February 19, 2022 Section B

®

Wyoming state veterinarian provides animal health update at Fremont County event Riverton – The Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days took place Feb. 18-19, and during the event, educational speakers presented on topics ranging from pasture seeding to livestock updates.

Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel provided a Wyoming animal health update. Hasel discussed several livestock diseases impacting cattle, poultry and equine throughout the state.

Trichomoniasis “Our goal as the state vet office is to keep cattle in Wyoming marketable,” shared Hasel. “If cattle have trichomoniasis, their value drops considerably. It is our goal to make sure Wyoming cattle don’t have this problem and keep them healthy because Wyoming is an export state.”

It is not unusual to have a herd in quarantine, she noted.

Once a positive animal has been removed, state veterinarians test the entire herd two to three more times to ensure the herd remains negative.

A positive animal doesn’t mean producers can’t sell anything, Hasel said. In addition, booster vaccinations do not trigger false-positive test results in cattle, she added.

“Cattle are vaccinated by 12 months of age, and in highrisk areas, a booster vaccination is administered at least six weeks prior to breeding. The adult is then vaccinated every three years,” she explained.

In July of 2017, the Wyoming Livestock Board issued an order mandating bulls grazing on open and public allot-

Adobe Stock photo

ments, or being traded or leased for reproductive purposes, are to be tested prior to breeding or change of ownership.

Brucellosis updates “Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease which can be transmitted between animals and humans, often referred to as Mediterranean or undulant fever in humans,” she explained. “It’s a disease which causes abortion in cattle, elk and bison.”

The biggest risk for cattle producers is during elk calving periods, typically Febru-

ary through early May. Contact with elk outside of this period doesn’t carry the same risk as it does during calving season, Hasel noted.

Symptoms can vary and may include low-milk production, less thrifty cattle and arthritis, she explained.

One of the primary benefits of the brucellosis vaccine is not disease protection, but abortion protection, she shared.

“Vaccinated livestock can become sick with brucellosis, but when they are vaccinated, cattle are unable to spread it as

much and the vaccine protects them from abortion,” said Hasel. “There is not a vaccine for wildlife, but there are ways to mitigate risk with elk.”

“What we need for brucellosis research is the ability to use an outdoor lab, and currently the disease is on the bioterrorism list; so, it can’t be researched in an outside lab setting,” she said. “It is a disease which affects both humans and animals.”

The state veterinarian’s office has applied to the federal government asking for brucellosis to be removed from the

list, in order for research in an outdoor lab to occur.

“If we export cattle out of the state with brucellosis, our ability to export cattle beyond our borders will be extremely difficult and costly for producers,” she said. “Vaccinating for brucellosis is important.”

“One of the things we do for brucellosis mitigation in the state of Wyoming is encourage producers to develop a herd management plan,” shared Hasel. “If producers have a brucellosis plan in place it can help reduce cost.”

The state veterinarian’s office will work with producers to develop a herd plan to help mitigate brucellosis in the herd.

In addition, the office can assist producers with waivers.

For example, if producers live outside of a designated surveillance area (DSA) and their cattle graze in a DSA, cattle have to be tested in order to go back to the home place.

If producers are unable to test prior to moving cattle, the state veterinarian’s office can provide waivers, but producers need a brucellosis herd plan in place in order to be eligible, explained Hasel.

She noted there has been elk mitigation efforts to decrease the risk of disease to Wyoming cowherds through fencing, hunting and booster vaccinations.

Avian flu While poultry is not a major industry in Wyoming, the state does have backyard flocks, shared Hasel. Recently, flocks in the eastern U.S. have tested positive for the disease.

“Influenza is typically transmitted by wild birds, usually by ducks – they don’t typically get sick,” said Hasel.

“But, Wyoming is in several fly-away patterns for wildlife bird species.”

Hasel encouraged ranchers who own chickens to contact the state veterinarian’s office if birds become sick, as producers can lose a whole flock of birds within a few days.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

HEALTH continued from page B1 be seen and include watery eyes, runny beak, blue combs and a loss of appetite. When symptoms occur, Hasel encourages producers to contact a local veterinarian or the state veterinarian’s office immediately.

An animal disease investigation is at no cost to the producer.

“We want to know what disease is there,” she said.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a Defend the

Flock Program, which offers free tools and resources for following proper biosecurity practices when producers work with or handle poultry.

Equine diseases As of 2021, several states in the U.S. have seen positive Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) cases, with Texas having the most.

WORK. CLEAN. GO.

Wyoming is currently disease free, but it’s still important to be conscious and aware of infection, as many horses are crossing the state’s borders, explained Hasel.

“Looking at EIA trends from 2013 to 2020, the number of EIA horses the U.S. has are from race horses,”

In Wyoming, we depend on healthy livestock, soils and wildlife which require healthy native plant communities. By using certified weed-free hay for your livestock along with cleaning mud, seed and plant debris from your equipment you can help control and prevent the spread of invasive species.

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For more information, visit vetboard. wyo.gov or wlsb.state.wy.us noted Hasel.

Another disease affecting horses is piroplasmosis – a reproductive disease transmitted by ticks. Horses testing positive for EIA are also testing positive for this disease, said Hasel.

“The state of Wyoming does have horse racing, and this is something we need to be aware of, because it’s out there,” she added.

Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) is another disease impacting horses. Hasel reported EHV-1 is impacting horses across the state quite rapidly. She reported there is a positive case in Cody, and she encourages producers to be aware.

There is not a vaccine which covers the neurological form of this disease, she noted. Horses can survive,

but there is not a good treatment for neurological issues.

Vesicular stomatitis is another disease spread by flies and causes blisters around the mouth, on the tongue and coronary bands.

“The bottom line is if producers have a disease they don’t understand and have a sick animal or are losing livestock, they should contact the local veterinarian or state office,” concluded Hasel. “It doesn’t cost anything.”

The state veterinarian’s office will soon be updating their website with the new rules and updates for producers.

Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

Brucellosis surveillance numbers The Wyoming State Veterinarian’s Office is finishing up surveillance testing data for Fiscal Year 2021.

Typically, the state office tests an average of 80,000 to 100,000 head of cattle for brucellosis yearly, noted Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel.

Due to the high risk of exposure in certain areas, the state created a designated surveillance area (DSA).

This DSA includes Park County west of Highway 120, Fremont County west of the Wind River Indian Reservation, all of Teton and Sublette counties and Lincoln County north of Cokeville.

“The biggest chunk of testing data comes from the DSA, but ranches outside of the DSA also test,” Hasel said. “Producers test outside of the DSA because several cattle herds graze in the DSA.” It is important for people to know if their herd is infected by brucellosis, for both commercial and purebred producers in the state, Hasel noted.

“We need to be able to monitor animal disease across the U.S., and animals move quickly, so there is no other way to monitor without having an electronic system to record movement,” added Hasel. “By using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, entities can get data in a heartbeat.”

She encourages producers to use orange or white RFID tags for visibility purposes – these two colors are easier to see.

Wyoming State Chariot Racing Championship March 5 & 6, 2022

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

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Natrona County third grade students engage with agriculture at annual ag expo Natrona County CowBelles hosted the annual Ag Expo at the Fairgrounds Industrial Building Feb. 16-17. Natrona County School District third graders enjoyed viewing and participating in presentations demonstrated by the three Casper FFA chapter volunteers.

Event Organizer Katrena Crimm says 466 children were projected to attend the event. Crimm mentions the Ag Expo leaves a lasting memory on the kids and is something they will remember for years to come.

“The kids get to go home and tell their parents and siblings about the expo and teach them about agriculture,” Crimm says.

She feels exposing children to agriculture at a young age is extremely important.

“Most of these kids are so separated from agriculture – they don’t know the pieces and parts which go into the process,” shares Crimm. “We want the kids to understand why producers do what they do, and we want them to be able to share what they learn at the ag expo with others that may have misconceptions

Wildlife education – Students learn about the habitats and lives of wildlife animals as Wildlife Biologist Mike Pipas holds a coyote skin for Crest Hill students to observe. Kaitlyn Root photo

about agriculture.”

Kaitlyn Root is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Fun with alpacas – Bonnie Dudley assists Crest Hill student Kadi Perry while guiding Precious through the cones in the obstacle course. Kaitlyn Root photo

Hands-on learning – Students were encouraged to interact with animals – sheep, alpacas, goats, cattle, chickens, rabbits and horses. Southridge students pet Brad the horse. Kaitlyn Root photo

Weed identification – Natrona County Weed and Pest Presenter Matt Jolivet teaches Bar Nunn students how to identify certain weeds and what weeds to avoid touching. Kaitlyn Root photo

Saddling horses – Brogan Crimm presents the equipment needed to ride a horse to Bar Nunn students. Kaitlyn Root photo

Roping practice – Students learn how cowboys rope their cattle and attempt to throw a rope themselves. Rylei Samson and Crest Hill student Martin Tucker practice roping cattle. Kaitlyn Root photo

Poultry demonstration – Bar Nunn students pet a chicken held by Mylee Forster. Kaitlyn Root photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

I Picked a Fight with an Anti-Ag About Race In 2017, when I got in the first few vegan, animal rights and anti-ag Facebook groups, I made a self-vow to “observe with no engagement.” I did this for two reasons.

Reason number one: I didn’t want to get caught up in petty arguments. I knew if I commented on the ridiculous opinions and false facts shared by anti-ags, it could turn into a full-time job in the worst way possible. See, the thing with anti-ags is you can argue with them until you’re blue in the face and absolutely nothing will change. Their opinions will stay the same, and you’ll just look like a hot-headed fool.

Reason number two: I didn’t want my cover blown. I knew, and still know, if I interacted with anyone in an antiag group, my “under cover agvocate” status would be

revealed and I’d be kicked out of those Facebook groups. If I got kicked out of the groups, I wouldn’t be able to see what anti-ags were really saying about agriculture.

These reasons have always been in the back of my mind, and I have only broken my vow a handful of times.

However, all those times were to ask a question, not to pick a fight – this was, until this past weekend.

I casually scrolled through Instagram the other night and saw an upsetting post from an anti-ag. The post read as follows.

“How many cattle ranchers and pig farmers do you think support #BLM? My guess is about zero percent, but go ahead and keep defending the meat industry and making these guys rich.”

“I’m speaking from per-

sonal experience here. I’ve lived in all-white ranching and farming communities and believe me when I say they don’t welcome #diversity but keep laughing at people who call the meat industry #racist.

It is 100 percent racist, and I can give MANY examples.”

I read this, sat my phone down and stared at my shoes.

I picked up my phone, read it twice more, once out loud, sat my phone down again and contemplated commenting back.

I told myself to count to 10 – no – 30. Actually, 60. I thought to myself, “This is it, this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. After nearly five years of silence, I can’t hold my tongue on this one.”

My comment read: “Funny, my dad’s a fourthgeneration farmer and rancher, and he adopted a person of color who works on the ranch with him. Don’t group agriculture as a whole into this.”

The original poster then accused my father – a hardworking husband and dad; a guy who’s been preaching for 17 years; a man who empties his pockets for the person on the side of the road holding up a “will work for _____” sign; objectively the best man I know – of “adopting free

labor,” to which I responded my brother, Zack, gets paid just as any other ranch hand does.

To my surprise, a vegan influencer came to my rescue.

They called the original poster “low” for their comments.

The influencer and the poster battled it out for a while, and then, in the blink of an eye, I couldn’t see the post anymore.

Upon further investigation by a good friend of mine, the original poster not only blocked me, but deleted my comments, as well as the vegan influencer’s. This means they wanted to make a bold statement, but delete any shred of push back they received.

Now, let’s evaluate this together. Maybe I commented because this post made me instantly ticked, maybe I was a tiny bit hangry, maybe I was in a frustrated mood from falling down a ski-hill all dadgum day and maybe I shouldn’t have done it.

I mean, I preach being “WARM” – welcoming, approachable, respectful and mindful – all the time. And no, I didn’t really break away from being WARM, but I didn’t really lean into it either.

I guess this post ticked me off so bad because the original

poster brought up a stereotype which drives me crazy.

I’m not naïve, I know racism still exists – I’ve seen it myself and heard it myself.

But you can’t group an entire population of people together and say every single person in said population is this way or that way.

Maybe in the original poster’s experience, most of the farmers and ranchers they encountered were in fact racist.

But does this really track?

I mean, it would be like me saying, “I hate skiing, I’m terrible at it,” and give up on it forever just because my first time down the hill I fell about a dozen times.

I shouldn’t write off skiing forever; this person shouldn’t write off farmers and ranchers as racists forever; and I can’t let them influence others to do the same thing when there’s a prime example of a ranching, anti-racist who raised me.

I guess the point I’m trying to make here is this: There’re some things you can’t help but stand up for, and it’s okay to fight back if you’ve got the ammo.

Another agvocate and I discussed this encounter briefly after it happened. She said she commented on the

original post as well but low and behold, her comment was also deleted and she was then blocked.

I told her this was the closest thing we’ll ever get to a win over someone like this – their opinion may not change, but at least they feel threatened enough by the truth to censor it from their followers.

Looking back, I think I have to view this post as an opportunity to educate rather than venom poisoning the minds of the original poster’s followers.

It was an opportunity for me to educate their followers for the few hours my comment was still live.

It was an opportunity for me to practice engaging with anti-ags without being blinded by rage. And above all, it was an opportunity for me to stand up for farmers and ranchers in regard to a statement I know for a fact is blatantly false.

This was a small win for ag in my book. One of these days, the tiny battles will add up and we’ll win the war on agriculture.

But today, I make a new vow: I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure we have a victory in the long run – and I promise, I won’t break this one.

Silver Star Internet tackles some of the most challenging areas to connect in the country

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Freedom – Silver Star Internet is no stranger to challenge – local residents had to build it from the ground up.

“The company was a rural telco started by farmers and ranchers in the area back in 1912,” said Chief Operating Officer Paul Petersen. “They named it Silver Star Telephone Company.”

Bell Telephone Company would not expand service to lower Star Valley in Wyoming because the population was too sparse. So, the local group got creative and used livestock fencing to carry telephone lines across the valley.

Fast forward to 2021 and Silver Star Internet, now owned by the Hoopes family, employs 125 people and provides internet service throughout eastern Idaho and western Wyoming – and is working to expand its fiber optic network.

“We want to be 100 percent fiber at some point,” Petersen said. “Our number one priority

is making sure we can continue to provide the best-in-class service for our existing customers and get those still on canopy or copper transferred to fiber.”

But just like in those early days, it doesn’t come easy.

Work fast, work hard and don’t look down One of the biggest challenges is the amount of time allowed or available for building new internet infrastructure.

To put it simply, the window is short in Wyoming.

“Right now, we’re pretty much shut down for construction until springtime,” Petersen explained. “When the ground thaws, we have to work as fast and as efficiently as possible during an extremely limited time. This can be a challenge because in some areas – with sensitive environments, it is important to not disturb, and in many places, the crew needs to navigate very rocky and steep terrain. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

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He’s not kidding. The company covers a huge territory, including Grand Teton National Park, which has both clear regulations for construction and a top elevation of 13,775 feet, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which starts at 6,311 feet and climbs to a whopping 10,450 feet.

“Jackson Hole is also a unique situation,” said Petersen.

“There are high-end homes in the area wanting high-speed internet, but everybody loves their landscape – which is why they move to the area – so we have to be sensitive. Plus, the time window for Jackson is even more limited than other places because the city won’t allow construction at certain times.”

As if weather, steep terrain and local regulations aren’t challenging enough, there’s now a national supply chain issue. It’s taking every internet service provider longer to get what they need to expand and

build new infrastructure.

“We saw this coming last year, so we started pre-buying materials and we have been able to keep things moving and be fairly fluid,” he said.

“Right now, anything plastic is the hold up, which is weird, but handholds, conduit and those kinds of things are in short supply. It’s going to be an ongoing challenge for all providers – they’re going to have to effectively forecast the material they’ll need, order as much as 24 months in advance and stay ahead.”

Petersen says the team at Silver Star always knew connecting communities was important for area hospitals, schools and businesses but adds no one could have predicted just how critical this connection would become.

The pandemic comes to a small town Violet Sanderson is the town administrator for Afton, a town of about 2,000 residents.

She’s also a mother of four children – the oldest is 19 years old and the youngest is seven years old.

When schools shut down and students were sent home to learn remotely due to COVID19, “there was an uneven playing field for the kids,” explained Sanderson. “Many in our community did not have the internet access they needed to get to their online classrooms.”

Silver Star Internet did its best to respond quickly to help Afton and other areas. The company set up free mobile hotspots in Wyoming and Idaho for local families and businesses to use as needed. Then, when federal funding for expanding access was later made available, the company moved quickly to reach more homes.

“Even before the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funding,

Silver Star had laid most of the fiber through the main street,” said Sanderson. “The CARES Act helped them expand it to new locations more economically. As a result, most people were able to get it installed in their home for free and get better bandwidth and speeds at a reasonable price they could afford.”

Sanderson says her bill went from $47 to just under $60, and she’s quick to point out the increase is a small price to pay to have the access her family needs.

“We can work from home and have the kids at home,” she said. “It gave us the capabilities we needed which we didn’t have in the initial shutdown.”

Sanderson adds making sure everyone has high-speed internet access is critical for local businesses, government and public health. In fact, for many in Wyoming it can take up to two hours of travel, one way, to reach a health care clinic, and the weather which limits Silver Star’s construction season can also make it difficult to travel – isolating more people.

“During the COVID-19 shutdowns, there was a lot of information which needed to be handed out to the public,” she said. “We needed internet to reach everyone. Telemedicine was also crucial to limiting exposure and keeping people safe. In addition, I think our local businesses are just beginning to understand how fiber helps them with marketing strategies and surviving these kinds of challenging times.”

“Having fiber has really leveled the playing field for almost everybody and put us in the running to be a more marketable community,” Sanderson added. “Lots of people want to live in rural America and enjoy our natural resources, but they need to be able to work at home

remotely.”

With connectivity comes peace of mind Petersen says Silver Star is also working in partnership with the Wyoming State Broadband Program and its Idaho counterpart to expand and improve internet access to other places like Afton. The Wyoming program is currently trying to find areas which need better connectivity across the state and is asking residents as well as K-12 parents to complete a speed test and survey at wyobbmap.org.

Silver Star is also involved in state and federal policy development and is closely tracking funding opportunities to speed up deployment.

“We’re also not shy about putting in our own money to ensure our customers have the services they need for themselves, their businesses and their families,” added Petersen.

“We’ve been very conscious a lot of people would like us to move faster, and understandably so. This is why we’re going to continue to work to expand and improve upon our services as soon as possible.”

It’s something Sanderson says she can’t thank Silver Star’s staff for enough.

“One of the biggest things is, if we didn’t have the fiber now, then the whole community would be anxious and stressed out about the idea of another shutdown. IIf you’re locked down and have two people needing to work and two people needing to go to school, then you have to have high-speed internet available. The company has given us all a small sense of security things are not going to come to a screeching halt.”

This article is courtesy of the Wyoming State Broadband Program. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

B5

Continued good news shared for grasshopper risk across Nebraska and Wyoming rangelands

Northwest Wyoming Angus Association

In a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Panhandle Research and Extension Center press release, Extension Entomologists Jeff Bradshaw and Bob Wright discussed updates on grasshopper risks on rangeland.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the risk of grasshopper infestation in most Nebraska and Wyoming rangelands will be low in 2022, with slightly higher risk in southwestern Nebraska and central Wyoming, based on fall adult surveys conducted by APHIS, they shared.

As the accompanying map illustrates, a majority of the western U.S. is projected to have low numbers.

APHIS continues to provide regular updates on the

•

Impact areas – This U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) map indicates the 2022 rangeland grasshopper hazard based on fall 2021 grasshopper population surveys. Blue shaded areas represent very-low populations, then green, then orange and red representing the highest per-acre populations. USDA APHIS photo

FEATURING SON OF

For more information, visit cropwatch. unl.edu. status of rangeland grasshoppers across the region.

Grasshopper numbers are responsive to environmental conditions; however, species differ in their response to precipitation, plant communities, soil characteristics and microclimate, they explained.

A wet spring and rains at time of grasshopper hatching and development from mid-May through June improves rangeland forage quality and reduces the loss from grasshopper infestation.

Current long-range weather forecasts through March have indicated normal conditions, which might mean a continuation of cool, dry weather

through the end of March.

However, conditions beyond March appear to have a high degree of uncertainly at present, the entomologists highlighted.

Spotty occurrences of high grasshopper densities often occur throughout western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming and some parts of central Wyoming even in low-risk years. Therefore, ranchers and range managers should maintain vigilance to monitor grasshopper densities during hatching periods, they concluded.

This article is courtesy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

44th Annual Sale

Tues., March 22, 2022 1:00 p.m. MST Riverton Livestock Auction Bulls are PAP, BVD and Semen Tested Sale viewing and Bidding available online at

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Sale day phone beside phones listed is 307-856-2209.

For information regarding the sale or for a sale catalog contact: Fred & Kay Thomas - (307) 868-2595 • fkdramsrus@gmx.com

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B6

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

By Paul Dykstra

Review and lessons from the 2021 cattle market Starting in March 2020, disarray set in motion a chain of events leading to the fed cattle backlog from plant closures slowing the supply chain throughout 2021. While the market likes to avoid the unknown, the last two years put the beef business in uncharted territory.

The first quarter of 2021 expected to see the last of the ultra-heavy carcasses. Yet, even a year later, fed cattle currentness has not returned for any significant period of time.

Carcass weights often indicate currentness in the fed cattle sector, and with weights still trending higher, there was

little improvement.

Combined steer and heifer carcass weights averaged 877 pounds in 2021, just three pounds lower than 2020 and 23 pounds heavier than 2019.

The number of cattle on feed for more than 150 days in the fourth quarter of 2021 also outpaced the 2020 head count for the same period – another indicator currentness in the feedlot sector was not achieved.

Record cutouts and grade, improving demand These factors created divided pricing stories for cattle and wholesale beef prices, also known as cutout.

Montana Performance Bull Co-op™ Herd Bull quality in volume

Friday •

Carcass quality – Last year, the cattle industry saw the highest quality carcasses in modern history, with U.S. Department of Agriculture Prime averaging 10 percent. There will likely be less carcass quality advances in 2022, as market-ready cattle become more current. Certified Angus Beef photo

The bottleneck in the packing sector kept fed cattle prices in check yet again during 2021, although much improved over 2020.

The five-state fed steer price averaged just $108 per hundredweight (cwt) in 2020 versus $122 per cwt in 2021, a 13 percent advance.

Selling 200 Bulls

with

Annual Bull Sale

March 18, 2022

Large Groups of Half Brothers

• 1:00 pm

at the Midland Bull Test Sale Facility, Columbus, MT

Basin Deposit 1178

+10 BW +1.3 WW +90 YW +160 Milk +28 CW +82 Marb +1.39 RE +.76 $M +74 $C +348 CED

Lot

18

SCC Exclusive 16J

CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb RE

Lot

13

Basin Freedom 1091

$M $C

CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb Lot

RE

8

$M $C

+7 +1.1 +68 +127 +27 +46 +.64 +.50 +60 +268

+12 -0.6 +65 +124 +40 +53 +1.19 +.72 +79 +302

Basin Spur 1134

+12 +0.9 WW +64 YW +125 Milk +34 CW +60 Marb +1.09 RE +.78 $M +92 $C +329 CED BW

Lot

51

BCC True North 34J

CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb Lot

32

BCC Natural Law 46J

RE $M $C

CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb Lot

117

RE $M $C

+12 -0.4 +58 +112 +30 na na na +72 na

+7 +1.7 +56 +95 +31 +43 +.18 +.54 +53 +210

Sire groups by: Basin Deposit 6249 • Square B True North 8052 SydGen Enhance • Vermilion Spur E143 Basin Payweight 1682 • Sitz Stellar 726D Basin Broker 9162 • Basin Freedom F361 Basin High Noon 9079 • Basin Rainmaker 8584 Benchmark Tender Beef 11’17 • EXAR Rolex 8709B GB Fireball 672 • Musgrave Exclusive 1175

For more information, contact any of the Montana Performance Bull Co-op consignors Brian Barragree • 406/780-1219

Rob Aumueller • 406/321-2470

Shane Whiteman • 406/366-0688

Doug Stevenson • 406/350-0350

Yet, the comprehensive cutout price advance from the 2020 average of $233 per cwt to $275 in 2021 was an 18 percent change.

From 2019 to 2021, the dressed delivered steer prices declined from 85 percent of the comprehensive cutout value to 71 percent. This is a reflection of the backlog of fed cattle and the extended trailing effect it had on depressing cattle prices.

Strengthening beef demand was not deterred as record annual cutout prices were posted. Unseasonal price spikes for several subprimal cuts, particularly the ribeye, elevated total carcass cutouts to new heights most notable in the second through fourth quarters.

Just as customers were seeing record beef prices in the grocery store, the spreads were recordwide between each of the beef quality grades.

The Choice per Select spread touched a record oneweek high of $32 per cwt in mid-summer, while this measure averaged $16.45 per cwt for the year, compared to $8.75 per cwt in 2021 and $10.47 per cwt in the fiveyear average.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Prime premiums above Choice were also record high, touching $84 per cwt in November and averaging $45.71 per cwt for the year.

The Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand premium to Choice has been resilient for the past two years averaging $17 per cwt, pushing to this new threshold after averaging $12 per cwt in the previous five-year average.

Through November, annual U.S. beef exports were 16 percent larger in 2021 than the year prior with export value up 39 percent.

The record-wide price spreads occurred counter to what one would expect with the highest quality carcasses in modern history. The Prime category continues to capture a larger share of the fed cattle carcass mix averaging 10 percent across the industry for the past two years, double the 2015 rate.

The Choice grade was steady and record high for the past two years at 72 percent, a culmination of 15 years of carcass quality improvement pulling Choice up from just 51 percent of fed cattle in 2006. CAB carcasses were over eight percent higher in 2021 with weekly head count totals near 115,000 head and a consistent 36 percent acceptance rate among eligible carcasses.

The fed cattle backlog created the negative consequence of increased days on feed and heavier finished cattle weights, adding to the Yield Grade (YG) four and five categories.

Currentness of marketready cattle supply is expected to level out later in 2022 with average days on feed declining. If this trend develops, expect to see fewer over-finished cattle and the proportion of YG fours and fives smaller.

Looking ahead Cattle supply and beef demand expectations for 2022 are optimistic as the national beef cowherd declines due to drought conditions in the northern and western parts of the country.

While several companies plan to expand packing capacity, the timeline for those facilities to commence slaughter suggests it will take several months to see a difference.

Even so, the cattlemens’ share of carcass cutout values is set to increase as packers find fewer finished cattle to choose from in the near future.

Considering the production factors of the past two years, it’s logical to consider advances in carcass quality, or higher marbling scores, will be less likely to develop in 2022 than in the previous two years.

With this said, price spreads for higher quality carcasses are also more likely to remain wider than they have historically.

It’s time to write 2022’s history, and there is optimism it will favor the producer.

Paul Dykstra is the assistant director of supply management and analysis at CAB. He can be reached at pdykstra@certifiedangusbeef.com.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

OBITUARIES

B7

Nathan Wheeler Graves Oct. 9, 1983 – Feb. 12, 2022

We welcome obituaries. Obituaries are printed free of charge and can be sent to roundup@wylr.net.

George L. Ochsner

May 12, 1933 – Feb. 13, 2022

George L. Ochsner, 88, was born May 12, 1933 to Godfrey and Esther Ochsner. He was born in his original homestead house 20 miles north of Torrington. George died at his home north of Torrington on Feb. 13.

George’s education consisted of attending several country schools in the Burge community.

George was married 64 years to the woman he adored, Ruby Arnold Ochsner. They set a great example of Christian love and marriage for many.

Their union brought four children: Tena (Elden) Baldwin, Rodney (Deb) Ochsner, Dixie (Steve) Roth and Blake (Chrissy) Ochsner.

The love of ranching was instilled in all four children. George was blessed with eight grandchildren: Erin (Jeff) Hinton, Jason (Shannon) Baldwin, Jeremy (Angela) Ochsner, Vanessa (Chris) Crisman, Sarena (Cody) Assmann, Rustin (Britte) Roth, Katie (Devin) Martin and B.W. (Terra) Ochsner.

He adored his 14 great-grandchildren and was looking forward to welcoming two more this summer.

George was blessed

to still have his three siblings: Jack Ochsner, Delores Hatch and Marge Smith.

George will be remembered as a hardworking, honest family man and cattleman.

He was always striving to improve his ranch through land and cattle.

His great knowledge will be missed by many.

George never knew a stranger!

George was recognized for many things, but being selected to the Hereford Hall of Fame in Kansas City and having the ranch chosen for the 2020 Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Award were among his favorites.

George was involved with many ag-related organizations and church.

George’s great insight, love of life and love of family and friends will be missed by many.

His legacy will continue through his children and grandchildren.

His final words would be, “Now everyone, get out and get to work!”

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. on Feb. 19, at the First Wyoming United Presbyterian Church with Reverend Matt Gordon officiating.

Burial followed in the Valley View Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Wyoming Junior Hereford Association, the Prairie Center Fire Department or the Mennonite School.

Arrangements are by the Colyer Funeral Home and condolences may be sent to colyerfuneralhome.com.

Cover crop program offered Cover crops offer agricultural producers a natural and inexpensive climate solution through their ability to capture carbon dioxide into soils. But cover crops don’t just remove CO2 from the atmosphere, they also help make producers soil healthier and crops more resilient to a changing climate.

Farmers with crop insurance who plant cover crops can receive a premium benefit. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced there would be a second year of the program, called the Pandemic Cover Crop Program, which helps farmers continue to manage their cover crop systems amid the pandemic.

The deadline to file the acreage report is March 15.

“This program will reduce producers’ overall premium bill to help ensure producers can continue this climate-smart agricultural practice,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger.

In addition, cover crops are one of many ways producers can help mitigate the effects of climate change on land and improve a producer’s bottom line at the same time.

Recently, USDA unveiled the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. This is $1 billion in grants for projects to help develop market opportunities for commodities produced using climatesmart production practices.

To learn more, visit farmers.gov.

Nathan Wheeler Graves, 38, from Kaycee, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on Feb. 12, after a two-and-a-half

year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

He fought a courageous battle, never letting the disease affect his attitude, determination or sense of humor.

Even when faced with death, Nathan continued to be a positive impact and provided peace and comfort to those around him.

Nathan was born on Oct. 9, 1983 in Casper to Wayne and Gayann (Hickok) Graves.

He graduated from Kaycee High School in 2002.

Nathan was a fifth-generation cattle rancher and grew up on his family’s ranch in Barnum. He was an awardwinning bareback horse rider in high school, college and in professional rodeo.

On Aug. 31, 2018, Nathan married the love of his life, Tori Managan and they had one son together, Noble.

Nathan was a loving father, husband, son, brother and friend. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Nathan is survived by his expecting spouse Tori Graves and their son, Noble Graves; his parents Wayne and Gayann Graves; and his older sister Jonna Cubin. He is

also survived by his grandpa Lorne Hickok and numerous nieces and nephews. He will also be greatly missed by his dog, Gypsum.

There will be a celebration of life at Harold Jarrard Park in Kaycee on Feb. 26, 2022 at 4 p.m. If you are sick, please stay home.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Nathan Graves Scholarship Fund. The cholarship will be based on merit, determination and grit for Johnson County students.

Checks can be sent to the Kaycee Area Community Foundation, Nathan Graves Care Fund, PO Box 27, Buffalo, WY 82834.

Selling

100 head of yearling and 2 year old bulls

Y KIND OX COWBO 100 6

OX BOW RANCH

Lot 1

WOLF CREEK, MT

OX ATLANTIS 1203

Spring Sale WEDNESDAY

Lot

OX ATLANTIS 1205

MARCH 2, 2022

17

Lunch at noon • Sale at 1 pm at the Ranch in Wolf Creek, MT

OX OUTRIDER 1227

Lot 46 Lot

OX OUTRIDER 1604

Featuring

Sire Groups By

Mytty Resource 7701 • Justified 3023 War Party 1472 • HA Cowboy Kind 8157 HA Outrider 9672 • B/R MVP 5247 Square B Atlantis 8060

Lot

OX OUTRIDER 1605

13

6

All bulls are Ultra-sounded, Freeze Branded, BVD tested, and Breeding Soundness/Fertility Exam.

FULL CALENDAR YEAR GUARANTEE OX ATLANTIS 1613

Lot

Marc Orem

Ranch Manager Office: 406/ 235-4281 Marc’s Cell: 541/ 965-0088 oxbowranch1725@gmail.com

3 Lot 15

OxBowRanchAngus.com

B8

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

Beehives imported to California for pollination California grows 1.5 million acres of almonds, and every spring, all of the acreage must be pollinated.

With almond blossoms being a rich source of food for honeybees, it’s a natural symbiotic relationship. The problem in California is there are not enough bees to pollinate such a large number of almond trees.

To help mitigate this problem, the state imported roughly 2.1 million beehives for the 2021 almond pollination. Assuming each hive contains roughly 20,000 worker bees, this comes out to 42 billion bees. Hive imports will likely increase in 2022, as more almond

acreage enters bearing age, according to Jacob Wenger, assistant professor of entomology at California State University in Fresno.

“Most hives will leave shortly after almond petal drop in mid to late March,” Wenger said. “This is because outside of the bloom season, almond orchards are a veritable food desert for honeybees with little to no flowering plants for them to forage on.”

Not all bees return to their home states, though. Some will move north to the state of Washington to assist in the pollination of apples, pears and cherries, accord-

ing to Buzz Landon, president of the California State Beekeepers Association.

A small number of hives will stay in California for a few months to pollinate other smaller acreage crops, such as stone fruits, cane berries, apples, melons, squash and seed crops, Wenger said.

About 40 percent of commercial beehives travel to the upper Midwest because of the natural prairie grasses and conservation farms in those states, which provide the honeybees with a variety of forage.

Just like humans, honeybees need variety, Lewis said.

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Join our mailing list at BieberRedAngus.com or call (605) 439-3628.

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OBITUARIES

We welcome obituaries. Obituaries are printed free of charge and can be sent to roundup@wylr.net.

Leland G. Christensen April 30, 1959 – Feb. 3, 2022

Leland G. Christensen was born in Provo, Utah on April 30, 1959 to Charles Morris Christensen and Sarah Ann Hutchinson Christensen.

Leland passed away Feb. 3, at the age of 62 just before midnight at EIRMC Hospital in Idaho Falls, Idaho from complications due to COVID-19 and cancer.

At age four, Leland moved with his family to American Samoa where his parents taught school. He dug up plants at his daycare and his dad helped him replant them.

After two years, the family moved to Shaktoolik, Alaska and then to Wales, Alaska for four years where Leland learned to love hunting and the outdoors.

With his father he hunted seal, oogruk and walrus and, with his father’s hand, built a walrus skin boat when they harpooned the first whale for the village in over 50 years.

In 1971, the family returned to Alta. Alta was home and Leland loved it. He loved family pack trips.

Summer was filled with adventures with family and cousins. Hunting, riding horses, exploring ice caves, riding motorcycles, sleigh rides and rafting rivers were lifelong joys for Leland. He wanted to share all the fun with everyone.

Every June, he would lead family and friends on a 30-mile pack trip into the headwaters of the Yellowstone.

Another annual Leland event was cutting Christmas trees after Thanksgiving with campfire treats and Christmas carols. Leland was a believer in life learning.

He was an avid reader and adventurer with a great sense of humor.

Leland’s sage advice was, “Don’t give up and don’t ever quit” and “You’ve got today, live it!”

Leland met his soulmate, Anita Lu Hare, at the disco. He loved dancing with Anita his whole life. They were married in Rexburg, Idaho on Jan.

16, 1981 and later sealed for time and eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple.

With his own family beginning to grow, Leland headed off to the police academy for a career.

Leland’s greatest joy in life was being a husband, father and grandfather.

He was famous for making up silly nicknames for his grandkids, nieces and nephews. Every gathering and conversation was more fun and interesting when Leland showed up. He was loved by all!

Leland learned to work hard. One of his first jobs was logging with John Jeffs, and he served 20 years in law enforcement for Teton and Lincoln counties.

In addition, Leland served 15 years in the Army Special Forces with the National Guard.

He was also a Teton County Commissioner for six years, on the fair board for many years, auctioneer for many charities and events, bomb tech for the state of Wyoming, Republican Wyoming State Senator for eight years, Wyoming Deputy Director of Homeland Security for Gov. Mark Gordon for two years and his last job was state director for U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis.

Leland loved Wyoming and serving her people.

Leland was preceded in death by his infant daughter Hali Ann and his father Charles (Chuck) Morris Christensen.

He is survived by his mother Sarah Ann Christensen; sister LeAnn (Richard) Bednar; sister Janelle Mattson (Clair Yost); brother Mathew Christensen; brother Edwin Charles (Marcie) Christensen; sister Catherine (Vernon) Hatch; wife Anita Lu Hare Christensen; daughter Brittany Leigh (Jordon) Seemann; daughter Simone Drew (John) Bussleburg; son Hunter Cole (Brigette) Christensen; son Jed Brede (Linzi) Christensen; son Wyatt Wales (Haley) Christensen; grandchildren Taw, Charles, Stetson, Ronan, Scout and baby on the way Seemann; Semper, Creed, Elly Mae, Bridger and Brookes Bussleburg; Eowyn Christensen; and Cless and Darby Christensen.

Funeral services will be on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m.

Visitation will be Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. and again Saturday 9-10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral.

All services will be at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Driggs, Idaho Stake Center.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

SALE REPORTS Booth's Cherry Creek Angus Ranch Annual Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor Feb. 10, 2022 Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch, Veteran Auctioneer: Lander Nicodemus 115 Fall Angus Bulls Avg. $5,611 22 Two-Year-Old Angus Bulls Avg. $4,568 Top Sellers Lot 3 – Cherry Crk Achievement H199M – Price: $17,000 DOB: 9/2/20 Sire: Poss Achievement Dam’s Sire: S Powerpoint WS 5503 EPDs: BW: +0.1, WW: +93, YW: +156 and Milk: +12 Buyer: Lyman Livestock, Salem, Utah Lot 32 – Cherry Crk Stellar H122 S – Price: $12,000 DOB: 8/13/20 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: Cherry Crk Solution B61 M EPDs:

BW: +1.5, WW: +83, YW: +150 and Milk: +26 Buyer: Mike Dyer, Crawford, Neb. Lot 5 – Cherry Crk Stellar H360 M – Price: $11,000 DOB: 9/16/20 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: SR Impression 2076 EPDs: BW: -0.4, WW: +61, YW: +107 and Milk: +23 Buyer: Edwards Livestock, Laramie Lot 6 – Cherry Crk Enforcer H391 S – Price: $11,000 DOB: 9/19/20 Sire: S S Enforcer E812 Dam’s

Durbin Creek Ranch Annual Polled Hereford Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor Feb. 9, 2022 Big Horn Basin Livestock Auction, Worland Auctioneer: Joe Goggins 99 Two-Year-Old Hereford Bulls Avg. $5,175 247 F1 Baldy Heifer Calves Avg. $1,147 Top Sellers Lot 1 – DCR 428B Manhattan 0018 – Price: $20,000 for half interest DOB: 4/2/20 Sire: Churchill Manhattan 429B ET Dam’s Sire: Anchor 44U EPDs: BW: +1.4, WW: +55, YW: +83, Milk: +26 and M&G: +54 Buyer: Armstrong Ranch, Lander Lot 2 – DCR 428B Manhattan 0072 – Price: $11,000 for half interest DOB: 4/10/20 Sire: Churchill Manhattan 429B ET Dam’s Sire: LBH 40W Ribstone

24Y EPDs: BW: +2.9, WW: +60, YW: +90, Milk: +30 and M&G: +60 Buyer: Darrin Uttecht, Woonsocket, S.D. Lot 15 – DCR 428B Manhattan 0042 – Price: $9,000 DOB: 4/5/20 Sire: Churchill Manhattan 429B ET Dam’s Sire: K 68L Standard Lad 144P EPDs: BW: +2.3, WW: +54, YW: +84, Milk: +27 and M&G: +54 Buyer: Mark Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, Ore. Lot 57 – DCR 199B Cowboss 0209 – Price:

Pilakowski Angus Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor Feb. 14, 2022 Lighting Valley Ranch, Arthur, Neb. Auctioneer: Matt Printz 45 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $7,467 Top Sellers Lot 4 – MMP Unique J08 – Price $29,000 DOB: 1/12/21 Sire: Carter’s Unique G211 Dam’s Sire: BUBS Southern Charm AA31 EPDs: BW: +1.1, WW: +74, YW: +131 and Milk: +33 Buyer: ABS Global, DeForest, Wis. Lot 2 – MMP Blackhawk J03 – Price: $13,000 DOB: 1/11/21 Sire: Connealy Blackhawk 6198 Dam’s Sire: S A V Pioneer

7301 EPDs: BW: +2.8, WW: +77, YW: +137 and Milk: +30 Buyer: Valley Line Ag, Valentine, Neb. Lot 3 – MMP Blackhawk J27 – Price: $13,000 DOB: 1/15/21 Sire: Connealy Blackhawk 6198 Dam’s Sire: Carter’s Omaha EPDs: BW: +2.6, WW: +96, YW: +166 and Milk: +26 Buyer: Joseph Angus, Winner, S.D. Lot 7 – MPP Unique J60 – Price: $12,000 DOB:

Sire: Haynes Upward 307R 032 EPDs: BW: +1.2, WW: +76, YW: +150 and Milk: +30 Buyer: Grant Jones, Benkelman, Neb. Lot 22 – Cherry Crk Patriarch H249 KC – Price: $10,500 DOB: 9/8/20 Sire: Tehama Patriarch F028 Dam’s Sire: K C F Bennett Absolute EPDs: BW: -4.3, WW: +64, YW: +126 and Milk: +34 Buyer: Mike Dyer, Crawford, Neb. Lot 13 – Cherry Crk Patriarch H268 M – Price: $10,000 DOB: 9/11/20 Sire: Tehama Patriarch F028 Dam’s Sire: MAR Innovation 251 EPDs: BW: -0.4, WW: +77, YW: +134 and Milk: +31 Buyer: Jack Cobb, Savery Lot 27 – Cherry Crk Patriarch H154 S – Price: $10,000 DOB: 8/20/20 Sire: Tehama Patriarch F028 Dam’s Sire: Cherry Crk Payweight C133 M EPDs: BW: +1.5, WW: +68, YW: +133 and Milk: +40 Buyer: Jack Cobb, Savery $9,000 DOB: 4/5/20 Sire: NJW 78P 88X Cowboss 199B ET Dam’s Sire: NJW 73S M326 Trust 100W ET EPDs: BW: +3.1, WW: +51, YW: +87, Milk: +29 and M&G: +54 Buyer: Mark Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, Ore. Lot 13 – DCR 428B Manhattan 0031 – Price: $8,500 DOB: 4/4/20 Sire: DCR 428B Manhattan 6009 Dam’s Sire: BBSF 465 Boyd 78B EPDs: BW: +3.6, WW: +61, YW: +95, Milk: +33 and M&G: +64 Buyer: Mark Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, Ore. Lot 65 – DCR 199B Cowboss 0256 – Price: $8,500 DOB: 4/22/20 Sire: NJW 78P 88X Cowboss 199B ET Dam’s Sire: THR Thor 3060A EPDs: BW: +5.1, WW: +54, YW: +89, Milk: +27 and M&G: +54 Buyer: Mark Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, Ore. 1/21/21 Sire: Deer Valley Unique 5635 Dam’s Sire: TC Gridiron 258 EPDs: BW: +1.1, WW: +81, YW: +132 and Milk: +26 Buyer: Ardissano Brothers, Oshkosh, Neb. Lot 5 – MPP Exclusive J62 – Price: $11,000 DOB: 1/21/21 Sire: Musgrave 316 Exclusive Dam’s Sire: Sitz Top Game 561X EPDs: BW: +2.3, WW: +84, YW: +140 and Milk: +23 Buyer: Signal Bluff Ranch, Lewellen, Neb. Lot 11 – MPP Stellar J23 – Price: $11,000 DOB: 1/14/21 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: BUBS Southern Charm AA31 EPDs: BW: +0.2, WW: +82, YW: +144 and Milk: +27 Buyer: Y6 Livestock, Arthur, Neb.

B9

Powder River Angus Annual Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor Feb. 11, 2022 Buffalo Livestock Auction, Buffalo Auctioneer: Mark McNamee 105 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $5,876 Top Sellers Lot 4 – PRA Bulldogger 1197 – Price: $29,000 DOB: 3/2/21 Sire: U-2 Coalition 206C Dam’s Sire: Koupal Juneau 797 EPDs: BW: +0.5, WW: +60, YW: +111 and Milk: +27 Buyer: Paint Rock Angus, Hyattville Lot 16 – PRA Substan-

tial 1123 – Price: $14,500 DOB: 2/23/21 Sire: Mohnen Substantial 272 Dam’s Sire: HF Tiger 5T EPDs: BW: -0.5, WW: +60, YW: +110 and Milk: +25 Buyer: EB Ranch, Broadus, Mont.

Lot 5 – PRA Crackerjack 124 – Price: $13,750 DOB: 1/29/21 Sire: Musgrave Crackerjack Dam’s

Sire: S Foundation 514 EPDs: BW: +1.4, WW: +66, YW: +115 and Milk: +30 Buyer: EB Ranch, Broadus, Mont.

Lot 12 – PRA Black Mass 1225 – Price: $13,750 DOB: 3/5/21 Sire: B Bar Black Mass 0849 Dam’s Sire: LAR Alliance 593Y EPDs: BW: +2.4, WW: +67, YW: +111 and Milk: +31 Buyer: Palzkill Farms, Mineral Point, Wis. Lot 2 – PRA Effective 141 – Price: $13,500 DOB: 1/31/21 Sire: Schiefelbein Effective 61 Dam’s Sire: PRA Cash 5133 EPDs: BW: +1.1, WW: +55, YW: +91 and Milk: +25 Buyer: EB Ranch, Broadus, Mont.

Dorsey joins RAAA as show specialist Denver – The Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) is excited to welcome Erin Dorsey as its new show specialist. Dorsey will coordinate and plan Red Angus regional and national shows and support exhibitors with their requests and questions. She will also work closely with the Junior Red Angus Association of America and North American Junior Red Angus (JRA) event teams to create meaningful show experiences for JRA members and their families.

Dorsey brings more than 25 years of experience managing livestock shows and working with exhibitors of many different beef breeds. She has coordinated shows at various state fairs, livestock events and exhibitions across the nation. Originally from Eaton, Colo., Dorsey comes from a diversified, multi-

generational livestock operation.

Prior to joining RAAA, Dorsey consulted on both the national and international levels, bringing her extensive show experience to breed executives and breeders to showcase the best livestock in the industry.

“I am honored to join a breed that has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years. Red Angus is undoubtedly one of the hottest and upand-coming breeds,” said Dorsey. “I look forward to helping bridge the gap between seedstock and commercial cattlemen.”

Dorsey started in her new role on Feb. 1 and can be reached at erin@ redangus.org or 970-396-5420.

For more information, visit redangus.org.

SELLING 35 ANGUS AND BALANCER ® BULLS CATTLE COMPANY

BULL SALE

March 12, 2022 Buffalo Livestock Auction

Lunch at Noon - Sale begins at 1 pm Please contact us to make arrangements to view the bulls at the Foss Feedyard in Manderson

SELLING SONS OF:

S A V REMINGTON 5609 BW: +0.6 WW: +53 YW: +97 M: +24

Also Selling Sons of: Raindance, Response, Rainfall and True North

®

Subscribe to the Wyoming Livestock Roundup for $50 per year by calling 307-234-2700

Miles & Tiffany Rives • P.O. Box 392 Buffalo, WY 82834 Miles Cell: 307-217-0408 • Tiffany Cell:307-217-0409

mtrctco@vcn.com • mtrcattlecompany.com

B10

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

CROSSWORD Wyoming Livestock Roundup Crosswords, created by Myles Mellor. Solution available in next week's Roundup. Mail your complete crossword to Wyoming Livesock Roundup, PO Box 850, Casper, WY 82602 for a special prize!

Across 1 4

8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17

19 23 24 26 28 30 31 32 33

Wyoming county Having multicolored spots, like some horses Winter weather phenomenon Elton John, for example Gift for the sixth day of Christmas Retirement account, abbr.

Farm enclosure Permit Hunting dogs with brown coats Sale abbreviation Naturally hornless animal description Completed successfully Versatile vehicle Male horses Cutthroat or brown fish Milk companies Ouch!

Factor in heredity Texas cattle Little bite

Down 1 2 3 4

5 6 7

9 11 17 18 20 21 22 25 27 29 31

Swine Top trucker Angler's gear Acts of moving herds to new pastures Gannett and Fremont for example Caught a cow Time when a cow does not produce milk, two words Pioneers who came west Understand Young domestic turkey Rest on the ground, two words Traditional sheep herders Male goose Exhausts, two words Crying veggie Young kangaroo Cape in Massachusetts Start

EXTENSION EDUCATION

By Barton Stam, UW Extension Educator

Winter grazing considerations As the region nears the end of February, winter still has a ways to go in Wyoming. Although, this winter has been very open for grazing, which has been helpful given the high cost of harvested feeds and a short supply of grazeable forages.

In terms of range management, plants are very much still in dormancy. As producers continue with winter grazing, management considerations should be focused on

animal performance as well as sustainable range and pasture management.

Most of the grazing forages will be below the minimum nutritional requirements of the livestock throughout the winter. Forage testing can be a useful tool for figuring out how much of the livestock’s nutritional requirements need to be supplemented, which is fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

Alternatively, there are

viable strategies for grazing with little to no supplementation, such as protein. Usually, these strategies involve adjusting calving or lambing dates and accepting some decrease in body condition score.

Animal distribution is frequently an issue especially on large allotments. The 2021 growing season was dismal and forage supply is limited in many areas. On most large allotments or pastures there are usually places where livestock spend less time. These areas can be useful for extending the grazing season if producers can successfully adjust livestock distribution. Supplements can be very useful for accomplishing changes in livestock distribution, especially when used with herding and educating livestock about where supplement is located.

Monitoring for poisonous plants Moving into very early spring, it is recommended for producers to keep an eye out for poisonous plants. Species native to Wyoming such as death camas, low larkspur and lupine are commonly among the first plants to green up and begin early spring growth.

These species are often growing and in their most succulent stages before many of the native and introduced forage species have even begun to grow.

Livestock which have been on harvested feeds, such as hay or dormant forages, may be more prone to grazing any green and growing plant. With an adequate supply of nonpoisonous plants, livestock rarely graze many of the state’s toxic species.

Some species, however, such as larkspur, are frequently grazed even when growing with abundant forages.

When turning out previously confined animals onto open pasture, make sure they are full of feed and have had full access to clean water.

One great publication for more information on poisonous species is “Plants Poisonous to Livestock in Montana and Wyoming – Considerations for Reducing Production Losses.” This document is available for free on the internet and may be available in the local University of Wyoming Extension office.

Grazing cheatgrass Grazing plants which are succulent and nutritious in

the spring can also work very much to our advantage.

One example of this is taking advantage of the cheatgrass when it is still young and succulent. Cheatgrass never stays in this stage too long, and some years it feels like it only takes a few minutes for it to mature and put out a seedhead.

Some years, cheatgrass might be useful forage for longer depending on how the temperature warms up and how much precipitation the area gets. Current research is considering how producers can utilize cheatgrass instead of letting it go ungrazed while it gains the competitive advantage every year over more desirable species. It will be tough to eliminate cheatgrass through grazing, but controlling its spread and reducing its prevalence while taking advantage of it for a forage supply is a reasonable strategy. Grazing cheatgrass could be used in a multi-pronged approach that includes chemical and seeding treatments as well for a more effective control strategy.

Rangeland partners As Wyoming looks forward to growing season – and

cross our fingers for a good one – it will be a good idea to meet with partners, such as agency rangeland management specialists. Spring meetings are a great time to talk about any issues which have come up, discuss grazing rotations and how to best meet the requirements of permits while also running a profitable livestock production business.

Range improvements, weed control and monitoring expectations and requirements would also be great topics for this spring meeting. I would also recommend discussion of how the grazing management went the previous year, including what went well and what could be done better.

I was encouraged to hear on a weather podcast this week that perhaps La Niña is weakening, even if only slightly. This should be good news for the region and could increase the chances for a wetter spring than the last two.

After the last two dry springs, any possible improvement seems like good news.

Barton Stam is a rangeland Extension educator based in Hot Springs County.

He can be reached at brstam@uwyo.edu.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

It’s the Pitts

by Lee Pitts

You Just Never Know I love the work of Charlie Russell, so I was delighted to see a wonderful article in the Winter 2021 issue of RANGE Magazine by Randy Rieman, called “The Cowboy Artist” which showed several of Russell’s letters to friends he illustrated.

Russell wrote hundreds of such letters to cowboys, Native Americans, actors, artists and patrons. In many cases, he even did colorful drawings on the envelopes the illustrated letters came in.

I’ve seen several of these letters in museums and art auction catalogs and in

some cases, they’ve sold for more than Russell’s oils or bronzes.

Can you imagine receiving such a letter? I sincerely hope none were thrown in the trash!

The RANGE article reminded me of something. I’ve always been a BIG fan of countrywestern music. While my classmates were listening to the Beatles and Rolling Stones, I was enjoying Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, etc.

So, it meant a lot to me when years ago I got

a call from John Dickson, the Texas-based music promoter who stages the best Texas music festival, called MusicFest, held in Colorado.

It’s probably the biggest music festival in the state, despite a capped attendance of 6,000 lucky folks who spend the week in Steamboat Springs skiing and listening to 50 bands on a dozen stages.

After three decades, MusicFest has become the largest annual group ski trip in the nation.

I don’t know how John found me, but he asked if I would write the welcome and introduction in the magazine which served as the program to MusicFest.

The best part of the deal wasn’t the generous check or the magazine with my intro in it John sent me, but the two disc CDs called “Undone,” featuring the best musical highlights of the year’s MusicFest.

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All the songs were written by Texas legend Robert Earl Keen. This is when I discovered and fell in love with what is now referred to as, “Texas music.” Ground zero for the country-western music I like isn’t from Nashville, it’s Austin, Texas.

The “Undone” CD was also the first time I heard my now favorite band, Reckless Kelly. It’s a couple Idaho born and bred brothers and some gifted friends who moved from Idaho to Texas.

Please note earlier, I said I was a big fan of country-western music, but what is played on most country stations today is actually country-soft rock music.

Most of the songs are about drinking beer, smoking dope, Tennessee and falling in love. Although I like his singing, you can’t tell me Australian Keith Urban is a countrywestern singer. Neither is

Jimmy Buffet. And sometimes, I wonder about Taylor Swift.

After Garth Brooks took a leave of absence, Nashville took the “western” out of country-western. It took Austin, Texas to put it back in. The songs on “Undone” are about such varied topics as gathering cattle, riding trains, stud horses, droughts, working on offshore rigs, an illegal alien and the theft of a Charolais heifer.

During one of the songs on “Undone,” the singer actually spends most of the song talking about a bar in College Station, Texas, called the Dixie Chicken, or as most Texas A&M students refer to it, “The Chicken.”

The bar has been in business since 1974 and supposedly sells more beer per square foot than any other bar in America.

The now-deceased bar owner, Don Ganter, used to complain about the

aspiring musicians which tended to congregate on the back porch of his bar “just plunking on those damn guitars.”

According to the legend, many years ago John Dickson asked Ganter if it was true that Ganter had kicked Lyle Lovitt out of the Chicken for singing and strumming on the back porch.

Ganter replied it was, in fact, true.

“But,” he quickly added, “They still come and play on the back porch, but I decided I’d let them. Cause you never know who they’ll turn out to be.”

This is why I save every letter, piece of art no matter how awful, autographed book, or CD that’s sent to me. Because you never know who those folks might turn out to be.

One of them just might be another Charlie Russell.

NCBA to focus on tri-legged sustainability stool As cattle producers convened in Houston, Texas for the 29th Annual Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show, the organization’s executive committee met to discuss and approve policy priorities for 2022.

According to NCBA, the team placed great emphasis on “strengthening the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the cattle industry.”

“With the challenging year cattle producers have faced, NCBA is focused on strengthening our industry for the future,” says Minnesota native and NCBA President-elect Don Schiefelbein. “By highlighting economic, environmental and social sustainability, we are addressing the long-term needs of the cattle industry and advancing policies which will contribute to business success, economic growth and respect for our way of life.”

Focus outline NCBA’s policy priorities in 2022 are to improve market leverage and opportunities; secure the future of the beef industry; boost the resiliency of the beef supply chain; and support commonsense 2023 Farm Bill priorities.

Under their goal of improving opportunities and leverage in the market, NCBA shares they seek to improve risk management tools available to producers, secure funding to reauthorize Livestock Mandatory Reporting and increase transparency and access to market data to make more informed market transactions.

Many of the goals which fall under securing the future of the beef industry are policy and tax related. Some examples include preserving tax code provisions which protect viable cli-

mates for agricultural businesses, ensuring accurate labels on plant-based meat alternatives, protecting private property rights against “potential overreach or restrictions under the 30x30 initiative,” building beef exports and advancing traceability without cost burdens on producers.

To boost the resiliency of the supply chain, NCBA plans to “advocate for bipartisan reforms to the H2-A visa program to address the shortage of skilled workers,” improve processing capacity, continue pushing for hours-ofservice and electronic logging flexibility for livestock transporters and strengthen rural connectivity.

In regards to the 2023 Farm Bill, NCBA will seek the reauthorization of animal health provisions which appeared in the 2018 Farm Bill, as well as advocate for additional funding for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank to protect against foot and mouth disease.

Other farm bill provisions include expanding producer access to risk management and disaster relief programs, funding of programs which incentivize science-based natural resource management and defending against the addition of a livestock title.

Producer-based policy Schiefelbein added, “By working to protect the business environment, increase market transparency and improving the strength of the supply chain, NCBA’s policy efforts will continue to enhance cattle and beef business sustainability in the near-term and for generations to come.”

Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

Mark McConnell 307-438-1218 Anjie McConnell 307-330-4670 Mike McConnell 307-330-5670 Diane Frank

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 43 • February 19, 2022

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