Braford News | Volume 35 | Issue 2 | Summer 2021 by United Braford Breeders

VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2021

NEWS

Harvey Ranch

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HPS Polled

YW ADJ 1355

SC ADJ 37.9

IMF ADJ 3.72

REA ADJ 14.22

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NEWS VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2021

CONTENTS ASSOCIATION UPDATES Braford Pair at Running M 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

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 SUMMER 2021

PRESIDENT’S NOTES, by robert mills

EXECUTIVE’S NOTES, by bailey k. herrin

NEW MEMBERS

NJBA UPDATE, by miriam hargrove

INDUSTRY NEWS 10

PAYNE MIDYETTE: A LIFE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF FLORIDA & BRAFORD CATTLE,

SHOW RESULTS

by bob stone

EXPERT ADVICE 14

APPROPRIATE ANTIBIOTIC USE IN LIVESTOCK, by dr. lee jones

18 CONSEQUENCES OF LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO ESTRUS SYNCHRONIZATION, by dr. pedro l.p. fontes

READER SERVICES 20

UPCOMING EVENTS

2020-2021 SHOW ANIMALS OF THE YEAR

AD INDEX

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

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wesT oaklawn road • PleasanTon, Texas • 78064

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

BY: ROBERT MILLS, UBB PRESIDENT I hope everyone is excited about upcoming summer events and gatherings as we slowly get to return toward some form of normalcy. Plans are underway for an extraordinary NJBA All American this year in Texarkana. The Junior Committee has been working diligently to bring everything together. They want you to put it on your “must do” list for your family this summer. Both the Texas Junior Brafords and the Louisiana Junior Brafords are also making summer plans for their juniors to enjoy. Details are coming soon on all these events. Watch Facebook for updates as they become available. The Texas Braford Breeders are planning jackpot shows in various locations and dates, as well as a show and sale in Crockett, Texas, for early August. Juniors who are interested in heifers for the upcoming show year should contact Elliott Stanton about the scholarship opportunity that you do not want to miss. Show prospects purchased at this Crockett event will allow the junior purchaser to be eligible for this exclusive scholarship through a limited show competition held exclusively for heifers purchased in the Crockett 2021 sale. The UBB Annual Meeting is to be held also during this Crockett event. It will be good to see everybody together again. There will be a guest speaker as well as all of the annual UBB awards presented. This is a great opportunity for fellowship and social time with our UBB family in a causal atmosphere. Please make plans to attend. The Bull Development Committee is finalizing plans for their Advancing the Breed Sale this fall. Plans are to return 4 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

to a live sale setup as well as a live feed online for those who cannot attend in person. Final details will be forthcoming as they become available. Watch the website as well as Facebook for those announcements. At our last UBB Board meeting in Gonzales, Texas, on May 21, our Executive Director, Bailey Herrin, announced her resignation effective June 11. Please join the Board as we wish Bailey the best as she begins her new endeavors helping her husband, Jeremy, in the family business. We all thank her for the many tasks she took on in her role as Executive Director. I think we can all agree that her shining jewel was the reviving of our all-important Braford News as our quarterly magazine. The Braford News will now continue to be an important promotional tool for our breeders. Our Board of Directors and officer team will be fulfilling her duties during this interim period. Our officers have stepped up and divided responsibilities and duties among us. Our plan is that you, the membership, will not see any change in our office activities. Emma Ramirez will still be answering our phone in the Kingsville office. Soon we will have a new UBB office number that will be answered weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Announcement of that number will be coming shortly. In the meantime, please know that Emma and I will be available to you during office hours to address your questions and concerns. I hope everyone has a great summer enjoying your family and friends. Please make plans to attend all the upcoming summer events in Texarkana and Crockett. We look forward to seeing you all soon.

2020-2021 BRAFORD SHOW FEMALE OF THE YEAR LV GE 702 ANNIE 91

CONGRATULATIONS TO KLANCIE HEBERT!

SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

EXECUTIVE’S NOTES

BY: BAILEY K. HERRIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This past year and a half has been full of ups and downs, along with many tough decisions. It’s never easy to walk away from something that you care about. Choosing to leave the United Braford Breeders was a not an easy decision. A lot of thinking and praying was done before Jeremy and I decided that it was best for our family for me to resign. We own a wireless construction company that has really started to take off. This means that my husband needs someone to take over the day-to-day office operations. With my responsibilities with him increasing, we felt that I wasn’t going to be able to give the UBB the attention it deserves. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many of you – and I am sad to not have had the opportunity to meet the rest of y’all. Thank you for welcoming Jeremy and me into the Braford family with open arms. If there is ever anything I can do in the future to help you or your operation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am proud to say that the UBB is in a good place. The Braford News has been revived and is profitable. New database options are being reviewed, and much more.

The UBB is scheduled to be at the Texas A&M Short Course and the Sunbelt Ag Expo. If you are interested in working either of these events, please reach out to Robert Mills. Both of these events are great opportunities for us to promote the breed and reach a new audience. I want to personally thank the board for taking a chance on this Georgia girl. I have enjoyed the challenge of getting the UBB back on track. I’m blessed to be able to call all of you friends. It has been a pleasure to learn about your operations and your families. The cattle world is small, and I’m sure our paths will cross at some point. A special thank-you to Mrs. Emma Ramirez for helping me learn the ins and outs of the UBB. I know that she will keep everything in line while the board searches for a new executive director. I want to wish all of the Junior exhibitors the best of luck at the All American in Texarkana, Arkansas, July 15 to 17, 2021. The Youth Advisory Committee has a great event planned with some neat prizes. Thank you again to everyone who has made me feel a part of the Braford family. I plan to keep up with y’all via Facebook! In the meantime, stay safe and stay cool.

NEW MEMBERS BRETT KING DAHKOTAH SMITH DENNIS WHITE ETHEL FARMS HENRY HAYES KYLEE BOURQUE LAYTON PARKS LITTLE PECAN CATTLE, LLC LUKE BACCIGALOPI PARKER BREAUX RUSSELL STANTON TRINITY NICOLE TIDBALL VICTORIA MILLS

NJBA UPDATE

BY MIRIAM HARGROVE, NJBA PRESIDENT Hay is getting taller, calves are everywhere, and things are looking up out in the community! I know I am happy that all the restrictions are slowly lifting, and life is going back to some semblance of normal. The UBB has provided us with some exciting opportunities to show this past year, but we haven’t had any jackpots to let our cattle get ring time. That has also affected some of our newer showmen who also needed that ring time. Thankfully, in our neck of the woods we are finally starting to see jackpot shows coming back. They have been sorely missed. With things getting back on track, junior showmen should have plenty of time to get ready for this summer’s events. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming All American NJBA Show from July 15 through 17 in beautiful Texarkana, Arkansas. This event is always fun for the entire family. There are multiple contests for the juniors to participate in – including sales talk, photography, showmanship, livestock judging, quiz bowl, and poster. This

year, we are adding a couple of new contests for folks to try out: beef skillathon and cattle calling. There are even a couple of contests for the parents. I would encourage every NJBA member to try to participate in as many contests as you can. Don’t forget – you can still sign up to participate in the photo and poster contests, even if you are not able to attend in person. All the contests are tons of fun, and you learn new skills every year. If you have questions about any of the contests, give one of the directors a call; we would be happy to answer questions. Another great opportunity for junior showmen will be the Texas Braford Breeders Braford Exclusive Show in Crockett, Texas, on Aug. 7. This show and sale will allow juniors to sell their older show cattle and/or buy new prospects. There will also be a jackpot show associated with this weekend. I hope everyone has had an amazing spring, and I am looking forward to seeing y’all in Texarkana!

8 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

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

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Michelle Johnson, brafords.njba@gmail.com, 337-526-2636 Joey Morris, jmorris@cossatot.us, 870-279-2699 Brandon Smith, bsmithfarm@hotmail.com, 870-584-2908

SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

Payne Midyette A Life Dedicated to Improving the Quality of Florida & Braford Cattle By Bob Stone

n 1706, ancestors of Payne Midyette Jr. sailing from Canada to New Orleans were shipwrecked off the North Carolina coast near Cape Hatteras. As a result of the wreck, the Midyettes chose to settle in North Carolina. Today, there are dozens of descendants of these early settlers – about half of whom changed the spelling of their surname to Midgette – still living in eastern North Carolina. Payne’s father, Payne Midyette Sr., moved from North Carolina to Tallahassee in 1922; Payne’s mother, Charlotte, followed in 1923. Payne Sr. started an insurance agency in 1922, then partnered with Frank D. Moor to form the Midyette-Moor Insurance Agency in 1932. Payne’s father also raised cattle. “There were some registered Hereford bulls at that time,” Payne recalls. “But my father brought the first registered Hereford females into Leon County. That was in the early 1930s.” An excellent businessman, Payne Midyette Sr. achieved great success with the insurance agency. Also adept in governmental affairs, he represented Leon County in the Florida House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947. Through a charitable gift, the Midyettes fund the permanent Payne H. and Charlotte Hodges Midyette Eminent Scholar in Risk Management and Insurance Chair at Florida State University as an expression of gratitude to the community, the insurance industry, and the university. Payne Midyette Jr. was born Aug. 13, 1927, in Tallahassee. From as far back as he can remember, he helped his father with the family cattle. His passion for raising cattle – especially red cattle – remained strong ever since. At an early age, Payne showed a talent for caring for cattle as well as good business sense. “When I was a kid, I used to buy old Pineywoods cows that everybody was selling, because the price was so good. I would bring them to pasture in my dad’s truck, de-worm them with a drench, put them on a good pasture, and in about 90 days I’d take them back to the market and sell them. I’d make spending money as a kid that way.” In 1940, Alto L. Adams of Fort Pierce was appointed as a Florida Supreme Court judge. When he relocated his family to Tallahassee, Payne quickly became close friends with Judge Adams’ son, Alto Jr., known as “Bud.” “Bud and I rode our horses all over the southern part of Leon County and Wakulla County, and camped and explored,” recalls Payne. “We worked in the summertime for Mr. Irlo Bronson. He was one of the great cattlemen of his time and a wonderful mentor. It was a great experience. I had a good time and learned a lot.” Payne and Bud remained

10 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

lifelong friends. After graduating from Leon High School, Payne joined the U. S. Navy Seabees during the latter days of World War II; he was stationed in Rhode Island, Oahu, and several locations in the South Pacific. The war soon ended, and he was discharged on his 19th birthday, Aug. 13, 1946. He then enrolled at the University of Florida and graduated with a degree in Agriculture Economics. Payne then went to work for Bud Adams and his father at the Adams Ranch in Fort Pierce. As was the case with Payne’s father, Bud Adams saw the potential in red cattle, and went on to produce the foundation Braford herd. Payne enjoyed the work and wanted to live in South Florida, but fate intervened when he injured his back riding a bucking bull in a rodeo. Unable to ride a horse for ranch work, he moved back to Tallahassee; it took about one year for him to recover. Payne formed a partnership with his father and took over management of his purebred Herford cattle. He married Jean Jarrett in 1951, and they had three children: Payne III, Mary Hill and Aren. As a family man with growing responsibility, Payne realized in 1956 that he was not earning enough money in the cattle business to support his family. He sold some of his cattle and reluctantly went to work for the Midyette-Moor Insurance Agency. MidyetteMoor became one of the top insurance agencies in Florida. In 1972, the partners sold the Midyette-Moor agency to Alexander and Alexander, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world. Payne continued to run the Midyette-Moor agency until he retired in 1992. During his tenure with the insurance agency, Payne continued to raise cattle, albeit on a reduced scale. “We bought our first Braford cattle from Bud Adams in 1981 – four bulls and 125 heifers,” recalled Payne. After his retirement from the insurance business, he ramped up his cattle operation. Payne operated the Running M Ranch with the help of his grandson (Aren’s son) Will Moncrief, and veteran cowman Kit Storey. Payne was given a Cracker horse by his good friend, Okeechobee veterinarian Dr. Jim Harvey, who is also a Braford breeder. “Jim sent me a little Cracker filly. He said I didn’t charge him enough for a bull I had sold him. And we started riding them, and that’s what we ride today. I’ve got a really nice Cracker stud horse.” Throughout his decades of cattle ranching, Payne maintained a passion for the Braford breed. He was the last president of the old International Braford Association

(IBA); he was instrumental in bringing the IBA and the American Braford Association together to form the United Braford Breeders (UBB) in 1994, and served as its first elected president. At the Annual Membership Meeting in Houston, Texas, in 2012, he was honored by the UBB with the Robert R. Buescher Memorial Award, the UBB’s highest honor for persons who have made significant contributions to the UBB and/or the beef cattle seedstock industry. He served as a wise and steady force on the UBB Board of Directors for years. “We have come a long way with the Braford breed, I think, mainly because of Payne Midyette and Bud Adams, two originals,” Kit Story declares. Throughout his ranching career, Payne was active in the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, having served as president of the Leon Cattlemen’s Association four or five times. He began attending the annual Beef Cattle Short Course at the University of Florida in the 1950s. “He was always very interested in the talks that were given over those three days and very quick to adopt practices that would improve his production,” Dr. Warnick notes. He was also an early member and president of the Florida Beef Cattle Improvement Association, a pioneering organization that did much to improve cattle quality and success in the cow/calf business through record-keeping and improved management practices. Payne was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation in its mission to support research, education and leadership development, and preserve our ranching history and heritage. “I think it’s great. I send the Foundation a donation every year.” Payne Midyette left a lasting impact of Florida’s beef cattle industry as well as the Braford breed.

A Friendship of a Lifetime The Florida cracker way of cooking the steaks with indirect flame is used when the only wood that will burn is lighter knot or other sappy wood. Bud and Payne rode horses many miles together through the years. As teenagers, they would ride out from Tallahassee and try to reach the Gulf. A little later on, they both worked for Irlo Bronson, where camping out sometimes meant soaking a burlap bag in diesel just to keep the mosquitoes and flies off your horse. They both went into the service and then graduated from the University of Florida. They worked together again when Payne was hired by Alto Sr. “Judge” Adams. Among other things, they roped and doctored a lot of screwworm cattle. “Grandpa told me of one memorable time often. Apparently, Mr. Bud had an angry sharp-horned steer caught and Grandpa doctored it. Before Grandpa could get on his horse, Mr. Bud turned the steer loose. The steer chased Grandpa up a thin little myrtle bush and kept him up there for a good while. Mr. Bud always maintained that it was an accident. Grandpa was convinced that he did it on purpose. Either way, they always had a good laugh whenever it was brought up. Until the very end, every time Mr. Bud came across a picture or cartoon of a cowboy up a tree with an angry bovine underneath him, he would cut it out and send it to Grandpa. They both went on to raise Braford cattle on their respective ranches. The two were instrumental in the UBB being where it is today. Despite being some distance apart, they always maintained a good friendship.” -- Will Moncrief SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

Home OF THE 2020-2021 Show Bull of the Year

SR PRIME TIME 1901

2020 TBBA BRAFORD WINTER CLASSIC GRAND CHAMPION BULL 2021 DIXIE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK SHOW RESERVE CHAMPION BULL

Home OF THE 2019-2020 Show Female of the Year

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2019 STATE FAIR OF LOUISIANA GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE 2019 FOUR STATES FAIR RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE 2020 FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE 2020 HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE 2020 DIXIE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK SHOW RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE

Coming April 2022...

Elliott Stanton

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

EXPERT ADVICE

APPROPRIATE ANTIBIOTIC USE in Livestock

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

worked part-time for a Gelbvieh breeder when I was going to veterinary school at Colorado State. One day, the owner told me to go look at a calf that had been treated and see if I could figure out why he wasn’t getting better. The calf had been treated with 2 or 3 shots of different antibiotics without much improvement. Sometimes, the calf would look alright; at other times, he would look pretty sick. When I checked him out he had a big umbilical hernia. Sometimes, a loop of intestines would get caught in the hernia after he ate, and he would be in pain and lie down; but when it slipped back in, he felt better. The problem had gone on long enough that he had lost weight; eventually, he was going to die from intestinal entrapment in the hernia if it wasn’t fixed. Antibiotics aren’t very effective on hernias. The calf wasn’t getting any better because he wasn’t getting the right treatment. 14 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

Appropriate antibiotic use (also referred to as Antimicrobial Stewardship) is simply using the right antibiotic/antimicrobial the right way at the right time. At best, the wrong use of antibiotics is a waste of a rancher’s time and money and an irritation to the already sick patient; at worst, it might contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in livestock and humans and maybe even drug residues in our food supply. The best antibiotic practice is not to have to use them in first place – prevention – but totally eliminating animal disease is not realistic. Good preventive management practices – such as good nutrition, parasite management, biosecurity practices, and proper vaccinations – help reduce the number of cattle that get sick and need treatment. Managing stress and reducing distress of cattle also help keep cattle healthy. Technically, antibiotics are natural substances produced by

one microorganism to kill or prevent the growth of another microorganism. They are part of a larger class of drugs called antimicrobials, which inhibit or kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or protozoans. Antimicrobials also include the synthetically produced drugs that we use to treat bacterial infections and parasites. Antimicrobials act to either kill the bacteria (bactericidal) causing the infection or prevent its growth (bacteriostatic), which allows the immune system to eliminate the infection (provided that the immune system is strong enough to respond to the task). When cattle do get sick they need to be treated quickly and correctly so they heal as soon as possible. An accurate diagnosis is important since some animal diseases are not caused by infectious bacteria (grain overload, sulfate toxicosis, lameness due to injury, nitrate toxicity, etc.) and need to be treated by something other than a shot of antibiotics. When the decision is made to use an antimicrobial, which one should you choose? There are a lot of antimicrobial choices and they are not all the same. Should you choose an over-the-counter product (does not require a prescription), such as penicillin or oxytetracycline, or call a veterinarian and get a prescription for a different drug? It is important to use antimicrobials the way they are labeled. The label directions have been thoroughly researched by the companies and are usually reliable. Using antimicrobials in ways other than their label recommendations is legally allowed in limited circumstances, but only by veterinary prescription. (Many veterinarians do not use injectable procaine G penicillin according to the label dose. Contact your veterinarian for the recommended dose for PPG.) Some antimicrobials are recommended for repeated daily use, while others have extended therapy in a single dose. Some have a long preslaughter withdrawal, while others have no withdrawal. Some drugs are relatively safe, while some people have died following accidental self-injection. There are many considerations when selecting an antimicrobial drug, such as the following: What is the most likely bacteria causing the infection, and is this drug proven effective against it? How does the drug work (does it kill bacteria or just inhibit growth)? How long has the animal been sick (degree of tissue damage)? Can I retreat, or is that the best choice of therapy and length of treatment? How long is the withdrawal? Has the animal been treated with another antimicrobial without improvement? Are there human medical implications? How much does it cost? What additional drugs could I use to help the animal recover? (And other questions.) Many groups have written judicious or prudent antimicrobial use guidelines to advise producers how to effectively use antimicrobials, reduce potential for developing antimicrobialresistant organisms, prevent residues in our food, and preserve antimicrobial use in livestock. The FDA is under considerable pressure to severely restrict the use of antimicrobials in livestock due to concerns that their current use might contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals, which might be transmitted to humans. While there has been no direct link established to prove this theory, the political pressure by several groups has forced the FDA to review how antimicrobials are used in livestock. In 2017, the FDA moved over-the-counter feed and water drugs to VFD and Rx status. In September

2019, the FDA issued Guidance for Industry 263 to explain the process for voluntarily bringing remaining approved animal drugs containing antimicrobials of human medical importance under the oversight of licensed veterinarians by changing the approved marketing status from over-the-counter to prescription (Rx). It is likely that we will see that change in antibiotic availability within the next two or three years. For more about the FDA’s Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings five-year plan, see https://www.fda.gov/media/115776/download. Antimicrobial stewardship has a few basic principles. First is leadership in advocating for stewardship. We have to decide that we are behind this effort and agree that “it’s the right thing to do.” What behaviors and habits need to change to adopt a stewardship mindset? What key influencers – such as veterinarians, farmers, and industry leaderships – need to advocate for stewardship? Second is drug expertise and education. Veterinary continuing education helps veterinarians stay current on antimicrobial efficacy and selection, and producer education and on-farm protocols clarify steps in antimicrobial decisionmaking. In some cases, antibiotics don’t actually improve the outcome of treatment but only add to treatment costs and delay marketing. Third is good record-keeping of antimicrobial use and effectiveness. This is essential for measuring effectiveness of on-farm treatments. Many things can contribute to treatment failures – including treating too late, using the wrong antibiotic, or under-dosing. Analyzing records helps determine where the problems are and how to correct them. Fourth is preventing their need. Good on-farm management, prevention and biosecurity procedures reduce disease and the need for treatments. This saves time, treatment costs, lost production, and animal lives. Simple prevention is better for all aspects of the production system. “The goal of producers is to manage cattle to avoid infectious diseases. Antibiotics are a valuable resource for treating both human and animal diseases. Farmers and ranchers work with veterinarians to implement comprehensive herd-health management plans, and it’s important for veterinarians and producers to have the ability to best manage herd health and raise healthy cattle, which ultimately means a safe food supply.” (Dr Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, NCBA Beef 101.) https://www.ncba.org/newsreleases.aspx?NewsID=2963 Healthy cattle are the foundation of a safe food supply, and antimicrobials are an important part of that. Antimicrobials are an essential tool for ranchers and veterinarians to keep cattle healthy by controlling and treating disease. The antimicrobials that are on the market have been researched and are safe when used according to the label directions. By using these products in a wise manner and by using proven animal husbandry practices to prevent disease, we can assure their effectiveness and availability for future livestock growers. The American Veterinary Medical Association document can be viewed at https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avmapolicies/antimicrobial-stewardship-definition-and-core-principles. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidelines can be viewed at https://www.aabp.org/resources/AABP_Guidelines/ AntimicrobialStewardship-7.27.17.pdf. SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

2021 UBB Annual Meeting August 6, 2021 Crockett, Texas 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.

Stay tuned for more information!

She Sells August 7, 2021 at the Braford Exclusive

903-701-0146 | Hayden

Hyman | Fouke, AR

Selling Registered Braford Bred Cows and Pairs Private Treaty

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 16 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

Bill Rainer Cattle Company registered braford cattle

Cattle Available Private Treaty Bill Rainer

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

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

SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

EXPERT ADVICE

CONSEQUENCES of Long-Term

Commitment to Estrus Synchronization By Dr. Pedro L. P. Fontes, University of Georgia

he use of estrus synchronization programs has substantially increased over the last few decades. These programs allow cattle producers to manipulate the estrous cycle of cows and heifers, facilitating the adoption of biotechnologies such as artificial insemination (AI). Cow/calf operations can combine estrus synchronization with fixedtime artificial insemination (FTAI) and AI all cows from a given herd at a pre-determined time without the need of estrus detection. The development of these estrus synchronization protocols has significantly impacted reproductive management commercially, leading to a remarkable global increase in the use of AI by beef cattle producers. In fact, the number of beef semen straws sold yearly in the United States increased by 145 percent between 1990 and 2017. Studies have repeatedly evaluated the effectiveness of estrus synchronization protocols in combination with FTAI, and pregnancy rates usually range between 40 and 60 percent. These are great numbers, considering that approximately half of our females are becoming pregnant on the first day of the breeding season. Nevertheless, there is still some variation in results between herds when it comes to these programs. For this reason, cattle producers and research groups across the globe are often trying to understand which factors drive these differences in fertility between herds utilizing FTAI. We now know that a variety of factors – such as nutrition, semen quality, AI technician, and vaccinations (to name a few) – can influence the success of an FTAI program. To further explore some of these factors, our research group compared the fertility records of eight different operations in a study led by Dr. Cliff Lamb. Overall, this study had more than 1,500 insemination records that were obtained within the same breeding season. All herds were comprised of predominantly Angus or Angus crossbred cows and utilized the same estrus synchronization protocol. The length of the breeding season was approximately 60 days and the same personnel conducted the estrus synchronization and FTAI procedures at all operations. The pregnancy rates to FTAI for each herd are summarized in Figure 1.

18 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

As expected, pregnancy rates to FTAI averaged 50 percent across all 8 herds. However, notice that pregnancy rates varied from 44.4 percent (Herd 5) to 65.8 percent (Herd 4). To explore these differences in fertility, we split these herds into two categories – (1) Herds with pregnancy rates greater than 50 percent (red bars), or (2) herds with less than 50 percent pregnancy rates (gray bars) – and calculated the interval between the day of calving and the day of FTAI for each cow in the study. Cows from the herds with greater fertility had, on average, two extra weeks to recover between parturition and FTAI compared with cows from the lessfertile herds. We have known for a long time that late-calving cows that have fewer days between calving and breeding are less likely to become pregnant. These cows have less time for their reproductive tracts to recover from the process of parturition and usually reach their peak of lactation during the breeding season. Therefore, these cows are metabolically challenged due to their greater nutritional requirements and are often not cycling at the beginning of the breeding season. For these reasons, regardless of the estrus synchronization protocol or how good our AI technicians were, cows from the less-fertile herds were already “programmed” to have decreased fertility. The calving distribution from the high (Panel A) versus low (Panel B) fertility herds are summarized in Figure 2. Notice that most cows in the more fertile herds calve within the first 21 days of the calving season and, therefore, have more time to prepare themselves for the upcoming breeding season. After realizing how different the calving distributions were when comparing the high versus the low fertility herds, we decided to evaluate what these herds were doing differently to increase the number of early-calving cows and decrease the number of late-calving cows. It turned out that Herds 1, 2 and 3 (Figure 1) had been utilizing estrus synchronization and FTAI for at least five years, whereas Herds 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were utilizing these programs for the first time when this data was collected. This clearly highlights the importance of sticking with the technology. Some producers might get

discouraged after having lower pregnancy rates when they utilize estrus synchronization and FTAI for the first time. We know that estrus synchronization protocols that make use of progesterone can induce cyclicity in cows that have not resumed their normal estrous cycles before the breeding season. Consequently, these programs gradually change when

our cows are calving, shifting the calving distribution over the years, and resulting in more cows calving earlier. Therefore, producers that stick to the technology usually observe a gradual increase in pregnancy rates to FTAI as they decrease the number of late-calving cows in their herds over time.

Figure 1. Pregnancy rates to fixed-time artificial insemination. Figure 1. Pregnancy rates to fixed-time artificial insemination.

Figure 2. Calving distribution of cows in herds with pregnancy rates to fixed-time artificial insemination Figure 2. Calving distribution of cows in herds with pregnancy rates to fixed-time artificial insemination greater (red bars, panel A) or less (gray bars, panel B) than 50 percent. greater (red bars, panel A) or less (gray bars, panel B) than 50 percent.

SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

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20 BRAFORD NEWS l SUMMER 2021

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SUMMER 2021 l BRAFORD NEWS

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UNITED BRAFORD BREEDERS HERD NO. 1

Braford News | Volume 35 | Issue 2 | Summer 2021

Articles inside

PAYNE MIDYETTE: A LIFE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF FLORIDA & BRAFORD CATTLE,

CONSEQUENCES OF LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO ESTRUS

PRESIDENT’S NOTES, by robert mills

NJBA UPDATE, by miriam hargrove