Braford News | Volume 35 | Issue 1 | Spring 2021 by United Braford Breeders

NEWS VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2021

Harvey Ranch

Better Bulls Produce Better

Calves

Bulls Available at the Ranch

Thank You!

Thank you to all of our bull buyers at the Advancing the Braford Breed Sale.

Johnny Davidson • Huntington, TX

Jeff Starnes • Williston, FL

Harvey Ranch • Okeechobee, Fla.

Jim & Rene Harvey, Owners • 863.697.6624 Ronnie Trythall, Manager • 863.697.2182

NEWS VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2021

CONTENTS ASSOCIATION UPDATES Braford Pair at Adams Ranch

United Braford Breeders P.O. Box 808, Reynolds, GA 31076 www.brafords.org ubb@brafords.org UBB Registration Office P.O. Box 1177, Kingsville, TX 78364 Braford News is the official publication of the United Braford Breeders (UBB). It is published four times a year and is supported by paid advertisements and subscriptions. Advertising and subscription information can be obtained by contacting the editor. Editor: Bailey K. Herrin, bailey@brafords.org Production: Herrin Livestock Services www.HerrinLivestockServices.com 816.824.0002

PRESIDENT’S NOTES, by robert mills

EXECUTIVE’S NOTES, by bailey k. herrin

NEW MEMBERS

NJBA UPDATE, by miriam hargrove

INDUSTRY NEWS 21

SHOW RESULTS

EXPERT ADVICE 10

CHALLENGES TO HERD REPRODUCTION, by dr. lee jones

SHAKING UP PARASITE CONTROL: WHERE TO START, by dr. christine b. navarre

CONSIDERATIONS TO MAXIMIZE POSTPARTUM COW FERTILITY IN FIXED-TIME ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROGRAMS, by dr. pedro l.p. fontes

READER SERVICES Zoetis is a corporate sponsor of United Braford Breeders POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 808 Reynolds, GA 31076. The publisher reserves the right to refuse publication of any material which we feel is unsuitable for the publication. Although the highest journalistic ethics will be maintained, the United Braford Breeders limits its responsibilities for any errors, inaccuracies or misprints in advertisements or editorial copy. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content of advertisements printed, and also assume responsibility for any claims arising from such advertisement made against the publisher. Advertising rate card is sent upon request. Articles from this publication may be reprinted with the permission of the publisher. Copyright 2020 United Braford Breeders

2 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

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Elliott Stanton

124 Mann Rd | Poteet TX 78065 C: 832-291-8349 | O: 210-331-8727 www.stantonbrafordranch.com

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

BY: ROBERT MILLS, UBB PRESIDENT 2020 is finally behind us and we begin the new year. So many of us were glad to see the old year go and anticipated beginning 2021. So far, for our family, it has not started out to be quite the great change I had been hoping for. Looking back on 2020, let’s focus on the positive accomplishments of that year. We all know the negatives that were beyond our control last year. We started the new year with a new Executive Director for the UBB in place. Bailey Herrin came to us with a great work ethic and enthusiasm to tackle the backlog of work that was here. She has been an asset in our time of great change and need. As with anything new, there are periods of exploring, learning and adjustments for both sides, including management and membership alike. As for me, since I have gotten older, I find that sometimes change is not always easy. The thing I try to remember is for us to respect each other as I keep an open mind to listen and hear both sides of any issue. Healthy, respectful discussion is always good to find common ground on which to stand and move forward in our association. Another positive I see that was accomplished last year is the revitalized Braford News. Our magazine has been put back to the quarterly-publication format that we all have missed. A classy new look with interesting content is something that we can all take great pride in. The Braford News has always been used to help promote the UBB and our outstanding Braford cattle. Bailey’s creative publishing skills are truly an asset to all the breeders. If you are not currently supporting it with advertising, you are missing a great opportunity for your operation. Contact the office today and get signed up with the new contract, no matter on what level you choose to promote your cattle program. Next in the list of positive actions is the reorganization of the financial reporting. Now the finances have better accessibility to the UBB Board. This is helping the Board and the Finance Committee to budget and plan for the future. Also, the Board is now working toward improving our data system. We know that there are many places for improvement, and we are currently addressing that. Be patient as we explore our options to make the necessary 4 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

improvements. Emma Ramirez has been a blessing in our office for assisting with registrations and transfers. We are very lucky to have someone with such a sweet and enthusiastic personality working with our association. Our Executive Director – and membership as well, at times – had to “reinvent the wheel,” so to speak. Many of our normal show activities were canceled and new opportunities were presented. Through their hard work, new shows appeared to replace the ones that were lost. The Texas Braford Winter Classic was a wonderful event, thanks to Elliot Stanton and his staff. It was an outstanding event that was enjoyed by all who attended, whether you showed cattle or not. Another event was established in Oklahoma City called The Cattlemen’s Congress. It was a very prestigious event that looks like it will be ranked up among the major stock shows in the nation. Our Braford cattle were well represented by those who exhibited. Thanks to all who continue to travel, exhibit and show Braford cattle to the public. In addition to the shows, our annual Bull Development Sale had to be reinvented, so to speak, as well. In a very quick move, when the pandemic forced the live auction to be canceled, our Bull Development Committee was able to convert to an online video auction. This proved once again what can be accomplished when our membership work together on common ground. Thanks to all of you who were instrumental in making all these events work. I am looking forward to some form of normalcy for our near future. I believe that our association is ready to get together again, socializing and exchanging ideas at some new events and gatherings. Many things are already in the early planning stages. Let us not forget the people affected by last season’s storms. They are still in need of your prayers and support as they continue to rebuild and put their lives back together as well. Spring is appearing, with green grass and warmer weather. To me, nothing is better at changing my attitude than watching new Braford calves frolic in the fresh, green pasture – a promise of new hope for a new year in the Braford business.

For Sale Private Treaty 60 Yearling Hereford Bulls 40 Yearling Hereford Heifers 40 Yearling Braford Bulls Hay For Sale: Square & Round Bales Available

Greenview Farms, Inc. 334 K-Ville Road Screven, GA 31560 Jonny Harris | 912-294-2470

Paul Harris | 912-294-2472

www.greenviewfarms.net

Bill Rainer Cattle Company registered braford cattle

Cattle Available Private Treaty Bill Rainer

P.O. Box 243 • Union Springs, AL 36089 • 903-780-6455

SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

EXECUTIVE’S NOTES BY: BAILEY K. HERRIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This new year has brought forth its own set of challenges. A large portion of our membership was hit with wintry weather in mid-February. As they broke ice, hauled water, and trekked through feet of snow, many asked themselves, “Why?” The answer is simple. Farming and ranching is in our blood. We don’t know any other way of life, nor do we want to. We do it to feed the world. We do it to carry on legacies. We do it because we love it. The resilience of farmers and ranchers is unmatched. There aren’t many folks who can continue to take blow after blow and continue to do what they do simply because they love it. When the snowstorm hit Texas and knocked out power to millions, many producers were left scrambling to find ways to get water to their livestock. Those affected very quickly found out who their friends were; they were the ones helping haul water, setting out hay, or pulling someone out of the ditch. They all knew that they were in it together – and if they worked together, everyone would be alright. There is a lesson to be learned from Snowpocalypse 2021. Well, I’m sure there are multiple lessons to be learned, but one that the UBB can take away is the importance of neighbors helping neighbors. The United Braford Breeders is a family. We are all passionate about Braford cattle; no matter whether you are a purebred breeder, an F-1 breeder

or a base breeder, we all care deeply about the success of the Braford breed. At the end of the day, this is what we need to remember. Each segment of the Braford breed is uniquely important, and we need one another to continue to grow the Braford breed. It was wonderful to see many familiar faces at the Cattlemen’s Congress in January. We were proud to be part of this inaugural event. Brafords and F-1s were well-represented in Oklahoma City. A special thank-you to everyone who made the long haul to support the show. In February, we held the National Braford Show at the Dixie National due to the cancelation of Houston. Even though the weather was brutal, a good many Brafords and F-1s were shown. We are looking forward to another successful show at The International in Waco at the end of March. I’m hoping that 2021 will offer some normalcy as we return to showing, trade shows and cattle sales. The UBB is planning to attend the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga., in October. This event is the largest farm show in the Southeast; it is a tremendous opportunity for us to promote and market Braford cattle. If you would like to help staff the booth, please let me know! Also, if you would like to have your business card available to those who stop by, please mail a handful to PO Box 808, Reynolds, GA 31076. This year, when you are faced with adversity, remember this verse: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

NEW MEMBERS BRIDGES CATTLE BRAILYNN CLEMENT CHRISTOPHER COTE KASEY DAVIS KAMERON DUBOSE BRANDT FONTENOT TYLER HATHCOAT HIGH ALTITUDE F1 CATTLE MERRILEE LEVINE LOWERY FARMS MADISON MIZE MURRAY CATTLE COMPANY N-N CATTLE AVA NUNEZ EMMA NUNEZ KELCI LAURANN PARDON CHANDLER PHILLIP R/L FARMS CAMERON RIPKOWSKI MACEE SHIELDS CASSIDY SWEAT MADALYN WOMACK

August 7, 2021 • Crockett, Texas Cattle will be available for viewing August 6.

Selling...

Registered Braford & F1 Open Heifers, Bred Heifers, Bulls & Show Prospects Now accepting consignments!

Texas

Braford BReeders Association

www.TexasBrafords.org • 210-331-8727 wesT oaklawn road • PleasanTon, Texas • 78064

Selling Registered Braford Bred Cows and Pairs Private Treaty

HNH FO MISS U’NIQUE U’Nique is a neat fronted, level topped heifer, who offers some genuine cow power and has got some timber under her. She’s sired by the 2019 National Grand Champion Braford Bull SGB Formula One E37. She Sells August 7, 2021 at the Braford Exclusive

903-701-0146 | Hayden

Hyman | Fouke, AR

Quality Qu ality genetics for the Braford and commercial industry! industry! Bryan Alleman, Owner 337.278.2586 • allemancattle@cox.net 2709 Abbeville Hwy. • Rayne, LA 70578 SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

NJBA UPDATE

BY MIRIAM HARGROVE, NJBA PRESIDENT The new year has definitely started off with a bang. The Cattleman’s Congress in Oklahoma was a great replacement for Fort Worth. It was especially exciting to see the number of youth participating in UBB point shows increasing exponentially. This year, we have started something new just for the junior showmen who attend UBB shows. In both Oklahoma and Mississippi, we held a drawing for two semen straws just for the junior exhibitors. I would like to personally thank the Hyman and Stansberry families for contributing to the growth of our juniors. Please tell these families Thank You when you see them. I would also like to congratulate all of the families and showmen that came out to the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma and to Dixie Nationals in Mississippi; we hope that you had a great show and did well with your prospects. Those not able to attend Dixie due to weather or illness

were certainly missed. We are very thankful that everyone made it home safely, and we hope that everyone and their animals are doing well after the recent COLD weather that we have had down South. We are definitely saddened that we will not be able to participate in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year – but I look forward to seeing folks again in Waco at the International Show sponsored by the Texas Braford Breeders Association. It is never too early to start planning to attend the NJBA All American Show this summer in Texarkana. With the everincreasing number of youth exhibitors, it promises to be a great time. If you are new to the association and have questions about All American or any of the contests, please reach out to me or one of the other directors. We are here to help!

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Director | Hayden Hyman | Fouke, Ark. Director | Gracie Lambright | Danbury, Texas

! s U n i o J 2021

July 15 to 17, 2021

Four States Fair Ground 3700 East 50th Street • Texarkana, AR 71854

Braford & Braford Base Bull & Heifer Shows Guest Speaker Junior & Adult Contests

Contests include: Cow Calling, Livestock Judging, Quiz Bowl, Photo, Poster, Coloring, Sales Talk (Not all contests have an adult division)

Schedule & Additional Information Coming Soon! Visit www.Brafords.org for More Details. Questions? Joey Morris, jmorris@cossatot.us, 870-279-2699 Brandon Smith, bsmithfarm@hotmail.com, 870-584-2908 Bailey Herrin, UBB Executive Director, bailey@brafords.org

CHALLENGES

to Herd Reproduction By Lee Jones, DVM, M.S., Beef Production Veterinarian, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

ithout a doubt, reproductive efficiency is crucial for breeders and cow/calf herd production and profitability. Without pregnancies, calves aren’t born or weaned and sold. Pregnancy has four times greater economic impact than any other production trait (Dr. Cliff Lamb) and reproductive efficiency is more important than growth or carcass traits for the cow/calf producer. For a cow or heifer to get pregnant, the following events have to successfully occur: She needs to cycle and ovulate, conceive, and recognize the presence of the embryo, and the embryo needs to attach and develop the placenta and maintain pregnancy to birth. While those events are critical for pregnancy, reproduction doesn’t actually end until the calf is weaned. Any loss of the embryo, fetus or nursing calf is a failure of reproduction. Reproduction, then, is an all-or-nothing event and can fail at several points along the way. 10 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

While the challenges to getting cows pregnant change slightly each year, they fall into two categories: noninfectious and infectious. Non-infectious causes are further divided into environment and management. Infectious causes of reproductive failure include viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoa or parasites that infect the reproductive tract of cattle. Non-infectious causes are everything else, including nutrition, bull fertility, cow body condition, etc. Management Though infectious diseases often get the most attention, how we manage our herds has more impact on overall reproductive efficiency than any other aspect of production. Managing body condition of the cow herd is the best practice to maintain reproductive performance in herds. When a cow calves in the calving season and her body condition at calving determine her opportunity to get

bred in the next breeding season. Cows that calve in poor body condition (BCS 4 or less on a 1-9 scale) likely will not be cycling when the bulls are turned out and have fewer opportunities to get bred than a cow that calves in good BCS. Cows that calve in BCS of 5 or 6 are usually cycling by 60 days after calving and have a better chance of maintaining a 12-month calving interval. Likewise, if a cow calves late in the calving season, she will have fewer days to get bred back. Managing cows to calve early and maintain adequate body condition during the dry period helps cows get rebred. Selecting heifers for fertility and longevity is essential for lifetime productivity. Heifers that calve early their first year and maintain early calving can produce 100 pounds more calf each year than heifers that calve two cycles later. Traditional methods of heifer selection rely on physical traits such as weight, age and pregnancy status to determine who to keep. Though genetic tools show potential to improve our ability to identify the most productive heifers earlier than traditional tools, selecting heifers by physical traits and overall phenotype is still a valuable tool to build a fertile cow herd. Managing our bulls is another important part of reproductive efficiency of the herd. Selecting fertile bulls will get more cows bred earlier than selecting sub-fertile bulls. Several studies show the benefits of a thorough annual breeding soundness exam consisting of a physical examination, thorough reproductive tract examination and semen evaluation, including checking motility and morphology of the sperm. Some sub-fertile bulls can take two or more services to get cows bred. Fertile bulls get more cows bred in the first service. Every cycle a cow goes open is 40-50 pounds lost at weaning, so testing bulls and using only fertile bulls helps keep more cows bred and bred early. Other practices, such as a controlled breeding season and pregnancy checking, also contribute to an efficient, productive herd. There are a lot of things that challenge reproduction in our cow herds. Fertility is the single most significant factor for cow herd productivity. The other side of the coin is that infertility is six times more costly than calf respiratory disease or other non-fatal disease. Infertility can be defined as a cow failing to breed, breeding but not delivering a live calf, or breeding late. The fact is that if the calf isn’t born alive and healthy and weaned, we don’t have anything to sell. Infectious Causes of Infertility The term “infectious” doesn’t necessarily mean “contagious.” Cattle are exposed to infectious agents from the environment or from things such as vectors (insects that transmit disease agents), not just directly from each other. The contagious agents such as viruses include

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVD) and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) can spread rapidly through a herd, causing severe problems in naïve cattle. Some bacteria can be spread through direct contact but spread more slowly than viruses, while others require some other means of transmission, such as needles or sexual contact. Some can be ingested orally, such as Lysteria spp in spoiled feeds, or spread through breeding, such as Campylobacter foetus (that causes vibriosis). Leptospora spp bacteria can be picked up from the environment, as the bacteria also inhabit wildlife but also can be transmitted during breeding from infected bulls. Anaplasmosis is rapidly becoming a leading cause of late-term abortions in cows in the Southeast and is transmitted by ticks or through use of contaminated needles. Protozoa such as Tritrichomonas foetus are transmitted by infected bulls to cows at breeding. Other parasites, such as Neospora, may be transmitted directly to a cow’s calf during pregnancy or acquired by consuming feed contaminated by Neospora oocysts. This happens when cattle feed is contaminated by the feces of infected dogs. There are numerous other pathogens (disease-causing agents) that, though they aren’t specific reproductive concerns, can cause reproductive problems such as infertility and abortion under the right stressful conditions. Understandably, infectious agents get a lot of attention from producers and veterinarians. After all, they interfere with conception and fertility and cause abortions or weak, stillborn or deformed calves. So the attention makes sense. Some things that we can do to protect our herds from these problems include vaccinations, testing and biosecurity or biocontainment as part of a comprehensive herd health program. Though vaccinating our herds to boost resistance to common reproductive disease agents can be an effective tool, the protection is limited to a few pathogens. And even then, resistance may be weakened due to stress or restricted nutrition or other factors. For instance, some strains of BVD can be found in vaccinated herds. Trichomoniasis, Neospora and Anaplasmosis may reside in herds for extended periods of time. Strategic testing helps owners know what they are dealing with and how to control or rid the herd of the problem. Chronically low production or periodic, random abortions or even dead cows could be a sign of an endemic problem that requires testing to discover the cause and help determine a plan for control. Managing for reproduction pays dividends – and the reward is lots of healthy, heavy calves.

SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

EXPERT ADVICE

SHAKING UP PARASITE CONTROL: Where to Start

By Christine B. Navarre, DVM, Extension Veterinarian, LSU AgCenter et’s Get Sustainable are sneaky. They slowly grow in numbers behind the scenes, Controlling internal parasites in grazing cattle can have a not causing any outward indication that the dewormer is not significant positive return on investment, but only if the products working. The only way to know the presence or extent of we use are actually effective. Cattle parasites are increasingly resistance on any individual ranch is to test for it. The best time resistant to the current dewormers available (anthelmintic to change and make great strides is when resistance is still low. resistance or AR) and the ability of cattlemen to continue to Once you start to see failure of the dewormer (poor weight have cost-effective parasite control is in jeopardy. Resistance gains, dead cattle), then it’s much harder to control. is a biological inevitability of using drugs against other living Where to Start organisms, whether those are dewormers or antibiotics. But we Parasites are both an animal and pasture problem, and do have some control over the rate at which resistance happens. sustainable control programs address both. Control programs Our current practices are quickly driving us over the resistance should integrate grazing management, management of the cliff, where we will not have any effective dewormers left in our immune system so cattle can resist infection, and dewormer toolbox. We have already reached that stage with sheep and use. Grazing management is complicated and, while extremely goats. We need to change our practices now to slow down important, beyond the scope of this article. the development of resistance in order to keep these valuable Controlling parasites in the animals is much more resources available in the future, as there are no new products straightforward, so that is the place to start. The very first on the horizon. task is to determine the level of resistance on your ranch. That This sounds straightforward, but it’s not. Parasite biology requires doing some fecal egg counts before and a few weeks and resistance are complex issues with complex solutions. after deworming to see how well the dewormer dropped the Deworming schedules are simple. Control programs are not. But fecal egg count. This is called a fecal egg count reduction test that shouldn’t make us throw up our hands and give up. There (FECRT). are some simple approaches to getting started that will be Your veterinarian can help you with the details (which outlined here. But don’t stop there. A basic understanding of animals, which products, timing) – but PLEASE, don’t let the parasite biology and control measures beyond deworming opportunity to get this important information go by. Next time is necessary to balance the short-term economic benefits of you are planning to deworm a group of cattle, get this data. It is deworming with the long-term impacts of anthelmintic use on the very basis of your decision-making going forward. resistance. Take the time to learn, plan and finesse your parasite Once we have FECRT data, we can determine how to control program with the help of your herd veterinarian, so your deworm to knock the parasites back, while also keeping some parasite control program is sustainable. refugia or “good” worms to slow down resistance. Two main What is Refugia and Why is it Important? refugia-based strategies can be used: targeted selective treatment Parasites that are resistant to dewormers have genes that (TST) and selective non-treatment (SNT). allow them to circumvent how dewormers work. I call these TST is selective treatment of only those animals that will worms the “bad” worms. The more “bad” worms in a parasite most benefit from treatment, leaving the rest of the herd population, the worse the dewormer works. untreated. A general TST strategy for maintaining refugia in a Parasites in refugia, on the other hand, do not have genes for cow/calf operation is to leave adult females 4 years of age and anthelmintic resistance; they are still susceptible to anthelmintics. older untreated – first-calf heifers are still growing, lactating I call these the “good” worms. The more parasites in refugia in and trying to reproduce, so they don’t need the added stress a population, the more the resistance genes in a population are of parasites – and treat youngstock and bulls which are most diluted and the more effective anthelmintics will be. susceptible. It is very important to note that this recommendation When an entire group of cattle is dewormed, we eliminate works only if cattle are healthy and have appropriate nutrition. all of the refugia or “good” worms. The only parasites that Parasites combined with stress, poor nutrition and/or other survive the deworming are the resistant “bad” worms. When we diseases spells death. continue to deworm entire groups over and over for years, the There are also EXCEPTIONS to this general “bad” worms that are left mate and multiply and soon take over. recommendation, so work out the specifics with your Eventually, there is failure of the dewormer to work as expected. veterinarian. For example, modifications may be needed for fallThat is where we are today. calving herds where the greatest lactation demands coincide with Not My Problem? high risk of Ostertagia exposure in the South; or for purebred You might be thinking that dewormers are working just Brahman cattle, which are later-maturing animals and may be fine for you; so why change? The problem is that “bad” worms more susceptible to Ostertagia (our most dangerous internal

12 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

parasite), so the dewormed group may include second-calf cows. Once we have developed an overall herd TST strategy, we next incorporate SNT in the youngstock and bulls. SNT is treating a majority of cattle in a group, while leaving a small percentage untreated to serve as a source of refugia. It is appropriate for cattle that are going to be on separate pasture from the cow herd. For example, treat 90 percent of a group of replacement heifers and leave 10 percent untreated. The percent untreated (10, 15, 20, etc.) is based on your FECRT results. If your FECRT shows high efficacy, 10 percent may be enough. If it shows some resistance, you may have to leave more untreated. If you don’t yet have your FECRT results, at least start with 10 percent. What About Product Selection? Now that we’ve decided who to deworm and who to leave untreated, we need to decide what products to use. The current recommendation is to use a combination of dewormers from two separate classes of dewormer at the same time (i.e., ivermectin and fenbendazole). Make sure that you know which dewormers fall into which class. There are only three classes of dewormer, and all products currently available except one fall within only two classes. For example, ivermectin, cydectin, doramectin and eprinomectin are all in the same class. The idea behind using two classes at the same time is that you get a better kill of resistant parasites. If there is some resistance to one class, the other class picks up the slack, and vice versa. Using two classes at the same time is appropriate only when used with a refugia program. The few “bad” worms left surviving the combination treatment need to be diluted with some “good” worms, or you will end up with multi-drug resistant parasites very quickly. Using two dewormers at the same time does increase the cost per animal. However, if you carefully select which animals to deworm and incorporate a refugia program, you may see better performance in the short term, all the while protecting your potential return on investment for the future. What About Stockers, Liver Flukes? Developing parasite control programs for stocker cattle is not as straightforward as for cow/calf operations. Recommendations depend on whether pasture is permanent or non-permanent, whether calves are single- or multi-source, etc. Liver flukes are a serious problem in some areas, and a major exception to the above recommendation to leave older cows untreated is the need to treat for liver flukes. The problem is that the current products available in the U.S. to treat liver flukes also impact resistance of other parasites such as Ostertagia. Careful consideration needs to be given of the impact of liver fluke treatment on refugia and resistance of other parasites. What’s Next? Once you have results of your FECRTs and have developed refugia-based deworming strategies, the next step is to develop a more long-term diagnostic, deworming and pasture management plan. Your TST and SNT refugia plans can be modified by pasture management of refugia (another topic beyond the scope of this article). Gather information about parasite biology and epidemiology in your area and specific information from your

ranch such as quantitative fecal egg counts, pasture management, and cattle movement and grouping. Beware of generic recommendations about controlling parasites on pasture. For instance, “Rotate pastures every (insert number) days.” These recommendations work only under very specific conditions and locations; in some cases, they make things worse. Many factors – including rainfall, environmental temperatures, pasture type, grazing management, age and immune status of animals – all influence pasture contamination. Periodic surveillance of fecal egg counts (FEC) in different groups of cattle at different times of year and under different management schemes and stressors gives insight into the magnitude and timing of parasite burdens. When FEC data over time is combined with production, weather and grazing data, more targeted treatment decisions can be made. Resistant parasites are bad, but parasite-resistant cows are good. Selection of cattle that do well in a particular environment, including level of parasite pressure, can improve herd productivity and lessen use of dewormers and hence anthelmintic resistance. One of the advantages of not deworming adult cows is that selection for productive cows is done under the parasite pressure on that ranch. Selecting productive cows does not exactly equate to selecting parasite-resistant cows, as many factors influence production. But selecting cows under heavy deworming may lead to selection of cows that are not naturally parasite-resistant. As parasite resistance becomes more widespread, this could become a future problem. Keep in mind that your parasite control plan should be continually re-evaluated and changed as necessary. Also keep in mind that your parasite control plan has to be integrated with the overall management and herd health recommendations on your particular operation. Your veterinarian can help you prioritize tasks according to your particular problems and goals. The Bottom Line: $$$$ The variability of parasite load and level of resistance on individual operations makes determining the return on investment (ROI) from parasite control very difficult. Key performance indicators (KPIs) of successful parasite control that can be easily measured are weight gain, feed conversion and milk production. Other beneficial impacts are harder to measure, such as the impacts on reproduction, carcass quality and the immune system. Many studies over the years have evaluated these KPIs, but the results may not translate to an individual operation. On-farm trials may be the best way to evaluate the ROI on your ranch. In Summary Gone are the days of easy deworming decisions where the major factors were ease of administration and cost. With no new products expected in the next 5-10 years, we have to do something now to stop the rise in dewormer resistance. Now is the time to get a basic understanding of parasite biology and control measures, to be able to balance the short-term economic benefits of deworming with the long-term impacts of anthelmintic use on resistance. Take the time to learn, plan and finesse your parasite control program with the help of your herd veterinarian, so your parasite control program is sustainable for years to come. SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

Texas Braford BReeders Association

Shawn Gill with Big Monster Heavy Haul

Grant Stanton with National Tank & Equipment

Joe Trapani with Kirby Smith Equipment

Josh Verette with RDO Equipment

Charles & Michelle Johnson with CM Cattle

Elliott & Kenneth Stanton with Stanton Industries

Cole Mobley with BOSS JCB

Thomas Mayfield with WPI

Robert Gwin with Jones Logistics

Thank You to Our Sponsors! 14 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

Brynlee Boudreaux Grand Chiener, LA $1500 Scholarship Winner

Miriam Hargrove Manvel, TX $1500 Scholarship winner

Hayden Hyman Fouke, AR $1500 Scholarship Winner

Kacey Davis Manvel, TX $1500 Heifer Stipend Winner

Robert Mills Hall of Fame Inductee Texas Braford Breeder

Allen Stanton Hall of Fame Inductee Texas Contributor

Danny Boudreaux Hall of Fame Inductee Out of State Contributor

Dr. Jim Harvey (not pictured) Hall of Fame Inductee Out of State Breeder

Kylee Bourque $1500 Heifer Stipend Winner

WE WANT YOU YOU! JOIN TODAY!

Texas Braford BReeders Association

www.TexasBrafords.org • 210-331-8727

Advertising paid for by the

Texas Braford Breeders Association.

wesT oaklawn road • PleasanTon, Texas • 78064

SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

16 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

Advertising paid for by the Texas Braford Breeders Association.

SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

EXPERT ADVICE

CONSIDERATIONS TO MAXIMIZE POSTPARTUM COW FERTILITY

in Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination Programs By Dr. Pedro L. P. Fontes, University of Georgia

eproductive efficiency is the main driver of profitability in the cow/calf segment of the beef industry. Implementing proper reproductive management dictates not only the number of calves an operation is able to produce, but also the quality of the calves being produced. It is important to emphasize that cow-herd fertility goes beyond pregnancy rates. In fact, timing of pregnancy is key when it comes to calf crop quality. The day of the breeding season that a cow becomes pregnant dictates the day of the calving season that she will calve. The distribution of calving events within the calving season plays an important role in the performance of cows and their offspring. Heifers or steer calves that are born in the beginning of the breeding season are older and, consequently, heavier at weaning. Heavier steers at weaning will bring extra dollars when marketed, whereas heifers that are born earlier are more likely to reach puberty before the beginning of the breeding season and consequently perform better as replacements. Therefore, cow/calf producers should consider strategies that maximize the number of cows becoming pregnant in the beginning of the breeding season. Estrus synchronization in combination with fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) is an effective tool to increase the percentage of cows calving early and to maximize the use of sires with superior genetics. Large-scale data collected in both research and field settings indicates that pregnancy rates to FTAI average 50 percent, and mostly range between 40-60 percent. Understanding the factors that drive these differences in pregnancy between herds when postpartum cows are exposed to FTAI can help cattle producers incorporate management strategies that optimize fertility of their herds. Failing to meet the nutrient requirements of the cow herd is the most common cause of suboptimal fertility in postpartum cows exposed to estrus synchronization and FTAI. Research has shown that insufficient intake of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals has been associated with suboptimal reproductive performance in cattle. Of these

18 BRAFORD NEWS l SPRING 2021

nutritional factors that influence reproduction, energy balance is probably the most important. Understanding how nutrient requirements change according to the production cycle of the cow can help cattle producers develop feeding strategies to maintain ideal body condition scores (BCS) and consequently maximize fertility. The period of greatest nutritional needs occurs shortly after calving, when cows are required to produce milk, regain weight lost shortly after parturition, and repair their reproductive tract. If the nutritional program fails to meet the requirements of cows during the postpartum period to an extent that high rates of BCS loss are occurring, suboptimal results are expected. Although prepartum cows have relatively fewer requirements prior to calving, prepartum nutrition is also important. Increasing body condition scores before calving is less expensive, as cows are not partitioning nutrients toward milk production. Also, BCS at calving is a great indicative of fertility in the subsequent breeding season. To efficiently maximize fertility, cow/calf producers should manage cows to calve in adequate BCS and focus on minimizing BCS loss after parturition. This approach will increase the proportion of cows that are cycling before the beginning of the breeding season and increase their fertility to FTAI. Another major factor that impacts postpartum fertility is the interval between calving and breeding. Cows with greater number of days between parturition and artificial insemination have increased fertility to FTAI. As cattle producers focus on producing one calf per cow per year, the best alternative to minimize the average number of days between calving and breeding is reducing the length of the breeding season. This might sound counterintuitive, but gradually decreasing the length of the breeding season increases pregnancy rates over time. This happens because late-calving cows are gradually removed from the herd, decreasing the average days postpartum at the time of breeding, and increasing fertility. Hence, in most parts of the country, cow/calf producers should focus on having a

breeding season of approximately 60 to 70 days. Keeping only replacements that become pregnant in the first 30 days of the breeding season also helps decrease the average days postpartum of the cow herd over time. Several other components of an estrus synchronization and FTAI program also influence pregnancy rates. Semen and sire-related factors are important. Working with companies that have high standards of semen quality control minimizes the risk of having suboptimal fertility results associated with semen quality. When it comes to FTAI, compliance with recommendations is also key. This includes not only following proper semen thawing and artificial insemination

procedures, but also complying with estrus synchronization recommendations. Over the last few decades, several different estrus synchronization protocols were developed. Selecting the correct protocol and complying with its recommendations will help producers maximize pregnancy rates in their FTAI program. Contact your local Extension service for further guidance when incorporating these programs. Additional resources that can guide producers through the process of selecting a synchronization protocol for their specific herd are also available at the University of Georgia’s beef website (www.ugabeef.com).

SPRING 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

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