBA Wins in Court, by Marty Smith ................................................................................................................................... page 60 New NCCA Members for 2020 .......................................................................................................... page 59 North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ...................................................................... page 32 North American Limousin Association News ................................................................................. page 51 On the Edge of Common Sense — Religious Reflections, by Baxter Black ................................... page 19 Premier Select Sires News ................................................................................................................ page 40 S.C. Beef Council News, by Roy Copelan .......................................................................................... page 60 S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ...................................................................................... page 42 South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ....................................................................... page 33 The Importance of Whole Cottonseed, by Elizabeth Mullins, Dr. Matt Poore, and Dr. Deidre Harmon ....................................................... page 22 The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker .............................................................................................. page 44 Uncommon Agricultural Productivity Growth Raises Concerns in a Time of Pandemics ....................................................................................... page 32 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden ....................................................................................................... page 16 Zoetis News …....................................................................................................................................... page 31
SHORTHORN About Shorthorn Lassies ..... page 8 American Shorthorn Association Launches Locally Raised Beef Program ..... page 8 History of Shorthorn Cattle ..... page 4 Our Story — Humble Stock Farm, by Bruce & Darlene Humble ..... page 7 Shorthorn Color Guide ..... page 6 Shorthorn Youth Development Fund ..... page 9 Updates to Growth Trait Predictions ..... page 10
North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association President JEREMY LEE 5153 Battle Run Drive • Catawba, NC 28609 Vice Presidents KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734
The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 34, No. 11 NOVEMBER 2020 Sales and Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
BURON LANIER 2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: 919-552-9111 or 919-552-9112 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com
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is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.
NCBA Policy Division Director - FRED SMITH, JR. NCBA Federation Division Director RALPH BLALOCK, JR. Beef Board Director - ROBERT CRABB Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON Directors At Large MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE
Manager, N.C.
STAFF
BRYAN BLINSON
Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL Editor and Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT
Executive Director BRYAN K. BLINSON Assistant Editor and Proofreader 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
KIM BURDGE
N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information ASHLEY W. HERRING
N.C. Circulation
KIM BURDGE
Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE
S.C. Circulation
To Be Announced
South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director TRAVIS MITCHELL Phone: 864-803-1126 Email: twmitch@clemson.edu S.C. Beef Council ROY COPELAN Phone: 803-917-1119 Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov Website: www.sccattle.org Executive Committee President - Thomas Legare 1st Vice President - Roscoe Kyle Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Cecil Eaddy
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 Dale Wilson, Abbeville • Thomas Jones, Marion Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Jack Ferguson, York Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews
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 becom 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 11280 Columbia, SC 29211-1280
Our
breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to r e ac h p r o d u c e r s a n d cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the S outheast . A dvertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight. The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
Director’s Report By TRAVIS MITCHELL, Executive Director, SCCA
Going Virtual Fall has arrived here in the Carolinas. Shorter days and cooler nights tell us that, like it or not, winter is right around the corner. As cattlemen and cattlewomen, you have spent the last six to seven months preparing feed for the upcoming
winter. Whether it’s baling hay, chopping silage, planting winter grazing, or all of the above, we often lose sight of how much time, effort, and money we pour into properly feeding our cow herd. Beef cattle nutrition is arguably the most important
component that plays into the success and profitability of our operations. It could not be more fitting for the First Annual Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference to focus on increasing productivity and sustainability through nutrition. This year’s conference that was originally planned to be held at the Pee Dee REC center in Florence will now be held virtually via zoom. The conference will still be a two day event, and you will still get the same benefits from it that you would have by attending the in-person conference. The conference will be covering various topics that you can take back to your farm and implement. The decision to move the conference online was made with the
The Carolina Cattle Connection
health and safety of our speakers and attendees in mind. I encourage you to make every effort to attend this conference from the comfort of your office or living room. An awesome set of speakers from multiple Universities around the Southeast will present on beef cattle nutrition topics. The S.C. Cattlemen’s Association once again thanks each of its members for their continued support. The mission of our organization is to unite cattle producers to advance the economic, political, and social interest of South Carolina’s beef industry. Because of your support, we will make the beef cattle industry better for years to come.
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e Special
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
Section f
History of Shorthorn Cattle The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated on the northeastern coast of England in the counties of Northcumberland, Durham, York, and Lincoln. These counties all touch the North Sea and lie between the Cheviot Hills and the middle part of England. The first real development of the Shorthorn breed took place in the valley of the Tees River. This river, the valley of which is so well known in the development of the breed, lies between Durham and York counties, and the large cattle that inhabited this fertile valley early became known as Teeswater cattle. In addition to having acquired a reputation for producing excellent cattle, the Tees River Valley excelled in crops, pastures, and generally high plane of agriculture. Origin Foundation Stock - North England is said to have been the home of cattle for centuries. Sinclair 1 suggests the small Celtic short horned ox was found in England at the time of the Roman invasion and that later, cattle were introduced from northern Europe by the English, Danes, and others. By the 17th century well known types of cattle existed in England, one of which was the “pied” stock of Lincolnshire, which was said to have been more white than colored, and the other red stock of Somerset and Gloucestershire. There existed in Holderness, a district of Yorkshire, cattle that resembled in size, shape, and color many of the cattle that were found in northern Europe at that time. At what time cattle had been introduced into England or by whom they were brought in is not definitely known. The cattle were said to have taken on flesh readily and would fatten into heavy carcasses although their flesh was coarsely grained and dark in color. Allen2 states, “The cows were described as large milkers, and
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the bullocks as attaining a great weight of carcass and extraordinary production of tallow.” The Early Breeders - As early as 1580 there existed a race of superior short horned cattle on the Yorkshire estates of the earls and dukes of Northcumberland. The coat color of these cattle varied, but among the colors found were light dun, yellow, yellowish red, deep red, red and white patched, white, and roans.
It was not until after 1750 that accurate records of consequence were kept of the cattle of the area or of the breeding practices that were followed. Between 1730 and 1780 many eminent breeders had distinguished themselves in their home localities for cattle of improved type and quality. Among those who might be mentioned are Sharter, Pickering, Stephenson, Wetherell, Maynard, Dobinson, Charge, Wright, Hutchinson, Robson, Snowden, Waistell, Richard, Masterman, and Robertson. These men and others recorded pedigrees in the first volume of the English Herd Book, which was not published until 1822, or after most of them were no longer active breeders. The early breeders of Shorthorn or Teeswater cattle left a heritage with
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
which later breeders could work. The cattle that they developed were usually of considerable size and scale, with wide back and deep, wide forequarters. Their hair and hide were soft and mellow. In addition, they were cattle that had ability at the pail and laid on fat readily under conditions of liberal feeding. It is not to be inferred that these were perfect or ideal cattle as compared to modern standards. They lacked uniformity and symmetry and were often quite prominent at their hooks and shoulder points; other faults, such as narrowness of chest, lack of spring of rib, short rumps, long legs, and unevenness of fleshing, left much to be desired. The ability of these cows to produce a good flow of milk has always been an asset to the breed, and size and scale have never been without merit. Breeders, of course, have striven through the centuries to correct some of the deficiencies that were prevalent in this Tees River stock, and at the same time to retain the most valued characteristics that the breed possessed. Foundation of the Breed The Contribution of Robert Bakewell - Robert Bakewell, who was born in Leicestershire in 1726, was a farmer of means who had a great influence on the Shorthorn breed although he never bred Shorthorn cattle. Prior to the time of Bakewell, farmers practiced the breeding of unrelated animals and prevented the mating of animals that were of close relationship. It remained for this animal breeding enthusiast to demonstrate to the English farmer a revolutionary way to improve livestock. He demonstrated with his Leicester sheep and his long horned cattle that animals of close relationship could be mated, and if rigid culling was practiced, desirable characteristics could thereby be fixed much more rapidly than by mating unrelated animals. Following the development of this breeding system by Bakewell, we find not only Shorthorn breeders but also breeders of many classes of livestock adopting his methods. Today Robert Bakewell is affectionately referred to, as the “Father of Animal Breeding” although in his time he was considered very eccentric and lacking in mental stability. This was a case of a genius in livestock breeding not being
appreciated in his day. The Colling Brothers - The Colling brothers, Charles and Robert, are often referred to as the founders of the Shorthorn breed of cattle. Other men had previously contributed to the native cattle of the area, but it remained for these two enterprising breeders to develop the first systematic breeding program. Charles Colling resided at Ketton, about four miles northeast of Darlington, in the country of Durham. Darlington had obtained considerable publicity as a market place or “fair” for cattle. Robert Colling settled at Barmpton, which was about a mile closer to the town of Darlington. It was on these two farms that the foundation of the breed was largely laid. About 1783 the Collings visited the home of Bakewell and made a study of his breeding methods.
The system of inbreeding followed in the Colling herd is illustrated in the diagrammed pedigree of Comet (155) in the chart on the following page. This bull was calved in 1804 and created quite a sensation when he sold for $5,000 at public auction. The second calf sired by Favourite (252) was steered and became known as the “Durham Ox.” This beast was fitted for public exhibition and it was shown at the reputed weight of 3,400 pounds. In those days the cattle were exhibited but were not shown, as are our cattle at the present time. They were toured over the country in somewhat of a sideshow exhibition. Robert Colling reared a freemartin heifer that became famous by the name “The White Heifer that Traveled.” This nonbreeder was sired by Favourite (252) and attained a live weight of 2,300 pounds. The publicity that was accorded the “Durham Ox” and “The White Heifer that Traveled” did much to advertise the new breed of Shorthorn cattle that was just being formally founded. There is no question but that the herds of the Colling brothers left their mark on the Shorthorn breed because
e Special nearly all Shorthorns in the United States or in Great Britain today trace to their herds in one or more lines. In their herds the bulls Foljambe (263), Favourite (252), and Comet (155) were bred and used, and they also used the great bull Hubback. The Booth Family - The Booth family was the next to add considerable merit to the Shorthorn breed. It is not definitely known when Thomas Booth of Killerby, in Yorkshire, began breeding purebred Shorthorn cattle, but it is known that in about 1790 he purchased what might be considered the foundation of his herd. Mr. Booth operated from the estates of Killerby and Warlaby, which were not far apart and only about 15 miles south of Darlington. Consequently he was near the Colling brothers and drew heavily upon them for foundation bulls. Unlike Mr. Bates, his contemporary as a breeder, Mr. Booth did not go to the Colling herd for females but instead used Colling bred bulls on rather large females that he purchased from other sources. It is said that he used bulls that were somewhat more refined than the cows to which they were bred. Apparently Mr. Booth was the first breeder to place great stress on fleshing qualities, and, in contrast to Mr. Bates, valued beef almost to the exclusion of milk. He developed an aptitude in his cattle to take on flesh, particularly during the dry period. Because of his stress on thickness of flesh and strength of back and loin, the Booth family produced a line of Shorthorns of strictly beef type that had strong constitutions. Mr. Booth seemingly appreciated the Hubback and Favourite breeding more than that of other cattle in the Colling herd, and after securing the type of cattle he wanted, he inbred with much success.
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
In 1814 Richard Booth, Thomas Booth’s son, after studying his father’s method of breeding, began breeding Shorthorns. He leased a farm near Studley and later lived at Warlaby. He is said to have improved upon his father’s cattle, and he particularly improved the cattle in the forequarters of bred for straighter underlines. In 1819, John Booth, the brother of Richard Booth, began breeding cattle at Killerby. After the establishment of the Royal and Yorkshire Shows in 1839, John Booth exhibited at these shows. Bates Shorthorns - Thomas Bates was born in Northcumberland in 1775 and was of a good family. In boyhood he was sent to grammar school, spent some time taking more advanced studies, and later was given professional agricultural training. At 25 years of age he leased the extensive estates of Halton Castle but later lived at Ridley Hall and Kirklevington. He made a thorough study of the Colling herd and the cattle they produced and inspected the herds of many other breeders of the time before he decided to lay the foundation for a Shorthorn herd. In establishing his herd Mr. Bates drew very heavily upon the blood of the Colling herd and purchased his first cattle from them in 1800 at what was then regarded as very high prices. In 1804, he purchased the cow Duchess, by Daisy Bull (186), from Charles Colling at a reported price of $500. At that time she was four years of age and in calf to Favourite (252). Duchess is a direct descendant of both Favourite and Hubback. This breeding was said to have greatly impressed Mr. Bates, as he claimed she was the only living direct descendant of these famous
Section f
bulls. When Charles Colling affected his Ketton dispersion, Mr. Bates was on hand and purchased and granddaughter of his original Duchess cow and named her Duchess 3d. She was sired by the $5,000 but Comet (155), who was in turn sired by Favourite (252), and Favourite was also the sire of the dam of Comet, and of the cow Young Phoenix; Duchess and duchess 3d became the foundation of the very famous Duchess family, which is often thought of as synonymous with Bates breeding. Thomas Bates stressed heavy milking qualities in his cattle, and our present Milking Shorthorns largely stem from his breeding. Thomas Bates might be regarded as the founder of the dual purpose type of Shorthorn. James Fawcett of Scaleby Castle gave the following description of the Duchess as they were found in the herd of Thomas Bates:
breeding, he fed off and slaughtered them. The bulls that descended from them showed no lack of virility, and Bates still contended that the tribe had increased in their fineness of quality, were admirable feeders, and good milkers when breeding.” In 1831, Mr. Bates was searching for some females of Colling breeding and spied the bull Belvedere (1706) looking through a barn door at the farm of a Mr. Stephenson, and purchased the bull for $250. Belvedere was a yellow-roan bull of large scale with heavy shoulders and a mean disposition, but he was a bull of mellow hide. He was used freely on the Duchess females of the Bates herd, and was the sire of Duchess 34th, who was bred back to her sire to produce Duke of Northumberland (1940), the greatest breeding bull but was also shown to the Championship of England.
“The character of the Duchess at this time is that of good and handsome wide spread cows, with broad backs, projecting loins and ribs, short legs and prominent bosoms. The head was generally inclined rather to be short and wide than long and narrow, with clear eyes and muzzle, the ears rather long and hairy, the horns of considerable length and waxy. They were good milkers and had for the most part a robust healthy appearance. The color was mostly uniformly red, with in many of them, a tendency to white about the flank.” There was low fertility among the duchess females, and in 1831 the Duchess family had produced only 32 cows in 22 years. There were 31 of these were recorded in the Herd Book. During this period of time all of the Bates herd bulls with the exception of one had been of Duchess blood. In Speaking of the Duchess Cattle, Allen3 states, “The simple fact was that Duchess cows as a whole, had not been prolific or constant breeders, through abortions and other causes, and whenever they passed a year or two without
References James Sinclair, History of Shorthorn Cattle, Vinton & company, Ltd., London, 1907 2 Lewis F. Allen, Shorthorn Cattle, United Sates Department of Agriculture Report, 1878 3 Lewis F. Allen, Shorthorn Cattle, United States Department of Agriculture Report, 1878
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
e Special
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
Section f
Our Story — Humble Stock Farm By BRUCE & DARLENE HUMBLE Our story started in 1967. A local man down the road from us in Liberty, N.C., had been breeding our dairy cows to a Shorthorn bull, and the match was producing really good calves. My dad began to talk about the breed more and more, which piqued my interest. Unsure where to start, my dad and grandmother went on the search and found a cow/ heifer calf pair about 22 miles away in Thomasville, North Carolina.
In December of 1967, at 11 years old (armed with every dime of money I could save from working in tobacco), Dad took me to Thomasville to pay for our first Shorthorn and my first cow. Early additions to our herd were from David Byrd in Rose Hill, N.C., and Harry McCann in Winchester, Virginia.
After getting two or three days off from high school to go with Dad, we purchased our first herd bull in 1974 from the Polled Congress Sale in Kansas City. In 1985, we improved the quality of our herd with four cows purchased from
150 registered and commercial cows, producing purebred and Angus/Red Angus F1 cattle. Cows are selected based on performance as well as easy keeping with docility and udder quality. Our farm also includes a hog finishing operation and stocker cattle. Going forward, we intend to continue
these good maternal, commercially oriented, mostly red polled Shorthorns as well as the F1 cattle. This year has certainly been a challenge for us all. We continue to feel blessed with our great cattle family and friends. From our shelter in place to yours.
Waukaru Polled Shorthorns in Indiana. As we continued to grow our herd, numerous bulls have been used from Waukaru and other major breeders as well as A.I. breeding to assure that continued quality. A lot has changed in 51 years. In 2006, a large setback occurred when my Dad, Elmer Humble, was killed in a farming accident. It was a great loss after working side by side with him for all of 40 years.
Another major milestone occurred five years ago when at 59, this old bachelor got married. We changed the name of our operation from EA-RABA-H Farm to Humble Stock Farm. Things continue to change and improve. Our cattle now are marketed by private treaty, as well as some through the Southeast Shorthorn Association Blue Ridge Classic Sale with cattle selling as far as Iowa and Illinois. We sell steers privately at preconditioned sales and retained ownership with favorable results. Our present herd has approximately
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e Special
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
Section f
American Shorthorn Association Launches Locally Raised Beef Program In the early days of the global coronavirus pandemic, many Americans faced an unsettling reality: empty grocery store shelves. Dramatic changes set in almost overnight and left families spending all of their time at home, limiting trips to the store, and buying in bulk to prepare for the unknown. While the pandemic sent shockwaves across all levels of the U.S. economy, it also provided the chance to serve consumers in new and creative ways. The American Shorthorn Association (ASA) recently launched an initiative to promote members who are offering beef products directly to consumers. It’s called Shorthorn Beef — Locally Raised. “During the pandemic, some consumers faced food shortages, and this brought to light the importance of having a local source for beef,” says ASA President Nancy Grathwohl-Heter. “A local program is appealing to consumers, because they know where their meat is sourced and how it is raised.” The Shorthorn Beef program is an avenue for connecting the breed’s cattle producers with those interested in buying locally raised beef. The effort includes promotional opportunities through social media, the ASA website, and other media platforms. “It’s really about families supporting families,” says Montie Soules, ASA executive secretary and CEO. “When you purchase Shorthorn beef, you’re supporting a family farm and their livelihood. We hope this program
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continues to open doors between the community and livestock producers.” When buying directly from a local farmer or rancher, Grathwohl-Heter says consumers can purchase a quarter, half, or whole Shorthorn beef and receive great tasting, healthy products at a reasonable price point. She and her family manage DTR Cattle Company near Raymond, Kan., and were early participants in Shorthorn Beef — Locally Raised. “Our family has been raising Shorthorn cattle for four generations, and we strive to produce a tender and delicious product that exceeds consumer expectations,” Grathwohl-Heter says. “We enjoy having a conversation with consumers and sharing our story as a family owned Shorthorn cattle operation.” The gentle, quiet Shorthorn breed — ideal for family focused farms and ranches — has long been known for its superior quality beef, ASA says. The breed also has a unique ability to produce high levels of marbling combined with greater levels of muscling than other breeds. “Shorthorn cattle have always been known for producing tender and highly marbled beef,” Grathwohl-Heter says. “The Shorthorn Beef program highlights the breed’s great end product and helps breeders create more value and demand for Shorthorn genetics.” Participating members will receive marketing support and be featured on the ASA website among the growing directory of Shorthorn breeders with beef to sell. They will also be able to brand their product using the program’s official
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
logo. “Through this new effort, we hope to provide a niche market for fresh, high quality local Shorthorn Beef,” Soules says. “Our more than 6,000 adult and junior members from across the country are committed to raising the best possible Shorthorns and supporting the way of life they enjoy. We want to share that message with consumers.” In addition, Soules sees the effort behind Shorthorn Beef — Locally Raised
as an extension of the breed’s American legacy. The Shorthorn was this country’s first beef breed and traces its U.S. history to the 1780s. Next year, the organization celebrates its 150th anniversary — making ASA the nation’s oldest beef cattle association. Visit www.shorthorn.org/shorthornbeef/ to access the list of Shorthorn Beef participating breeders or contact ASA at 816-599-7777 for more information on how to get involved in the new program.
About the Shorthorn Lassies The National Shorthorn Lassies serves as the women’s auxiliary of the American Shorthorn Association. Officially organized in 1956, Lassies encourage and extend the influence of Shorthorn Breeding, promote the interest of its membership, stimulate greater activity, and cultivate closer relationships. The Lassies also arrange exhibits at national shows, present awards, publicize the breed provide reception committees, and conduct activities that pertain to the National Queen contest and other promotional activities. History The National Shorthorn Lassies, a women’s auxiliary of the American Shorthorn Association, was officially organized in 1956 at the Chicago International Livestock Show in the Harvest Room of the Stock Yards Inn. W. Henry Dilatush of Memphis, Tenn., was the “father” of the Lassie movement. As a member of the ASA Board of Directors, he presented a resolution at the 1955 annual meeting of the ASA recommending the formation of a women’s auxiliary. He suggested the name Shorthorn Lassies. Mr. Dilatush persuaded Mrs. Henry Baum of West Lebanon, Ind., to assume the responsibility of the organization. Dilatush gave the Lassies $100 check to help with establish the organization, and through letters, he persuaded others to give financial help as well. Mrs. Baum then served as the first National Shorthorn Lassie President. The 1956 International marked the original appearance of Lassie Queens at Chicago. Twelve young ladies were present. Ann Bullock of Missouri was the first National Lassie Queen that year. Costume Shorthorn Lassie Queens are repeatedly asked, “Just what is the meaning of what you are wearing?” The answer lies in our breed’s heritage. Since Shorthorn beef cattle originated in the British Isles and many of our valuable beef improvements were made through cattle imported directly from Scotland, the national Scottish costume was selected. It is interesting to note that the Lassie Queen’s tartan is known as the Royal Stuart. The royal tartan, as adopted by the House of Stuart, is the official tartan for Britain’s Royal Family. There are many common misconceptions about the National Scottish dress. One should understand: • The KILT is officially described as a type of short pleated petticoat worn in the Highlands of Scotland. • The TARTAN is the cloth itself. Usually woolen, it is either checkered or cross barred with narrow bands of various colors. It is also worn in the Scottish Highlands. • The PLAID is actually a garment worn like a shawl wrapped around the body and fastened at the left shoulder. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland in place of a cloak.
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Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
Section f
Shorthorn Youth Development Fund The Shorthorn Youth Development Fund was established in 2020 to provide financial support that will sustain and expand excellent programming to develop Shorthorn youth as cattle producers and responsible, productive citizens.
According to a 2015 survey conducted at the Shorthorn Impact Conference, 61 percent of the breeders in attendance were junior members. These active members of the American Shorthorn Association prove how important youth development is and that junior involvement is the pathway to the future success of our breed. One example of excellent programming for junior members is the National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference. Close to 400 young people and their families come together to compete with cattle in the show ring and as individuals and teams in a variety of contests. It’s an action packed week of learning and fun that develops skills, knowledge, and confidence, along with love for the breed and friendships that last a lifetime. The cost to produce this annual event is more than $250,000, mostly raised through sponsorships and donations. The Shorthorn Youth Development Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, a financial resource to directly invest in the future of the breed that is your business, your lifestyle, and your passion. The reason for building this new fundraising platform was to streamline the donation process and make contributing to youth development more accessible for everyone, especially those whose business directly benefits from junior and family customers. You can provide support in several ways: offering a lot in your annual sale and giving 50 or 100 percent of the proceeds; donating a specific dollar amount, and paying it on an annual, quarterly, or monthly basis; or sponsoring
the NJSS with a corporate or family gift. All breeders in the U.S. who host an annual production sale, consignment sale, bull sale, or online sale are being asked to commit to donating the proceeds of either an animal or a genetics lot in their annual sale: • An animal lot (live animal or pregnancy) will be designated as “Lot 50” in your catalog or online sale lotting list, and 50 percent of the proceeds of the sale of that lot will be donated to the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund. • A genetics lot (embryo or semen package) will be designated as “Lot 100” in your catalog or online sale lotting list, and 100 percent of the proceeds of the sale of that lot will be donated to the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund. If you agree to be a part of this program, you will become a member of the new “Shorthorn Royal Society.” Membership levels are based on the actual monetary value of your donation, Diamond: $5,000+, Ruby: $2,500-$4,999, Emerald: $1,000-$2,499, Sapphire: Less than $1,000. You will be recognized in the Shorthorn Country magazine each month, and after your sale, we will include a report about you and your donation. You will also be recognized at junior events, on social media, and the ASA website.
International Livestock Exposition. The Foundation Heifer is Martindell Babe 048, donated by Martindell Farms, LLC. We will continue raising money for the Foundation Heifer. If you donate towards the female, you will become a member of the new “Shorthorn Red, White and Roan Club.” Membership level is based on the actual monetary value of your donation, Red, White, and Roan: $1,000; Red: $500; White: $250; Roan: $100. After this year, we will be asking for annual pledges towards the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund, and if you make a pledge, you will become a member of this club. The fund accepts checks, credit cards, and direct debit from your bank account. No contribution is too small, and every dollar counts! Everyone will be recognized publicly for their participation. By making the commitment
to “pay it forward” through an annual contribution to the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund, today’s breeders accept responsibility of seeing to it that our youth have the development opportunities they need to prepare for their time as the Shorthorn breeders of tomorrow.
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ASA will provide lot art to clearly designate your donation, along with a professionally designed PDF file in various sizes (1 page, ½ page, ⅓ page, ¼ page) that can be dropped into your catalog or posted to your online site to promote your donation to the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund. This year, we will not be hosting the Leading a Legacy sale in Dunlap, Iowa. Instead, we will have a larger fundraiser in Louisville, Ken., at the North American
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The Carolina Cattle Connection
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e Special
Spotlight on
SHORTHORN
Section f
Updates to Growth Trait Predictions 1. A New Definition of Contemporary Groups Based on the Age of the Dam. Regardless of how users designate contemporary groups (CG), all calves born from first calf dams will be placed into a separate CG from calves out of mature cows. Given the vast majority of producers actually manage this age group separately, it is reasonable to define their calves as their own CG. Handling these as separate CG will reduce the environmental noise caused by different management strategies and biological constraints for this age group. 2. Milk Modeling Updates. The magnitude, and even direction, of the
correlation between weaning weight direct and milk has been long debated in scientific circles. In fact, there is a wide range of estimates that exist in the scientific literature. Given that, the science team developed a model that assumes milk and weaning weight direct are independent (i.e., genetic correlation of 0). In addition, with some of the other proposed updates, it was discovered that the evaluation solved more effectively when genomics were removed for Milk EPDs. In light of this discovery, the IGS Milk EPD will not use genomic information for the time being. 3. Different Variances for Different
2020 Spotlight Issues Schedule Most of the breed associations in North and South Carolina have stepped forward and renewed their contracts for Spotlight sections in The Carolina Cattle Connection for 2020. If your breed is not featured as a Spotlight section and you would like to inquire on any open months please feel free to contact me. Below is the tentative schedule for the upcoming year.
2020 Reserved Spotlight Issues
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
CHAROLAIS FORAGES ANGUS PEST MANAGEMENT BRAHMAN HEREFORD GELBVIEH SIMMENTAL SANTA GERTRUDIS BRANGUS SHORTHORN RED ANGUS
Contact The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Phone - 919-552-9111 for the contact person for each Spotlight Issue. PAGE 10
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
Sexes. Males usually have a higher growth potential than females simply due to gender. As a consequence, the variation associated with their weights also tends to be greater. This difference in the amount of variation between the sexes is set to a male scale in the updated growth trait predictions. 4. New DNA Marker Subset. As the number of genotyped animals has increased, so has our ability to estimate marker effects and identify subsets that are more predictive. Relative to growth traits, a new (and larger) subset of markers has been identified to add more accuracy to EPD. 5. Accounting for Different Birth Weight Collection Methods. When we began looking into growth trait data, we discovered that not all birth weights followed expected amounts of variation. Some of the examples of reduced variation included weights rounded to the nearest 5 pounds, reduced variation when hoof tapes were used, and likely fabricated data with little to no variation. Some of these data are useful, but they are clearly on a different scale and need to be treated appropriately. Dr. Bruce Golden developed a way to use machine learning to recognize unique features of each class of birth weight observation and predict how it was obtained. By accounting for the various categories, the genetic evaluation is still able to use submitted records that fall out of biological expectations for most scenarios, while more accurately accounting for different practices of collecting the weights. Results of Updates to Growth Model - With these proposed changes, a considerable amount of work went into testing if the new models improved growth trait predictions. One of the most common procedures for evaluating updates to EPD systems is to exclude a certain portion of the phenotypes available, run the evaluation, and compare the correlation of the EPD from two systems to the
phenotypes that were removed from the evaluation (higher correlation is better). For these updates, this procedure was used where all animals born after 2018 were excluded from the evaluation system, and then comparisons between the current growth trait EPDs and the updated EPDs were made to this phenotypic information. The results for each of the analyses are presented in the table below. The results in the table show the evaluation updates had higher correlations to phenotypes than the previous growth trait models. This equates to more precise EPDs for Birth, Weaning, and Yearling Weight. An additional trait that is evaluated with the growth analysis is the Milk EPD. A Milk EPD represents the genetic difference in calf weaning weight based on the maternal environment provided by the dam. Due to the nature of this trait being the maternal component of weaning weight, a different validation strategy must be used to evaluate the updated predictions. To evaluate the updated milk predictions, an expected weaning weight for the excluded animals was formed using the following equation: Predicted Weaning Weight = Calf WW EBV + Dam’s Milk EBV This predicted weaning weight was then correlated with the excluded weaning weight phenotypes. Again, the updated predictions of Milk had higher correlations compared to the previous Milk EPDs (0.42 vs. 0.39, respectively). These results show that the updated predictions more precisely predict the weaning weight of an animal than the currently published evaluation. Breeders may notice reranking of animals with the release of the growth trait updates. While the change may be unsettling, the end results by every measure have shown an improvement in the precision of the growth trait predictions.
Pearson correlation between parental average EPDs and excluded phenotypes from animals in the IGS genetic evaluation that were born in 2018 or later.
The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERยบ 2020
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nutrition scientists). Over the four days of sessions, the E-Vent had incredible engagement, including over 637 individuals tuned-in – with an average of 408 individuals tuned-in per day and 316 individuals tuned-in per session.
Ashley’s Beef Corner
T
Baby Food and Sustainability By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council These two topics seem miles away from fall calving and beef production, but they are relevant subjects in our goal to educate and inform about the beef industry. In this month’s article, I’m sharing recent happenings and how the Beef Checkoff is proactively working to ensure we continue to have a fall calving season and an enlightened consumer. Eating in the Early Years E-Vent - In September, the Beef Checkoff hosted a four day conference (virtually) for health professionals, which offered continuing education credits. These free educational sessions covered topics such as ideal first foods and how research has shown that beef’s nutrients benefit cognitive and physical development. From September 14-17, the Nutrition Team gathered and engaged top researchers and health professionals to review and discuss the current state of the science surrounding nutrition and feeding recommendations for infants and toddlers from birth to 24 months, to explore what and how we feed infants and toddlers, and to determine ways to inspire behavior change to improve nutrition outcomes in the early years.
You can see more about this groundbreaking E-Vent by visiting the Eating in the Early Years E-Vent landing page on www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner. com. Also, check out the graphic illustrations from all the sessions and search #StrongStartsWithBeef on social media platforms. There are additional resources, including the recorded sessions and CPEUs for RDs and DTRs, educational resources, fact sheets, videos, and more. These conversations are particularly timely because, for the first time, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) will offer authoritative guidance for infants and toddlers from birth to 24 months of age. A growing body of scientific evidence illustrates the beneficial role of beef’s nutrients for physical and cognitive development in the early years. Now is the perfect time to elevate awareness of the science and provide practical recommendations for parents and caregivers to help children grow and meet developmental milestones. There were over 1,275 applicants for the E-Vent (healthcare professionals and Climate Week NYC is an annual event that focuses on a range of topics such as carbon sequestration and climate action. As part of the plan to address Climate Week, the Beef Checkoff Issues Management and Public Relations team placed this article in the Houston Chronicle. Also, a beef sustainability message was placed on a Times Square billboard. 5 Surprising Facts About Beef and Sustainability (BPT) - Beef is a staple in cuisines worldwide, valued for its flavor and nutrition. However, recent conversations about sustainability and the beef industry’s commitment to continued improvement have led to research on
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
the issue — which has only served to demonstrate that the beef industry does, in fact, employ sustainability practices throughout each stage of the production process. Today’s farmers and ranchers supplying beef to the U.S. and around the world have been engaging in more sustainable practices than ever before. Studies conducted in recent years offer a bigger picture of the actual impact of beef production in the U.S. and how it compares to environmental challenges around the world. Here are five surprising facts about beef production in the U.S. you may not know. 1. Far lower greenhouse gas emissions than other sources Greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle only represent two percent of total emissions in the U.S., according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. By contrast, transportation accounts for 29 percent of GHG emissions, and electricity accounts for nearly 28 percent of GHG emissions in the United States. Beef cattle production as a whole, including production of animal feed, is responsible for only 3.7 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Sources: • EPA. 2019. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2017. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. • C. Alan Rotz, S. Asem-Hiablie, S. Place, G. Thoma., 2018. Environmental footprints of beef cattle production in the United States. Agricultural Systems Vol. 169, Feb. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. agsy.2018.11.005. 2. Lower global carbon footprint - The U.S. is a leader in sustainable beef production, with a carbon footprint 1050 times lower than in other regions worldwide, despite being the third largest producer of beef globally. The U.S. produces 18 percent of the world’s beef — with only six percent of the world’s cattle. Sources: • Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. www. fao.org/faostat/en/#home. • Herrero M., et al. Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2013. 110: 20888-20893. 3. Reduced emissions over 30 years - Between 1977 and 2007, the U.S. beef industry has reduced the carbon footprint of beef cattle by more than 16 percent while producing slightly more
beef, thanks to continued improvement in sustainability practices and more effective use of resources. Sources: • USDA-NASS Quick Stats Tools. www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/. • Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. www. fao.org/faostat/en/#home. 4. Increased carbon storage Today, U.S. grasslands percent utilized by the beef industry sequester and store 7.4 Pg carbon — which is the equivalent of taking 5.76 billion cars off the road. By 2050, grasslands are projected to sequester 8.2 Pg carbon, which is equivalent to removing 6.383 billion cars
each year (average car emissions of 4.6 CO2e metric tons per year). Sources: • Using EPA’s GHG Equivalency Calculator and this study for the carbon stocks estimates: Total grassland carbon stocks in the conterminous U.S., estimated to be about 7.4 petagrams of carbon (Pg C) in 2005, are projected to increase to about 8.2 Pg C by 2050. Pendall, E., D. Bachelet, R.T. Conant, B. El Masri, L.B. Flanagan, A.K. Knapp, J. Liu, S. Liu, and S.M. Schaeffer, 2018: Chapter 10: Grasslands. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M.A. Mayes,
Carolina Cooking Beef Stuffing with Apples & Cranberries
R.G. Najjar, S.C. Reed, P. RomeroLankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, D.C., pp. 399-427. • Carbon2018.GlobalChange.gov: https://doi.org/10.7930/SOCCR2.2018. Ch10. 5. Plants converted to protein Cattle not only upcycle, they recycle. Beef cattle generate more protein for the human food supply than would exist without them because their unique digestive system allows them to convert human-inedible plants into high quality protein. In the face of growing global population, animals like beef cattle are needed to help make more protein with less. In addition, approximately 35 percent of the land in the contiguous U.S. is pasture and rangeland that is too rocky, steep, or arid to support cultivated agriculture. Yet, this land supports cattle, sheep, and goats — leading to protein upcycling. Sources: • Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. 1999. Animal Agriculture
and Global Food Supply. Taskforce report N. 135 July 1999, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis. www.agrienvarchive.ca/bioenergy/ download/anag.pdf. • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: Eighth Revised Edition. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/19014. “In the face of a growing global population, we need ruminant animals, like beef cattle, to help make more protein with less, and we’ve proven in the U.S. that beef can be raised sustainably,” said Myriah Johnson, Senior Director of Sustainability Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The U.S. industry leads the world in sustainable beef production while serving as a pillar of rural economies and providing a nutrient rich source of protein for U.S. and worldwide consumers. Learn more about beef and sustainability at w w w. BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com.
Total Cooking Time - 1 hour, 15 minutes 1 pound ground beef (93% or leaner) 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided 2 teaspoons onion powder, divided 2 teaspoons rubbed sage, divided 1½ teaspoons salt, divided ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only 1 bag (12 ounces) unseasoned dried bread cubes 2½ cups reduced sodium beef broth 2 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples 1 cup dried cranberries Combine ground beef, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon rubbed sage, ½ teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add beef mixture; cook 8-10 minutes, breaking into ½ inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove beef mixture from skillet with slotted spoon into large bowl; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. In same skillet, heat butter on medium heat until hot. Add leeks, cook and stir 5 minutes. Add leeks to beef mixture. Stir in bread cubes, broth, apples, cranberries, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon onion powder, remaining 1½ teaspoons rubbed sage, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to beef mixture. Cook’s Tip: You may substitute a fresh baguette, cubed and toasted, for
unseasoned dried bread cubes. Spray 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place beef mixture into prepared dish; cover with aluminum foil. Bake in 350°F oven 30-40 minutes until heated through. Cook’s Tip: For a drier stuffing, bake covered 30-40 minutes, then bake uncovered 10-15 minutes until top of stuffing is crisp. Makes 12 servings.
Beef Stuffing with Apples & Cranberries
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By DR. DEIDRE HARMON N.C. State University
Selection Considerations for Your Next Herd Sire It is amazing how far technology has come in just the last 20 years. I still remember my first keyboarding lesson in grade school, when computers were just starting to make their presence known throughout rural communities. Fast forward to today, where we are now living in a world driven for the most part by big data. Data collection never sleeps and is happening while we watch TV, surf the web, scroll through social media, and make purchases. The ag industry is also no stranger to data collection, and the generated information has helped cattlemen and cattlewomen nationwide become more efficient and produce a higher quality beef product.
In North Carolina, one of the major data driven, beef educational demonstrations has been the N.C. Beef Cattle Improvement Program (N.C. BCIP bull tests). This program is a joint effort among beef producers, N.C. State Extension, N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, and the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and has helped to improve beef cattle throughout the state and in surrounding areas by providing breeders with a sound scientific basis for selecting bulls. The N.C. BCIP bull test measures the genetic performance potential of bulls through a 112 day test in combination with phenotypic and reproductive criteria that also must be met. Although bulls that
are sale eligible have all passed the same rigorous tests, one should not take the “one size fits all” approach when selecting and purchasing a new herd sire. Identifying a bull that will fit your needs and advance your operation is one of the most important decisions many cattlemen will make. Here are a few tips to help make bull selection easier and more effective. Selecting EPDs That Work For You - Expected Progeny Differences (EPD) is a form of genetic tool selection that can be utilized to predict the differences in performance between the offspring of one animal compared to another animal within the same breed. There are breed averages for production, maternal, carcass, and $values available for both parent and non-parent males and females. Given this vast amount of information available, it can be hard figuring out which EPDs are the most important to look at. Before selecting a sire, evaluate where your herd is at and where you would like to see it go to determine which EPDs may be the most meaningful to the success of your operation. For instance, if you retain ownership of your calves, you may want to look at carcass and $value EPDs because you are getting paid for performance and carcass value later in life. If you are in the business of selling bred heifers, maybe the maternal traits are of interest. Lastly, if calves are taken to the sale barn shortly after weaning, production characteristics may be of most importance. Whatever your goals are, make sure you are matching them with EPDs that will help you meet those goals.
Avoid Single Trait Selection Currently, there are 24 different complex or quantitative traits that are measured by the Angus breed. Complex or quantitative traits have varying degrees of genetic control. This means that these traits, such as weaning weight direct (WW), are controlled by many genes and are subject to environmental effects. Most measured complex traits are associated with production or performance. On the other hand, simple traits are completely controlled by genetics. Some of these simple traits include haircut, horned/polled, and genetic abnormalities and include little to no environmental influence. When talking about traits, it is important to mention that not all are equally passed on to the next generation. Some traits, such as birth weight direct (BW), yearling weight (YW), scrotal circumference (SC), docility (DOC), and marbling (MARB), just to name a few, are moderately inheritable traits (heritability at or greater than 0.42). For instance, the portion of the variability in phenotype that is controlled by genetics for birth weight direct (BW) is .46 or 46 percent. This means that 46 percent of what we see in BW is controlled by genetics, while the other 54 percent is controlled by environment. Since many genes control traits of importance, it can be expected that certain traits are correlated with one another. Genetic correlations describe the existing relationship among measured traits in a population and whether that relationship is negative or positive. One of the most common traits used in sire selection in the
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
ALL Regular Copy for the
DECEMBER ISSUE by NOVEMBER 5! ALL Spotlight Material for the
DECEMBER ISSUE By NOVEMBER 1!
Table 1 - Breed percentile charts for top 10% and top 20% rankings for Angus, Simmental, Hereford, and Charolais cattle.
Southeast has been that of birth weight direct (BW). Oftentimes, BW is the sole deciding factor as to whether or not a bull is selected. However, this single trait selection can negatively impact other traits of importance because of the associated relationship with BW. Birth weight direct (BW) is correlated with weaning weight direct (WW). This means that if a small BW was solely used to select a new herd sire, then one could expect WW performance to be negatively impacted. In addition, there is also a correlation between WW and yearling weight (YW). Since these correlations exist, it is challenging to find a bull that ranks high in all three traits. As of Fall 2020, in the entire Angus breed, there are only ten bulls that rank in the top
ten percent of the breed for BW, WW, and YW. Percentile rankings for the top 10-20 percent for Angus, Simmental, Hereford, and Charolais are presented in Table 1. As you look to select your new herd sire, remember that you may be sacrificing a lot of performance by always stacking low BW on top of low BW. Docility is Profitable - Docility is a moderately inheritable trait (0.44) that brings more to the table than just from a practical handling standpoint. Sure, no one likes to move and handle aggressive cattle that can potentially hurt you, your loved ones, or your farmhands, but what if docility can also mean more money in your wallet as well? The good news is that it can, all the way from weaning to the rail.
Research has shown that calves that are more docile have higher weaning weights than those animals that are considered more aggressive. Additionally, when it comes to feedlot performance, docile animals have been shown to have a higher immune function, higher average daily gains, higher quality grades, and favorable palatability attributes. Some reports even suggest that docile cattle return upwards of $62/head more than aggressive cattle in the feedlot period. Thus, the next time you are in the market for a new bull, put docility high on your selection list. Selection of docile cattle is not only important from a safety standpoint but can also be an economic driver as well.
Genetic change is a permanent change that results in long term impacts in beef herds. A sire’s daughters and granddaughters may be used in a herd for many years, and thus, the selection of a new sire is a long term investment and should be done with careful consideration. Sire selection practices and criteria should be matched with production objectives. Avoiding selection practices that focus on single trait selection will lead to fewer surprises in the long run. The 41st Annual Waynesville Bull Sale will take place on December 5, and the 37th Annual Butner Bull Sale will be held on December 18. For more information on this year’s N.C. BCIP Bull Tests, please visit www.go.ncsu.edu/bulltest.
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You Decide! By DR. MIKE WALDEN
Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics N.C. State University You Decide: Recession, Recovery, or Something Else? When I speak to groups – virtually for the last six months – I perceive two concerns. One is fear about the virus, especially how long it will last and whether a vaccine will be effective. The second is confusion about what’s happening with the economy. Is the economy still sliding in a recession, is a recovery underway, or is something else occurring? Since I’m certainly not a scientist who can address questions about the virus, I’ll take a pass on the first concern. Instead, I’ll focus on where we are and where we’re going with the economy six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. To an economist, the definition of a recession is fairly simple. The economy is in a recession when total economic activity is contracting for a significant period of time. While there are numerous measures of “economic activity,” the major one is “gross domestic product” (GDP), which is the total amount of production by all workers and businesses. While GDP is the go-to measure, other important measures – like employment – tend to move with it. The “significant period of time” is usually set at six months (two quarters). Applying this definition shows we’ve been in a recession for the first half of 2020. But it appears the economy has
turned around in recent months. Although we won’t have the third quarter (July, August, September) GDP number until late October, there have been monthly job gains since May. So if we go by the textbook definition of a recession – that a recession only occurs when the economy collectively is retreating – then we’re now out of the recession. Some forecasters think the gain in GDP in the third quarter will be almost as strong as GDP’s drop in the second quarter. Yet try telling this to the restaurant owner facing bankruptcy or the janitor furloughed from a cleaning service. To them, the recession won’t be over until they get their business or job back. So rather than putting the economy into an either/or situation - meaning we’re either in a recession or we’re not – it may be better to describe today’s economy in some other way. One option is to describe how today’s economy is affecting different groups of people. Economists have long used letters of the alphabet to describe the aftermath of an official recession. The most favored of these letters is the “V.” The left side of the V describes the sharp, quick drop of the recession, which is very similar to what the numbers show we’ve had. The right, upward side of the V shows a quick recovery in the economy that lifts
all boats and rapidly restores the jobs and incomes that were lost. However, many economists are using a “K” to describe today’s current conditions. While recognizing an economic recovery is occurring, the two right side prongs of the K indicate the recovery isn’t consistent for everyone. The prong pointing upward symbolizes those people improving during the recovery, while the prong pointing downward represents those still struggling. Looking at the details of North Carolina’s job market suggest the K recovery may be a good description of what’s recently been happening. Overall, by August, North Carolina had regained nearly half of the jobs that were lost between February and April, but the job recovery was almost completely in professional, financial, and government jobs, with jobs in each of these categories no more than three percent under their pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, in August, jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector were still almost 30 percent lower than in February. Also in August, continuing job losses in leisure and hospitality accounted for over 40 percent of all continuing job losses in the state. Compounding this dichotomy, the two groups are very different in earnings. Earnings in the fast recovery sectors of professional, financial, and government jobs are two to three times higher than earnings in leisure and hospitality jobs. The conclusion is we have a strong economic recovery for some and a weak economic recovery for others. Furthermore, those experiencing the strong recovery tend to have higher earnings than those facing a weak recovery.
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
It could be the slow recovering sectors will eventually catch up. However, this may be wishful thinking. We’re already seeing stories of hotels permanently reducing their staff by substituting machine check in and robot cleaners for people performing those tasks, all in the name of minimizing personal contact. Restaurants may go in the same direction, especially if capacity restrictions stay in place. The country has already been facing an issue with widening income inequality between those with more and those with less. It appears the post COVID-19 economy may compound this challenge. The numbers tell us the recession is over, and an economic recovery has begun. But the numbers also tell us the economic recovery is not the same for all businesses and all workers. Does this put us in the situation of neither a recession nor a recovery, but “something else”? You decide. You Decide: How Will the Virus Affect Economic Development? Although COVID-19 is still with us, there’s been a recent shift in the kind of attention given to the virus. For months, the focus has been on coping with the virus, controlling the spread, and deciding how much personal interaction can safely occur. Those concerns are still with us, but with optimism about a vaccine and statements from some medical experts that life should be “back to normal” next summer, I’ve noticed a new kind of attention. There’s now more thought and discussion about how life will be different after the virus is gone. These discussions have been wide ranging, from how people will live and work, how students will be educated, the changes in travel, and the differences in human interactions that will become normal. Regarding the latter, there’s speculation the handshake as a greeting may disappear. A very important aftermath of the virus – especially for North Carolina – will be on economic development. While many metrics show the state’s economy has made impressive gains in recent decades, there are still numerous lingering economic issues. One of the most discussed is the urban-rural divide. Economic growth has been rapid and widespread in metropolitan areas, often centered around higher education, the tech sector, and finance. In contrast, rural areas have struggled with the relative decline in their legacy industries (tobacco, textiles, furniture) as the world has become more globalized, as well as with their lack of high speed internet service so necessary to today’s tech tied workplace. The question is, what will a post-
COVID economy mean for North Carolina; will it be a net plus or a net minus? More specifically, what will it imply for narrowing the urbanrural divide and providing economic opportunities for all residents? Let me start with the state’s performance during the pandemic. Regarding the important measure of COVID deaths per capita, at the end of September, North Carolina ranked 31st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a rate of 33 deaths per 100,000 population. New Jersey had the highest rate (181), and Alaska had the lowest rate (8). North Carolina’s rank was lower than those for any of our neighboring states, as well as for states we often compete with for businesses, like Texas and Ohio. This performance bodes well for North Carolina in going head-to-head with other states for generating economic growth in the future. While we aren’t protected from future pandemics, we can say we survived the COVID-19 pandemic better than most states. This will be particularly important for luring companies and entrepreneurs from high death rate states, such as those in the Northeast. What about economic growth within our state? Will the big metro areas of the Triangle, Triad, and Charlotte still be winners in the post-Covid economy? Or will they suffer because of their higher densities that can provide fertile ground for the spread of future viruses? I think the urban regions of North Carolina will still be economic racehorses in upcoming decades. One reason is that COVID-19 case rates have not been consistently higher in more populated counties. Wake (Raleigh) and Guilford (Greensboro) have been at the lower end of case rates, while Mecklenburg (Charlotte) has been at the higher end. The highest case rates have been in some down east and northeast rural counties with older populations. Still, I think lower density counties, particularly those within easy driving time of big cities, will have a renewed opportunity for economic growth.
Many households will want to protect themselves with more space as they look ahead to possible future viruses. The growth of these more rural regions will be even more enhanced if remote working and remote schooling catch on. Which brings me to the all important topic of high speed internet service. High speed internet (HSI for short) is to rural areas today what the lack of electricity was a century ago. It is their Achilles’ heel. By definition, rural areas have fewer folks per mile, so the costs of laying cable may not be covered by the number of people who connect to the service. In other words, HSI is less profitable – if at all – in rural areas. One option is to make HSI a public utility, meaning the public pays for installing the infrastructure. A study put the price tag at $2 billion for extending HSI to all of North Carolina. Another option is to rely on innovation. The most talked about innovation is LEO (low earth orbiting) satellites 800 miles up, which is 99 percent closer than current satellite provided internet. Several high profile business persons, including Elon Musk (Tesla) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon), could debut LEOs in two to three years. One conclusion is North Carolina’s economic competitiveness will improve. Out-of-state businesses and households looking to move could consider North Carolina a “safe state” based on its low ranking for COVID-19 deaths. Also, the search for safety might lead more people to pick rural North Carolina as home, especially if HSI comes to underserved areas. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, looking back from years ahead, we consider the period immediately after the pandemic a positive turning point for North Carolina’s economy? You decide. About the author. Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.
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! The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture By E.B. HARRIS
Max – The Up and Coming Cow Dog Max is a yearling cow dog. He is not actually a puppy, and he’s not what I call a full grown dog either. He belongs to Shane, Morgan, Gemma, and Wesley. When I go over to their house to check on the cows, he will definitely go to work, and he does a good job. He has a natural instinct. He has a lot of grit to him and goes right in there where the action is and makes them pay attention. One thing about a Catahoula dog, you can’t make him work. He has got to want to work.
144 HEAD
You have to get the things out of him you want out of him. You teach him to stop, get out, get behind, load up, and stay. The rest of working cattle he will do pretty much on his own. If he continues the way I think he will, when he gets to be a twoyear-old, he will be a Catahoula cow dog that’s got it all. The other day I went over there and walked a set of cattle from one pasture to the next. He had worked these cattle before and could hold them up pretty tight
by himself. This was just a small group of cattle – a bull and cows with calves that we are weaning. Max and I got the cattle moved without any trouble. Most of the daylight hours he spends out of his pen, but they put him up at night. He has been known to roam away from home. He still has the puppy stage of chewing things, dragging things around, and getting into mischievous things that young dogs like to do. Sometimes Max, like a lot of good dogs, won’t hear you or mind you when you tell him to do certain things. Shane and Morgan got a hearing aid that he wears around his neck (some people call this a training collar). Recently, Shane and Morgan have been doing some updating to a room at their house. Early one morning after Shane had left for work, the brick mason (a neighbor and fellow cattleman named Oscar “Butch” Davis) came to do the brickwork. Morgan had not heard Butch come in. She heard some scraping and bumping
going on around the house. She thought it was Max tearing up something again. He had previously torn some of the tar paper off before they got it covered. She went to the back door and hollered for Max but did not see him. She went back in the house, and in a few minutes, heard the same scraping and bumping noise again. She went back to the back door again, and this time she had the hearing aid in her hand. She turned it on and flipped the button up just to a buzz. She did not hear anything or see anything, so she went back inside. A few minutes went by, and she heard that scraping and banging again. She was getting a little irritated with Max. The third time she went to the back door and turned the hearing aid up and hollered, “Max!” She did not see anything or hear anything. About five minutes later, she hears the same thing again. She steps back outside of the door and turns the hearing aid all the way up and hollers, “Max!” Butch said when she did this, Max ran circles around him three times and hauled
19th ANNUAL E.B. & SHANE HARRIS INFLUENCE FEMALE & BULL SALE
NOVEMBER 14, 2020 • 10:00 AM • OXFORD, NC All forage based cattle • Fall and winter calving • All cattle EID
This is a sale with a readily available guarantee service year after year. Longest continuing commercial sale in the country and it continues. Buyer has option to sell first-year offspring back to E.B. and Shane with a $50 premium on heifers and a $25 premium on steers. • 22 First Calf Heifers with October Calf at Side - Angus, BWF, Simmental X - all bred to Springfield Angus CE bulls • 57 Fall & Winter Calving Angus Based Bred Heifers - all bred to CE bulls • 42 Head of ‘13 Model Proven Commercial Matrons Coming w/ 6th Calf - consists of Angus, SimAngus, Roan, and Profit or Prestige - the highest percentage body weight weaned for percentage of cow weight that we own - all bred to Leachman bulls • 3 11-Month-Old Commercial Bulls - Purebred Angus, Purebred Hereford • 1 3-Year-Old Jenny • 2 4½-Month-Old Jacks * All mature cows and heifers to start calving the week after the sale *
The sale will be held at the Granville Livestock Arena 4200 Cannady Mill Rd • Oxford, N.C.
All Cattle Sell With a Guarantee the Buyer Will Like!
Directions: From I-85, take Exit 204, go south on Hwy. 96 for 1.1 mile, turn left on Fairport Rd., go 2.4 miles, right on Cannady Mill Rd., sale ¼ mile on left at Granville County Livestock Arena. Also from jct. of Hwy. 96 & 56 at Wilton, take Hwy. 96 north 2 miles, turn right on Cannady Mill Rd., arena approximately 6 miles on right. Watch for cattle auction arrows leading way to sale. For more information, call E.B or Shane 252-257-2140 • 252-430-9595 • 919-497-7990 or visit www.ebharris.com for live online bidding NCAL 1468
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buggie around the house. She got his attention. Later on that day, Morgan found out it was Butch who was making the noise and not Max. She found Max and gave him an apology. Butch said for the rest of the day, he just sat right there and hardly moved a muscle. Morgan said he behaved the rest
of the week like a perfect gentleman – no dragging ropes, running after vehicles that came down the drive, or anything. If you have a cow dog that has a hearing problem, go by your sporting goods store and get one of those hearing aids he can wear around his neck. It will get his attention.
Max the cow dog shows where the action is.
Baxter Black
On the edge of common sense Religious Reflections
I was sittin’ in the back row of a beautiful little church in a mountain town in the Rockies. I was there for the wedding of a daughter of good friends. As the service progressed, my attention was drawn to a banner that hung on the wall. It was handmade, cut from cloth, and intended to be inspiring. It read Mount Up With Winos. Many thoughts went through my mind as I tried to absorb the full meaning of this elaborate banner. I had come to realize over the years that many Protestant churches have become more liberal in their teachings. Acceptance
of alternative lifestyles, less moral browbeating, less blatant emphasis on money, more convenient schedules, and greater tolerance of lesser sins; i.e., fall football, alcohol, sex, and non-Christian religions. And there is something to be said for that religious creed. After all, Jesus himself never discriminated. Bein’ a thinker myself, I began to concoct other potential banner slogans that might be acceptable in this New Age congregation; Ride with the Risque, Sail with Sinners, Lie Down with the Licentious, Commune with the Immoral,
Huddle with the Homeless, Do Lunch with the Offender. The wedding audience was mostly ranch people; men with sunburned faces wearin’ new jeans and uncomfortable in their ties. The women wore their best dresses, and the kids were glad to be anywhere off the ranch. We all squirmed quietly in our pews as the preacher read the vows, told them marriage was forever, and lent dignity and tradition to what we all hoped would be a union made in Heaven. We were happy for the parents and appreciated the page turning in their life. We’d all been there or soon would be. I’d come with my family to pay tribute to the parents...my friends. But I admit my distraction with the banner had consumed a good part of my attention
during the service. I began to think that it was inappropriate. When the soloist rose and sang the final George Strait love song while the bride and groom escaped, she was positioned right below the banner. Poor planning, I thought, or at least in poor taste. As we were filing out, I asked my daughter what she thought of the banner. “Which one?” she asked. “The one right above the singer,” I answered. She studied it and read aloud, “Mount up with Wings. Kinda cool, I guess. Why?” “Oh,” I said, vowing silently to start wearing my glasses more often, “Just curious.”
BE A WINNER!
Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state or regional breed association. The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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CATTLENOMIc$ By BERNT NELSON Clemson University
Back to the Futures, Part I How understanding futures markets can benefit the Carolina cattle producer. Importance of futures markets - Carolina cattle producers have many marketing tools at their disposal. One of those tools, a very important one, is the futures markets. The word “futures” can change the attention of an audience. This one word can change an environment filled with interest to eyes glazed over by a vast range of perceptions surrounding futures markets. Producers may think these markets are something they will not be able to understand or ever use in their operation. However, in most situations, these perceptions couldn’t
be further from the truth. This article will be the first in a series over the next few months dedicated to teaching cattle producers how these markets work, and getting “Back to the Futures” can be a tool for better decision making. The upcoming articles will be dedicated to teaching readers how futures markets work and how they can be used to make better marketing decisions. They will open the mechanics of how these markets work and the story they tell. The goal of this series is to help Carolina cattle producers to make better marketing decisions for their operation. Mechanics of futures markets -
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Futures markets are more than just green and red numbers on a computer screen; they tell a story. They have a history created by large groups of buyers and sellers, making exchanges between one another. These exchanges combine to create that green (prices going up) or red (prices going down) number on the board that is the price of feeder (700-800 lbs) or live (slaughter weight) cattle for a specific point in time. The first step into understanding how these markets can be helpful is understanding what they are and how they work. According to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group), a futures contract is a legally binding agreement to buy or sell a standardized commodity, in this case 50,000 lbs of feeder cattle or 40,000 lbs of live cattle on a specific date or during a specific month. This transaction occurs through a futures exchange. These contracts are products that are made and regulated by exchanges such as CME Group. This place where contracts are traded, the exchange, limits counterparty risk and provides buyers and sellers with the ability to easily and anonymously enter and exit the market resulting in a highly liquid futures market. The price of feeder cattle in the contract is a representation of traders’ opinions about the information they have access to. For example, if an individual were to open the CME group’s website and pull up the March 21 feeder cattle contract, the price for today’s date and time is $135.6 per hundredweight (cwt). This means with all the information the traders have at this moment, the combination of opinions of buyers and sellers says that the price of feeder cattle in March of 2021 should be $135.6 per cwt. The opinions of many — Liquidity and its importance to the market Economic terms used in the marketing world can become daunting. However, there are a few that, when understood, can help cattle producers use these markets to make better decisions. Liquidity, used previously in this article, is an economic term that is often sought after in all types of businesses, including agriculture. Liquidity is the ability of an asset to be quickly turned into cash. The term seems relative, but every market has times of high and low liquidity. The more liquid a market is, the more variable the price. If we take a step away from the fancy term and its definition, liquidity is the collective opinions of buyers and sellers in the market. These opinions are represented in one of two ways in the market, either by futures contracts purchased by traders (open interest) or as buy or sell orders that have been placed but not yet acquired (volume).
For this reason, liquidity is one of the most important characteristics of evaluating opportunities in a market. Liquidity is what makes it possible for buyers and sellers to easily enter and exit futures contracts. When a cattle producer owns contracts in a futures market, liquidity is what makes it possible to sell those contracts with nothing more than a phone call. These terms will be covered in greater detail later in this article series. How futures markets can help Carolina cattle producers - Earlier in the article, the contract standards for feeder cattle and live cattle futures contracts were listed. One feeder cattle contract is 50,000 lbs of 600-800 lbs cattle. One live cattle contract is 40,000 lbs of near slaughter weight cattle, usually near 1,200 pounds. Often one of the reasons cattle producers are not interested in futures is they do not have enough cattle in their operation to fill one of these contracts. Do not count out futures just yet. There are still many reasons getting “Back to The Futures” can be helpful! Futures markets can help decision makers: • Protect the cattle producer if prices go down • Determine good times to buy • Determine good times to sell • Identify market trends • Learn how markets react to current information such as o Imports o Exports o Domestic demand for beef o Foreign Demand for beef o Weather impacts o Market shocks such as the supply problems caused by COVID-19 Summary and wrap up - Buyer’s and seller’s decision making are the reasons futures markets exist. It is the opinions of many individuals willing to buy and sell that creates the ability of a market to operate smoothly. This article has covered the definition and mechanics of futures markets, primarily feeder and live cattle futures markets, and why the opinions of the buyers and sellers are important. The next article in this series, “Back to the Futures Part II,” will dive into the information buyers and sellers use to formulate these opinions and ultimately make decisions to move in and out of market contracts. This will expand on market liquidity and will help to improve the reader’s understanding of market transparency. Additionally, readers will have the opportunity to learn what integrity means to a futures contract, and how he or she can use the information to not only understand why markets move, but how to make better decisions surrounding that movement in the cattle markets.
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The Importance of Whole Cottonseed By ELIZABETH MULLINS, DR. MATT POORE, & DR. DEIDRE HARMON, N.C. State University In the American Southeast and Southwest regions, cotton byproducts are readily available and often underutilized. In 2018, North Carolina alone harvested 415,000 acres of cotton with an average yield of 812 pounds per acre. There are 17 states that produce cotton in the United States. Production information for four of these states can be found in Table 1. Approximately 675 pounds of cottonseed are produced for each 480 pound bale of fiber.
Nutrient Composition - Whole cottonseed is an excellent source of protein, fiber, energy, fat, and phosphorus. The high energy value, or TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients), of whole cottonseed is due to the high oil content of the seed. It is important to note that the values found in Table 2 are known values or typical averages. Nutrient content of cottonseed may vary depending on cotton variety, storage, and handling. To accurately determine the nutritive value
Table 1 - Production Overview of Four Cotton Producing Statesa
After cotton is harvested, it is ginned. This process separates the lint, or cotton fiber, from debris and cottonseed. This whole cottonseed can be directly used as a feed supplement or can be further processed. For most cattle enterprises, the largest expense is feed. Byproduct feeds can play an important role in creating a cost effective feed ration. Whole cottonseed can serve as an economical source of protein, fat, and fiber compared to traditional feeds in beef cattle diets.
of the available source of cottonseed, a feed analysis should be conducted. Feeding Guidelines - Whole cottonseed is unique because it supplies high levels of energy, protein, and fiber to the diet. This makes it an exceptional supplement to both poor quality hay and stockpiled pastures. The high fat value of whole cottonseed has also been shown to improve reproductive efficiency in cows. However, this high fat content is also the limiting factor in adding it to beef cattle
Table 2 - Nutrient Composition of Whole Cottonseed, Corn Gluten Pellet, and Soybean Hulls on a Dry Matter Basis.a
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diets. To allow the rumen to function properly and avoid scouring, “added fat” in the diet should not exceed four percent. Because of this, it is recommended that the maximum amount fed should not exceed 0.33 percent of body weight for weaned calves and 0.5 percent of body weight for mature cows. Whole cottonseed should not be fed to young, nursing calves. When feeding cow/ calf pairs, calves may eat some whole cottonseed, but consumption rates will be low and not of concern. When used in a mixed ration for growing cattle, whole cottonseed should not exceed 15 percent of the total ration dry matter. This includes dry matter from hay and pasture. Because whole cottonseed is high in phosphorus but low in calcium, cattle should also have access to a high calcium mineral supplement.
Whole cottonseed presents a unique handling and storage challenge as the seeds do not flow well through grain bins and augers. Cottonseed handles best with a front end loader, silage fork, buckets, or bags. Whole cottonseed can be fed from a feed wagon or by hand, with the seed placed in a trough or on clean sod under a temporary electric fence. Some producers who choose to unroll their hay may find that placing piles of whole cottonseed on the hay works well. Whole cottonseed is less palatable than many other feeds. Cattle unfamiliar with it may need to be trained to eat whole cottonseed by top dressing it with a
more palatable feed. Cows supplemented with whole cottonseed during the winter will likely stop eating the cottonseed once spring grass begins to grow. A Word About Gossypol - Gossypol is a natural toxin found in the cotton plant. This toxin helps to protect the plant from insects. The gossypol toxin is most concentrated in the seed. Gossypol negatively affects non-ruminant animals like pigs and poultry who cannot tolerate the toxin. Ruminants, like cattle, are not as severely affected by gossypol when cottonseed is fed at moderate levels after they have developed a rumen. Small calves typically do not eat much cottonseed when it is being fed to their mothers; however, cottonseed should not be fed to young calves as part of a concentrate or total mixed ration. It is known that gossypol, at a high level, can cause a temporary reduction in fertility of bulls; for this reason, we recommend feeding a maximum of 0.33 percent of body weight for growing bulls and 0.5 percent of body weight for mature bulls. As a precaution, bulls should not be fed whole cottonseed 60-90 days before the start of the breeding season. As long as feeding guidelines are followed, gossypol toxicity should not cause problems after bulls are with cows being supplemented with cottonseed. Don’t feed more than the recommendation, even if whole cottonseed is very inexpensive. In general, if you follow feeding guidelines, there should be no problems with gossypol when feeding whole cottonseed to cattle. Purchasing and Storage Considerations - Whole cottonseed can be purchased directly from cotton gins during the ginning season as it leaves the gin. This is often at a lower price than buying the cottonseed later from storage. Whole cottonseed can also be purchased from a commodity broker in
Table 3 - Utilizing Production Phase and Bodyweight to Calculate Amount of Whole Cottonseed Per Head Per Day
tractor trailer loads. Many dairy farms rely on whole cottonseed as a portion of their total mixed ration. Small farms that are in close proximity to a dairy may be able to take advantage of this by purchasing a smaller quantity of whole cottonseed directly from the dairy. Also, for producers needing a smaller quantity, it may be useful for several producers to go in together and purchase a truckload to be split amongst them. It is important that whole cottonseed be stored in a manner that will keep it dry. Excess moisture not only poses a safety risk but also diminishes the nutritive value of the feed. If cottonseed is stored too wet or stacked too high, it could generate heat and possibly even spontaneously combust. For this reason, it is recommended that wet cottonseed should not be placed in storage, and it should be kept dry while in storage. In addition to heat damaging the seed, excess heat and moisture will cause a mold issue. Mold mycotoxins like aflatoxins could pose an issue for animal health. Sometimes heat damaged whole cottonseed is available at a low price, but producers should sample and test the seed
to determine its potential feeding value. It is not recommended to store whole cottonseed in grain bins since it does not flow well through an auger system. Whole cottonseed should be stored under a shelter that has good ventilation and protects it from rain. Storing whole cottonseed on a dirt floor or onto a layer of plastic could cause the whole cottonseed to sweat and accumulate moisture. When storing in an open dirt floored shed, use a layer of straw or hay before piling the cottonseed. When using a small quantity of whole cottonseed, it can be stored in a gravity fed wagon or bags. For large producers, a commodity shed with a concrete floor is the ideal storage area. Whole cottonseed is easiest handled by hand with a silage fork or mechanically with a front end loader. Summary - Whole cottonseed can be a useful energy, protein, and fat supplement to cattle at various stages in the production cycle. Feeding cottonseed can require increased management as special considerations must be made for storage and handling. When recommended guidelines are followed, no adverse effects are noted.
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Meet Bob Schaffer, AHA Board of Directors Candidate, Southeast Region. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Maryland, Bob Schaffer owns Deer Track Farm in Spotsylvania, Virginia. The farm produces high quality female seedstock and performance tested bulls.
After high school, Bob served in the Navy from 1968-72. Leveraging the skills he learned from his naval training, Bob spent 38 years in the computer services industry, retiring in 2012 as a director for corporate program management. Although he had little exposure to agriculture growing up, Bob learned
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about his family’s agricultural roots from his grandfather, who had moved to Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression. Inspired by his grandfather’s stories, Bob established Deer Track Farm in 1979 with his wife Shirley and their children. From the word go, the farm has incorporated leading industry tools and technology to assure superior standards. Registered Herefords were introduced in 1996, and to grow the herd, Bob flushed high end cows and transferred the embryos into his commercial cow herd. Five Deer Track Farm bulls have been accepted into the AHA’s National Reference Sire Program. Bob is one of the original 40 Gold Whole Herd Total Performance Record (TPRTM) breeders and has been recognized as a Gold TPR breeder every year since the program’s inception. Naturally, he achieved Platinum TPR breeder status in the fall of 2020. Bob joined the Virginia Hereford Association (VHA) in 1997 and served on the board for 18 years, seven of which he held the role of president or vice president. He spearheaded and managed the VHA’s Bull Development Program,
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which has tested over 800 bulls since 2001 and has increased the marketability of Hereford bulls in Virginia. He also produced a historical video featuring original charter members of the 1968 Virginia Polled Hereford Association. In 2017 Deer Track Farm hosted both a VHA Field Day and a Certified Hereford Beef® Field Day, where the Sysco® sales team learned about beef production firsthand. With conservation a priority, the farm is part of the United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Easement Program to ensure land will not be subdivided and developed. Deer Track Farm was recognized with the Clean Water Farm Award in both 1994 and 2013 by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation and was honored as the 1994 Conservation Farmer of the Year for Spotsylvania County. Cattlemen’s Congress recently voted as a National Hereford Show. Due to the recent cancellation of the 2021 National Western Stock Show, the American Hereford Association (AHA) board of directors recently voted to recognize the 2021 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla., to be held January 4-17, 2021, as a National Hereford Show. This is the tentative schedule for the show and sale: • January 7 - Junior Heifer Show • January 8 - National Bull Show
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• January 9 - Pen Show • January 9 - National Sale • January 10 - National Heifer Show The AHA will release additional information concerning entry deadlines, arrival, hotel accommodations, show, and sale information as it becomes available. This information will be available on the AHA social media outlets and www. hereford.org. The AHA looks forward to seeing our Hereford family and friends in Oklahoma City in January. 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 more information about the Association, visit www.Hereford.org.
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
Any news from your county? Be sure to share your meetings, sales, field days, etc., with your fellow cattlemen through the Connection!
Yon Burgess B539
FPH Ms Bennett M236 X90
Full sister to the ABS sire Yon Future Force Z77 Calves by Growth Fund & SydGen Enhance
Calves by NJW Historic 81E
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Bred to SydGen Enhance
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Sire - MGR Treasure • Dam - Yon Burgess B539
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Sire - KCF Bennett Homeland C34 • MGS - MSU Revolution 4R
Bred to NJW Historic 81E
The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
PAGE 25
A powerhouse Tahoe son with tremendous phenotype, growth, and maternal strength in a moderate frame.
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The Carolina Cattle Connection
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
ANGUS NEWS American Angus Association Announces the Ten North Carolina and South Carolina Breeders Who Registered the Most Angus. The ten producers who registered the most Angus beef cattle in North Carolina recorded a total of 894 and in South Carolina recorded a total of 2,301 Angus with the American Angus Association during fiscal year 2020, which ended September 30, according to Mark McCully, Association chief executive officer. Angus breeders across the nation in 2020 registered 305,531 head of Angus cattle. “Despite a challenging year, our Angus breeders continue to see strong demand for Angus genetics,” McCully said. “Our members are committed to providing genetic solutions to the beef cattle industry that maintain our long held position as an industry leader.” The ten top recorders in North Carolina and South Carolina are: North Carolina • Springfield Angus Farm - Louisburg • Upper Piedmont Research Station Reidsville • J. Roger Lane - Gates • The Biltmore Company - Asheville • E. Bruce Shankle II - Polkton • Smith Creek Angus Farm - Norlina • Panther Creek Farms - Pink Hill • Fulcher Farms - Godwin • Windy Hill Farms LLC - Ramseur • Broadway Cattle Farm - Monroe South Carolina • Yon Family Farms - Ridge Spring • Edisto Pines Farm LLC - Leesville • Madeline Milford - Abbeville • Walter Shealy III - Newberry • Black Crest Farms - Sumter • Marvin D. Cooper - Bennettsville • Tokeena Angus Farms - Seneca • Paul Boyd Angus Farm - Clover • Calhoun Creek Cattle Company Abbeville • Kenneth Currie - Bishopville • Saluda Ridge Farms - Johnston The 137th Angus Annual Meeting Keynote Speakers Announced. Join the Business Breed in Kansas City on November 8-9 for the modified event. The American Angus Association made the difficult decision to modify the traditional Angus Convention to a simplified 137th Angus Annual Meeting. The event is slated for November 8-9 at the Kansas City Convention Center
and will be broadcast live online for virtual registrants. While this year’s event will look different in landscape, the high quality educational component will remain the same. The Association is excited to welcome Super Bowl Champion and Angus cattlemen Jordy Nelson and legendary agricultural consultant and television host Kevin Ochsner to the main stage for inspiring and thought provoking presentations. “We are so looking forward to welcoming our members, delegates, and alternates to Kansas City in a few weeks,” Mark McCully, Association CEO, said. “We are also preparing and are excited for our first ever virtual option as well. New this year, our members can participate in the educational sessions and voting process from home.” Sponsored by NEOGEN, Jordy Nelson is a Super Bowl champion, former Green Bay Packer, Angus cattleman, Kansas State University alumni, and Kansas rancher. He’ll bring his unique perspective on taking success to the next level when he addresses attendees on November 8. Sponsored by Zoetis, Kevin Ochsner has nearly three decades of experience providing keynote speaking, strategic consulting, and custom training services to many of the world’s leading agribusiness companies and industry associations. Prior to founding Agcellerate, LLC, in 2014, he spent 22 years with Indianapolis based consulting companies Adayana and Agri Business Group. Oschner has developed a broad knowledge and deep understanding of the issues and trends impacting global agriculture. Ochsner will address attendees on November 9. Both sessions will be streamed virtually for online registrants. The education only just begins with the keynote speakers. A panel of industry thought leaders will present their research and findings on fertility and longevity within the Angus breed on November 8. Improving reproductive function is an important step for both the Angus breed and the cattle industry as a whole. As the industry grows knowledge of the bovine genome through genomic technology, haplotypes can be identified that affect many traits. Haplotypes that affect fertility have been identified in dairy breeds since 2011. The strategy shows great promise, and as a result,
the Association and AGI have been researching haplotypes that can affect the fertility in Angus cattle. The “Focus on Fertility” panel will include Kent Weigel, professor and chair of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison; Tom Lawlor, executive director of research and development at the Holstein Association, USA; and Kelli Retallick, director of genetic and genomic programs for Angus Genetics Inc. The second panel discussion will be centered around the Angus cow and longevity initiatives. In an effort to establish a longevity EPD, a fully optional, easier to use, inventory based AHIR program is being introduced to collect necessary data. Participants can learn how you can use this whole herd reporting option to complement the MaternalPlus program in the “Focus on Longevity” discussion presented by Jerry Cassady, director of member services, and Chris Stallo, chief operating officer for the Association. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been our goal to provide
the same outstanding customer service and educational resources our members have come to expect from the Business Breed,” McCully said. “The renewed 137 th Annual Meeting will build on those principles. We’re providing an outstanding lineup of speakers aimed at educating and uplifting our membership and online registrants.” Registration for both in person and virtual attendees is open online at www.AngusConvention.com through November 5. The American Angus Association is available to answer any questions surrounding the modified event at 816-383-5100 or events@angus.org. Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. The Association 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 Association, visit www.ANGUS.org.
McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale November 14, 2020 • 12:00 noon at the farm in Mocksville, N.C.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Sons from these A.I. sires:
Power Tool, Traction, W2 Up, Deer Valley All In, Acclaim, Citadel, Niagara, Front & Center, Tahoe, Boomer *All bulls will have passed a BSE exam before the sale* * Bulls are forage fed with little supplement*
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
McMahan Farm
Steven • Becky • Cassidy • Taylor • Blake 299 Applewood Road • Mocksville, NC 27028 336-998-2695 (home) • 336-909-1494 (cell)
Hancock Angus
Mark Hancock • 336-909-1082 (cell) The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
PAGE 29
N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame Inductees — Ray and Suzanne Brewer “Ray and Suzanne love the N.C. Angus Association and always have the association’s best interest at heart.” These words from NCAA Past President Roy Swisher epitomizes the reasons the Brewers were selected as the 2020 inductees into the N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame. Over the years, you could find them working hard at meetings, field days, tours, and sales, making sure the event was successful. Their involvement and support continue to this day. Ray and Suzanne grew up in farming families; Ray on a tobacco farm and Suzanne on a dairy farm. They raised flue cured tobacco, small grains, soybeans, hay, and hogs in the early years. In the late ‘80s, they purchased their first cattle, commercial females. Suzanne said, “My Dad always said to keep a good bull. So we started with a registered Angus bull.” As new cattlemen, they did not have an understanding of EPDs, which led to calving difficulties in their herd during the early years, but they soon took advantage of knowledgeable Angus breeders in North Carolina to help them learn. They were referred to Phil Goodson of Springfield Angus for help, and in December 1994,
they went to their first registered Angus cattle sale and purchased a new bull. By this time, they were well versed in understanding EPDs, and the new bull put them on the right path to success.
Ray and Suzanne receiving their Hall of Fame plaque at the 2020 NCAA Annual Meeting.
Over the years, Ray found a passion for understanding EPDs and pedigrees and could talk “numbers” all day long! To further improve their herd, Suzanne attended A.I. school and became responsible for artificial breeding. As we all know, farming has its challenges, and the drought of 2002 left their farm with no hay, no grass in the pastures, and no water in the streams. This event caused them to market their commercial herd and concentrated all their efforts on the registered Angus.
Smith Creek Angus Farm On-Farm Bull Sale THE PARTNERS SALE has been cancelled, but you don’t have to miss out on the same great genetics!
Saturday • December 5, 2020 • 11:00 a.m. at the farm in Norlina, NC
How did their involvement with the N.C. Angus Association begin? In 1995 they attended their first NCAA Spring Tour and were excited about the wonderful, helpful people they met. Suzanne says one of the best aspects of the NCAA are the great people involved and the wonderful friends they made over the years. From 1995 to 2014, they did not miss an NCAA Spring Tour. They served as tour hosts in 1997 and 2004. After retiring from raising tobacco in 1999, they began to focus more of their efforts into building their Angus herd and participating in NCAA events such as the annual meeting, field days, tours, and sales. In 2007, Suzanne was selected to be the NCAA Executive Secretary, and she served from 2007–2014. She was a tremendous asset to the NCAA, always willing to help its members. Ray was always in the background helping to make sure Suzanne had what she needed. They were a dynamic duo who served the NCAA very faithfully. Ray especially enjoyed supporting the N.C. Junior Angus members at shows and events, volunteering to grill burgers, and always being willing to pay top dollar for a cake or pie in one of their auctions. Suzanne says, “Ray bought almost as many desserts as Marcus Harward and Bruce Shankle.” Ray and Suzanne are quick to acknowledge their daughters in the success of the farm as well. They are forever grateful to “the girls,” Robin, Wendy, Jessica, and Alicia, for all the help they’ve been on the farm since 1976. “Few boys in the community could work or play any harder than our girls,” says Suzanne. For example, each girl had a tobacco patch the year before their sixteenth birthday. The money they earned from their tobacco could be used to buy their first car, so they always
6 Two-Year-Old Bulls • 18 Yearling Bulls FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
MARTY ROOKER
SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM 703 Rooker Dairy Road • Norlina, NC 27563
252-257-2078 • 252-213-1553 (cell) PAGE 30
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
The Brewer Family in 2004.
worked to make the crop a success. Opportunities like this gave them a very good work ethic. Their daughter Robin stated, “They made us who we are, what we stand for, what we believe in, and taught us that family is the core of all things.” Today, there are even more young people being positively influenced by Ray and Suzanne, including their three grandsons: Zach, Matthew, and Mark, and granddaughter Bekah. After the loss of their daughter Jessica to cancer in 2013, Suzanne decided it was time to retire as Executive Secretary of the NCAA so that she could return to helping Ray farm. She continues to be active as the NCAA History committee chairman, along with working at the Davidson County Fair each year and with Davidson ALS. She clerks many cattle sales with her team of “girls,” as she calls them.
Ray and Suzanne always enjoy a cattle sale.
In March of 2019, Ray and Suzanne officially retired from farming. It was a truly difficult decision for a couple who dedicated so much of their life and love to agriculture, but the time was right. The Brewer’s want to say thank you to everyone for the nomination, and it is truly an honor to be inducted into the N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame. Thank you, Ray and Suzanne, for your countless hours in support of the NCAA.
NEWS
Keep Implant Application Clean to Help Maximize Your Performance. A few simple steps ensure sanitary conditions to help avoid costly problems. Implants help steers and heifers finish stronger, but if your application technique is flawed and doesn’t use proven sanitation procedures, the whole program will fail to accomplish your goals. Make sure your implant administration process follows the practices below, or you might risk losing approximately $100 per head*,1 for every incorrectly administered implant. No. 1: Clean and disinfect the needle - “One of the most important things that we can do is sanitize the needle before the next animal is implanted to reduce implant abscesses,” said Todd Koontz, senior marketing manager, Zoetis. As you set up your implanting station, make sure you have a tray filled with disinfectant and a sponge. Koontz emphasized that it is crucial that the implanting needle be cleaned on that sponge between every implant or misdelivery, also known as “skips.” He also recommended a video that demonstrates sanitation and administration techniques and how to set up an effective cleaning station for implanting found at www.zoetisus.com/ products/beef/synovex/resources.aspx. Use chlorhexidine disinfectant: Never iodine or alcohol - A chlorhexidine disinfecting solution should be used for scrubbing dirty or wet ears before implanting. The solution should be mixed fresh daily and also used for cleaning implanting tools, such as needles and brushes. Never use the solution more than 12 hours after mixing it. And never use iodine or alcohol, Koontz said. The disinfectant to use is called chlorhexidine. It is readily available, inexpensive, and has been used successfully for decades as long as it’s properly and freshly prepared, Koontz said. With the proper solution and constant attention given to cleaning the implanting needle, the next priority is committing to simple ear cleaning techniques on each individual animal being implanted. Always clean dirty or wet ears “We don’t want to implant directly into a dirty or wet ear without cleaning it first,” Koontz said. “We’re trying to minimize the chances of developing an abscess from contamination on the surface of the ear being carried with the needle. However,
if you have a clean and dry ear, you can implant without having to clean it.” To clean the ear, use a brush and the chlorhexidine cleaning solution contained in a small bowl or pan to scrub the ear clean before implanting, and remember: If you’re cleaning a lot of ears while implanting, keep the brush clean and covered by the chlorhexidine solution while not in use and refresh the solution often throughout the process, too. Lastly, be sure to follow guidelines for implant placement in the middle third of the ear along the valley, Koontz said. You’ll experience easier implanting if you make sure you can control the applicator comfortably. Keep hands clean and implants clean and dry - Wearing gloves is simple and an easy way to ensure you can keep your hands clean during processing. Just be sure to wear latex or nitrile gloves, never cotton or leather, as they get contaminated easily and are not cleanable. You can use water or the chlorhexidine solution to clean your gloved hands. Finally, remember to always keep implant cartridges in their packaging or a clean, dry container to protect them from moisture and contamination. More tips from Zoetis about implanting techniques and applicators, along with available implants, can be found at www.NoStressSynovex.com. References * Based on an average daily gain loss of 0.45 pound across a 200 day period. Equation: 0.45 lb. x 200 days = 90 lb. additional live weight. Average live cattle price of $128/cwt; 90 lb. x $1.28 = $115.20/head loss on improper implants. 1 Data on file, Study Report No. GASD 16-20.00, Zoetis Inc. About Zoetis. Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests, and precision livestock farming. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers, and people who raise and care for farm andcompanion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2019, the company generated annual revenue of $6.3 billion with approximately 10,600 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisus.com.
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. Contact one of these N.C. Angus breeders today for your next genetic selection: 4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 info@tarheelangus.com
LANE ANGUS Roger & Bundy Lane Gates 252-357-1279 ritalane@embarqmail.com
455 GORE FAMILY ANGUS Mark & Lori Gore Tabor City 702-401-8005 455goreangus@gmail.com www.455farms.com
PANTHER CREEK FARMS John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 JohnSmith3982@embarqmail.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 BRIDGES BEEF CATTLE Eddie, Cindy, John, & Crystal Bridges Shelby 704-692-2978 bridgesbeefcattle@gmail.com BRITT FAMILY FARMS James Britt Calypso 919-738-6331 jrb4070@hotmail.com C-CROSS CATTLE COMPANY Duane Strider Asheboro 336-964-6277 ccrosscattle@yahoo.com www.ccrosscattle.com 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 H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 jennham@bellsouth.net 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
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 UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-953-0521 uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.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 336-549-0070 michaelmoss@rtmc.net WINSLOW GENETICS Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 winslowgen@gmail.com WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com
Sharon Rogers
N.C. Angus Association Executive Secretary
336-583-9630 Email: ncaa.sec@gmail.com Website: www.ncangus.org
KNOLL CREST FARM The Bennett Family Red House,VA 434-376-3567 knollcrest@knollcrestfarm.com www.knollcrestfarm.com
The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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Uneven Agricultural Productivity Growth Raises Concerns in a Time of Pandemics The 2020 Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report) — “Productivity in a Time of Pandemics” — released by the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences raises concerns about the resilience of our agricultural systems in the face of pandemic scale outbreaks that afflict people, crops, and livestock. New data from the USDA Economic Research Service presented in the report indicate that globally, Total Factor Productivity, or TFP, is increasing by an average annual rate of 1.63 percent, unchanged from 2019. This is below the target of 1.73 percent required to double agricultural output through productivity growth from 2010 to 2050, as set by the report’s Global Agricultural Productivity Index (GAP Index). TFP growth varies widely across the world, leaving some countries more vulnerable to pandemic scale outbreaks than others. In high income countries, TFP is increasing at 1.19 percent annually. The traditional productivity powerhouses in North America and
Europe have distinct advantages in times of pandemics. Advanced seed technologies, veterinary services, and animal care, and accurate agronomic and market data make it easier for producers to adapt in a time of crisis. Access to affordable insurance and financing, as well as safety net programs, enable producers to absorb the worst financial impacts of a pandemic scale crisis. High income countries have infrastructures for detection, management, and eradication of pests and disease outbreaks in people, crops, and livestock. Agricultural extension networks and robust research systems develop preventative tools and practices to keep pandemics at bay. In upper middle income countries, TFP is growing at an average annual rate of 2.37 percent, driven largely by China and Brazil. In Brazil, precision agriculture, advanced seed technologies, and improved livestock management systems have driven substantial TFP growth in feed grains and livestock production. The Chinese government has
SAVE THE DATE! BLACK CREST ANGUS FARM
prioritized the consolidation of agricultural land, creating opportunities for greater efficiency, especially in the wheat growing regions. Mechanization services and fertilizer use efficiency have also improved, generating productivity gains. The TFP data do not yet reflect the impact of the African Swine Fever outbreak that has killed 40 percent of China’s swine population, but it will likely be significant. Lower middle income countries are also experiencing TFP growth above the global average at 2.19 percent, led by India, which has invested heavily in agricultural research and higher education. The presence of advanced technologies
N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of SEPTEMBER 2020 Cattle Receipts: 18,054
Selling top pedigree and performance tested registered Angus Bulls, registered Cow/Calf Pairs, Bred Cows, and Open Heifers
For more information, call us or visit our website at www.blackcrestfarm.com. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook.
Black Crest Angus Farm
1320 Old Manning Rd. • Sumter, SC 29150 Email us at williammcleod@ftc-i.net W.R. “Billy” McLeod, Owner • 803-491-6798 Jon Ripstein, Cattle Manager • 803-983-1202
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
•
Previous Month: 17,100
Feeder supply - 35% steers • 42% heifers • 23% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES
Avg. Wt. Price Cows - % Lean Breaker 1,434 $61.42 Boner 1,178 $60.39 Lean 1,039 $53.06
Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2
1,627
$88.95
FEEDER CLASSES
23rd Annual Production Sale
February 13, 2021 • 12:00 noon • Sumter, SC
and agricultural research systems in middle income countries supports resilience in the face of pandemics. Nevertheless, there are significant vulnerabilities, for example, underdeveloped or inefficient infrastructures for detection, management, and eradication of pests and disease outbreaks. TFP growth in low income countries has dropped from 1.0 percent in 2019 to just 0.58 percent in 2020. Underfunded agricultural research and extension programs in low income countries leave producers highly vulnerable to disease and pest outbreaks. Fall armyworm, for example, destroys 18 million tons of maize annually in Africa alone. COVID-19 impacts on TFP growth are uncertain, nevertheless, there are
FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $139.73 $591.06 450-500 477 $137.46 $655.68 500-550 522 $132.63 $692.33 550-600 573 $131.17 $751.60 600-650 623 $127.79 $796.13 650-700 673 $124.46 $837.62
FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 422 $140.33 $592.19 450-500 472 $130.83 $617.52 500-550 522 $125.69 $656.10 550-600 571 $120.78 $689.65 600-650 622 $111.75 $695.09 650-700 674 $107.57 $725.02
FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 424 $127.48 $540.52 450-500 472 $125.30 $591.42 500-550 522 $119.62 $624.42 550-600 571 $117.31 $669.84 600-650 621 $112.17 $696.58 650-700 664 $110.00 $730.40
Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156
areas of concern. Travel restrictions and health anxieties have reduced the amount of agricultural labor available. As a result, fields have gone unplanted and unharvested. Disruptions to global and local supply chains are limiting access to essential inputs, such as fertilizer, especially for smallholder farmers. The theme of the 2020 GAP Report was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Ann Steensland, who leads the Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative and is the author of the annual report. “Agricultural producers grapple with disease and pest outbreaks with alarming frequency,” Steensland said. “While most of our current attention is on COVID-19, in East Africa, swarms of desert locust are decimating crops, wiping out a source of
food and income for millions of people.” The GAP Report is launched every October as part of the Borlaug Dialogue and World Food Prize events in Des Moines, Iowa, but this year it is a virtual event. The report’s findings are presented as part of a film, “Agricultural Productivity in a Time of Pandemics: Stories from the Front Lines,” featuring agricultural producers and experts from the U.S., Peru, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and India. “We are disappointed to not be in Des Moines again this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tom Thompson, associate dean and director of global programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and executive editor of the GAP Report. “However, we’re excited about how this new GAP Report launch format
S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of SEPTEMBER 2020 Cattle Receipts: 12,473
•
Previous Month: 12,193
Feeder supply - 38% steers • 38% heifers • 24% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES
will help us reach more people with our message about agricultural productivity and resilience,” Thompson said. “For example, this year the launch event will be available not only in English, but also in French, Hindi, Kiswahili, and Spanish.” The 2020 GAP Report and film are available on the website at www. globalagriculturalproductivity.org. Alan Grant, dean of the College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences, said, “The GAP Report not only provides thought leadership about agricultural productivity, resilience, and food security, it is also key to CALS’ determination to be a leading global College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.” Virginia Tech’s partner in Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia State University, is also featured in the 2020 GAP Report.
Regular copy deadline is NOVEMBER 5 for the DECEMBER issue Spotlight material
is due NOVEMBER 1 for the DECEMBER issue
Avg. Wt. Price Cows - % Lean Breaker 1,497 $58.98 Boner 1,198 $60.67 Lean 952 $56.84
Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2
1,695
$89.45
FEEDER CLASSES
FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 425 $143.71 $610.77 450-500 467 $140.27 $655.06 500-550 529 $134.04 $709.07 550-600 579 $131.90 $763.70 600-650 636 $127.21 $809.06 650-700 667 $123.15 $821.41
FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 420 $141.55 $594.51 450-500 466 $135.92 $633.39 500-550 517 $128.85 $666.15 550-600 565 $127.76 $721.84 600-650 623 $118.05 $735.45 650-700 667 $117.69 $784.99
FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $127.03 $537.34 450-500 470 $125.73 $590.93 500-550 523 $122.18 $639.00 550-600 573 $120.70 $691.61 600-650 629 $118.55 $745.68 650-700 667 $115.27 $768.85
Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156
The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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Farm Credit News AgCarolina Farm Credit Announces M e m b e r A s s i s t a n c e P ro g r a m . AgCarolina Farm Credit announces the launch of its Member Assistance Program (MAP). A MAP is a company sponsored benefit offering support and resources needed to address personal or work related challenges and concerns. “The agricultural industry has been faced with many challenges over the last several years,” said Dave Corum, CEO of AgCarolina Farm Credit. “Life and business can be stressful and can impact your home and work life. The MAP is there for our members in times of distress, anxiety, or depression. Our goal through the MAP is to provide relief when stresses mount for our members and their families.” The Member Assistance Program provides AgCarolina Farm Credit members the following benefits and services: • Assessment and Counseling - Help is available 24/7/365 through our toll free number for you and your household family members. Reasons to use the MAP include marital, parenting, stress,
depression, work related concerns, alcohol and drug use/abuse, grief and loss, or preventative. • Legal Services - Members are eligible for free telephonic legal advice and consultation with an attorney. • Online Services - Members have access to educational and financial resources. • Financial Services - Members are eligible for free financial counseling appointments for bankruptcy, budgeting, buying a home, college savings, and retirement planning. The MAP is another benefit of doing business with AgCarolina Farm Credit, and the program can be accessed by visiting www.bit.ly/AgCarolinaMAP. Using the MAP is confidential and free to all AgCarolina Farm Credit members and their household family members. AgCarolina Farm Credit Employees Donate to Cause for Paws. AgCarolina Farm Credit is proud to announce a $3,000 donation to Cause for Paws of N.C., an organization with a mission to protect, nurture, and find
homes for unwanted or displaced animals. Employees have the option to participate in “A Cause a Quarter” each quarter. The quarterly campaign requires a $25 donation from participating employees to a non-profit voted on by all employees of the association. Participants are able to wear jeans each Friday of the quarter in which they participate. Chosen by employees for the third quarter of 2020 was Cause for Paws of N.C.
A s s o c i a t i o n o f A m e r i ca n Vete r i n a r y M e d i ca l C o l l e g e s
NEWS
Number of Applicants to Veterinary Medical Colleges Soars 19 Percent Year Over Year. The number of applicants seeking admission to veterinary medical college during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle rose 19 percent year over year. Preliminary data show that a total of 10,273 applicants submitted applications this year, compared to 8,645 last year. Over the past several years, the number of applications has grown about six to seven percent year over year. 20202021 cycle applicants each applied to an average of 4.89 different schools. A total of 44 veterinary medical colleges belonging to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) use VMCAS to process veterinary school applications. A significant rise in the application submit rate was also noted during the cycle. The submit rate, which is the number of applicants who begin and complete the application process with the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS), rose to 79 percent. That has historically averaged about 72-73 percent. The number of applicants seeking admission to veterinary college has been growing steadily in recent years. However, nearly tripling the annual year
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
With employee and Association contributions, the total donation amount is $3,000. “AgCarolina Farm Credit’s employees are committed to taking an active role in distributing resources throughout eastern North Carolina,” said AgCarolina CEO Dave Corum. “A Cause a Quarter is the product of an employee suggestion and has been a great way for our team to understand how we can all work together to make an impact. AgCarolina is proud
over year growth rate is remarkable. The specific factors responsible for the extraordinary increase remain unclear; however, several things could have contributed. The AAVMC opened this year’s cycle in January as opposed to May to enable applicants to have more time to construct their applications. The AAVMC’s Office of Admissions and Recruitment also presented more informational webinars and increased communication with applicants. About the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The member institutions of the AAVMC promote and protect the health and wellbeing of people, animals, and the environment by advancing the profession of veterinary medicine and preparing new generations of veterinarians to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. Founded in 1966, the AAVMC represents more than 40,000 faculty, staff, and students across the global academic veterinary medical community. Our member institutions include veterinary medical colleges and schools in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as departments of veterinary science and departments of comparative medicine in the United States.
to provide these funds to Cause for Paws of N.C. as they seek to provide care for animals in need of adoption. We are grateful for organizations like Cause for Paws of N.C. and wish them great success with their mission.” Applications Now Available for Innovative Young Farmer Award. The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. are excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Innovative Young Farmer of the Year Award given by the Tobacco Farm Life
Museum and sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina. Eligible nominees must be between the ages of 18 and 40 as of January 1, 2021. Nominees are to either be in school for agriculture/agribusiness or have worked in the agriculture industry for less than ten years. The application process, open until December 4, 2020, enables nominees to discuss means by which they are positively impacting their operation, as well as the greater agricultural community in North Carolina.
NEWS Fall Run and Weaning Calves. It’s that time of year when spring calves are being weaned. What you do the following hours and days will have a tremendous impact on how well those calves perform. Getting them started on the right nutrition program will significantly impact both their health and performance, directly impacting your profitability. We wanted to provide a couple of management practices that you can incorporate to help calves make a smooth transition to their new environment. 1. Minimize stress. Starter cattle are exposed to a wide range of potential stressors. Cattle likely undergo a change in diet, environment, may have been hauled a long distance, and are often vaccinated and implanted, among other things. All of this causes a disturbance in the rumen. The ultimate results of these stressors are: • Severely disrupted rumen bacterial balance • Reduced rumen bacterial populations to only 10-25 percent of normal • Decreased rumen fermentative ability by 85-90 percent If cattle are transported, they can lose more than half a percent of body weight for every 100 miles. To reduce stress, avoid processing cattle immediately upon arrival. A good rule of thumb is to let calves rest one hour for each hour of time they spent on the truck before they are run through a chute again for processing. Make sure pens are clean and well bedded. Have sufficient fresh water available and located where it can be easily found. Do not overfeed grain within the first 24 hours and make long stem grass hay and palatable feed readily available to get their rumen going again. Provide cattle about a foot of bunk space per head. 2. Transition to a new diet. Getting
starter cattle acclimated to a new ration is critical. Work with your nutritionist and slowly move cattle onto the new ration. Starter cattle may eat poorly for the first few days until they become accustomed to their new surroundings, their new pen mates, and a new ration. Abrupt changes in feed, such as introducing too much grain too quickly, can disrupt rumen function. Feed good quality grass and a transition starter ration with products that stimulate rumen function and support active immunity. Every feedlot owner takes pride in looking over a pen of healthy animals. By incorporating an immune support product in the ration, you can make that happen. Work with your nutritionist to incorporate an additive, so cattle have a better chance of overcoming challenges, improving immune function, optimizing rumen and liver health, and maintaining consistent feed intake. Many cattle will experience stress of some kind this time of year, which can compromise the microbial population in the rumen and depress rumen function. Steps that can be taken to lessen stress in newly received cattle, as well as to help them recuperate, will pay extra in terms of improved health and performance. About Diamond V. Diamond V is a leading global animal health business based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Diamond V conducts research in many species and manufactures natural (as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)) immune support products for animal health, animal performance, and food safety worldwide. Global headquarters and all Diamond V manufacturing is located in Cedar Rapids. More than 75 years of science, innovation, technology, and quality have earned Diamond V the reputation of The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®.
The Innovative Young Farmer of the Year Award is presented annually at the Breakfast with the Commissioner held in conjunction with the 2021 Southern Farm Show at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Please visit the Tobacco Farm Life Museum website at www. tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org/innovativeyoung-farmer-of-the-year to apply for this award. Applications must be submitted electronically through the link above. “Agriculture is the number one industry in North Carolina,” says Dave Corum, CEO of AgCarolina Farm Credit. “It is imperative to reward young farmers who have a commitment to continuing the great legacy of farmers and rural communities throughout the state. The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. are proud to support innovative minded farmers in North Carolina.” For more than 100 years, Farm Credit has been supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. About the Farm Credit Associations of N.C. The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. are AgCarolina Farm Credit, Cape Fear Farm Credit, and Carolina Farm Credit. They are farmer owned financial cooperatives with headquarters in Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Statesville,
respectively. They are the leading provider of credit to farmers in North Carolina. The Associations have over $4.2 billion in loans and commitments outstanding to over 16,800 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, crop insurance, appraisal services, and leasing are also available through the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina. 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 3,300 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. Branch locations are in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, Greenville, Halifax, La Grange, Louisburg, New Bern, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Smithfield, Swan Quarter, and Williamston.
SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Bull Sale December 12, 2020 • 12:00 noon Featuring:
35 Yearling Bulls 25 Two-Year-Old Bulls
Performance Tested • Ultrasound and 50K Evaluated Registered Angus Bulls
SPRINGFIELD ANGUS
104 Springfield Lane • Louisburg, NC 27549
Phil Goodson - 919-880-9062 (cell) Alex Askew - 910-260-2889 (cell) Email - philgoodson2@gmail.com For a complete listing or additional information, contact Springfield Angus. Please visit www.springfieldangus.com . The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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VIDEO AUCTION EVERY MONTH Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.
January 7 • February 4 • March 3 • April 7 • May 5 • June 2 • July 7 August 4 • September 1 • October 6 • November 3 • December 1
SOUTHEAST LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE
John Queen: 828-421-3466 • Evans Hooks: 770-316-9611 Canton, NC • 828-646-0270 • SELEXvideo@gmail.com • www.selex-video.com PAGE 36
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
NEWS
Alliance releases report from Taking Action for Animals virtual conference. Animal agriculture depicted very negatively at event hosted by the Humane Society of the United States. The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a recent report with observations and takeaways for the animal agriculture community from the Taking Action for Animals (TAFA) Conference, held virtually September 19-20. The event featured speakers from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Humane Society International, and Humane Society Legislative Fund, all organizations with negative viewpoints toward animal agriculture and meat consumption. The conference primarily stressed the need for action and highlighted what animal rights groups believe to be victories in recent years protecting wildlife, farm, marine, companion animals, and more. Speakers stressed the importance of
behind the scenes advocacy to change and propose “animal friendly” legislation at different levels of government. “HSUS intentionally works to position itself as an animal welfare organization, but their history of advocating for legislation and sourcing policies that hinder our ability to raise animals for food tells a different story,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, vice president of communications at the Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Remarks made by speakers at the recent conference clearly outline the true goals and objectives of this organization, which everyone in animal agriculture and the food industry needs to be aware of.” Animal rights groups have repeatedly tried to capitalize on the current pandemic to spread their anti-animal agriculture agenda by claiming livestock will be the cause of the next pandemic, and this
Future Carolina Cattlemen!
rhetoric was emphasized at the TAFA conference. “Factory farms poison our environment. Factory farms also create serious risks to public health,” stated Adam Zipkin, counsel to U.S. Senator Cory Booker. Zipkin added, “Scientists are telling us, in no uncertain terms, that the next pandemic is at least as likely to start on a factory farm here in the U.S. as it is at a live wildlife market in some other country.” He attributed this claim to the “rampant use of antibiotics in factory farms” and that these farms are “breeding grounds for viruses such as influenza that can easily jump from farm animals to people.” Speakers in a subsequent session asserted that the way to prevent future pandemics was to stop confinement of animals and transition to a plant based diet. Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection at HSUS, said the “number one risk has to do with the increased consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy. Number two has to do with the intensification of farm animals, or in other words, the caging of farm animals in smaller and smaller enclosures.” In a later session, Balk stated, “We’re also passing laws to ban these practices in the state, making them criminal abuses that if they are done, it’s not just frowned upon or ‘hey, this is a bad thing’ – no, these will be criminal activities.” Another key theme of the conference was claiming that animal agriculture was a major contributor to climate change. “Reputable scientific sources continue to warn us that eating more plant based foods must happen quickly to ensure the livability of our planet,” said Kari
Nienstedt, senior director of council and engagement at HSUS. Nienstedt added that, in addition to promoting meat alternatives, HSUS and other animal rights groups are “working with the largest food companies in the country to get them to mandate that their egg and meat suppliers eliminate cages” as well. A theme that transcended most sessions of the conference was how to effectively enact “animal friendly” policies. “Your goal is to become one of the go-to people in your legislator’s district, who he or she will reach out to when they have a question about animal protection,” said Carol Misseldine, senior director of outreach and engagement at HSUS. The 2020 Taking Action for Animals Conference Report, which includes personal accounts of speaker presentations and general observations, is available to Alliance members in the Resource Library on the Alliance website. The Alliance also has reports from previous animal rights conferences accessible to members on its website. About the Animal Agriculture Alliance. The Animal Agriculture Alliance is an industry united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.
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Call about NEW PORTABLE SYSTEMS! For Information or Brochures, contact:
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The Carolina Cattle Connection
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
NEWS
Premier POV Board Gets to Work. There’s a brand new customer advisory board at Premier Select Sires, and it’s called the Premier Owners’ Voice (POV). Board members have been selected for a one year term and will discuss cooperative values, programs, and direction for the next 12 months. Early conversations have revolved around
the value of being a member owned cooperative and beef x dairy programs that Premier offers, such as HerdFlex beef embryos, TD Beef, and PowerGenetics. “We feel very strongly about giving our members a way to interact with staff, give us feedback on how we’re operating in today’s market, and provide direction in terms of future plans and ideas we
Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Weeks ending SEPTEMBER 1 & SEPTEMBER 15, 2020)
Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of Southeast Livestock Exchange and Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales ending Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020, and Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales ending Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020. All cattle in this report are located in North and South Carolina. Prices FOB the farm or local scale and many weighed with a 1-2 percent shrink and sold with a 5-8¢ per pound slide on the heavy side only.
Cattle Receipts: 2,524
Last Month: 6,273
Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 61 percent steers and 39 percent heifers. Nearly 97 percent of the run weighed over 600 pounds. Head totals are based on load lot estimate of 49,500 pounds.
Head 57
Wt. Range 860-860
FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 860 $127.25 $127.25
Head 79 71 67 36 29 69 64 180 120
Wt. Range 620-620 695-695 735-735 740-740 740-740 715-715 760-760 800-830 800-835
FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 620 $145.00 $145.00 695 $148.50 $148.50 735 $134.75 $134.75 740 $136.00 $136.00 740 $129.00 $129.00 715 $146.25 $146.25 760 $132.00 $132.00 815 $133.00 - $135.00 $134.33 817 $144.50 - $149.25 $146.89
Head 156 201 66 63 181 40 58
Wt. Range 630-630 725-740 740-740 775-775 800-825 825-825 850-850
Head 49 78 139 30 70
Wt. Range 620-620 625-625 700-715 700-700 700-700
FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 620 $129.00 $129.00 625 $140.00 $140.00 707 $135.50 - $136.25 $135.88 700 $119.00 $119.00 700 $126.00 $126.00
Head 83 75 347 31 65 20
Wt. Range 590-590 650-650 700-720 765-765 750-750 750-750
FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 590 $137.00 $137.00 650 $134.50 $134.50 706 $135.50 - $140.00 $137.20 765 $128.75 $128.75 750 $138.25 $138.25 750 $120.25 $120.25
FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range 630 $150.00 732 $145.00 - $146.75 740 $140.50 775 $145.25 808 $143.75 - $155.00 825 $128.25 850 $127.00
Avg. Price $150.00 $145.91 $140.50 $145.25 $148.92 $128.25 $127.00
should be focusing on,” explained Premier Chief Executive Officer Mark Carpenter. “Being a farmer owned cooperative since 1938, it’s imperative that we operate as a true cooperative and involve our owners. Their feedback on current topics has been tremendous, and we’re only just getting started!” Board members were chosen to represent all facets of Premier, including dairy and beef owners, large and small scale operations, and both male and female owners and operators. “The mix of people on our new POV Board is a great example of the diversity in our 23 state member area,” stated Kirk Sattazahn, Vice President of Marketing and Development. “It’s not a new concept to ask for feedback from customers, but many companies forget to do it. We feel it’s certainly a great tool for us to continue growing and serving our customer base in the best possible way.” Board members for the 2020-2021 Premier Owners’ Voice Group include Bradfield Evans (Ala.), Joe Elliott (Tenn.), Megan Fry (Mary.), Justin Veazey (Maine), Emma Currie (N.Y.), Jessica Slaymaker (Penn.), Barb Nedrow (N.Y.), Jim Houser (Penn.), Larkin Moyer (Va.), Denise Dickinson (N.Y.), Johan Heijkoop (Fla.), Christy Hartman (Va.), Josh Rottinghaus
(Kan.), Kelvin Hatch (Penn.), and Matt DeBaugh (Mary.). The next scheduled POV meeting will be in early January. Any questions about the advisory board or about becoming future POV members can be directed to Mark Carpenter at mcarpenter@ premierselect.com or Kirk Sattazahn at kirk7@premierselect.com. Inquiries can also be made by phone by calling the Premier Select Sires office at 570-836-3168. 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.
Delivery
Delivery Value Added Value Added Split Loads Natural Value Added Delivery Natural Value Added Natural Value Added Value Added Split Loads
Delivery Value Added Value Added Split Loads Guaranteed Open Delivery Natural Natural Value Added Value Added Split Loads
Source: N.C. Department of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156
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S.C. Charolais News By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association
I am writing this on October 4, and you are reading this in November. I hope I saw you in Knoxville, Tenn., on October 31. If not, shame on you. What better way to take a day off, driving to Knoxville while the leaves are turning and enjoying a cattle sale? I will give you the info on the sale next month. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and got up lots of hay during the short dry spell we had in October. I hope I keep my sanity when Thanksgiving arrives. I must warn you that if my article next month makes no sense, you can assume I totally lost my mind. I have hired some guys to gut my 1972 kitchen, and they assure me that they will be finished by
Thanksgiving. I am emptying out all of my cabinets because they are replacing all of them, and I have a new stove and dishwasher ordered. Living without a kitchen for a month is bound to drive me crazy. I am in deep thought as to where I can put the coffee pot and how in the world I am going to make sweet tea with no stove and no kitchen sink. I guess I will have to turn a bathroom into a processing station so I will have water. I’m not even going to mention washing dishes. Charolais breeders are in the middle of fall calving, and believe it or not, my first two were heifers. That is so unusual for us, but we have a new bull, Mr.
18th Annual
Charolais Source Bull Sale December 12, 2020 • 12:00 Noon Chester Livestock Exchange • Chester, S.C.
SELLING FGF 32 Charolais Bulls 5 Black Hereford Bulls FGF
4 Bred Charolais Heifers 4 Open Charolais Heifers 10 Charolais Heifers w/ Red Angus Calves at Side FGF
REFERENCE SIRES
FGF
CFR Modified Royce 353 P • Fink New Standard LT Distance 2054 P • WC LT Rushmore 5190 ET M6 Bells & Whistles 258 P • Mazeppa Bell 406 P LT Affinity 6221 P • RBM Fargo Y111 • LT Sundance Sat Pay Dirt • VCR Sir Duke 914 P FGF
CONSIGNORS
FGF
Mazeppa Charolais Farm • Larry Edwards 704-252-0003 Clayford Ranch Charolais • Tommy Wilks 843-307-0323 Auctioneer - Will Thompson • 704-616-8553
PAGE 42
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
President/Lady GaGa son, so maybe for a change, we will have some heifers. I need for all of the Charolais breeders to get in touch with me about putting bulls in the South Carolina bull sale in March. We need to get an idea of how many bulls may be consigned. The folks in Florida are excited that we could have a big bull sale because, as you know, when they buy bulls, they want a truckload, not one or two bulls. I will begin calling and contacting folks to find out how many are interested in consigning. We are going to discuss this in Knoxville at the sale, which is another reason you should have been there.
I hope you have been contacting FSA about stimulus money for farms. If the government is willing to hand it out, I am willing to take it. From the last article that I wrote, I thought you might be interested in the fact that one of my neighbors came to the house to see if we would help pull a calf. It seems he was unable to locate a vet to come out and help him. We loaded up the pullers and headed to his house. Keep checking on your neighbors and try to help out when you can. They keep putting on T.V. that we are all in this together, but I guess that doesn’t apply to cattlemen. We are in this all by ourselves.
Regular copy deadline is NOVEMBER 5 for the DECEMBER issue Spotlight material is due NOVEMBER 1 for the DECEMBER issue
e!
ls Or e
N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test 84 Day Report By GARY GREGORY The bulls at the Butner Bull test were weighed on October 13 to complete the first 84 days on test. Overall average daily gain (ADG) of the 53 bulls on test was 3.57 with a Weigh Per Day of Age (WDA) of 2.94. Ultrasound was also done on the bulls by Dr. Brent Scarlett at this time and will be published in the sale catalog. There are 45 Angus bulls on test with an overall ADG of 3.61 and WDA of 2.96. Lot 16, consigned by Dennis Overcash of Overcash Angus in Mooresville N.C., had the highest overall ADG on test among the Angus bulls at 4.48. He is a Sydgen Enhance son out of a HSAF Bando 1961 daughter. Tim and Faye Raynor of Rock Hill Cattle Company in Norlina, N.C., had the second highest gaining Angus bull on test for the first 84 days on test. He is a Sydgen Enhance son out of a Connealy Counselor daughter with an ADG of 4.45 and is Lot 19. There are six Herefords on test with an overall ADG of 3.05 and WDA of 2.77. The E. Carroll Joyner Beef Educational Unit in Raleigh, N.C., had the highest ADG of the Herefords at 3.81. He is Lot 62 and is a GKB 88X Laramie B293 son out of a CRR About Time 743 daughter. Jim Davis of Terrace Farms in Lexington, N.C., had the second high ADG Hereford with 3.07. He is Lot 58 and is a Churchill Mack 665D E.T. son out of a Walker Bachelor X51 095W daughter.
The bulls will be weighed off test on November 10. The sale will be held on December 18 at 12:00 noon. The location of the sale will be the Granville County Livestock Arena. Bulls will be moved to the arena on December 17. At this time, the sale will be held as normal, but you will be able to view bulls during the sale. An e-mail blast will be sent out to give directions on how to do that. If you want to receive the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association e-blast, contact NCCA at 919552-9111 to be added. Information on how to make phone bids will also be included in the e-blast. For additional information about the phone bidding process, contact Bryan Blinson at 919-422-9108 or Gary Gregory at 919-515-4027. If you would like to receive a catalog or have any questions about the bulls, contact Gary Gregory by phone or at gary_gregory@ncsu.edu. If you would like to schedule a visit to the Butner Bull Test Station, contact Greg Shaeffer at 919471-6872 or glshaeff@ncsu.edu to make an appointment. You can also go to our website at beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beef-bull-test/. The catalog will be uploaded to this site. We look forward to seeing you at the sale. The Butner Bull Test and Sale is a cooperative effort between the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, N.C. State University Research Service, and North Carolina Extension.
N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test 84 Day Report By GARY GREGORY & DEIDRE HARMON, N.C. State University On October 2, the 51 bulls on test at the Waynesville Bull Test were weighed to complete the first 87 days on test. The overall Average Daily Gain (ADG) on test was 4.17, and they had a Weigh Per Day of Age (WDA) of 3.30. Ultrasound was also done on the bulls at this time by Brent Scarlett and will be published in the sale catalog. There are 33 Angus bulls on test that had an ADG of 4.23 and a WDA of 3.35 for the first 84 days. Lot 12 consigned by Chuck Broadway of Broadway Cattle Company in Monroe, N.C., was the high gaining Angus for the first 87-days with an ADG of 5.34. He is a Byergo Black Magic 3348 son out of a Quaker Hill Rampage 0A36 daughter. Lot 30 consigned by Homer Stout of Rainbow Angus in Piney Flats, Tenn., had the second high ADG at 5.32. He is a Jindra Acclaim son out of an SAV Net Worth 4200 daughter. Four Charolais bulls are on test and have an ADG of 4.82 and a WDA of 3.26 for the first 84 days. Lot 41 had the highest ADG among the Charolais with a 5.14 and is an MCF Grid Maker 182 son
out of a Yon Western Spur T299 daughter. Steve Wilson had the second high ADG among the Charolais at 5.06. He is an LT Affinity 6221 Pld son out of an Oakdale Duke 9003P daughter. There are five Hereford bulls on test with an ADG of 3.39 and a WDA of 2.84. Lot 58 had the highest Hereford ADG for the first 87 days on test at 3.69. He is consigned by Bryson Westbrook of 4B Farms in Shelby, N.C., and is a TF Rib Eye X51 043 909B son out of a TH 65R 45P Tank 48W daughter. Lot 56, also consigned by Bryson Westbrook, is the second high gaining Hereford bull on test with an ADG of 3.67 for the first 87 days on test. He is a TF Rib Eye X51 043 909B son out of a JWR 057S Tundra 096X daughter. There are nine Simmental/Simmental Angus bulls on test with an ADG of 4.07 and a WDA of 3.38. Lot 47 consigned by Clay Nicholson of Nicholson Livestock in East Bend, N.C., had the high gaining Simmental Angus bull for the first 87 days with an ADG of 4.84. He is a AAR Ten X 7008 SA son out of a CCR Spartan 9124A daughter. Lot 46, also consigned
by Clay Nicholson, had the highest ADG Purebred Simmental bull at 4.80. He is sired by JC Engineer 102C and out of an MR NLC Upgrade U8676 daughter. The bulls went off test on October 27, with breeding soundness exams done at that time. The sale will be at the Western North Carolina Regional Livestock Center in Canton, North Carolina. The address is 474 Stock Drive, Canton, North Carolina. It is off of I-40 at Exit 33. The bull sale will be on December 5 and will start at 11:00 a.m. At this time, the sale will be held as normal, but you will be able to view bulls during the sale. An e-mail blast will be sent out to give directions on how to do that. If you want to receive the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association e-blast, contact NCCA at 919552-9111 to be added. Information on how to make phone bids will also be included in the e-blast. For additional information about the phone bidding process, contact Bryan Blinson at 919-422-9108 or Gary Gregory at 919-515-4027. If you would like to schedule a visit to the Waynesville Bull Test Station, contact Kyle Miller at 828-456-3946 or
kyle.miller@ncagr.org. If you have any questions or would like to be put on the mailing list for a catalog, contact Gary Gregory at 919-515-4027 or ggregory@ ncsu.edu. You can also go to our website at www.beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beef-bull-test/. The catalog will be uploaded to this site. We look forward to seeing you at the sale. The Waynesville Bull Test and Sale is a cooperative effort between the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, N.C. Department of Agriculture, and North Carolina Extension.
NOTICE
Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input. HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.
WAYNESVILLE
BUTNER
Saturday • December 5, 2020 11:00 a.m.
Friday • December 18, 2020 12:00 noon
WNC Regional Livestock Center Canton, N.C.
Granville County Livestock Arena Oxford, N.C.
SELLING 37 BULLS
SELLING 36 BULLS
23 Angus • 4 Hereford 4 Charolais • 6 Simmental
32 Angus 4 Hereford
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was held this year in Brookings, South Dakota. She said that the Charolais juniors had just held a National show there. They were the largest so far until the Simmental
THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL
By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting. Our annual meeting was held very differently this year due to COVID-19 regulations. We had it outside under tents at 9:30 a.m. on sale day, September 5, at Shuffler Sale Facility in Union Grove, North Carolina. Attendance was down, as we expected, but still, probably 25-30 people listened as President Charlie Thomas opened the meeting. He recognized producers that had done well through the year, such as having the top indexing bulls at Butner and Waynesville and the winner of the last Jimmy Smith Memorial belt buckle that we will ever give away. Last year, Colby Matthis of Clinton won the belt buckle. Amy Thomas, our junior advisor, also talked about the junior association and presented Thomas Smith of Pleasant Garden with the Top Junior Award. His sister, Cara Smith, won the
Sale manager Doug Parke was wearing his mask for safety.
Amy Thomas presents Cara and Thomas Smith with checks for winning Junior Simmental Awards.
American Simmental Association 1 Genetics Way • Bozeman, MT 59718 406-587-4531 • www.simmental.org
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Charlie Thomas, Kathie Price, and Erin Beth Pinkston receive plaques for serving a term as directors of the NCSA.
Top Ranch Hand Award. Cara is also the very first President of the American Junior Simmental Association from North Carolina. Lilian Wilkins of Blacksburg, S.C., also won the Top Pen Rider Award. Cara Smith also received the Jim Graham Junior Simmental Scholarship. Then, Cara gave a talk about the National Classic that
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
juniors showed up three days later and became the largest group of cattle to be at that particular livestock arena. It was at the National Classic that Cara Smith was elected as President, and she will serve in many areas this year. We are so proud of Cara and all she has accomplished!
Then, sale manager Doug Parke talked about the Fall Harvest Sale, and he welcomed the new consignors: Jason Austin, Kenneth Manfredi, Travis Broyles, and Kyle and Richard Coleman. The three directors who served their three year term were Charlie Thomas, Erin Beth Pinkston, and Kathie Price. They received plaques for their service. Since they were willing and able to serve another term, they were elected again by acclamation. Charlie Thomas discussed some new business involving getting a syndicate together to help fund the N.C. Junior Livestock Shows since there will not be a state fair this year. The N.C. Simmental Association will donate money to this cause, and Charlie ended up raising
N.C. Simmental Association - Like us on Facebook!
1341 US Hwy 21 • Hamptonville, NC 27020 336-468-1679 • www.ncsimmental.com • NCSA@yadtel.net
$4,100. The people and farms that make up the syndicate include McDonald Farms, Dustin Rogers, Chase Cole Livestock, TX Enterprises, Rising Star Farm, Sunset Feeds, Lone Hickory Arena, Rucker Family Farm, SimAngus Solution Sale, PAC Family Meats, PAC Cattle Company, DP Sales Management, Terrace Farms, Jim and Carolyn Hunt of HuntHawley Simmentals, Walter Earle family, N.C. Simmental Association, N.C. Junior Simmental Association, Bangma Farms, Bryan and Beth Blinson, Jeff Broadaway Simmentals, Fred Smith Company Ranch, Pinkston Family, Steeple Creek Farm, Crazy Woman Farm, and Shade Tree Simmentals. Thanks so much to all these contributors! Shade Tree Simmentals bought the old show box full of memorabilia donated by Gordon Hodges and his family and the late Dick Hayes, one of the first people to bring Simmental cattle into North Carolina.
Bill Buckner and Eugene Shuffler visit at the sale lots.
Drew Hatmaker, Tommy Carper, and Doug Parke are ready to begin.
the cattle sold well. The top selling lot was ST Red Rita’s BK, a red Simmental consigned by Shade Tree Simmentals in Lucama. This WS Beef King daughter sold for $4,900 to Marty Perry of Bunn, North Carolina. The second top selling lot was KS1 Fortune Teller, a bull sired by TNGL Grand Fortune Z467 and consigned by Pleasant View Farms of Tennessee. This bull sold for $4,200. The third top selling lot was a cow/calf pair consigned by TX Enterprises of WinstonSalem, North Carolina. TX Angel Kisses, the One Eyed Jack cow, sold for $2,000, and her heifer calf sold for $1,700. The sale grossed $119,775 and averaged $2,101. The bred heifers averaged $2,293, and the bred cows averaged $2,287. Open heifers averaged $1,470, and the bulls averaged $3,033. The sale did very well with cattle selling into five different states. Thanks so much to everyone that attended the sale and also bid online.
We also recognized the Pinkston family because they donated the chainsaw this year, and that raffle has done very well. We ended up making a profit of $2,000 this year on our raffle. The winner of the Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss Chainsaw was Phillip Watson of Bear Creek, North Carolina. I especially want to thank the Ralph Blalock family and Bruce Cuddy for selling an exceptional amount of tickets this year. Your hard work really helps our association. Fall Harvest Sale. The 46 th Fall Harvest Sale was held on September 5 at Shuffler Sale Facility in Union Grove. The weather was beautiful, and thePreston cattle Pinkston is with his son Jace as Jace bidsand on a heifer. looked great. There were 57 lots,
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! The Carolina Cattle Connection
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Simmental News The American Simmental Association (ASA) has designated the newly formed Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla., as the 20202021 National Simmental Show. The ASA Board of Trustees met on October 5 to discuss alternative plans due to the postponement of the 2021 National Western Stock Show. The Board voted to recognize the Cattlemen’s Congress, held January 2-17, as the National Simmental Show for the 2020-2021 show season. The Congress will serve as a Major PTP Ring of Champions points show as well. This event will showcase some of the greatest show cattle in the Simmental breed vying for the annual championships. Also, in January, the ASA is recognizing The Nebraskan Livestock Show, which is to be held in Grand Island,
Neb., January 13-18, as a Major PTP Ring of Champions points show. Similar to the National Cattlemen’s Congress, The Nebraskan will highlight some of the breed’s most elite in competition for Major PTP Ring of Champions show points. Please stay tuned for the detailed schedule of events and hotel block information for each show. About the American Simmental Association. Founded in 1968, the American Simmental Association is headquartered in Bozeman, MT. ASA is committed to leveraging technology, education, and collaboration to accelerate genetic profitability for the beef industry. In keeping with its commitment, ASA, along with its partners, formed International Genetic Solutions - the world’s largest genetic evaluation of beef cattle. Learn more at www.simmental.org.
Clemson University 2021 Bull Test 28 Day Report and Update By STEVEN E. MEADOWS, Ph.D., Clemson University The Clemson Extension Bull test program held its 28 day weigh period on September 15. This set of bulls are extremely balanced and, at this point, are showing very strong performance across the board. For the first 28 day period, the bulls have averaged 4.38 lbs/day (ADG) overall. In the Simmental/Angus senior division, bulls performed well, posting an overall average ADG of 4.89 lbs, while junior Simmental/ Angus bulls were close behind at 4.82 overall Average Daily Gains. The senior Angus bulls during this period garnered gains of 4.47 lbs ADG with the junior Angus bulls posting an overall ADG of 3.97 pounds. The Simmental senior and junior age groups followed close behind at 3.8 lbs/day. Other breeds performed very well during the 28 day period as well. The 28 day weigh report shows a level of compensatory gain on some individual bulls during this period, and you can see that in the full report. The 56 day test weight will be taken on October 13, and we expect the individual Average Daily Gains to level out on the average within breeds. I encourage you to review the individual bulls at www.clemson.edu/extension/ bulltest/clemson/index.html. As cooler weather is upon us, we can expect strong gains across the board. The 56 day weigh date was October 13. We took ultrasound measurements on the senior bulls at this time, as well as yearling scrotal measurements and hip heights. If any questions, please feel free to contact me at 864-633-9970 or smdws@clemson.edu. Remember to mark your calendars now for February 6, 2021, when another great set of industry improving bulls will be offered.
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Inaugural Cattlemen’s Congress Replaces National Western Stock Show “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This reads true for the livestock industry, particularly over the last six months. With every show cancellation that has come about, groups of hard working individuals have stepped up and created opportunities for the youth of the industry to showcase their projects. With the announcement of the cancellation of the 2021 National Western Stock Show, it was only a matter of time before a dedicated and passionate group of people created the next opportunity to show. A committee of seven board members formed the 2021 Cattlemen’s Congress that is to be held January 2-17 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The board consists of; Tyler Norvell – OYE President of Onward Endowment, Blake Nelson – Vice President of the American Maine-Anjou Association, Bob Funk OYE Chairman of the Board and CEO – Express Personnel Services, Jimmy Harrel – OYE Vice Chairman of The Board of Directors, Jarold Callahan – President of Express Ranches and owner/ operator of Callahan Cattle Company, Shane Bedwell – Chief Operating Officer and Director of Breed Improvement at the American Hereford Association, and Jaclyn Upperman – Director Events and Education at the American Angus Association. With this force of talented and dedicated individuals leading the way for the Cattlemen’s Congress, this event is sure to be a major success. Why was Cattlemen’s Congress created exactly? Tyler Norvell explains
what the committee’s game plan is for this 2021 show opportunity. “Our goal is to provide an opportunity for cattle producers across the country to come and highlight, showcase and sell their cattle. We intend to have every sale that happens at Denver. We plan to have a permanent sale arena set up at the fairgrounds,” states Norvell. With five show arenas on site, the show will be able to showcase herd bull displays, pen shows, open class heifer and bull shows, junior heifer shows, a junior market steer show as well as open prospect heifer and steer shows – all shows that typically take place at the NWSS. The board members have decided to run this show exactly as the National Western has with the breed association handling and running their respective open and junior shows. One thing the committee decided to do differently in 2021 is to select a supreme champion in the open heifer, open bull, and junior heifer shows. With the Yards being such a vital part of the National Western Stock Show, not only for the show, but for the breeders and producers as well, the committee plans to have yard shows, pen shows as well as the popular herd bull displays. The herd bull display will be over the course of several days, with a schedule to come soon. With the help from a webcasting company, the board plans to help promote breeders and their operations to people who might not be able to make it down to Oklahoma City to watch. Additionally, they will figure a showcase having two different nights for the herd bull display,
one night for the purebred breeders, and one night for the club calf breeders. Furthermore, with the cancellation of the NWSS comes the cancellation of the collegiate judging contest. The Cattlemen’s Congress will also provide collegiate livestock judging teams with the opportunity to replace their National Western Contest in Oklahoma City – it will feature an all species collegiate judging contest to give these students an opportunity to showcase their talents. We are excited about this opportunity for our cattle industry, and we cannot wait to see everyone in January 2021 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma! The Cattlemen’s Congress will showcase the following events and featured highlights outlined below: • Open and Junior Breeding Cattle Shows • Supreme Overall Open Bull and Female • Supreme Overall Junior Breeding Heifer • Pens of 8 and 5 Bulls and Heifers • Junior Market Steers
• Open Prospect Steers and Heifers • Herd Sire Displays • Collegiate Junior and Senior Judging Contests • Ample vendor space to feature the industry’s latest products and services Located near the historic Oklahoma National Stockyards, the OKC Fairgrounds has over 900,000 sq. ft. of barn space with the ability to house over 2,500 head of cattle at a time with both tie spaces pens as well as display areas for the Herd Sire Display. There are five show rings within the barn complex to hold shows and sales with the opportunity to feature association and non-association sponsored breed sales with live and/ or video lots. The sale arenas are large enough to accommodate in person bidders in a socially distanced seating arrangement. The Oklahoma City area also has other venue alternatives for breed association functions, as well as a broad selection of hotels and restaurants. We are looking forward to offering the Catt|emen’s Congress — the premier cattlemen’s event to kick off 2021.
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Alternative Location for the 2021 National Western Stock Show and Limousin Convention. The North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Board of Directors met recently via conference call to discuss an alternative location for the 2021 National Western Stock Show and Limousin Convention. Per board approval, the Limousin Annual Meeting, Level I Medal of Excellence Show, Junior Limousin Show, Limousin Pen Show, Genetics on Ice Auction, National Limousin Sale, and additional events will be held at the alternative location in Oklahoma City, Okla., on January 1-6, 2021, at the newly created Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Tentative schedule of events: • January 4 - Annual Meeting Events • January 5 - Level I MOE Show & Junior Limousin Show • January 6 - Limousin & Lim-Flex Pen Show About the North American Limousin Foundation. NALF, headquartered in Englewood, Colo., provides programs and services, including the documentation of more than 25,000 head of cattle annually, for approximately 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The Limousin breed and Lim-Flex® hybrid offer industry leading growth and efficiency while being ideal complements to British breeds. For more information about NALF, please visit www.nalf.org.
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GELBVIEH NEWS
G e l b v i e h A s s o c i a t i o n 5 0 th Anniversary Celebration Postponed to 2021. The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) board of directors has made the difficult decision to postpone the association’s 50th anniversary celebration to late 2021. The event was originally scheduled to take place December 2-4 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Association will now hold a one day meeting on December 4 in Lincoln, Neb., to conduct the business of the Association. The decision was made to postpone the celebration due to current gathering restrictions surrounding COVID-19 and attendee health and safety. “The health and safety of our members, guests, and staff remains our top priority,” said Megan Slater, AGA executive director. “We want to make sure we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary during a time where all members can feel safe in gathering in an event of this size.” The one day meeting in Lincoln will consist of a board of directors meeting,
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committee meetings, and the annual meeting of the association. The annual meeting is set to take place at 3:00 p.m. on December 4 and will include the election of the board of directors. If members are unable to attend in person, a virtual option and absentee voting will be made available. The day will also include a socially distanced awards luncheon to recognize the recipients of the breeder of the year and commercial producer of the year awards, as well as honor the newest inductee into the AGA Hall of Fame. “This decision was certainly not taken lightly. Unfortunately, current circumstances including social distancing guidelines and various other restrictions, would make for an environment that was not conducive for the proper celebration of a 50th anniversary,” Slater continues. “After all, a golden anniversary only comes around once for an association and we want to be able to give it the celebration it deserves!” Information regarding the one day meeting, including schedule and
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
registration, will be available on the Annual Convention page on www. Gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333. The 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Show and 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Sale Moved to Oklahoma City. Due to the recent cancelation of the 2021 National Western Stock Show, the American Gelbvieh Association board of directors has made the decision to hold the 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Show and 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Sale at the Cattlemen’s Congress taking place January 4-17, 2021, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This board decision comes from recommendations of both the Association’s national show committee and national sale committee. Below is the tentative schedule of Gelbvieh and Balancer events to be held
during the Cattlemen’s Congress: January 4 Gelbvieh and Balancer Junior Heifer Show Gelbvieh and Balancer Bull Futurities January 5 Gelbvieh and Balancer Heifer and Bull Pen Show Gelbvieh and Balancer National Sale January 6 National Gelbvieh and Balancer Show About the American Gelbvieh Association. AGA is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,000 members and approximately 40,000 Gelbvieh, Balancer, and Gelbvieh influenced cows assessed annually in a performance oriented total herd reporting system.
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A Message from the CEO By COLIN WOODALL
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
VOTE! Hopefully, as you read this, election day is still just a few days away. While there is still a lot of confusion on how this election will be conducted, I have a sneaking suspicion we may not have all the results on election night. The 2020 election process is the victim of COVID-19, questions about the abilities of the U.S. Postal Service, and one that comes as no surprise…good old political maneuvering. This is all the more reason you need to vote. I’m not one of those who is going to tell you that this is the most important election ever. I’m one that believes every election is important, and you need to
vote in all of them. Whether it is voting for President of the United States or your local county commissioner, all elected officials have an impact on our ability to raise cattle. Don’t wait until the morning of November 3 to find out where you need to vote. In some cases, that will be too late. Start now by going online or calling your local election officials to determine how voting is being conducted in your jurisdiction. If you need to vote early or vote absentee, you probably should have made those requests by now. Voter apathy is a real problem in the United States. Many ask whether or not
their votes actually matter. YES, your vote matters! Voting is a right, but since we’re so used to it, many Americans fail to realize just how important this right is. There are millions around the world who don’t have this right and question why we don’t take it more seriously. I know you’ve got a lot going on, but don’t let that be an excuse not to vote. It’s more than just voting; it’s about being an informed voter. You may already know which presidential candidate you will vote for, but do you know what ballot initiatives, bond measures, or other items will be on the ballot? If not, take a few minutes to do some research. An educated voter is what we need. As for NCBA, we are preparing for all potential outcomes of this election. Contrary to what some may tell you, I know firsthand that you cannot be successful in Washington, D.C., by working with only one party. We work to develop relationships with whoever is in the White House. We’ve had varying degrees of success depending upon who that person was, but we never stopped trying to influence their decisions. The same goes for Congress. We must have friends on both sides of the aisle to achieve our annual policy priorities. We have many Democrat and Republican champions on Capitol Hill. We have many Democrat and Republican detractors that we
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must contain and defeat. There are also many in the middle that we need to convince our position is the correct position. We can only achieve that by having a full time staff in D.C. In fact, NCBA is the lone national cattlemen’s association with a full time presence in D.C., working exclusively on cattle industry issues. A strong Political Action Committee or PAC is also critical to our success. NCBA PAC is one of the most effective tools we have in making our mark on the political stage. Congressional races are expensive, and Members of Congress and their challengers hustle to raise that money. By having a strong PAC, we can help our Democrat and Republican friends raise the money they need to win their races. We are unique among PACs because we will give to candidates that challenge incumbents in a primary. If we have a sitting Member of Congress that doesn’t vote to support cattle producers, you bet we’re going to do all we can to oust them. We can be your best friend or your worst enemy. That decision is based on Senators’ and Representatives’ votes, not on their party affiliation. Find out how your state, county, or local jurisdiction is conducting voting this year. Research the candidates and the issues you will be voting on. Donate to NCBA PAC. Vote! Don’t make me come find you!
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CHUCK
SHANK
CHUCK
BRISKET
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PLATE
LOIN
SIRLOIN
ROUND SHANK
FLANK
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SIRLOIN
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INGEDIENT CUTS
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BRISKET LEAN
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PLATE & FLANK LEAN
LEAN
KEY TO RECOMMENDED COOKING METHODS GRILL or BROIL PAN BROIL/ SKILLET
BRAISE/ POT ROAST
LEAN
These cuts meet the government guidelines for lean, based on cooked servings, visible fat trimmed
STIR-FRY
ROAST
SKILLET TO OVEN
* MARINATE BEFORE COOKING FOR BEST RESULTS
A cut of cooked fresh meat is considered ‘lean’ when it contains less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, andless tahn 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams(3½ oz) and per RACC (Reference Amount Customarily Consumed), which is 85 grams (3 oz.)
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INDIRECT GRILLING
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Beef Checkoff News NCBA Hosts Beef Industry from “Pasture to Plate” Panel. Beef Checkoff educates the hospitality industry on how beef is raised during James Beard Foundation Webinar series. In an effort to educate key opinion leaders in the food and hospitality industry on the beef production cycle, from pasture to plate, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef
Checkoff, held a webinar in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The “Pasture to Plate” webinar highlighted the beef community’s commitment to raising cattle in a safe, humane, and environmentally sustainable manner. The webinar was part of the James Beard Foundation’s Industry Support Webinar series, targeting chefs and other hospitality leaders.
Cows Prefer “Live” Co-Moo-Nication, Study Reveals Cows enjoy the sound of a human voice — but are more relaxed by a face to face chat than when listening to a recorded voice through a loudspeaker. “Live” talking can be used to improve relationships between cattle and humans, therefore benefiting animal welfare. After months of technology based communication enforced by COVID-19, many of us are missing a “live” human voice. But we’re not the only ones -- a new study reveals that cows also prefer a face to face chat. The research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, discovers that cows are actually more relaxed when spoken to directly by a live human rather than when listening to a recorded voice via a loudspeaker. “Cattle like stroking in combination with gentle talking,” says Annika Lange of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. “In scientific contexts, a recording of a human voice speaking gently could be used to relax the animals, because it can be difficult to repeat the same phrases in the same way during experiments.” Using a recorded voice means conditions are as similar as possible in each trial, following a concept known as “standardization” -- an important principle of scientific experimentation. However, the team of scientists wanted to find out if cows respond differently to the sound of recorded voices compared to a human talking directly to them. “Our study suggests that live talking is more relaxing for our animals than a recording of a human voice,” Lange says. “Interactions may be less positive when they become artificial through standardization.” The team worked with a herd of 28 cattle, comparing the benefits of either stroking the animals while playing a recording of an experimenter’s voice or stroking while speaking to the animals directly. After monitoring the animals’ responses during the experiments, they found live talking was the best mood enhancer for their bovine friends. Heart rate variability was higher when cattle were spoken to directly, indicating they were enjoying themselves. After this treatment, heart rates were lower than after listening to a recorded voice, showing that the animals were more relaxed following the live chat. How does a chilled cow behave? “When relaxed and enjoying the interaction, the animals will often stretch out their necks as they do when they groom each other,” says Lange. “Additionally, it is thought that ear positions may indicate mood: hanging ears and low ear positions appear to be linked to relaxation.” The experiment included only one herd and one playback recording. Lange calls for further research to see if results are also valid for different herds and situations, such as with cows that are more fearful of humans. This will help in further studies on the improvement of cattle-human relationships, an important aspect of animal welfare.
The September 22 webinar aimed to educate attendees about how beef is raised and used. The panelists represented various parts of the beef production cycle and included Minnesota cattle rancher Katie Brenny; Nebraska feedlot operator and NCBA Federation Division Chair, Buck Wehrbein; Josh White, NCBA executive director of producer education; Pitmaster Dr. Howard Conyers; and Chef Lamar Moore. The conversation focused on the following topics: • The beef lifecycle • Production practices • Beef Quality Assurance program • Common misconceptions about the beef industry • Consumer concerns and expectations of food production • Challenges and opportunities facing the industry • How COVID-19 impacted the industry “It is important that the Beef Checkoff leads the charge to educate key opinion leaders about how cattle are raised and what steps cattle producers are taking to continuously improve industry sustainability,” said Wehrbein. “By investing our dollars in these types of events and introducing this audience
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to actual beef producers, we are able to share our authentic story with chefs, so they can proudly feature beef on their menus.” In addition to the “Pasture to Plate” webinar, NCBA partnered with the James Beard Foundation for a second webinar held on September 29. This webinar focused on how to use underutilized beef cuts across menus. In total, the webinars had 90 participants. About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff Program 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¢ on 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. About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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MERCK
Animal Health News
Future Bovine Practitioners Supported with Merck Animal Health Scholarships. As part of its ongoing commitment to advancing the practice of veterinary medicine, Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) is pleased to announce $90,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 18 exemplary bovine veterinary students. The company presented each student with an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award, as well as a $5,000 scholarship, at this year’s 2020 AABP Annual Conference, held in Louisville, Ken., on September 24-26. “Merck Animal Health is proud to honor these students who represent the future of cattle care,” stated Justin Welsh, D.V.M., executive director of livestock technical services, Merck Animal Health. “These exemplary students embody Merck Animal Health’s mission to advance the science of healthier animals. I am confident they will support this mission and make an impact on the field of veterinary medicine as they continue
their careers.” The following students received the 2020 AABP Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award: • Taylor Aubrey, University of Minnesota • Rachael Bonacker, University of Missouri • Braxton Butler, Kansas State University • Rachael Crouse, Colorado State University • Cassandra Gorrill, Ontario Veterinary College • Maryanna Hudson, Mississippi State University • Austin Jacobson, Western College of Veterinary Medicine • Hannah Jarvis, Ohio State University • Annika Johnson, Iowa State University • Lani Kaspar, Texas A&M University • Wyatt A. Krom, Purdue University • Raul Landeo, University of Wisconsin-Madison • Dena Letot, Michigan State University • Logan Murray, University of Georgia
• Alexandra Newhouse, Washington State University • Meghan Oswald, Cornell University • Allyson Patterson, North Carolina State University • Allie Pellerito, Iowa State University “This outstanding group of students demonstrates that the future of cattle veterinary medicine is in good hands,” said AABP executive director Fred Gingrich II, D.V.M. “The AABP is sincerely thankful for the partnership and support of Merck Animal Health so that we can recognize these promising future colleagues. Supporting the next generation of veterinarians is a mission made possible through these partnerships.” The scholarships are available to veterinary students in their second or third year of school. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, career goals, work experience, and interest in veterinary medicine. About Merck Animal Health. For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has
been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merckanimal-health.com.
New NCCA Members for 2020 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: Ashe County Alex Kissinger – K&T Farms Avery County Ronald Weaver – Weaver Family Farms Burke County Anna Jackson – J4 Cattle Company Robin Jackson – J4 Cattle Company
Clay County James Godfrey – Grove Farm Durham County Sierra Everhart – Menagerie Farms Franklin County Kenneth White – White Family Farm Guilford County Barry Knight – Knightdale Farms Halifax County Wendy Strickland – The Rocking S Johnston County Cara Pace Dunnavant – Pace Family Farms Pamlico County Justin Lee – Lee Farm & Ranch LLC Union County Cade Stegall – Stegall Farm
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NCBA
President’s Report By MARTY SMITH
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
NCBA Wins in Court Typically, I use this column to highlight wins for our industry. Often, these successes are the result of our work in Washington, D.C., either on Capitol Hill or through administrative agencies. But NCBA utilizes all three branches of government – legislative, executive, and judicial – to accomplish our policy priorities. Recently, the Department of Transportations’ Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended its COVID-19 emergency declaration, exempting livestock haulers from Hours Of Service (HOS) regulations through the end of the year. After months of waiting for the federal government to issue eleventh hour, 30 day exemptions, producers across the country can breathe easy until 2021. The future after December 31 is uncertain, but NCBA will keep fighting for HOS and Electronic Logging Device (ELD) reforms. The ELD delay is an excellent win for our industry, achieved through the executive branch. Often, when NCBA achieves regulatory reform through an administrative agency, it is met almost immediately with litigation from radical activist groups who hope to have new rules overturned. Court decisions not only determine the legality of a rule or regulation, but also impact everything that an agency does in the future. It is important to remember the large role our judicial branch plays in the lives of cattle producers and NCBA’s role in protecting cattle producers through litigation. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia blocked an attempt by activists to halt implementation of President Trump’s revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Defenders of Wildlife and a host of other environmental groups banded together to demand a nationwide preliminary injunction – a court order that would prevent implementation of the new rules. The NEPA revisions were finalized earlier this year and significantly reduce the regulatory burden for producers who utilize federal grazing permits or Farm Service Agency loans. NCBA joined
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this litigation to defend the Trump Administration’s work and contributed to the effort to oppose the nationwide preliminary injunction. Our effort yielded the judge’s denial of the activists’ request, and the new NEPA rule became effective law across the country on September 14. But one win in one case is small compared to the work NCBA does in federal courts across the country. While navigating the legal process can be more complex than lobbying Congress, wins in the judicial system secure regulatory reform and impact executive power. Looking back, some of NCBA’s biggest policy wins have been in the courts. Perhaps most well known is NCBA’s work fighting the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule. Enacted by the Obama administration, NCBA and other agricultural groups fought implementation of the rule for nearly five years in courts around the country, preventing implementation of the rule in 28 states. These court rulings provided the Trump administration necessary firepower to rescind and replace the 2015 WOTUS Rule with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). The NWPR pulls back the Obama Administration’s federal overreach while maintaining critical regulatory exemptions for agriculture. Now, participating as defendants, NCBA is back in the courts fighting to defend the Trump Administration’s rule. Activist groups were unable to get an injunction on the NWPR, and it is now the law of the land. NCBA’s work in the court system is not disjointed from our lobbying efforts. Often, these endeavors work together to create the foundation of laws and regulations from which we operate. In the 1980s, Congress passed two laws intended to protect Americans from toxic chemical spills known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and the Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). In 2008, activists sued the Bush administration and eventually won
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their case in 2017, requiring livestock producers across the country to submit detailed reports to the government under CERCLA and EPCRA. NCBA lobbied Congress to achieve a statutory exclusion for farms, which kicked in before the court’s ruling took effect. Currently, NCBA is in court defending the farm exclusion against legal attacks from activists. Due to our efforts, cattle producers do not report to the government under CERCLA or EPCRA. On a personal note, I have been involved in NCBA’s litigation efforts for more than 20 years. Together with the number of attorneys who were also cattlemen, I have worked to strengthen our presence in the judicial arena, particularly to protect private property rights and to counter expensive and unnecessary regulation of our industry and of our management.
Litigation is not a hurdle for accomplishing our policy goals. Rather, it is an important tool that NCBA uses to tell our story. As the Trump Administration works to reform burdensome regulations, we will be there to defend their efforts. With our dues increase a few years ago, we were able to set aside specific funds so that we could strengthen our participation in these important cases. While none of us want to be involved in lawsuits, those that oppose our industry and our way of life continue to use the courts as a major battleground. I am extremely proud of the efforts that we have made, and NCBA will continue to stand up for the rights and interests of its members in all three branches of government. Thank you for your support and understanding that your membership is what makes this possible. Let us continue the fight and work towards strengthening our position.
S.C. Beef Council News By ROY COPELAN, S.C. Beef Council I trust you are enjoying these nice autumn days. The weather is cooler, the days shorter, and there are a number of activities around our beautiful state. Later this month, we all come together as family and friends to celebrate a time of thankfulness for our many blessings. Trust you and your family enjoy Thanksgiving Day. Your S.C. Beef Council continues to promote beef using your invested checkoff dollars. Have you heard the beef radio ads on the Clemson and USC football stations this season? After every scoring opportunity of each team, a live beef promotion is broadcasted. What a great way to advertise beef! I encourage each of you to listen in on Saturday afternoons or evenings. Also, our five billboards are still up on the major interstates through the end of the year. Have you seen one? We will also renew the ad spaces in the three major airports at the first of the year. Beef remains a great value for consumers as prices have adjusted. Retail channels continue to promote beef since the Summer Grilling beef promotions around the U.S. and South Carolina as well. With steak and other beef products in the shopping cart, consumers continue to purchase other items. This is a big plus for retailers. “McGill,” the rolling cow, continues his travels around our state. Call the State Office if you would like to reserve this great promotional tool. For your Thanksgiving Day meal, try a standing rib roast. Happy Thanksgiving on November 26. See you out in the state. Until next month.
Beef Promotion and Research Program
PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine. Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).
Today’s Date: ________________ Seller’s Name: ____________________________
Buyer’s Name: ____________________________
Address: _________________________________
Address: _________________________________
City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______
City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______
Seller’s Signature: _________________________
Buyer’s Signature: _________________________
Both the seller & the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1.50 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Beef Promotion & Research Board.
Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $ _______________________ Date of Sale: __________________
Person remitting assessment form:
Seller
o
Buyer
o
* State of Origin of Cattle: ______________________
* If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.
Send Report and Remittance to:
SOUTH CAROLINA BEEF COUNCIL P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211 According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.8 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disbility, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, or protected genetic information. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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NCBA NCBA Responds To Cattle Market Transparency Act. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released the following statement in response to the Cattle Market Transparency Act, introduced recently by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.): “Price discovery is an issue of critical importance to cow/calf producers, stockers, backgrounders, and feeders across the United States, and more negotiated trade is needed throughout the cattle feeding regions to ensure sufficient price discovery. That is why all of NCBA’s 46 state affiliate organizations unanimously adopted a fed cattle price discovery policy at our 2020 Summer Business Meeting. This policy directs NCBA to pursue a voluntary approach to price discovery that includes triggers established by a working group of producer members which, if tripped due to a lack of regionally sufficient negotiated trade, would prompt NCBA to
News
seek legislative or regulatory solutions — such as those outlined in Sen. Fischer’s bill — to achieve robust price discovery. “Since the adoption of this policy, that producer group has been diligently working to establish these triggers and identify a path to increase negotiated trade across all cattle feeding regions. “Sen. Fischer’s bill explores many avenues to improve transparency in the cattle markets. The creation of a cattle contracts library and clarification of confidentiality rules will provide crucial data to cattle producers as they seek to make informed marketing decisions. However, our policy dictates that the voluntary framework we are developing be allowed the opportunity to succeed or fail before we can lend our support to regional mandatory minimums for negotiated trade. We welcome a continued dialogue with Sen. Fischer and her colleagues on ways to achieve robust price discovery for all cattle producers.”
NCBA Announces Dynamic Line Up of Speakers for Virtual Stockmanship and Stewardship Event. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is announcing an exciting slate of speakers and topics for their renowned Stockmanship and Stewardship program. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing industry meetings to shift how they meet and learn, the Stockmanship and Stewardship program will be going virtual this fall. This shift to an online platform allows for a high quality experience of one of NCBA’s educational events for all attendees, even if they are attending from the comfort of their home or office. On November 11-12, virtual attendees will have the chance to engage in a number of sessions that address current and future issues for the cattle industry. Both days will allow virtual attendees to still have the chance to participate in the valuable low stress cattle handling demonstrations the Stockmanship and Stewardship program has become known for. Day one of the event will have an interesting lineup of educational program tracks including sessions that take an indepth look at Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) topics. Jason Nickell, DVM,
Ph.D., DACVPM, Merck Animal Health, will present on Individual Management Technologies and Diagnostics. A robust business track will be offered that will cover everything from risk management and cattle marketing to how consumers have shifted their buying habits during the pandemic and beyond. With just one week past the 2020 Presidential Election, NCBA’s policy team will provide an informative election reaction. In this session, the policy team will discuss what issues the U.S. cattle and beef industry will be tackling in Washington, D.C. Finally, day one of the event will conclude with a keynote presentation from Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., University of California – Davis, on recent industry happenings on the topic of Sustainability. On November 12, attendees will have a chance to engage with another set of valuable sessions. The sessions will cover everything from the value of training producers and their employees on cattle welfare to panel discussions on genetic value and current traceability efforts. The event will close with a keynote from the experts at CattleFax sharing important information on the economic state of the industry and what it might look like in the days ahead. Attendees will have the ability to
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 910-281-3821 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
Jerry Simpson, President - 704-302-2940 • simpson_jerry@msn.com
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COUNTRY BOY FARMS David Miller 316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709
interact with all speakers and clinicians on both days to get their questions answered and discuss how to apply what they have learned on their own operations. Registration for this one of a kind virtual event opened on October 1 and is free of charge thanks to continued support from Merck Animal Health and the Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance program. “Our sponsorship of the Stockmanship & Stewardship program aligns with our goal to provide customers with valuable information on proper animal care and handling,” says Kevin Mobley, executive director, Cattle Sales and Marketing for Merck Animal Health. “While we are not able to connect live at this time, this virtual event will include helpful tips and advice that supports better herd health.” The first 200 registrants will receive a complimentary event packet and gift courtesy of Merck Animal Health. Additionally, all participants will be eligible for a discount coupon to attend an in-person Stockmanship and Stewardship Regional Event in 2021 to be held in Ontario, Ore., Elko, Nev., Durango, Colo., Danville, Ind., and Bowling Green, Kentucky. For more information and to register visit, www. StockmanshipandStewardship.org. Cattle Producers Welcome Senator Fischer’s HAULS Act. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently applauded the introduction of legislation by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) that would provide livestock haulers flexibility and critical relief from hours of service (HOS) rules. The Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act, S. 4720, would add a 150 air mile exemption to HOS regulations to the backend of
N.C. Weekly Auctions Report
Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 (Week ending OCTOBER 8, 2020) Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $120.00 - 174.00 400-500 $120.00 - 159.00 500-600 $121.00 - 140.00 600-700 $99.00 - 136.00 700-800 $102.00 - 134.00 800-900 $80.00 - 124.00 Heifers
300-400 400-500 500-600 600-700 700-800 800-900
$112.50 - 154.00 $104.00 - 140.00 $90.00 - 141.00 $90.00 - 116.00 $80.00 - 114.00 $73.00 - 111.00
Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $47.00 - 65.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $43.00 - 65.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $56.00 - 70.00 Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156
hauls for those transporting livestock or agricultural commodities. This legislation also eliminates the seasonal harvest requirements for the agriculture hours of service exemption, making the exemption available year round in all states. “For years livestock haulers and producers were unduly burdened with hours of service regulations that do not take into account the unique difficulties that these drivers face every day,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further illustrated how important it is to allow these drivers to quickly and safely reach their destinations, and, in turn, keep grocery store shelves stocked with beef. Thank you to Senator Fischer for her continued work and recognition of the needs of our producers and haulers.” Cattle Producers Welcome House Introduction Of PRICE Act. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently welcomed the introduction of bipartisan legislation to improve the marketing environment for cattle producers. Introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and bipartisan cosponsors, the Price Reform in Cattle Economics (PRICE) Act addresses several areas of critical importance for cattle producers across the United States. Included in the bill are existing legislative proposals to open new markets for state inspected beef products, such as the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act, and new provisions to aid producer owned beef processing facilities and increase transparency in fed cattle transactions. “The Tyson fire in Holcomb, Kan., and the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought the issues of price transparency in the cattle markets and beef processing capacity to a boiling point within our industry,” said Ethan Lane, NCBA’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “This legislation is a significant step in the right direction as we continue to explore ways to support producers who have been impacted by two major black swan events, in an already volatile cattle market. We are grateful to Rep. Johnson and all the cosponsors for their bipartisan leadership in this space, and will continue working alongside them to see these reforms enacted.” The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Penn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Jim Hagedorn
(R-Minn.). A section by section analysis exploring all provisions of the bill can be accessed at www.dustyjohnson.house. gov/price-act-section-section. NCF Accepting Applications for CME Group Beef Industry Scholarships. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for 2021-2022 beef industry scholarships sponsored by CME Group. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry “Providing continuing education opportunities like the CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship is essential to not only the success of the beef industry, but also the next generation of our nation’s food producers,” said Tim Andriesen, CME Group Managing Director of Agricultural Products. “Our decades long partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and NCBA has allowed us to work together to advance risk management education to future beef industry leaders, and we are proud to continue doing so.” The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship was first introduced in 1989. Today, the scholarship recognizes and encourages talented students who will each play an important role in the future
of food production in America. Students studying education, communication, production, research, or other areas related to the beef industry should consider applying for the scholarship. Applicants for the 2021-2022 scholarship must submit a one page letter expressing their career goals related to the beef industry. Students must also write a 750 word essay describing an issue in the beef industry and offering solutions to this problem. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or full time undergraduate student enrolled at a two or four year college. The applicant or their family must be an NCBA member. Online applications should be submitted by November 13 at midnight Central Time. Scholarship winners will be announced during the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. For more information, visit www. nationalcattlemensfoundation.org. NCBA Calls On USDA To Take Action On Namibian FMD Outbreak. NCBA’s Ethan Lane issued the following statement in response to reports of another reported occurrence of foot and mouth disease in Namibia: “Foot and mouth disease (FMD)
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IRM Red Books Are Here The price of the books are again $5.00/each this year.
We would like to thank Performance Livestock & Feed Company and Carolina Stockyards for again sponsoring this book. Some highlights of the book are the international year letter designations for animal identification calving records Beef Quality Assurance best practices judicious use of antimicrobials in cattle injection site quality control health records pasture usage cattle sales A.I. breeding records analysis of calving activity and back by producer demand the addresses phone notes pages plus many other record keeping sections. Simply return the order form below, along with $5.00 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.
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NCBA News, continued from the previous page is a grave and persistent threat to the U.S cattle industry and warrants every available caution and protection to ensure that the problems plaguing cattle production in other parts of the world do not reach our shores. NCBA has serious concerns regarding the latest report of another FMD outbreak in Namibia, a country with an unfortunate history of FMD. While Namibia has taken steps to mitigate risk of FMD through the establishment of a cordon fence and buffer zone, the occurrence of this most recent outbreak in the buffer zone and indications of delayed reporting of the outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) raises serious concerns about Namibia’s newly granted access to the United States.” “NCBA calls on USDA to investigate and reaffirm the efficacy of Namibia’s cordon fence, security of Namibia’s buffer zone and surrounding FMD protocols, and if found deficient, USDA must take immediate action to suspend imports from Namibia in order to ensure the continued safety of U.S. cattle and beef.” NCBA Commends USDA For Increased Research On Brucella Species In Large Animal Outdoor Containment. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Kathy Simmons, recently issued the following statement in response to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) announcing draft policy to allow animal health researchers to conduct brucellosis studies on cattle and other large animals that cannot be easily housed indoors.
“This announcement is welcome news for cattle producers that face uncertainty from wildlife infected with brucellosis threatening the well being of their animals and operations. Thank you to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, Undersecretary Greg Ibach, and their teams, for developing this framework to advance our ability to control and eradicate brucellosis through improved opportunities to study disease transmission between cattle and wildlife. This expanded research is a good first step and NCBA will continue to work with the Trump administration to further protect producers from threats due to brucellosis.” USDA’s Cooperative State Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program has made significant progress in eliminating the disease from most of the United States. Brucellosis results in production losses of less than $1 million today, down from a high of $400 million in the 1950s. Yet, continued advances are still needed — endemic Brucella abortus is expanding its range in the Greater Yellowstone area, and Brucella suis is being found in feral swine populations throughout various areas of the United States. 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.
Say Good Riddance to Fall Stressors. If 2020 has taught us anything, it should be to roll with the punches. Change is the theme of the year, and get ready because it seems like each time we turn a corner, something new is lurking. Perhaps, as livestock producers, this year will help us understand our animals a little better and the way they feel and respond to the many transitions they experience during their lifecycle. Fall is a time for many changes across the species. Let’s look at those changes, how they impact our livestock, and how we can help mitigate the stress brought on by these stressors. Parturition - Regardless if you’re getting ready to fall calve, lamb, kid, or have sows in the farrowing house, giving birth is a stressful time for a new mother and her offspring. Make sure that new mama has adequate water and nutrition and that her new progeny gets colostrum immediately to get a jump start on its own nutrient needs through its mother’s first milk. Once the newborn is nursing on its own and it and its mother have bonded, be sure the nutrients are readily available for the mother to keep her own strength during lactation and pass those nutrients through to her young through her milk. If the newborn animals are having a hard time adapting and eating, try Vita Charge Neonatal, an oral supplement for neonatal beef, dairy, sheep, goats, and swine containing fermentation products, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Vita Charge Neonatal contains the precision
Angus • Hereford • Red Angus • SimAngus • Simmental • AND MORE!
MARCH 13, 2021 Chester Livestock Exchange (2531 Lancaster Hwy. • Chester, SC)
Preview starts at 9:00 a.m. • Sale starts at 12:00 noon * Lunch provided before the sale Facebook @marchmadnesscattlesale Auctioneer - Darren Carter 864-980-5695 PAGE 64
Sale Information Bob - 704-614-0826 • Zach - 336-736-6340 • Farrah - 704-242-0270
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
NEWS
prebiotic Amaferm that impacts intake, feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption to help combat stress and initiate feed intake. The Vita Charge line is a quick acting line of products formulated for all species to help protect and recover during stressful circumstances. Weaning - Weaning is perhaps the most stressful time an animal will encounter. That is why it is imperative to prepare the animals to start eating and drinking on their own and not stress too much looking for their mother as soon as they are separated from one another. “I wouldn’t wean a set of calves without the Vita Charge Stress Tubs. There has been a decrease in the amount of stress our calves experience. If you have a set of calves that have been around that tub, their attitude toward weaning is different. Overall, they are more relaxed. We have seen an increase in our production related to weight throughout our entire calf crop. Vita Charge has positively impacted our herd and we won’t go without it,” said Trevor Corboy of Smokey Hollow Farms in Sardinia, Ohio. Corboy is the sixth generation to raise livestock and crops on his family’s southern Ohio registered Angus operation. Keeping his cattle low stressed, healthy, and gaining is important as they make the transition at weaning because the more pounds they can put onto their healthy calves, the better off they are. Vita Charge Stress Tubs are a cooked tub for beef cattle that supports digestive health and promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery. Like all Vita Charge products, the Stress Tub contains Amaferm to combat stress, resulting in increased intake and nutrient digestion as well as MOS to trap bad bacteria, limiting their ability to do harm. The tubs also include organic Zinc, the antioxidant Vitamin E, and B vitamins. If you are weaning smaller ruminants or hogs, you might want to consider an alternative Vita Charge product to help jump start your animals’ digestive system and get them eating and drinking. Consider the Vita Charge Liquid Boost or Vita Charge Gel, both with the Amaferm advantage to help promote feed and water intake, and both with MOS to expel the bad bugs. “When we see signs of stress or sickness, we give them Liquid Boost to get their gut and rumen working better. I had two lambs that struggled earlier this year after weaning. They would come up and drink their Liquid Boost out of the
drench gun. They like it; it has a good flavor,” said Greg Beatty, owner of Beatty Club Lambs in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Vita Charge Hydraboost is designed specifically for weaned pigs as a nutrient rich liquid supplement that increases water and feed intake and maintains gut immunity, increasing overall health, and rapidly restoring digestive balance. Transportation Transition - Fall is a busy time for transporting livestock, and every time you load, unload, and move livestock, you generally cause stress. You might be getting in a semi-load of calves to background, taking a lamb or goat to a state fair or fall show, or getting in your next show pig prospect for those winter shows. Any time you bring a new animal or group of animals home, and especially when you comingle it with others, you risk stress that can cause unnecessary sickness. Spencer Nero, an Oklahoma cattle producer, backgrounds several loads of lightweight, high risk calves each year. He gives these 130-400 pound calves Vita Charge Cattle Drench as soon as they unload from the trailer onto his place. Vita Charge Cattle Drench, with the Amaferm advantage, promotes feed and water intake, digestibility, and nutrient absorption to help combat stress and
support the animal’s own immune system. Prior to starting his calves on the Vita Charge Cattle Drench, Nero said that he would give them multiple shots as they were unloading from the truck, adding to the stress of travel, acclimating to a new environment, and likely having just been weaned before loading in the semi and traveling hundreds of miles to Nero Cattle Company. “My whole protocol has changed because of that Drench. I used to give a lot of antibiotics, fill them up with shots, but once I started using Drench, I’ve eliminated every shot I give them. Now, I give them the Drench and I worm them. That’s pretty much it for the first week until they are eating good and drinking good. Then we’ll come back and work them. That way we don’t stress them out internally and externally. If we have them feeling better on the inside, they won’t stress out so much on the outside. Reducing the stress factor is the biggest thing I’ve done, thanks to the Drench,” Nero said. Although the Drench is designed for treating large groups of cattle, another product that works well for individuals or smaller animals is the Vita Charge Gel. The quick response Vita Charge Gel is
available in two sizes and works across species to get the animal’s digestive system working during times of transition and stress. “If I can utilize the animal’s immune system to its maximum potential because I have every other wheel on the track, that’s how I prefer to practice veterinary medicine. I like to stay on the proactive side of problem solving. I like the Vita Charge line for this reason. I can utilize this product in its multiple forms to get an animal or a pen of animals back on track. I don’t leave home without a tube of Vita Charge Gel in my truck. If I’m treating individual animals, we get better results if I can get their gut back on track sooner,” said Tera Rooney Barnhardt, DVM, who works in feedlots and dairies in Western Kansas. Change isn’t easy. If you think change can stress a human out, think about the stress multiple transitions can cause your livestock. From birth to weaning, sale time, hauling, and showing, these transitions can cause stress that deters food and water intake. But you can help prevent stress and promote a healthy digestive system with proper intake with the Vita Charge products. Learn more about how you can protect and recover
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your animals’ appetites by visiting www. biozymeinc.com. Make Strides with Sure Champ Joint Juice. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a show animal prospect dialed in, and just days before the show, your animal comes up lame. Many judges evaluate livestock from the ground up or on the move. While keeping them looking their best is important, keeping them moving comfortably should be a priority too. That’s why Sure Champ, makers of livestock supplements known to promote digestive and overall health, is excited to introduce its newest product, Sure Champ Joint Juice. Joint Juice is a safe and effective liquid hyaluronan supplement for promotion of joint and soft tissue health and mobility. Hyaluronan is found in all of a mammal’s tissues. Our MHB3 Hyaluronan is patented and proven with seven U.S. patents. It initiates healing, retains moisture, lubricates, and absorbs shock in joints. With age and trauma, the body’s own hyaluronan or HA breaks down and must be replenished. Blaine Rodgers, BioZyme Inc. Show
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BioZyme News continued from the previous page Livestock Business Development, explains that as livestock grow and put on weight, their synovial fluid that lubricates the joints in their cartilage begins to degrade in quality. That breakdown is what ultimately causes inflammation and arthritis that leads to swollen hocks and snapping and or clicking in the animal’s pasterns. “Hyaluronic Acid is naturally found in the body, and as we keep the synovial fluid level up in their joints, it really helps in terms of that gliding motion between their cartilage and their joints and minimizes friction. It is scientifically proven that Hyaluronic Acid makes a tremendous impact on joint health,” Rodgers said. Joint Juice is a 100 percent all natural supplement designed for daily oral consumption. It can be drenched or top dressed on feed. It is formulated for all species. Since it is all natural, there are no drug interactions or contraindications. Its active ingredient MBH3 Hyaluronan is included at 200 mg/ounce, higher than other joint supplements on the market. “One of the things about joint health, if an animal has caused trauma to the joints, it is hard to get them back to where they need to be. If we start using Joint Juice when the animals are at a little younger age, I think you will find this will help keep their joints in better shape from early on, using every day and being proactive rather than being reactive later on,” Rodgers said. He used this year as an example, where it has been hard to manage livestock for an endpoint, only to have the show we were feeding for and focusing on changed to a different date or replaced entirely by a different show.
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Using Joint Juice every day provides an insurance policy to help your animals stay structurally ready. “It was important to us to expand our product line to provide our show livestock customers well rounded products to cover all their needs for all species. Joint Juice helps diversify the Sure Champ line while offering a cost effective joint supplement to our customers without sacrificing the levels of Hyaluronan needed to make their animals comfortable,” Rodgers said. Sure Champ Joint Juice comes in two sizes – gallon and half gallon jugs. Cattle have a feeding rate of 1 ounce per day, while the lambs, goats, and hogs have a feeding rate of 0.5 ounce/day. How to Prep to Win During a Pandemic. Getting your livestock show ready can be challenging enough on a good year. Throw in the uncertainties of COVID-19 and the challenges and opportunities have seemed to multiply. Will the shows you targeted even happen? Will you be allowed to have help at the show? Fit or no fit? What about social distancing? Agriculture is a resilient field, and those involved typically have a work ethic second to none. Let’s explore some ways to make sure you can continue to get your livestock show ready and #preptowin during a pandemic. Daily Care Routine - Regardless of the species or the show, your daily care starts at home and should focus on three key areas: appetite and nutrition, skin and hair health, and exercise and showmanship. If you devote time each day to each of these key areas, your animals will look and act show ring ready.
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
Did you know that 70 percent of an animal’s immune response lives in its digestive system? Therefore, if you start your project out on a healthy diet and keep it eating and drinking, it should remain healthy. Using an appetite supplement like Sure Champ with the Amaferm advantage will help promote feed intake while improving digestive health. The new Sure Champ Joint Juice will also help keep your livestock feeling comfortable while keeping their joints and soft tissue structurally sound. Once you get them eating and feeling good on the inside, make sure they are looking their best on the outside by working their hair and conditioning their skin. Seasonal changes can add to the challenges of skin and hair care, but making the effort pays off in the end. Whitney Walker, one livestock enthusiast from Prairie Grove, Ark., said that when Oklahoma State University, where she attends school, closed its campus down this past spring, it actually allowed her more time in the barn to work with her cattle. She knows and values the efforts of working hard every day. “For us to have our livestock look like we want, we can’t give up on the gas pedal and give in to the coronavirus,” Walker said. Finally, the extra time at home with limited extracurricular activities also allowed exhibitors and their families more time to focus on animal exercise and showmanship practice. Exercise is key to building lean muscle shape. And working on your showmanship skills will allow your animals to grow familiar with you and become comfortable with what is expected
of them once they enter the show ring. Preparing for the Show - It’s always best to be over prepared rather than under prepared. Make sure if your show has a pre-entry deadline that you have met it and have a copy of the rules or exhibitor premium book and read them thoroughly. Have current copies of your health and registration papers (if applicable) with you at all times and have your show box packed with everything you need on show day. Not only does Sure Champ make some great digestive health supplements, it also creates some practical supply checklists for each species that you will want to have handy to help reduce your pre-show stress. Speaking of stress, two things you should always have in your show box when getting ready to pack for a show include Vita Charge Liquid Boost and Vita Charge Gel, to help mitigate the stress of your show livestock while hauling them and at the show, and helping keep them on feed and water. These rapid response products support digestive health while promoting feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery. “This summer, my little sister, Kenidey, and I decided to try something a little different. We both showed a couple steers throughout the summer, both in South Dakota and at junior nationals. With these steers coming out of the cooler, we’ve had to pay extra close attention to them to make sure they’re not too hot. [Vita Charge] Climate Control Gel has been extremely helpful with these steers to help regulate their body temperature and ensure that their food and water consumption stays up while we’re at these hot summer shows. Along with that, we drench the steers with Liquid Boost to keep them drinking at shows,” said Chesney Effling, Highmore, South Dakota. Preparing at the Show - Shows have definitely taken on a new look during this pandemic. Wearing masks is the new norm. Wrist bands are an indicator of who can be in the lineup or make ready area with the exhibitor, and spectators are sparse at the request of the show management to keep social distancing in place. Other changes have made fitting and show day prep more challenging for exhibitors. “The biggest thing I have learned for preparing my animals at shows since the coronavirus has hit is that you have to be flexible and adaptable. There have been a few instances where we’ve had some help lined up for a show and last minute they can’t make it because they’ve either tested positive with coronavirus or they’ve been instructed to quarantine or simply because they don’t feel comfortable coming to a large gathering.
These instances have taught me to step up and help out wherever is needed and to take it one thing at a time,” Effling said. Some shows have shortened their duration, making the transition time you are at the show more important than ever. These shortened events are a great time to have Vita Charge in your show box to keep your livestock eating and drinking while at the show. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get your animal prepared for its class and give yourself time to get to the show ring, especially as many shows have distanced and are showing from multiple barns or even off the trailers. Lastly, don’t forget to thank the show management and sponsors for putting forth the effort. In a year of uncertainty and enhanced regulations, cancelling would have been an easier option, but many people have gone above and beyond to make sure exhibitors get to show their animals. Surely the craziness of a pandemic will come to an end in our future. Until then, continue to focus on your livestock with proper daily care, feed Sure Champ EVERY. DAY. and make the most of your extra time to #preptowin at your next show. To learn more, visit www.surechamp. com. Good Management Helps First Generation Rancher Thrive. Some people are born into the cattle industry. Others find a mentor or a partner to join the business with. And for some, it is a way of life that is just in their blood. That’s the case for southwest Arkansas rancher Pace King. He and his wife have been the owners and operators of King Cattle Company for 20 years now and haven’t looked back. Although the first generation cow/ calf producer had grandparents and uncles involved in agriculture, King’s dad, a doctor, said it was just “in his son’s blood.” “I have just always liked this way of life. I’ve always liked cattle. I got out of college and went straight to ranching. I enjoy the land, the cattle, and being outside and watching Mother Nature,” he said. While King is living his dream, it doesn’t come without challenges. However, with good management, sound decision making skills, and two decades of hard work, he and his family have built a successful enterprise. He currently runs 1,300 cows on his ranch near Nashville, Ark., and focuses his attention on keeping a young cow herd that raises healthy, growthy calves. He has tried different things during his time in the cattle business, from buying northern cows from Nebraska and Montana and bringing them to his ranch to get bred to trading cows and artificial inseminating replacement heifers. He has found what works best for him is running native
cows with some ear and breeding them to Charolais or Hereford bulls. The cows that come up open don’t get to stay as they aren’t going to help pay the land or cows notes. In an environment that gets sufficient rainfall each year, King has been able to understock his pastures to help stockpile grass to get his cows through winter. He is able to rotate them through pastures, feed them a commodity feed mix and supplement them with a high quality mineral program that he’s found beneficial. King said he started feeding VitaFerm mineral nearly seven years ago. He’s seen his herd’s conception rates increase since starting the mineral. He starts feeding his cows VitaFerm Concept•Aid about 30 days before turning them out with the bulls all the way through breeding season. Then, he puts them on another VitaFerm mineral like VitaFerm Cattlemen’s Blend or VitaFerm Conserve™ to keep them getting Amaferm, year round. Conception rates for the herd have remained in the low 90 percent, something King said he can live with considering the size of his herd. “When I started using the VitaFerm Concept•Aid, our conception rates went up and stayed up, and I contribute that to the mineral,” he said. VitaFerm Concept•Aid is a mineral formulated specifically for reproductive success. It contains high levels of Vitamin E for reproductive tract repair, organic trace minerals for more stability and higher bioavailability, and Amaferm, a precision based prebiotic that impacts intake, feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption for optimum health and performance. When it comes time to market his calves, King likes to explore all his options. This year he is retaining ownership on a portion of the calves that he shipped to Cactus Feeders. He likes to sell his calves through Superior Livestock Auction as well, and he has captured increased profits through a combination of their value added programs like the VitaFerm Raised and VAC 34 or VAC 45 programs. Those added profits are important to a young man who started his operation from the ground up and now has a teenage son who wants to join in the family operation. King’s son will graduate high school next year and already has started his own cow herd with aspirations of joining the family business because it too “is in his blood.” “The biggest challenge has been capital. It’s a tough business. Having to make cow notes and land notes and leases. You’ve got to have good management practices and have some luck too,” King said. Good management starts with quality nutrition and good health protocols.
Cut Fall Mineral Costs without Cutting Corners. The leaves are turning. Seasons are changing. Just because your cows aren’t in the season of their peak nutritional needs doesn’t mean you should let their mineral program go by the wayside. There are numerous options that exist. If you’re a believer in a good herd nutrition program, but trying to cut costs, you’ll definitely like VitaFerm Conserve. VitaFerm Conserve is a complete vitamin and mineral supplement line that, like all VitaFerm products, comes with the Amaferm advantage to maximize nutrient digestion and absorption. Rather than formulating to optimum nutrient levels like the VitaFerm Concept•Aid line, VitaFerm Conserve is formulated at sufficient nutrient levels to maintain performance. Conserve does not contain organic trace minerals, but it does contain Amaferm. Therefore, the savings can be passed on to the producer without sacrificing the health or performance of the cow herd. “There are numerous reasons why fall mineral supplementation benefits producers. First and foremost, this time of year primarily coincides with a decline in overall pasture forage mineral content, and as forages continue to mature there is a decrease in digestibility. As such,
The Carolina Cattle Connection
it’s important to maintain the mineral status of the cowherd,” said Jack Oattes, Regional Business Manager for BioZyme Inc. “We are excited to offer VitaFerm Conserve to our customers who want to conserve costs without giving up the benefits of a balanced and fortified mineral package along with the Amaferm advantage, 365 days out of the year.” Especially for spring calving herds that are still in early to mid-gestation, Conserve is a cost effective choice for producers who still desire to provide their herd with ample nutrition. Conserve contains a complete vitamin and mineral package to economically support nutritional needs of cattle grazing pasture and mature forages. “Something often not considered is that cows are subjected to their share of stress during the fall months, from a spring calving cow that goes through the initial stress of weaning a calf, to more dramatic daily temperature swings. These stressors require an ample immune response to combat, which is highly dependent upon having appropriate mineral status,” Oattes said.
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q NOVEMBERº 2020
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BioZyme News continued from the previous page In addition to the VitaFerm Conserve, five additional formulas exist for specific scenarios. There is VitaFerm Conserve MOS to trap and expel pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm; VitaFerm Conserve Mag to mitigate the effects of grass tetany; VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G to assist those in areas prone to anaplasmosis; VitaFerm Conserve Garlic, to deter insects; and the VitaFerm Conserve Protein Tub, for convenience and added protein. Although fall is a good time to feed Conserve to your cows, Oattes reminds producers that as they move into the last 60 days of gestation and hit lactation, their nutritional needs increase, and that is a good time to shift to VitaFerm Concept•Aid. “When feeding Conserve, make the transition to Concept•Aid one to two months pre-calving in order to ensure cow mineral status is at an optimum level to prepare for calving and rebreeding. This can be done most efficiently by supplementing Concept•Aid, which contains an organic trace mineral pack along with the elevated levels of Vitamin E,” he said. Saving money feels good. But so does investing in a good herd nutrition program. Cut costs without cutting corners with VitaFerm Conserve. To learn more about the VitaFerm line or to find a dealer near you, visit www.vitaferm.com. Growing Efficient Pounds Equals Growing Money. Money doesn’t grow on trees. However, it does grow on healthy cattle that are out grazing longer periods during the day. The more time calves spend grazing, the more they are going to gain and the faster they are going to get to their market ready endpoint. Isaac Marcum at Paint Lick, Ken., discovered his appreciation for backgrounding cattle from his father, who managed the Eastern Kentucky University beef farm for more than 30 years, where he too backgrounded calves. Although both Marcum’s maternal and paternal grandparents owned cow/calf operations, as a self proclaimed “part time farmer,” he enjoys buying, feeding, and selling the calves more. Marcum likes to buy a few pot loads of steers about twice a year, once in the winter or early spring, and then again in the summer, once those are sold. He backgrounds the calves on pasture. He relies on the same order buyer his dad did to buy the calves from the sale barn, all within about 100 miles from home, most of them in the Blue Grass Stockyards network. When it is time to sell his calves, they are sold back through the auction market. “I’m a firm believer in the auction way to sell cattle. If you get two or three
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people that want the same thing, that helps your sale price a little bit,” Marcum said. Once he gets those cattle home and gets them straightened out, they go to pasture. This summer, he was looking for an alternative to feeding them a commodity based feed to save time during his busy day as a full time Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance agent. His local feed dealer turned him onto the VitaFerm 30-13% Protein Tub as an alternative to feeding every day. Once his calves took to the VitaFerm tubs, Marcum asked his feed rep about a mineral solution. That’s how he learned about the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT mineral. “The first thing I like is the cattle will eat it. The mineral I was feeding before, it seemed like they weren’t eating very much of it. I don’t know if it had a bitter taste or what. The second thing, during the heat of the summer in July and August, when it is +90ºF and really humid here in Kentucky, those cattle were out picking, eating grass almost all day. So, they weren’t shaded up and trying to stay cool. I think that is probably the best thing because the gain on those cattle has impressed me and made me a believer in the Gain Smart mineral,” Marcum said. Marcum explained that during the five years since he’s been on his own backgrounding calves, he’s kept very detailed records. In a typical summer, when he supplements his calves with feed, they will gain about 1.8 pounds per day. This year, his calves were solely grazing grass but were supplemented with Gain Smart mineral. During the summer heat on grass with the Gain Smart, they gained 2.1 pounds per day, and the protein tubs were only out a portion of that two month grazing period. “I’ve never had cattle gain like that in the summer, especially with no feed, and I did see a lot less flies on those cattle. At the end of the day, pounds equal money,” Marcum said. Gain Smart Stocker HEAT is a free choice vitamin and mineral supplement for stocker cattle designed to balance basic nutrient needs to maximize efficient gain on grass pasture. The HEAT package helps prevent heat stress during temperatures of 70ºF and above, or anytime cattle are grazing fescue. The Gain Smart Stocker contains organic copper and zinc plus added iodine for maximum bioavailability to the animal to support hoof health and immunity. It also contains Amaferm, a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. Amaferm is research proven to stimulate digestion and nutrient absorption of forage for optimum gain as well as maintain performance during heat stress. The HEAT package includes
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
capsaicin to help maintain circulation to support animal performance and gain in both heat and fescue situations. Capsaicin is research proven to support animals’ ability to maintain normal body temperature. It also includes garlic to deter insects. Money might not grow on trees, but making a wise investment in a mineral program, helps grow calves. And as Marcum said, “pounds equal money.” With 0.3 pounds more gain per day, that means more efficient gains on fewer resources and getting calves turned back to the auction market quicker for one Kentucky cattleman. To learn more about adding the Amaferm advantage to your operation and experience more efficient gains, visit www.gainsmart.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®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, and DuraFerm®. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Mo., the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com.
Cattlemen’s Beef Board Update By GREG HANES, CEO
Beef Demand is a Well Primed Pump There seems to be a rash of articles and news pieces in ag media lately, focused on beef demand and its driving power and importance in everything from cattle prices to grocery store sales. The writers and experts all agree on this: the process of generating beef demand is like a well primed pump. It provides the beef industry with the means to push our great product into the hands of hungry consumers the world over. One of these articles summarized recent webinar information and data from Dr. Ted Schroeder and Dr. Glynn Tonsor, two leading agricultural economists at Kansas State University. The article starts with a key statement from Dr. Schroeder: “Prosperity of all beef industry participants hinges critically upon consumer demand. Every new dollar that enters the industry comes from the consumer. Without the consumer, we are out of business.” He is correct, of course. Beef demand IS everything. Consumers have a vast array of protein choices. It is an extremely competitive protein market: beef, pork, chicken, meat alternatives – even products like beans and peanut butter. But how do we create demand for beef over all these other options? This is exactly what your Beef Checkoff is designed to do – create demand to make beef the first choice of consumers through promotion, research, and education.
Even with the pandemic’s impact, the Beef Checkoff has been able to adapt and adjust programs to continue reaching those consumers and influencers. In many cases, they have been able to increase program reach by shifting from in-person to virtual events. For example, events targeting middle and high school educators about beef – which typically have had 40 in-person attendees – are now reaching thousands online. Videos on veal production have reached nearly 11 million people since January. A new Checkoff funded video series, “Real Facts About Real Beef,” delivers facts directly to consumers from the source: beef farmers and ranchers, as well as credentialed experts in the fields of sustainability, human nutrition, and more. This series is just one of the ways that the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand has helped debunk myths about the beef industry – by delivering the facts straight to consumers at home. Beef demand is strong, as seen by the stats showing that beef sales lead all retail animal protein sales since the pandemic hit. Yet our competition never slows down. Our focus is to keep that strong flow of information to consumers so they will want our product even more. The Beef Checkoff provides a wellspring of beef promotion and resources, and consumers are eating it up.
The Carolina Cattle Connection
q NOVEMBERยบ 2020
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Volatile Cattle Markets Call for More Diligent Disease Management. Stocker producers can protect profits by evaluating their treatment strategies. It’s no secret that every sector of the beef cattle industry has been significantly impacted by COVID-19. For stockers specifically, the impact is estimated at a loss of $159.98/head, which equates to $2.5 billion in damage to the entire sector.1 Volatile cattle prices and decreased margins make managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) imperative to protecting the profitability of stocker operations. “Stocker producers have taken a huge hit on the value of their calves. Getting cattle sold at a reasonable price and purchasing enough cattle to maintain an adequate revenue stream has been a big challenge,” said Mike Nichols, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Any losses from disease or death can further take away from the value of all calves in a given group.” “Respiratory disease can really take a bite out of your bottom line,” explained Steve Howard, a stocker producer in Claypool, Oklahoma. “Because the margins are thinner than ever, we have to run more head and manage BRD more effectively to pay the bills.” Howard typically has more than 5,000 high risk calves on his operation at all times and says respiratory disease is
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a year round battle. “You may get along fine for three or four loads of calves, and then you’ll get a load that turns south on you. We like to receive calves as fresh as we can, and upon arrival we’ll determine if certain calves are administered an antibiotic, or if the entire group receives metaphylactic treatment.” When does it pay to use metaphylaxis? With a group of high risk calves, it’s common to take a conservative approach to ensure that all animals are protected from sickness whenever possible. Producers receiving high risk cattle can reduce the threat of disease by implementing metaphylaxis or treating cattle upon arrival with a rapid response antimicrobial. However, it’s important to understand that some calves treated metaphylactically may not have succumbed to BRD, and therefore, may not be benefiting from antibiotic metaphylaxis. “Whether or not a group of calves should receive metaphylactic treatment will vary with each load,” said Dr. Nichols. “There are many factors to consider before making the decision to administer an antibiotic to an entire group of calves.” The first step in any targeted metaphylaxis program is to work with a veterinarian to develop a plan that objectively evaluates incoming cattle. The plan should outline the exact criteria needed to select cattle for metaphylaxis.
West End Precast
Typical selection criteria for metaphylaxis may include age and weight of cattle, length of transportation, weather conditions, environmental and nutritional factors as well as cattle origin. “In the spring and fall when the temperature is fluctuating so much, we know we’re going to see more BRD, so that’s when we’ll provide metaphylactic treatment to calves shortly after arrival,” said Howard. “But if I buy calves that have had a round or two of vaccinations, even if they’re just coming off the cow, we typically don’t need to spend money treating the calves on arrival. Instead, we’ll work them when they get here and keep an eye on them.” Further mitigating treatment and re-treatment costs - Antibiotic treatments are a direct cost to cattle producers, but there are also indirect costs associated with the labor and time needed to treat (and sometimes re-treat) calves. Plus, every time a calf gets sick, there is going to be some damage to the lungs and a setback to the calf’s ability to grow to its full potential. “We know that there are many other ways besides antibiotics to prevent and manage BRD,” said Dr. Nichols. “Producers that invest their time and money into low stress cattle handling, facilities with ample pen space, properly administered vaccines, and well formulated nutrition programs can greatly reduce their disease incidence and use of antibiotics, which ultimately saves them money long term.” But even with the best management practices in place, some animals will still get sick. When this happens, using a quick, safe, and effective treatment option will yield the best results. “Our go-to antibiotic is practical for our stocker herd because we rarely have to repull
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The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
calves after the initial treatment, and unlike some other products, it draws well in all weather conditions. We also like that it’s less abrasive; we rarely see injection site lesions, which is a huge benefit,” explained Howard. As the uncertainty associated with cattle markets and COVID-19 continues, it’s important for producers to look for ways to reduce management costs while still maintaining a healthy and productive herd. While stocker producers are dealing with many of the same issues relating to buying high risk calves and making a profit on those calves, no two BRD management programs will look the same. Your local veterinarian can assist you in designing more cost effective BRD prevention and treatment strategies for your herd. Reference 1 Peel D.S., Aherin D., Rabobank, et al. Economic damages to the U.S. beef cattle industry due to COVID-19. Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service. 2020. About Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of almost $4.7 billion worldwide in 2018, about 10,000 employees, and a presence in more than 150 markets. We have pioneered advancements in vaccines, parasite control products, and therapeutics that limit pain and slow disease, and we aim to create the future of animal well being for pets, horses, and livestock by focusing on prevention. Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health Business has a significant presence in the United States, with more than 3,000 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us.
2021-2022 Scholarship Applications The N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation is now receiving applications for undergraduate scholarships and graduate student travel funding for the 2021-2022 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. We encourage you to use the
online application from www.nccattle.com; however, printable versions are available to assist you in gathering information for your applications. All applications are due by January 15, 2021. 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.
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OF
Angus • SimAngus • Ultrablacks
A DVERTISERS
1st Annual Virtual Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference ............. 3 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Bull & Female Sale .................... 41 12th Annual SimAngus Solution Bull & Replacement Heifer Sale ....................................... 49 18th Annual Charolais Source Bull Sale .................................... 42 19th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale ............................................ 18 2021 IRM Red Books ................................................................. 63 4K Farms/Tarheel Angus .......................................................... 71 4th Annual Boys From the South Bull Sale ................................ 53 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale ...... 38 5th Annual Pounds & Profit Sale ............................................... 48 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo and Sale ................................. 34 Alltech — Heritage Beef .............................................................. 2 Alltech — Weather Pro .............................................................. 37 American Angus Association .................................................... 28 American National Insurance — The Josey Agency ................ 71 Apple Brandy Prime Cuts .......................................................... 20 Back Creek Angus ..................................................................... 71 Barnett Angus Ranches Bull Sale ............................................. 27 BioZyme Incorporated — VitaFerm Concept•Aid .................... 65 Black Crest Farm ....................................................................... 71 Black Crest Angus Farm 23rd Annual Production Sale ............. 32 Black Grove Angus .................................................................... 71 Brubaker Family Angus ............................................................ 71 C-Cross Cattle Company Online Elite Embryo & Female Production Sale .................. 52 Carolinas Animal Health .......................................................... 71 Cedar Creek Farms — FOR SALE ON FARM .............................. 25 Conquest Insurance Agency, Inc. ............................................. 66 Double J Farms ......................................................................... 71 E.B. Harris Auctioneers, Inc. .................................................... 71 Edgewood Angus Performance Tested Bull Sale ..................... 26 First Choice Insurance — Donna Byrum .................................. 16 Fowken Farms — CATTLE FOR SALE ......................................... 71 FPL Food, LLC ............................................................................ 23 Fred Smith Company Ranch ..................................................... 71 Fred Smith Company Ranch 4th Extra Effort Fall Sale — THANK YOU ........................... 46 Gibbs Farms 15th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale ...................................... 47 Got To Be NC .............................................................................. 57 H.J. White Farms ....................................................................... 71 Harward Sisters Cattle Company ............................................. 67 Howard Brothers Farms ........................................................... 71 Humble Stock Farm — BULLS FOR SALE .................................... 7 Hunt’s H+ Brangus ................................................................... 71
Hutton & Sons Herefords ........................................................ 71 Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale ....................... 21 L.E. Smith Cattle Equipment ..................................................... 9 March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale ................. 64 McMahon Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale ............................ 29 N.C. Angus Association Directory ........................................... 31 N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sales Double Header ..... 43 N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Membership Application ........ 59 N.C. Choices — Meat Suite ...................................................... 13 N.C. Hereford Association ...................................................... 24 N.C. Simmental Association ................................................... 44 National Beef Checkoff/ North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment ................... 11 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Membership Notice ...................................................... 55 Nationwide® AgriBusiness Insurance — The Wills Company .................................................. 71 Pearson Livestock Equipment ................................................ 39 Post Drivers USA ...................................................................... 17 Premier Select Sires ................................................................ 40 Prime Picked Products ............................................................ 19 Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Directory ................ 62 Rusty Thomson & Family Cattle Fencing and Equipment ...... 58 Shelton Angus • Dogwood Farm • Locus Level Farm Fall Bull Sale ................................................................. 33 Smith Creek Angus Farm On-Farm Bull Sale .......................... 30 Smith Farm Trailer Sales ......................................................... 71 South Carolina Private Treaty Sale Checkoff Investment Form .............................................. 61 Southeast AgriSeeds ............................................................... 71 Southeast Livestock Exchange — Upcoming Sale Schedule ............................................ 36 Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic ............................................... 45 Springfield Angus Bull Sale .................................................... 35 The Carolina Cattle Connection 2020 Spotlight Schedule ..... 10 The Carolina Cattle Connection Advertising Rates and Sizes ............................................ 50 TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer 9th Annual Maternal Magic Bull Sale .............................. 54 Virginia Herd Health Management Services — Pat Comyn, DVM .......................................................... 51 West End Precast — Feed Bunks ............................................. 70 West End Precast — Feed Bunks & Troughs ........................... 15 Whitehall Beefmasters ............................................................ 71 Wilkes Livestock Exchange ..................................................... 14 Yon Family Farms .................................................................... 71
Cattle Available Private Treaty John Wheeler • 910-489-0024 doublejfarm@yahoo.com • www.doublejfarmllc.com Headquarters - 775 Clacton Circle • Earlysville, VA 22936 Cattle located in Traphill, N.C.
CATTLE FOR SALE PRIVATE TREATY AT ALL TIMES!
328 Fowken Farm Rd. • Jonesville, SC
FORAGE PRODUCTS
More than 70 years of breeding grass type cattle! Carcass Data • Fescue Suited • Southern Bred EPDs Breeding Soundness Exam on Two-Year-Old Bulls
Norris Fowler • 864-219-0182 www.fowkenfarm.com
INSURANCE AUTO • HOME • LIFE BUSINESS • FARM & RANCH
803-789-7000
The Josey Agency, Inc. Douglas Josey Multi-Line Agent
A NIMAL H EALTH
C. A. H. Brent Glenn, DVM Lancaster, S.C.
Jim Traynham Wingate, N.C. 704-233-5366 Cell - 704-292-4217
Carolinas Animal Health, LLC
519 Morgan Mill Rd., Monroe, NC 28112 704-289-5083 • 704-289-1696 • 800-222-8638
AUCTIONEERING Ernest B. Harris President
Phone: 252-257-2140 Mobile: 252-430-9595 ®
Cell: 803-385-8161 Email: djosey@truvista.net
2610 Kee Moore Drive Chester, SC 29706
Nationwide
®
Agribusiness On Your Side®
James S. Wills
Primary Agent/Owner Master Farm Certified 555 West Church Street Batesburg, SC 29006
Telephone: 800-557-3390 Cell: 864-554-4658 Fax: 803-532-0615 willsj1@nationwide.com
LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT SMITH FARM
TRAILER SALES
trailers • truck bodies • tool boxes
Inc. / Auctioneers
3200 NC Hwy. 58 • Warrenton, NC 27589 NCAL #1468 • NC#C#4264 • VAL #146 • SCAL #3895 Email: ebharris@ebharris.com www.ebharris.com
The Carolina Cattle Connection
Carl R. Smith 2205 Finch Farm Rd. Trinity, NC 27370 336.475.1279
Authorized Dealer
smithfarmtrailers@yahoo.com
q NOVEMBERº 2020
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VENTS ANGUS Nov. 7 — Barnett Angus Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Washington, Ga. Nov. 7 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga. Nov. 12 — C-Cross Cattle Company Online Elite Embryo & Female Production Sale Nov. 14 — Gibbs Farms 15th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Ranburne, Ala. Nov. 14 — 19th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Nov. 14 — McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale, Mocksville, N.C. Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Nov. 21 — Shelton Angus•Dogwood Farm•Locust Level Farm Fall Bull Sale, Gretna, Va. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 21 — 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C. Nov. 21 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Nov. 28 — 4th Annual Boys From the South Bull Sale, Lebanon, Tenn. Nov. 28 — Edgewood Angus Performance Tested Bull Sale, West Point, Va. Dec. 2 — N.C. Angus Association 1st Annual Genetic Harvest Online Angus Sale Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 5th Annual Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 5 — Smith Creek Angus Farm On-Farm Bull Sale, Norlina, N.C. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 5 — 41st Annual Waynesville N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Canton, N.C. Dec. 12 — Springfield Angus Bull Sale, Louisburg, N.C. Dec. 18 — 37th Annual Butner N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 23 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company 3rd Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 23 — Rolling B Ranch Inaugural Angus Bull Sale, Yatesville, Ga. Feb. 11 — UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale, Athens, Ga. Feb. 13 — Black Crest Angus Farm 23rd Annual Production Sale, Sumter, S.C. Mar. 13 — March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C.
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black hereford Dec. 12 — 18th Annual Charolais Source Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. CHAROLAIS Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 5th Annual Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 5 — 41st Annual Waynesville N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Canton, N.C. Dec. 12 — 18th Annual Charolais Source Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. 2021 Jan. 23 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company 3rd Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. GELBVIEH Nov. 7 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga. Nov. 12 — C-Cross Cattle Company Online Elite Embryo & Female Production Sale Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Nov. 21 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Nov. 28 — 4th Annual Boys From the South Bull Sale, Lebanon, Tenn. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2021 Jan. 9 — C-Cross Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, Biscoe, N.C. HEREFORD Nov. 14 — 19th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 41st Annual Waynesville N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Canton, N.C. Dec. 18 — 37th Annual Butner N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. 2021 Mar. 13 — March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. Red angus Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. 2021 Jan. 23 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company 3rd Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Mar. 13 — March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C.
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2020
SIMMENTAL Nov. 14 — Gibbs Farms 15th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Ranburne, Ala. Nov. 14 — 19th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C.Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 21 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Dec. 5 — 5th Annual Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 5 — 41st Annual Waynesville N.C. BCIP Performance Tested Bull Sale, Canton, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 23 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company 3rd Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Mar. 13 — March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. South Devon Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. OTHER EVENTS Nov. 3 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 3 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Nov. 11-12 — 1st Annual Southeastern Cow/Calf Virtual Conference Nov. 14 — 19th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C.
Nov. 17 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 21 — 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C. Nov. 21 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Dec. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Dec. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 5 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Jan. 19 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 13 — March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. Mar. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 18 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction
Be a winner! Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state cattlemen’s association!