According to Farm Futures, grain markets remained quiet as of Jan. 11. A modest amount of short-covering occurred, which raised prices to various degrees. Corn prices shifted 0.25% higher, with March futures up 1.5 cents to $6.56. Soybean prices trended around 0.5% higher, with March futures up nine cents to $14.94. Gains in wheat were variable, with some contracts up more than 1% and March futures rising 10.5 cents to $8.22.
The Montana Wool Growers Association (MWGA) is hiring two new positions – an executive secretary and a sale manager for the Montana Ram Sale. The mission of MWGA is to promote and preserve the general welfare of the sheep and wool industry in Montana. Those interested in the open positions should visit mtsheep. org, e-mail leah@mtsheep. org or call 406-442-1330 for more information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers with perennial forage crops of an option to report their acreage once, without having to report the same acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after USDA’s Farm Service Agency certifies their acreage report, and they can opt out of continuous recertification at any time. For more information, visit usda.gov
On Jan. 5, the Wyoming Lottery (WyoLotto) transferred $2,209,095.77 to the state treasurer’s office, making this the second largest transfer in Wyoming of all time. This recent transfer brings total WyoLotto-transferred money in the state to $30,502,401. Every quarter, WyoLotto delivers funds to the state treasurer who disperses them to towns and counties where they decide how best to use it.
Cheyenne – After embarking on his second term as governor of the state of Wyoming, Mark Gordon continued the optimism from his Second Inaugural Address on Jan. 2 into his official State of the State Address before
the Wyoming Legislature on Jan. 11 at 10 a.m.
“Wyoming’s history and traditions are hard at work here. Our people’s work ethic and moral fortitude made Wyoming what it is and remain a worthy
compass for us all,” Gordon started. “Wyoming is strong and her future bright. Together, in the weeks to come, we have the opportunity to make her even stronger for our people and for generations to come.”
Natural resources
From energy and water to agriculture, Gordon noted, “When it comes to natural resources, we need good partners in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, with energy
On Jan. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published the January 2023 Wyoming Basin and Water Supply Outlook Report, which analyzes snowpack, precipitation, streamflow and reservoir storage across the state of Wyoming.
The report assesses the water supply outlook for the entire state of Wyoming as well as individual basins including the Snake River, Madison Headwaters, Yellowstone River, Wind River, Big Horn River, Shoshone River, Powder River, Tongue River, Belle Fourche River, Cheyenne River, Upper North Platte, Lower North Platte, Laramie River, Sweetwater River, South Platte River, Little Snake River, Upper Green River, Lower Green River and Upper Bear River basins.
Making forecasts
When it comes to making forecasts for the Wyoming basin and water supply outlook, NRCS explains most annual streamflow in the western U.S. originates as snowfall, which accumulates in the mountains during winter and early spring, and as snowpack accumulates, hydrologists begin to estimate
During the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual convention on Jan. 9 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make improvements to major programs, which includes assisting producers facing high costs to access domestic fertilizer, improving risk protection for underserved producers and providing relief for producers impacted by COVID-19 and other disasters while also investing in meat processing capacity.
These efforts come as part of the Biden administration’s commitment to lowering costs, increasing market competition, increasing market access, developing programs to help livestock producers, targeting needbased assistance and reaching those who are eligible.
“At USDA, our goal is to provide all farmers, including new and underserved producers, with the opportunity to receive the assistance they need to continue farming, to build and maintain their competitive edge and to access more, new and
As of Jan. 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted a conditional license for vaccination of honeybees against American foulbrood (AFB), a fatal bacterial disease caused by the spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larve. The USDA has issued the conditional license in the first instance for two years.
While AFB is not a stress-related disease and can infect the strongest to the weakest colony in an apiary, infected brood usually die at the pre-pupal or pupal stage. With previously no safe and sustainable solution for disease prevention, the only way to manage AFB is through destruction of infected colonies and hives or irradiation of infected material.
“This is an exciting step forward for beekeepers, as we rely on antibiotic treatment with limited effectiveness and requires lots of time and energy to apply to our hives,” explains Trevor Tauzer, owner of Tauzer Apiaries and board member of the California State Beekeepers Association in a Business Wire Jan. 4 article. “If we can prevent an infection in our hives, we can avoid costly treatments and focus our energy on other important elements of keeping our bees healthy.”
Administrating the vaccine
According to Business Wire, the vaccine contains killed whole-cell Paenibacillus larve bacteria and is administered by mixing it into queen feed, which is consumed by worker bees. The vaccine is incorporated into the royal jelly by the worker bees, who then feed it to the queen. She ingests it and fragments of the vaccine are deposited in her ovaries.
Denver, Colo. – Several Wyoming 4-H’ers exhibited their Catch-A-Calf (CAC) projects at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) Jan. 7-23. The contest is open to 40 participants, but this year, 29 exhibitors attended. Each contestant exhibited a high-quality, Charolais-cross steer born at the Wagonhammer Ranches.
Each exhibitor was interviewed on Jan. 7 at the Stadium Arena Suites, and the CAC show took place on Jan. 8.
Representatives of the Cowboy State included Jaemen Anderson of Riverton, Grace Baas of Laramie, Shayna Casey of Thayne, Taylor Dye of Powell, Cody McFarlin of Fort Laramie, Cerea Mof-
fatt of Douglas and Hayden Robinson of Gillette.
This year, two Wyoming 4-H members won the 2023 NWSS CAC contest.
Rowan Wasinger of Buffalo, representing Johnson County 4-H, earned the title of grand champion, and Lane Sinclair of Fort Collins, Colo., representing Albany County 4-H, took reserve.
Beginning in 1935, the CAC program was designed for successful participants who catch a calf during a CAC contest, feed it and return the animal one year later as a market-ready steer at the NWSS.
Gov. Gordon sees opportunity in Wyoming’s future
As I was writing this column on Jan.10, it was raining, which is something we don’t expect to see this time of year. It’s sure welcome, and I’ll take it as a sign of better times to come in the agriculture industry through the course of the new year.
Many people in the beef business believe the industry is looking good. In fact, it is pretty hard to find a negative story on the American beef industry these days, unless we start talking about major meatpackers who claim they aren’t making a profit.
At the end of 2022, we saw the highest prices of fed cattle all year long, with strong prices for cattle across the country. These strong prices and lower numbers of fed cattle caused slaughter numbers to drop. It also raised the price of beef at food service companies and grocery stores, which is the big story.
How high will beef prices go? I certainly hope it doesn’t get so high shoppers turn away from buying beef.
I’ve read no one really knows when boxed beef prices will start to rise in 2023. However, everyone knows it will come – possibly in the first quarter or sometime in the second quarter – for all cuts of beef.
Some people have started thinking about blending beef with lean pork at a mix of 75 percent to 25 percent, respectively. They claim the beef flavor will dominate and the pork will make for a good, high-quality protein filler.
They believe this will work well if prices of pork don’t jump. They also realize ingredient blending must be totally transparent on labels and restaurant menus.
Restaurant managers have started considering using smaller portions of beef and adding something else to the plate for customers, such a fresh vegetables or homemade soups. Other thoughts include blending beef for hamburgers with mushrooms, black beans or bean flour in an effort to stretch beef a little further.
Restaurant operators are going to have to use some new, innovative practices to stay profitable since they have to make up for COVID-19 losses from the last couple of years.
In articles I’ve read, cattle prices for producers are forecasted to rise, but there will be lingering drought in many parts of the country. For our region, weather forecasts show drought should end come spring or early summer. I certainly hope so.
Overall rising cattle prices at the end of 2022 sends a strong signal for a promising 2023.
CattleFax says, “The tighter fed cattle supply will limit downside price risk in coming weeks through this seasonal weak spot for the fed cattle market. The post-holiday slump is more likely to manifest this year in the form of limited upside rather than substantial downside. The mid-$150s should provide strong support on a U.S. average basis.”
They go on to say, “As spring beef demand approaches, expect the fed market to resume the uptrend. Tighter fed cattle supply and reduced beef production from recent years should outweight demand challenges, moving beef and cattle prices higher. As a result, the spring rally in fed cattle prices has potential for highs up into the mid-$160s.”
With all of this positive news, it is important to do research when deciding what the best time will be to contract calves and yearlings, instead of just flipping the coin.
Let us forever lay to rest the popular fiction that family-owned and operated farms are a small minority and the accompanying corollary that corporations are taking over U.S. agriculture.
It just isn’t so. It never was, and it never will be.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently produced a study which found 98 percent of the two million farms in the U.S. are family farms. This is a far cry from chatter online about the demise of the family farm.
“Family farmers are disappearing across rural America, small American farmers are nearing extinction and how America’s food giants swallowed the family farmers,” are just three of the headlines continuing to pro-
liferate on the internet and elsewhere, announcing the death of the family farm.
The paraphrase Mark Twain reports of the demise of the family farm are greatly exaggerated.
This is not to say farming is getting easier for families or anyone else. More regulations, rules, mandates and requirements continue to target farms and ranches.
What lawmakers and their siblings, the rulemakers, don’t realize is nearly every new regulation comes with a sheaf of new reporting requirements. And, those requirements mean farmers must spend more time shuffling paperwork and less time growing crops and raising livestock.
It is this eight and onehalf by 11 burden which
causes many small farmers to consider selling their operations to larger farms that have staff dedicated to keeping the paperwork in order. If a person wants to bemoan the plight of the family farmer, they should first understand fewer regulations are needed – not more.
One might wonder, “If most farms are family operations, why are they so big?”
However, most farms are actually just the right size.
Some farmers, those who grow herbs, for example, do well on a handful of acres or even a portion of an acre. The cost of production, size of the crop and price it brings all determine whether it is worthwhile.
Other farms, to reach a level of efficiency, must be large. A good example is a
wheat farm. It requires tractors, planters, combines and an array of other equipment and implements. The farmer must then figure out the size that works best for the operation, considering the variable price of wheat, yields and many other factors.
In between are other farms, which grow everything from row crops to seed crops.
Again, the key is to make the farm the right size to maximize efficiency.
According to the USDA, 89 percent of all U.S. farms are small family farms. They occupy a little less than half of all the farmland and produce about 20 percent of the total crop value. About three percent of all family farms are large and grow 46 percent
Please see FARMS on page 8
On Jan. 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $100 million for projects advancing environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the country. This funding, made possible through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, marks the largest amount of environmental justice grant funding ever offered by the EPA.
EPA has published two requests for applications for this funding through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program.
These grant programs further the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Executive Order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which directed 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to overburdened communities, which face disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental impacts.
Under both EJCPS and EJG2G programs, EPA will be giving special consideration to projects addressing climate change, disaster resiliency and/or emergency preparedness, projects located in and/or benefitting rural areas and projects conducting health impact assessments (HIA).
Applicants interested must submit proposal packages on or before April 10 to be considered for available funding. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on Oct. 1.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is extending the deadline for the general funding opportunity to further its understanding and ability to address SARS-CoV-2 in animals.
Applications for the $25 million in general funding will now be accepted until Jan. 31. The application deadline for the $5 million in Tribal funding will remain unchanged at Feb. 1.
APHIS is offering two additional webinars on Jan. 17 and Jan. 19 to assist applicants with technical questions related to ezFedGrants. Links to these webinars, various documents and information on how to apply are located at aphis.usda.gov
This funding opportunity is part of APHIS’s multipronged approach under its American Rescue Plan Strategic Framework to build an early warning system to potentially prevent or limit the next zoonotic disease outbreak or global pandemic.
For questions regarding these funding opportunities, required documents or the ezFedGrants process, e-mail aphis.arp.agreements@usda.gov.
Wildlife Services (WS), a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the final Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled “Bird Damage Management in Wyoming”.
A pre-decision EA was issued for public comment in June 2022.
The proposed action is to implement an integrated approach using a variety of methods to reduce bird damage to agricultural resources, property, human health and safety and natural resources. The EA analyzes issues and potential environmental effects of the proposal and alternatives.
Based on the analysis contained in the EA, WS has decided to implement the proposed action as described in the EA and has concluded it will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. The FONSI was signed on Dec. 20, 2022.
The FONSI and a summary of public comments are available at regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-20220039
Joanne Knight has been named acting chief financial officer (CFO) of Cargill. She will fill the role of Jamie Miller, who will step down on Jan. 13 to take an opportunity outside of Cargill, the company said.
“We are grateful for Jamie’s service to Cargill,” said Brian Sikes, president and chief executive officer of Cargill. “Over the last few years, we have further strengthened our business model, expanded our business portfolio and are well-positioned for long-term success.”
Knight is currently vice president of finance for Cargill’s Agriculture Supply Chain enterprise, which includes Ocean Transportation and the World Trading Group. Before Cargill, Knight spent 10 years in finance, marketing and business leadership roles at General Mills Inc. She also held finance leadership roles at Wachovia.
On Jan. 4, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack swore in Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban as the under secretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Dr. Esteban has a long and well-documented commitment to food safety and public health. With over two decades of experience at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, he has been on the front lines of protecting the public from foodborne illness for much of his career,” stated Vilsack.
“I am confident Dr. Esteban’s leadership and experience is the right combination to advance our commitment to maintaining public health and reducing foodborne illness. I look forward to working with him as USDA continues to address foodborne challenges head-on with innovative solutions and proactive measures,” he added.
On Jan. 25, the University of Wyoming (UW) Extension will host its 2023 Northwest Crop Symposium at the Park County Fairgrounds in Powell.
“The Northwest Crop Symposium is an annual event for producers to gather some new information and do a little networking for the future cropping year,” says UW Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources Educator Jeremiah Vardiman. “It’s another great year for presenters and topics.”
This year’s event focuses on alkaline soil management. Presentation topics include soil pH and nutrient availability, sugarbeet cropping systems, how to use drain tiles and management approaches for tight and sealed soils.
Speakers include local producer Chris Crosby, Northern Plains Agricultural Resource Laboratory Research Agronomist Bart Stevens and UW Extension personnel.
The event is free and open to the public. Lunch is provided for those who RSVP by Jan. 20. To RSVP, call the Powell Extension office at 307-754-8836.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. in Heart Mountain Hall, and presentations begin at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served at noon.
For more information, contact Jeremiah Vardiman at jvardima@uwyo.edu or call 307-754-8836.
America’s gun industry is booming. Over 11.3 million firearms were manufactured in the U.S. in 2020, more than double the 5.6 million produced in 2010 and nearly triple the 3.9 million guns manufactured in 2000, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Surging demand for firearms has been a boom not only for the balance sheets of American gun makers, but also government coffers.
Between sporting arms, ammunition companies and supporting sectors, the American firearm industry generated $70.5 billion in economic output in 2021, according to advocacy group The Firearm Industry Trade Association.
The federal government also levied $4.6 billion in business taxes from the gun industry in 2021, up 84 percent from a decade earlier. The firearm industry in some states accounts for a far larger share of government firearm tax revenue than others.
The federal government collected $39 million in business tax revenue from the firearm industry in Wyoming in 2021. Adjusting for population, this comes out to about $67 per state resident, the second highest among the 50 states.
Overall, Wyoming’s firearm, ammunition industry and supporting sectors employed 3,672 people in 2021. The industry generated $688.7 million in total economic output, or $1,190 per capita, the second highest per capita figure among states.
All data in this report is from the 2022 Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report from The Firearm Industry Trade Association.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has begun accepting applications through the Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expanding access to resources for Veterans and other underserved populations.
The program will be the SBA’s primary certification vehicle for all Veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled, Veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), important classifications which enable those businesses to qualify for solesource and set-aside federal contracting awards.
Certified VOSBs are eligible to compete for solesource and set-aside contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs, while certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts government-wide.
SBA began accepting applications on Jan. 9. As SBA moves forward to ensure more Veteran entrepreneurs have access to economic opportunities, Administrator Guzman has granted a one-time, one-year extension to the current Veteran small businesses verified by the Veterans Administration Center for Verification and Evaluation as of Jan. 1.
For the latest information on the VetCert program, visit sba.gov/vetcert or e-mail vetcert@sba.gov.
A Washington, D.C.-based physicians group advocating for plant-based diets is targeting new Gov. Jim Pillen, a hog producer in Nebraska, with a trio of billboards.
The billboards, erected by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, criticize Pillen for the “suffocating stench” generated by factory farms’ odors, which prompted a lawsuit against Pillen’s pork production firm in 2000.
The group, which says it has 35 members in Nebraska, is calling on the governor to phase out one of his hog confinement operations to set an example, and to instead increase support for crops like beans and sunflowers which require less water and are more “climate smart.”
In a letter to the recently inaugurated governor, Anna Herby, a spokesperson for the committee, said because of recent drought conditions in Nebraska, government assistance should be offered to “transition to growing lentils and other crops which use water more efficiently.”
However, livestock production and growing corn for feed are among the leading aspects of Nebraska’s agriculture industry, and transitioning away from them would be a major change.
In fact, Nebraska has more cattle than people and ranks number two in the nation for cattle on feed. Pillen – the first Nebraska governor with an ag background elected in decades – has pledged to expand agriculture in the state.
Two billboards will be erected in Lincoln, Neb. this week, according to the group, with one going up in Columbus, Neb. – Pillen’s hometown – during the week of Jan. 22.
Colorado State University (CSU) graduate students Ashley Schilling of Timnath, Colo. and Lane Giess of Pierz, Minn. have each been awarded a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF).
The annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program, established by NCF in 2007, recognizes outstanding graduate students who plan to pursue careers furthering the beef industry.
Schilling and Giess were selected from 21 applicants based on their academic achievements, leadership and commitment to the advancement of the beef industry. They will be recognized during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show Feb. 1-3 in New Orleans.
Schilling graduated from CSU with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and is pursuing her master’s and doctorate degrees in animal science from CSU as well. Her graduate work focuses on advancing sustainable solutions for beef systems.
Giess grew up on his family’s seedstock cattle ranch in central Minnesota and quickly learned the value of genetics. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science from Kansas State University, Giess was accepted to CSU’s animal science doctoral program. He is studying quantitative animal breeding and genetics with an emphasis in developing genetic evaluations to improve fertility, longevity and the economic sustainability of commercial cattle.
For more information about NCF and the W.D. Farr Scholarship, visit nationalcattlemensfoundation.org
• Heifer development with breeding options.
Over the years, we have not only retained ownership in our home-raised cattle, but also purchased many of our bull customers’ calves. This has allowed us the opportunity to collect feedlot and carcass data on large groups of DCR-bred calves and it is reassuring to see the numbers.
Feed data on 525 head of DCR-sired steers on 2/20/2022. 203 days on feed 4.28 lb./day gained 5.86 dry matter conversion
• 98% Choice or better
Cattle fed for $1.025/lb. gained when the average cost nationally was around $1.25.
F1 Baldy Females
House and Senate majority leaders began the 67th General Session of the Wyoming Legislature on Jan. 10 following the administration of the oath of office.
The Wyoming Legislature is a 93-member citizen legislature. A total of 34 new members were sworn in during the Jan. 10 proceedings. It will be the first year in office for 27 House members and three Senate members.
The House and Senate bodies elected leaders after one round of voting for each chamber. Albert Sommers was duly confirmed speaker of the House, and Ogden Driskill was duly confirmed president of the Senate.
The Republican leadership expressed optimism in the work ahead to continue to make Wyoming the best place to live, work and raise a family.
House and Senate leaders outlined several priorities leading into the 67th General Session, including smart fiscal stewardship and planning to create future opportunities and bolster the state’s fiscal position; cultivating growth in emerging industries while keeping the mainstay energy, agriculture and tourism sectors strong; building the bench of legislative leaders and promoting a responsive, efficient and limited government mindful of Wyoming’s most vulnerable citizens.
“Our focus will be on thoughtful planning and saving for the future,” said Sommers. “We have a responsibility to leverage the recent revenue surplus to benefit generations of Wyoming people. This will be accomplished by building strategic investments, maximizing efficiencies and placing a priority on helping the most vulnerable among us.”
All House and Senate meetings are open to the public. Proceedings will be livestreamed on the legislature’s website wyoleg.gov
There’s a girl I follow on TikTok who frequently posts short videos in a series called “hot takes.” She starts these videos by saying, “I have had exactly one glass of wine, and here are my thoughts on life.”
She then proceeds to give her audience her thoughts on life. Today, I’d like to do something similar.
Although I have not had a glass of wine, I am caffeinated. Although not even remotely close to the same thing, readers will still get my point. Instead of giving my thoughts on life, I’ll give my thoughts on a specific topic –the government.
Now keep in mind, these are my opinions, not facts. I have and always will readily give all of my opinions on agriculture to anyone who asks.
My general political opinion, however, I usually keep to myself. Not because I necessarily disagree with most of the people in my life – I usually agree with them – but because I don’t see a point in harping on a broken system I cannot fix.
I care about political issues, and I stay up to date on them, but a person won’t find me thinking about these issues so hard my brain hurts at the end of the day. In other words, I don’t like to be in a bad mood, and most of the time, when people talk about politics, they usually end up in a bad mood.
However, I’m feeling particularly froggy today, so I’ll jump – just this once.
I have had exactly one cup of coffee on this fine morning, and here are my thoughts on the U.S. government.
Starting today, I will only vote for someone if they pass my “do I want to see them in the Oval Office” test. This may sound ridiculous, but every big-name politician has to start somewhere.
If they have success in the lesser populated, murky waters of whatever town they are from, they could one day go on to live in “The Swamp.” So, before I vote for my next state representative, I’m going to ask myself if I would like to see them as president one day. If the answer is no, I won’t vote for that person.
What happens to politicians to make them so corrupt? I want to know. Did high-up politicians take
bribes or cover up scandals when they were running for city council or school board in their small hometowns?
Furthermore, what made them want to run for these smaller, yet still important, positions? Did they always have a senator or secretary position in mind? Or did they start their political career because they wanted to fix an issue smaller than federal taxes?
I don’t think many bills will get passed in the next few years. Democratic President, Democratic Senate, Republican House.
Unless the bill is “don’t kill puppies in cold blood,” I don’t see how any bills will become laws until the next election. And, even if the Puppy Bill (hypothetical) did pass, there would still be endless debate over it.
I don’t think Biden nor Trump will be elected in 2024. Sorry to the Trumpers and the Bidenites, but I will be incredibly shocked if one of these two men get elected. Based on both of their images in the press alone, I just don’t see a world where either of these two men are calling the shots ever again.
I think military experience should be a requirement for all presidential candidates. No offense to many politicians out there with their eyes set on the White House, but if someone is to be commander and chief of our U.S. Military, wouldn’t it make sense for them to have served in the military?
I mean, I wouldn’t want Joe Blow to manage my cow herd just because he’s a titan of business. I wouldn’t expect to be hired on as the editor of a magazine had I not been a reporter first. I don’t trust a career politician to be the person pushing the red button to drop a nuke on Russia if they don’t know what it’s like to be on the battlefield. It just makes no sense.
Finally, my last thought and question – how can we trust a House of Representatives who took 15 rounds of voting to elect a speaker, to not only represent us as Americans but do the best thing for us?
I saw footage from their sessions, I saw what was reported online, and personally, I don’t believe they care about anything more than themselves and subsequent power.
Livestock/David & Machelle Sterkel 300 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 625-775#, Weaned 90 days, Bunk Broke, Weaning & Booster Shots
Duck Bar/Hugh Hageman 250 CharX Strs, 600-725#, Weaned a long time, 3 Rounds of Shots, Home Raised
Pingetzer Six Iron 135 Red Strs, 700-800#, Weaned since Sept. Bunk Broke, Branding & Precond Shots
Roland Whitney 100 Blk (3-4 Red) Strs & Hfrs, 650-750#. Weaned since Oct. 1, Bunk Broke, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots
Brock Beavers 160 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 650-750#, Weaned 90 days, Branding, Precond, Weaning & Booster Shots
S & T Farms 81 Blk/Red/Char Strs & Hfrs, 720-820#, Weaned 45 days, Bunk Broke, Strictly Hay Fed, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots
Greg Jespersen 75 Blk Strs, 625-725#, Weaned 60+ days, Bunk Broke, Branding, Precond & Booster Shots
Ochsner-Roth Cattle Co. 70 Hereford/Blk Strs, 750-950#, Complete Vac. Program, Coming off grass
Lon Eisenbarth 70 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 750#, Weaned 75+ days, Bunk Broke, 2 Rounds of Shots, Producer All Natural Bennet Creek Sheep Co./Noah Ark 50 Blk Strs, 650-700#, Weaned 120 days, Hay Fed, Branding & Weaning Shots, High Altitude
Thaler Land & Livestock 291 Blk/Char Strs & Hfrs, 550-650#, Weaned 100+ days, Bunk Broke, Branding, Precond & Booster Shots
Riehle Ranch 200 Blk Hfrs, 500-550#, Weaned 60+ days, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots Bar RZ Ranch Co. 190 Red Angus/Red Angus-x Strs & Hfrs, 500-650#, Weaned 90+ days, Bunk Broke, Branding & Weaning Shots
Dyaln Hager/CO Livestock 145 Blk/Bwf Hfrs & Strs, 625-725#, Weaned 70+ days, Bunk Broke, Full Vac. Program, 1-iron, Home Raised Ryan Walker 118 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 475-685#, Weaned 85 days, Bunk Broke, Branding & Precond Shots
Dave Thompson 110 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 590#, Weaned 45 days, Hay Fed, Branding & Precond Shots
The Kite Ranch, LLC 100 Blk Hfrs, 565-625#, Weaned since Oct. 15, Complete Vac. Program, Replacement Quality, No Replacements kept Ernest Giorgis 100 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Weaned 60 days, Hay Fed, 3 Rounds of Shots, Producer All Natural
Cindy Cox 80 Mostly Blk few Bwf/Rwf Strs & Hfrs, 550-650#, Weaned 70+ days, Hay Fed, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots
Darlene Herman 77 Blk/Bwf few Rd Mostly Hfrs few Strs, 475-525#, Weaned 75+ days, Bunk Broke, Hay Fed, Complete Modified Live Vac.
Marton Ranch 73 Blk/Bwf Hfrs, 500-600#, Weaned 90+ days, Hay Fed, 3 Rounds of Modified Live Vac. Program
P Diamond 72 Blk, few Red Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Weaned 60 days, Hay & 3# Cake, Complete Vac Program, High Altitude, Extremely Green
John Hubenka 70 Mx Strs, 550-650#, Weaned a long time, Bunk Broke, Branding & Precond Shots
George Peet 70 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 450-700#, Weaned 100+ days, Bunk Broke, Branding & Precond Shots
Nellie Barney 61 Angus/Angus/Shorthorn-x, Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Weaned for 75+ days, Bunk Broke, Hay Fed Only, Birth & Branding Shots
Hollis Givens 60 Blk/Bwf (1 Red) Strs & Hfrs, 450-650#, Weaned 60 days, Branding & Precond Shots
Howard Deselms/Sand Hill Ridge LLC 60 Blk Angus Hfrs, 550-600#, Weaned since Aug. 28th, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots
Todd Wilke 58 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 600-700#, Weaned 90 days, Bunk Broke, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots
Argyle Ranch 50 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 550-600#, Weaned 60 days, Running out on Hay Meadows, Branding & Precond Shots
PRE- COND. CALVES
Dan & Zach Ellis 90 Blk/Bwf, few Char/Red Strs & Hfrs, 450-750#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots
Cross C Ranch/Willard Woods 100 Mostly Blk few Bwf/Red, 500#, Branding Shots
Dan Marshall 90 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 600#, Branding & Precond Shots
The Kite Ranch LLC 200 Blk Angus Cows, 1250#, Complete Dispersal, Mx Ages, Bred to Blk Bulls, CF: March 25 for 90 days, High Altitude, Nice set of cows, Very low maintenance cattle, Cows originated off the Bath Ranch in Laramie Hardy Von Forell 150 Red Angus Cows, Complete Dispersal of 5yr & older, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: March 20 for 60 days, Shots: PregGuard, Poured
Scott Rabe 70 Blk/Rd Cows, Partial Dispersal due to Drought and Retirement, Mx Ages, Bred to Blk Bulls or Hereford Bulls, CF: 58 hd--March 1 for 60 days; 12 hd—May/June, Shots: Vira Shield 6+VL5, Poured, Cows are gentle and easy to handle, Low maintance, Not pampered Curt Bastian 64 Blk Cows, Complete Dispersal, Bred to Blk Angus Bulls, CF:April 15 for 55 days, Spring Shots:PregGuard 10, Poured Dr. Joe Skavdahl 42 Red/Rwf, few Blk Cows, Complete Dispersal of 4-5 yr olds Reds & 3yr old Blks, Bred to Blk/Rd Bulls, CF: March 15 for 53 days, Shots in Spring: PregGuard 10, Fall Shots:7-way, Ivomec, Poured with Clean-up in December, Mostly Home Raised few Purchased
BRED HEIFERS
Cobb Cattle Co. 100 Blk Hfrs, Bred to Booth Cherry Creek Low Birth Weight Blk Angus Bulls, CF: March 1st for 50 days, Shots: Vira Shield 6+VL5, Scourboss 9, Poured, Home Raised, High Elevation, Not Pampered Cardwell Trust 80 Angus/Angus-x Hfrs, Bred to ZumBrunnen and McConnell
Low Birth Weight Blk Angus Bulls, CF: March 15 for 50 days, Shots: PregGuard 10, Poured at Pre-breeding, No Shots this Fall, Home Raised, 1-iron, Cow Herd Genetics from Booth Chery Creek, Ken Haas, Reyes, Lucky 7 Hardy Von Forell 75 Red Angus Hfrs, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: March 20 for 60 days, Shots: Pre-Guard, Poured Brian Currier 46 Blk Hfrs, 1000#, Bred to Calving Ease Blk Angus Bulls, CF: March 16 for 21 days. Full Vac. Program, Poured, Coming off Replacements Mike Werner 25 Red Angus Hfrs, AI’d Bred to Energizer, Clean-up Bulls: Proven Calving Ease Red Angus Bulls, CF: Feb. 20 for 55 days, Shots: Scourboss 9, Vira Shield 6+VL5, Poured, Home Raised Been on 80% Corn Silage/20% Ground Grass/Hay Mix since Mid-November BRED COWS Brian Currier 57 Blk Cows, Mx Ages, Bred to Blk Angus Bulls, CF: April 15 for 42 days, Complete Vac. Program, Poured Pingetzer Six Iron 40 Red Angus Cows, 8 yr olds coming 9 yr olds, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: Green/Red Tags—Feb.; Orange Tags—March 15 for 30 days
Andy Barnett 40 Blk Cows, SM-ST, Bred to Hereford & Char Bulls, CF: May 1 for 60 days, Complete Vac. Program, Poured Lee Parker Family Trust 22 Red Cows, Mx Ages, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: Jan. 26 thru March 31, Shots: Bovi-Shield Gold 5
SALE RESULTS -BRED COWS
MONDAY, JANUARY 9 -1439 HD
Dan Goddard 1 Black Cow 1090 92.50C
Dan Goddard 1 Black Cow 1110 81.00C
Don Yost 1 Black Cow 1805 73.00C
Casey Johnstone 1 Black Cow 1400 72.50C
Nolan Hornecker 1 Hereford Cow 1330 71.50C
Diamond 2 Cattle 29 Black Bred Cow 3yr/Feb-Apr 1186 1710.00H
Diamond 2 Cattle 11 Black Bred Cow 3yr/Feb-Apr 1253 1675.00H
Raymond Jones 10 Black Bred Cow SM/Apr-May1256 1560.00H
Stellpflug Cattle Co 21 Black Bred Cow SM/Jan-Mar1452 1500.00H
Schmaltz Cattle Co 9 Black Bred Cow 3-4yr/Mar-Apr 1167 1485.00H
Dobrenz Family 16 Black Bred Cow SM/Mar-Apr 1470 1450.00H
Raymond Jones 22 Black Bred Cow SS/Apr-May 1306 1410.00H
Tim Acord 16 Black Bred Cow SS/Mar-Apr 1324 1350.00H
Stellpflug Cattle Co 8 Black Bred Cow SS/Jan-Mar 1430 1325.00H
Flint Haskins 10 Black Bred Cow SS/Feb-Apr 1441 1275.00H
Tim Acord 11 Black Bred Cow ST/Mar-Apr 1355 1125.00H
TTT Ranch 23 Black Bred Cow ST/May-June1351 1050.00H
Jason & Molly Folot 36 Black Bred Heifer Mar 1-AI 1157 1975.00H
Lemoyne Dailey 54 Black Bred Heifer March 1074 1700.00H
William Hageman 10 Black Bred Heifer Apr-May 1141 1675.00H Michael
Lemoyne
Cody Thompson - Lusk, WY 307-340-0150
Ty Thompson – Lusk, WY 307-340-0770
Zach Johnson Lingle, WY –307-575-2171
Jeff Ward – Laramie, WY 307-399-9863
Tam Staman – Crawford, NE 308-631-8513
Lander Nicodemus – Cheyenne, WY 307-421-8141
Danny Nicodemus – Cheyenne, WY 307-632-4325
Chris Williams - Greybull, WY 307-272-4567
Justin Smith - Lusk, WY 307-340-0724
Scott Redden - Burns, CO 970-596-3588
Ben Kukowski - Kaycee, WY 307-217-1472
better markets,” said Vilsack at the convention.
“Working together we can ensure American agriculture is as resilient as ever and will do so by implementing a holistic approach to emergency assistance, by lowering input costs through investments in domestic fertilizer production and by promoting competition in agricultural markets,” he continued.
Fertilizer Production Expansion Program
First, USDA announced they will be moving forward with their Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, which is dedicated to increasing the production of American-made fertilizer, increasing competition and combatting price
hikes caused by the war in Ukraine.
Previously, on Sept. 30, 2022, USDA opened applications for $500 million in available grants through the program for potential projects to increase fertilizer production in the U.S.
During the AFBF convention, the department announced they will be accepting public comments on 21 of the potential project applications they received, totaling $88 million.
“In response to prior feedback requesting more time for public comment on the environmental and related impact of USDAfunded projects, USDA is seeking comments from the public on questions and projects pertaining to the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA),” reads a Jan. 9 USDA press release.
The public comment period will last 30 days, ending on Feb. 8.
USDA is considering production projects in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
Improving risk protection
“The noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters. There is a congressionally mandated fee waiver for basic coverage for underserved producers,” reads the press release.
However, previous procedures and regulations made it difficult for producers to take advantage of NAP. Therefore, USDA has created a new rule to remove these barriers.
“The recent rule removes barriers and establishes procedures through which an underserved producer with a CCC-860, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and Veteran farmer or rancher certification, on file prior to the applicable NAP application closing date will automatically receive basic coverage for any NAP-eligible crops they plant,” states USDA. “Underserved producers on file for 2022 will also receive retroactive basic coverage. Like all other covered producers, underserved producers will still need to file a notice of loss and apply for benefits.”
In addition to NAP’s basic-level coverage, producers can also purchase higher levels of coverage by paying a premium, and underserved producers will receive a 50 percent discount on any premiums.
USDA encourages producers interested in applying for NAP coverage for 2023 to contact their local Farm Service Agency office. Natural disaster and pandemic assistance USDA also announced two new programs to help
fill gaps in natural disaster and pandemic assistant programs from previous years –the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 and the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP).
“To be eligible for ERP Phase 2, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event,” states USDA. “Assistance will be primarily given to producers of crops not covered by Federal Crop Insurance or NAP, since crops covered by Federal Crop Insurance and NAP were included in the assistance under ERP Phase 1.”
Producers eligible for PARP must have been in the farming industry during at least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a 15 percent or greater decrease in allowable gross revenue during this year.
Application periods for ERP Phase 2 and PARP will open Jan. 23 and end June 2. USDA encourages those interested to contact their local USDA service center.
Lastly, USDA announced they will invest over $12 million to expand independent meat and poultry processing in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP).
International Food Solutions Inc. of Ohio will be receiving $9,575,250 to help redevelop and expand a vacant building in Cleveland into a place with the capacity to process 60 million pounds of poultry.
USDA notes the expansion will include cold and dry storage, two processing lines and nearly 227 wellpaying jobs.
Grower-owned cooperative Michigan Turkey Producers will receive $1,531,204 to help update their hot water system, wastewater treatment facilities and refrigerated trailers, which will allow the plant to double its processing capacity to 10 million turkeys a year.
This additional capacity will also allow Michigan Turkey Producers to provide back-up assistance for other facilities of similar size in neighboring states.
In Minnesota, the company Benson and Turner Foods Inc. will receive $962,954 to build a 6,788-square-foot cattle and hog processing plant on the White Earth Indian Reservation.
“This comes in addition to recent announcements of $74 million in 22 MPPEP projects, $75 million in grants through the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, $3.9 million in value-added producer grants and $5.7 million in food supply chain loan guarantees, all of which support meat and poultry processing,” says USDA. “These programs are a few of the suite of programs facilitating investment in meat and poultry processing.”
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
Semen is semen, right? Producers thaw the straw, inseminate the cow and life is good.
“Maybe not,” said Dr. Lisa Herickhoff, owner of Membrane Protective Technologies, Inc., an assisted reproductive technologies firm, during the American Wagyu Association “Shaping the Future” annual convention in Charleston, S.C.
“We don’t talk about male fertility very often. We just talk about sperm cells and say, ‘Use that straw of semen.’ But, there is variability in straws of semen, and if producers don’t pay attention to it, they are going to have higher costs of pregnancy and missed pregnancies,” explained Herickhoff.
Bull studs will evaluate the motility and morphology of semen.
“Those are important, but only part of the picture,” she said.
Semen variability factors
“When we talk about older bulls, semen variability
levels off. But, when we talk about younger bulls, every lot of semen is going to be different,” noted Herickhoff.
She mentioned bull studs often discard up to 40 percent of the ejaculates from young bulls because of quality issues.
The next factor is when the semen was collected.
“Was it collected in the middle of summer or was it collected in winter? It’s going to make a big difference,” she pointed out. “This is because seven or more days of temperatures above 90 degrees will decrease semen quality if the bull is housed outside.”
Likewise, freezing temperatures can affect semen quality.
“It’s going to take quite a bit of time – 45 to 60 days –to recover,” she told Wagyu enthusiasts at the convention. “So, look for semen that has been collected early in the summer or later, after a cold snap.”
Semen quality is also
affected by a bull’s health.
“Semen quality is affected by illness, and it doesn’t have to be related to reproduction,” shared Herickhoff. “It could be something like a foot abscess, which was treated with antibiotics, and now, all of a sudden, we have poor semen quality.”
“Also, dietary, mineral and antioxidant imbalances will change semen quality,” she noted.
Herickhoff explained there are several things producers can do to avoid this.
“Producers can ask the bull stud for data on a straw of semen they’re considering buying or they can send it off to a third-party lab to be analyzed before they use it,” she said. “This is their best bet of insurance so they know, before they put it in a cow, how many of the sperm cells in a straw are actually available to fertilize, how many of them have good quality DNA that hasn’t been broken during handling, how
many of them have an intact acrosome and how many have good morphology and are motile.”
If a person finds semen that works well, they should look at the cane code so they can buy more of the same lot, Herickhoff advised. The cane code will have the date it was produced, the bull’s name, the country where it was produced, the stud code, which can be cross-referenced on the National Association of Animal Breeders website and the breed.
According to Herickhoff, when it comes to bull fertility, breeding soundness exams (BSE) are the right place to start.
“I’ve heard this referred to as a fertility soundness exam, and it’s probably a better way to look at it because we want to make sure we are looking at the whole animal,” she said.
“For bulls that are going to be used for pasture breeding, a BSE will knock off
the bottom 10 to 15 percent of inadequate bulls –bulls which don’t have good enough semen quality or don’t have good enough legs to mount cows,” she added.
While it’s true testicular size is directly related to fertility in both the bull and his female offspring, be knowledgeable, Herickhoff warned. Research shows the testicle size of American Wagyu is smaller than genealogy standards by roughly 36 percent.
“If a producer has a veterinarian who is not familiar with looking at their breed, they will want to say, ‘Hey, these guys are going to measure three to four centimeters smaller than most typical breeds.’ Make sure veterinarians are well informed of their specific breed,” she said.
Herickhoff noted it’s important to understand the confirmation traits of each breed of cattle because certain breeds have smaller testicle size and would not have
passed a breeding soundness exam.
However, American Wagyu have good quality semen, which will go up even higher when discussing about animals in the 12- to 14-month-old range.
If a veterinarian doesn’t pass a bull on a breeding soundness exam, Herickhoff advises, “Unlike being in school, it doesn’t mean they have to stay back a year. Instead, it means a vet can come back in about 45 days and retest.”
Indeed, fertility is fundamental.
“Herd and breed improvement must include fertility factors,” she concluded. “Even if a person is not a seedstock producer, they will need to think about fertility in order to get calves on the ground and to sell carcasses.”
Burt Rutherford is the senior editor for Beef Magazine. He can be reached at burt.rutherford@penton. com.
By Paul DykstraIn a Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Insider, reported Jan. 11, the six-state fed cattle average price has traded in a narrow range over the past four weeks, with a slow upward bias from $156 to just over $157 per hundredweight (cwt). Last week’s average of $157.07 per cwt was only a few cents below the week prior.
The December market rounded out the fourth quarter in a price pattern modeled nicely after recent years where the fed cattle price followed a firm upward bias, on average.
Meat market faces holiday aftermath
The table shows the slaughter pace from Christmas through Jan. 2 was reduced, as expected, through the first week in January due to the New Year falling on a Sunday. December head counts were also impacted by winter weather production difficulties ahead of the holidays.
These smaller production weeks were beneficial to realigning packer margins to the positive side very quickly, a recovery from the cash-tocash negative territory seen in mid-December.
Shorter boxed beef supplies helped turn cutout values higher, specifically for many end meat and thin meat items, many of which had found 52-week lows – or levels very near that – prior to Christmas.
As the calendar turned to 2023, end users immediately dropped the recent redhot demand for ribs and tenderloins as attention turned to
cheaper end cuts more typical of the January spot market. Prices in late December for delivery 21-plus days in the future also showed significant middle meat discounts in contrast to the spot market price spikes for those items.
From early April through the beginning of December 2022, the CAB brand cutout value lagged the 2021 market for the period by 12.7 percent or $40.30 per cwt.
However, the 2022 price pulled higher than the year prior in the final three weeks of December. The CAB cutout begins 2022 with a $13.28 per cwt premium over the first week of January a year ago.
Cattlemen will continue reaping awards
Diving into 2023, the much-discussed beef cow herd culling comes home to roost, bringing on a supply challenge for the beef industry. The U.S. will start to see the projected smaller fed cattle offerings come through in the January weekly data.
Keep in mind, last January’s slaughter pace was not impressive due to COVID19 impacts to personnel, so weekly head counts for the month should be compared with this knowledge.
Fed cattle carcass quality grade in December was erratic but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Choice grade managed to net a two percentage point improvement by the end of the month to finish the year at 74.6 percent of the carcass mix, just 0.8 percentage points higher than the final week in 2021.
Estimated net Choice carcass tonnage in the latest three weeks of data shows a 1.3 percent smaller volume in December 2022 than the prior year. However, the Choice/Select price spread kicked off the new year on packer grids at $25.20 per cwt on average, 140 percent higher than a year ago.
Packers may pay a Choice premium for cattle anywhere north of 65 percent or 75 percent Choice, depending on region and grid format. This results in a net Choice carcass price of either $8.82 or $6.30 per cwt over the cash market average, respectively.
At a carcass weight of 880 pounds, this starts a pen of 100 percent Choice cattle from $55 to $78 per head above the cash carcass price.
The 2021 to 2022 track record for high-quality boxed beef pricing suggests a projection that tighter cattle supplies this year will support a continuation of premiums near the record highs.
CAB grid premiums started the year with a $5.02 per cwt average across the packers, with this week’s high of $10 per cwt by at least one packer. Added on top of the Choice price, the CAB carcass value then averages in a range from $99 to $122 per head, depending on the Choice value.
With a $10 premium at the top of the CAB range, the carcass generates a value just over $155 per cwt.
In 2022, record Prime and CAB Prime premiums over Choice were all the rage, and appropriately so. The 11 percent dip in estimated total Prime carcass tonnage last year spurred the October grid premium to average $32 per cwt over Choice.
While marbling genetics continue to progress and feedyards may manage cattle carefully to fulfill their quality grade potential this year,
a lot would have to change to bring Prime carcass tonnage measurably higher in a smaller pool of fed cattle.
Market prices illustrated abovve aren’t predictive of every week ahead in 2023. Seasonal demand trends and cattle grading fluctuations tend to rule the ebb and flow of premiums throughout most years.
While this is true, different demand levers have elevated premiums in a more prolonged fashion during the second half of the past two years.
Everyone downstream from the packer needs to be prepared to see more frequent, potentially wider price spreads for quality within the shrinking supply setting. This is a decent bet without
factoring in any major socioeconomic changes ahead.
From the cattlemen’s perspective, evidence shows pressing ahead with a quality carcass mindset is the course to pursue.
Paul Dykstra is the director of supply management and analysis at CAB. He can be reached at pdykstra@certifiedangusbeef. com.
Please plan to attend the Annual Meeting and Banquet of the Fremont
door.
pass
word! For tickets call: Jac Klaahsen (307-217-2110), Clay Espinosa (307-3497777), Jim Hellyer (307-330-5622), Joe Crofts (307-840-4357), Annette Bregar (307-349-0785), Bryan Hamilton (307-349-2096), Reg Phillips (307-450-8840), Jackie Lucas (307-850-4357) or Darla Griffin (307-851-2816)
The short days, long nights and cold temperatures this time of year can be difficult for folks who enjoy keeping an eye on hayfields, pastures, lawns and gardens during warmer months.
It can feel like our winter interactions with natural resources in our environment are limited to scooping snow out of the driveway and keeping livestock fed. Winter in Wyoming can be isolating.
It can also be the perfect time to build a new habit and reconnect with nature and other people, while making a difference in the community.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, fondly known by its acronym CoCoRaHS, is a network of independent citizen-scientists who report daily precipitation totals to supplement data collected by the National Weather Service.
Active reporting takes place in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada and the Bahamas. Wyoming has been a participating state since 2003. The full ori-
gin story of CoCoRaHS can be found at bit.ly/ CoCoRaHS-about All participants welcome Reporting for CoCoRaHS does not require any formal education or prior experience. There are brief training modules available on the CoCoRaHS website and on YouTube, including an intro video, which can be found at youtu.be/ GgLatKFXyXQ Participation in a comprehensive, hourlong introductory training session is strongly encouraged when initiating a new reporting site.
This activity is wellsuited for people of all ages and walks of life. For schoolchildren, CoCoRaHS reporting can be good practice for making observations and engaging with the natural world. It provides an enrichment opportunity for those living in retirement and senior communities.
Many agricultural producers are already tracking their local rain and snow events, and CoCoRaHS is an easy way to digitize and archive measurements
for later reference.
How it works
The necessary supplies are simple – a four-inch standardized rain gauge, a clear place to mount it away from obstructions, a free CoCoRaHS online account and a decent internet connection.
There are numerous instructional videos and guides available online that outline reporting procedures.
Basically, at a consistent time each day, an observer reads their rain gauge, enters their measurement into their daily report using their CoCoRaHS account online or via the CoCoRaHS smartphone app and then empties any collected moisture from the gauge so it is ready for the next 24-hour period.
Note, zero values are just as important, if not more, to report as measured precipitation. If a person has experienced three months with no precipitation, CoCoRaHS followers want to know.
It gets a little more complicated when there is snow involved, but the fundamental process remains the same. Since snow varies in water content, it takes a few extra steps to measure the actual amount of water in a given volume of snow.
The CoCoRaHS team has created several resources to help make the process easy. A YouTube video, which can be found at youtu.be/3yNj1xCjqB4 describes how to measure snow.
• CoCoRaHS Home Page – cocorahs.org/
• Getting started with CoCoRaHS – youtube.com/watch?v=GgLatKFXyXQ Setting up for measuring snow – youtube.com/watch?v=sj37JQnArX4
• Tony Bergantino, Wyoming CoCoRaHS Coordinator – 307-766-3786 or antonius@uwyo.edu
There is also an option to enter a multiday report for instances when an individual is unavailable for a few days.
This has worked well for me since the gauge I report for is located at the Johnson County Extension office in Buffalo, and I don’t tend to check it over the weekends. When I travel during the week, I use a multi-day report to make sure no days go unaccounted for.
The CoCoRaHS program is the result of a flooding event along the front range of Colorado, which was not anticipated by the weather service. Rain fell heavily in some places but it did not at the location of the official weather station in Fort Collins, Colo. so officials were unaware of the threat of flooding.
This incident raised awareness of how highly variable precipitation can be, even among locations less than half a mile apart. CoCoRaHS reporting helps finetune the understanding of storm profiles, and the more reports submitted, the clearer the picture becomes.
Participating allows individuals to keep a record of their local conditions and benefits the
community at large.
State meteorologists use CoCoRaHS data to anticipate severe weather events, as the network was originally intended.
CoCoRaHS data is also used by climatologists to develop the Wyoming drought monitor map, and to track snowpack, which provides irrigation and drinking water to much of the Intermountain West.
This data informs decisions made by state and local governments, which have direct impacts on those who depend on water for their livelihoods – think agriculturalists, recreational, fishing and hunting outfitters and all of the businesses benefiting from regional tourism to lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers and streams.
The first step to getting started is to collect required supplies. The CoCoRaHS online store, found at cocorahs.org/Content. aspx?page=store , has a list of available options.
Next, individuals need to mount their official CoCoRaHS gauge in a site away from obstructions like houses and trees.
Third, they should register their new reporting site at cocorahs.
org/application.aspx . If individuals have questions or are interested in attending a training session, they should connect with Wyoming CoCoRaHS Coordinator Tony Bergantino by e-mailing antonius@uwyo.edu or calling 307-766-3786.
Lastly, individuals can begin reporting daily precipitation totals, knowing they are making a difference.
The CoCoRaHS is a grassroots effort by citizen scientists to measure precipitation and improve weather and climate scientists’ ability to anticipate severe weather. The water data collected informs governmental policy at several levels, which has a direct impact on agriculture and other industries depending on this critical natural resource.
Participating in CoCoRaHS reporting is a simple to way to become more mindful of local weather, connect with the natural environment and to benefit the community.
Micah Most is an agriculture and natural resources educator with University of Wyoming Johnson County Extension. He can be reached at mmost@uwyo.edu or 307-684-7522.
Proposed rules in the European Union (EU), including lower maximum residue limits and food labeling are causing concern with American almond producers and the federal government.
The issues stem from the EU Green Deal, an effort striving to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent. The plan is said to be an overarching roadmap for all EU policies through 2024, which aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and decouple economic growth from resource use.
The EU Green Deal covers many policy areas, according to Sara Garcia Figuera, a technical consultant with Prospero and Partners. Included in the plan are several farm-tofork goals aiming to reduce food loss and waste, improve food production, processing and distribution sustainability and make food consumption more sustainable.
Perhaps the most controversial plan in the farm-to-fork proposal is a 50 percent reduction in the use of pesticides by 2030.
Another issue within the EU is the mirror clauses the union seeks. This would require a one-size-fits-all approach to import rules across the entire EU.
of the nation’s crops and livestock on about 25 percent of the ag land.
Only two percent of all farms are not family owned and operated. They exist on 10 percent of the agricultural land and produce 17 percent of the nation’s crops and livestock, according to USDA.
So, remember this the next time an alarmist screeches about family farms disappearing. They haven’t disappeared – they’re probably just out back working or at the kitchen table filling out paperwork.
This op-ed column was originally published in Capital Press on Dec. 22, 2022.
The Kansas State University (KSU) Beef Cattle Institute’s (BCI) podcast Cattle Chat hosted KSU Veterinarians Bob Larson and Brian Lubbers, BCI Clinical Assistant Professor Phillip Lancaster, KSU Associate Professor Dustin Pendell and KSU Associate Professor A.J. Tarpoff to discuss several topics impacting cattle producers.
When newborn calves are born, they can be a bit sluggish. Therefore, the panelists highlight several important recommendations when it comes to reviving them.
Larson, Lubbers, Lancaster, Pendell and Tarpoff recommend having a towel on hand, so when calves are born, producers can get the calf up, place it on its chest and vigorously rub it.
“It’s all about neurostimulation to try to get the calf to start breathing,” mentions Tarpoff. “This first breath really needs to happen, and Mother Nature says neurostimulation is the best thing to get the calf to start breathing.”
In most instances, cows will stand up and lick their
calves. However, after a difficult birth, calves may struggle, and the cow might not be quick to get back up on her feet and lick the calf off, note the experts.
If a calf is born without assistance, producers usually don’t need to do much, but there are some key factors indicating the calf may need some extra help, says the panel.
“One of them is if a calf is covered in a yellowish fluid. This is not normal and indicates a stressed calf,” says Tarpoff. “It was stressed prior to the birthing process, then coming through the birth canal. We call this meconium. When I see things like this, regardless if I’ve intervened or not, I’m going to try to intervene.”
Two factors indicating a calf may need additional help is they either had a difficult birth or they won’t suckle.
“Suckling is a neuroreflex, so, it should happen fairly quickly,” says Tarpoff. “Sometimes it’s delayed, but this reflex is an excellent indicator if a calf is in need of further assistance.”
Additionally, it is critical calves receive colostrum.
While many producers prefer the cow to take over, they may need to intervene, notes Tarpoff.
Recent publications discuss several stimulants for newborns. Though they have not been tested in calves, Lubbers notes caffeine is a stimulant that may be used, and doxapram is a drug that can help if a calf is not breathing.
“Another one I’ve seen producers use for premature calves is a steroid like dexamethasone. This has some benefits in very select cases as it can help stimulate a compound to breakup mucous in the lungs,” he says.
He further notes all of these are going to be used in very select cases.
The panelist encourages producers to mimic Mother Nature and use what is proven and has been around for a long time – getting the calf up, neurostimulation to help them start breathing and suckling.
In the summer of 2022, exports have been in the news after Japan signed a bilateral trade agreement stating the U.S. can continue to export beef, notes Pendell.
“We can actually export more beef without having higher tariffs,” he mentions. “It’s good for producers and ranchers.”
When looking at the U.S. Meat Federation, there is a lot of good data out there, and the industry had a good 2022 from an export standpoint, Pendell further notes. Comparing data to the previous three quarters of 2021, 2022 export volumes were up four percent over the previous year in terms of value at 18 percent.
“The industry is sitting at about over $10 billion in 2022,” shares Pendell. “When the U.S. exports beef, we export products either high in value or products that won’t be consumed in the U.S. – liver, tongues, etc.”
“As we think about export and various markets, the top five export market value countries include Korea, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Mexico and Canada,” he says.
He mentions in the first nine months of the quarter, the U.S. exported, on a per head basis, $106 per head to Korea, $102 per head to Hong Kong, $92 per head to Japan, $36 per head to Mexico and $32 per head to Canada.
“The reason why we talk about export markets is it does increase value to the carcass, which ultimately gets back to the producers – it’s something to keep in mind,” he says.
Cold weather management
During cold snaps there
are several factors producers need to keep in mind.
“The first thing I’m going to be concerned about is water source, even though cattle drink less water in the wintertime than they do during the summer,” says Larson.
Lubbers adds having a dry shelter will be important. Since temperature change between an animal with a dry hide versus an animal with a wet hide is huge, keeping livestock dry and out of the wind can have a significant difference on their wellbeing.
“During these extreme cold spells, a shelter is a good idea,” he shares.
Lancaster adds producers may want to consider supplementing livestock if an extended cold spell is forecasted.
“If producers are already supplementing, they should increase the amount. If not, they should start feeding a little bit of energy supplement. Energy requirements are going to go up 50 to 100 percent,” he notes. “A good rule of thumb is to keep starch content of a feed supplement to less than onehalf percent of body weight so it doesn’t negatively affect forage digestion.”
Cattle Chat Host Brad White adds upkeeping cattle’s body condition scores through the winter and feeding hay bales or letting cattle graze cornstalks will also help when temperatures are low.
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
During the process, participants maintain monthly contact with their project sponsor and submit monthly records and updates on their steer. Participants are encouraged to attend various progress shows, county and state fairs and other opportuni ties for experience.
At the conclusion of the program, exhibitors showcase their animals at the NWSS. The program is open to active Colo rado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming 4-H and FFA members ages 14-18.
The steers are judged on production and carcass quality, while participants are judged on showman ship, record books and per sonal interview. The grand and reserve champion par ticipants sell their steer at the Auction of Junior Livestock Champions held on the final Friday of the show.
Exhibitor perspectives: Rowan Wasinger
Rowan is the 16-yearold daughter of Kellie and Doug Wasinger. In November of 2021, Rowan submitted an application to partic-
maintained monthly sponsor contact and submitted monthly updates on our projects,” says Rowan. “I loved meeting my sponsors and getting to meet so many great kids from Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.”
“Participating in this contest was such a bless-
ming State Fair and Colorado State Fair. He shares he won all three of these shows with his CAC project, although winning NWSS CAC Reserve Grand Champion meant a lot to him.
“The feeling of winning reserve champion CAC at the NWSS is hard to put into words,” he says. “It was one of those feelings where you are in shock in the moment and don’t know what to feel. I dedicated so much time and effort to perform the best I could with my CAC, and seeing it pay off was truly amazing.”
He shares he greatly appreciated the help he received from his family, friends, sister Shelby Sinclair and his sponsor John Matsushima and his family. His sponsor helped him improve his feeding ration, while he learned the importance of accurate record keeping when raising cattle.
He learned valuable lessons through this program and encourages others to participate.
“What this program taught me is to take every opportunity you get and make the best of it,” says Lane. “I didn’t waste a single moment of this program because it was such a special honor to be a part of.”
He adds, “I got to meet numerous new people and friends who I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I would strongly encourage others to participate in this program for learning opportunities, the friends and connections they will make along the way, being able to show at NWSS and having the opportunity to learn how to raise a steer effectively.”
Applications for the 2023-24 contest closed on Jan. 4. Qualified participants for next year’s show have been assigned an inrodeo performance time they must participate in.
Forty youth who participate and successfully catch a calf in an in-rodeo performance will be selected for the 2023-24 program.
Steers are sourced from one herd and vary in breed from year to year. They are randomly assigned to each participant. This year, CAC contests are scheduled to take place during the Jan. 13 matinee performance, the Jan. 14 matinee performance and the Jan. 15 matinee and evening performances. Ten Wyoming residents have been chosen to participate in this year’s inrodeo performance CAC contests.
For more information on the CAC program, visit nationalwestern.com
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
Having been exposed to the vaccine, the developing larvae have immunity as they hatch. The vaccine is a non-genetically modified organism and has been approved to be used in agriculture.
The bacterin was developed by Dalan Animal Health and is manufactured by Diamond Animal Health of Des Moines, Iowa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heska, a corporation engaging in the provision of veterinary and animal health diagnostic and specialty products.
“We are committed to providing innovative solutions to protect
our pollinators and promote sustainable agriculture. Global population growth and changing climates will increase the importance of honeybee pollination to secure our food supply. Our vaccine is a breakthrough in protecting honeybees. We are ready to change how we care for insects, impacting food production on a global scale,” said Dr. Annette Kleiser, CEO of Dalan Animal Health.
Dalan will distribute the vaccine on a limited basis to commercial beekeepers and anticipates having the vaccine available for purchase in the
U.S. in 2023.
Symptoms of AFB AFB weakens the colony and only attacks larvae. The disease can quickly lead to death and is most commonly transmitted through spores of bacteria.
According to a Penn State Extension article titled “Honey Bee Diseases: American Foulbrood,” when nurse bees feed larvae with food contaminated with spores, the spores turn into a vegetative stage which replicates in larval tissue and leads to death. Larvae killed by Paenibacillus larve have a unique foul order.
Several symptoms include a spotty, irregular brood pattern; sunken, dark, greasy, perforated cappings – the pupal mass under cappings is brown and has a ropey consistency, which lasts three weeks after death; dark, hard scales difficult to be
removed in the late stages, after about one month of infection; pupal tongue sticking up from the remains and a foul odor.
Penn State Extension shares there are several diagnostic tests producers can utilize to test for AFB. They include a ropiness test, blacklight visualization, holst milk test or ordering a diagnostic test
kit from a beekeeping supply company.
In addition, brood and comb samples can be sent to the USDA Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. for analysis.
Kleiser told The Times the company hopes to use the vaccine as a blueprint for other treatments to protect honeybees.
“Bees are livestock
and should have the same modern tools to care for them and protect them that we have for our chickens, cats, dogs and so on,” she said. “We’re really hoping we’re going to change the industry now.”
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
On Jan. 11, the University of Wyoming (UW) hosted the 7220 Wool Judging Invitational for 2023, which was sponsored by the Wyoming Wool Initiative and the Targhee Sheep Association.
Nine UW students competed against 56 total competitors, making up 13 teams representing seven universities, at the event.
The UW team is made up of members Bailey Arends, Kristy Benjamin, Kirby Hales, Hadlee Hollinger, Joe Mills, Todd Paisley, Megan Perz, Emi Ramirez and Morgan Stratman. The team is coached by Wyatt Crane, Tessa Maurer, Dylan Laverell, Amy Newman, Courtney Newman and Dr. Whit Stewart.
UW rounded out the contest with a second place overall finish, receiving
high team placings, high team live animal evaluation, high team rail and second place in team reasons.
Todd Paisley received honors as high individual overall and high individual in placings. He also came in third place in both live animal and value added evaluation.
Joe Mills was the 10th high overall individual and took third in placings. Kirby Hales had a third place finish in reasons, and Hadlee Hollinger was second in live animal evaluation.
“We are thankful for all of the generous support from producers across the Intermountain West for allowing us to compete on great fleeces,” says the UW Extension Sheep Program in a press release dated Jan. 11. “It was truly a showcasing of the great wool produced in our region.”
“If we can prevent an infection in our hives, we can avoid costly treatments and focus our energy on other important elements of keeping our bees healthy.”
– Trevor Tauzer, Tauzer ApiariesCompetitive showing – Nine UW students made a competitive showing at the 7220 Wool Judging Invitational, which hosted 56 competitors from seven universities. UW Extension Sheep Program photo
Unstable input and commodity prices, weather, and pests are just a few of the risks faced by managers of agricultural businesses of all sizes. Current problems such as high inflation, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions can further amplify these risks. Smaller operations may have less capital at stake and lower risk exposure than larger operations; however, smaller firms present their own, unique set of risk-related challenges. Often, smaller businesses have even less room for error.
The Strategic Risk Management Process Small Business Edition (SRMP-SBE) is tailored to smaller, non-commercial and lifestyle-type operations. The SRMP-SBE model proposes three main phases for risk management: strategic, tactical and operational. The diagram is circular to suggest that risk management planning should be an ongoing process; conditions on the ground change, and the plan should be adjusted accordingly.
Visit https://bit.ly/risk-mgmt-process for resources designed to guide users through each step of the process, presented alongside an in-depth example developed for a specialty crop operation.
The first step is to know the operation’s complete financial position. The idea is to identify any financial issues before they become too big to address down the road; proper financial analysis should provide a clear picture of which parts of the business are in good shape and which parts need attention. This is achieved by constructing basic financial statements that can help
monitor business liquidity, solvency, repayment capacity, profitability and financial efficiency. The four statements crucial to this step are the cash flow statement, balance sheet, income statement (accrual-adjusted) and statement of owner equity.
Risk tolerance is the level of risk a person is willing accept in order to achieve a particular goal. Some business owners seek to avoid as much risk as possible, while others seem to actively seek it out. Finding your risk tolerance
helps set the tone for strategies to manage the risks facing your business. The SRMP Small Business Edition offers a worksheet to help you determine your personal risk tolerance.
Strategic goals, tactical objectives and operational plans provide a road map for guiding the business forward, particularly with regard to risk. Outlining clear, achievable short-term objectives that are tied to longer-term goals can help focus energy
Example of a strategic goal worksheet.
James Sedman is a consultant to the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, and John Hewlett is a farm and ranch management specialist in the department. Hewlett may be reached at (307) 766 -2166 or hewlett@uwyo.edu
Strategic risk management process.
and resources, especially in a smaller scale business. The example worksheet illustrates the approach and resources needed to achieve those goals.
Agricultural risk is often grouped into five categories: production, price, financial, institutional and human resource risk. To successfully manage risk, it is necessary to both identify and prioritize the sources of risk that pose threats to your business. The SRMPSBE approach outlines steps to address each significant area of risk. This approach entails ranking each source of risk on a scale based on potential impacts to the business, followed by ranking each risk factor by how much the business owner can influence it.
Estimating how likely a risk outcome might be can help managers focus attention where it has the greatest effect. For example, if you are certain a negative outcome is highly likely to occur, you will probably avoid taking the risk. The SRMP-SBE supplies a method that draws from historical data or your own estimates to assess how likely future risks might be.
Understanding the probability of a certain risk can help you decide just how much of that risk you are willing to assume.
The four basic strategies for risk management are avoid, transfer, assume and reduce. Each business manager has a different perspective on risk. As a result, some strategies are more appealing than others. While generally there is a positive correlation between risk and return, where each manager falls on the spectrum depends on their risk tolerance. In other words, being totally risk averse will leave money on the table, whereas taking too much risk may cost the business money as well.
Potential risk management strategies should be evaluated based on how well they move the business toward its goals, their demands for resources, and how well they match your risk tolerance. Strategies that provide better results at a lower cost rank higher. This stage in the process involves combining the tactical steps outlined earlier with the strategic steps to set the best course of action for the business.
This is the operational phase of the process and puts risk management plans into action. Implementation of the management plan includes resource management—making sure the correct resources (land, labor, capital) are available to properly put the management plan in motion. Monitoring and adjusting are closely tied to the implementation step, as available resources change from year to year (or within the year). Along the way, the manager must monitor resource performance and make necessary mid-course adjustments. With the aid of the SRMP model, these adjustments are much easier to make and are more responsive. This adaptive approach also allows managers to consider possible changes in the overall business strategy. Changes to the management plan may not be necessary each year, but occasionally operators should reflect on how well business resources are performing, if progress toward goals is appropriate and even whether those goals are still correctly described.
The 10-step SRMP process helps users identify, plan for and manage risk. Copies of the SRMP Small Business Edition are available for download at RightRisk.org (select Strategic Risk Management under the Products tab). There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to risk strategies; rather, the goal is to help identify and understand what level of risk works best for you and your business.
The Strategic Risk Management Process (SRMP) Small Business Edition is available online at https://bit.ly/risk-mgmt-process.
Lameness is a worldwide problem for sheep farmers and flocks. The American Sheep Industry (ASI) SheepCast podcast
welcomed University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (U.K.), Life and Environmental Sciences Professor Laura Green to dis-
cuss sheep foot health and evolving recommendations for foot disease.
Causes of lameness Most of the causes of
lameness in sheep occur in the feet, but there are two key differences – they can be either infectious or noninfectious, Green notes.
“Infectious causes dominate because they spread from sheep to sheep, whereas non-infectious causes will be seen in individual sheep,” she says. “In the U.K., foot rot is the most common cause of lameness, contributing to roughly 70 percent of lameness issues.”
Contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) is another cause of lameness in the U.K. and European countries, which causes severe and common infectious foot disease.
“CODD is another increasing, infectious bacterial disease and is responsible for approximately 30 percent of lameness,” says Green. “But, then we get these other non-infectious causes or granulomas.”
One of the most common types of toe granuloma, or foot damage, is caused by excessive foottrimming and foot-bathing. They can appear in a fleshy, “strawberry” appearance and happen as a response to cutting into sensitive tissue beneath the hoof horn.
White line disease (WLD), also known as shelly hoof, is another example of a non-infectious disease. WLD is an extensive degeneration of the white line.
If an instance of lameness occurs in the foot, it will be difficult to determine if it is caused by an injury or disease.
Green says until one
listen to the full podcast or future podcasts, visit sheepusa.org.
know what the cause of lameness is.
“Sometimes people can see sheep that are not weight bearing at all. For example, they might have a swollen joint or fracture up the leg, and they won’t bear any weight. But, producers need to look at the sheep to actually decide,” she says.
Dichelobacter nodosu, formerly known as Bacteroides nodosus, is the pathogen or bacteria causing foot rot.
“This pathogen is specific – the only thing it does is cause foot rot in sheep, and it’s very specialized to the feet of sheep,” she says. “It’s not found anywhere else, and it can only live in a diseased foot.”
She notes this pathogen can be spread through soil, pasture or bedding, but it’s only alive in and able to reproduce on the foot of a diseased sheep. In some instances, some producers might not see any signs or symptoms of the disease besides the sheep being lame, but in a few days typical signs and symptoms include extreme pain, elevated body temperature, bilateral swelling of the interdigital space and a loss of hair, foul odor and decreased feed intake.
“We know Dichelobacter nodosu won’t cause disease unless the skin is damaged in some way,” says Green.
She continues explaining wet skin for more than 24 hours for a few days is enough for the skin integrity to get weaker and cause Dichelobacter nodosu to invade. In dry conditions, Dichelobacter nodosu will die within minutes, and with some moisture, it can survive for one to two days.
“The thing to think about is these feet diseases have millions of Dichelobacter nodosu organisms on them. Every time they walk, they are planting millions of these organisms in the soil,” explains Green. “Although, each one might only survive 48 hours, it only takes one sheep to come along and step in an infectious footprint to be infected.”
She adds there can be contamination over a 24/7 period, although organisms are dying off rather quickly.
Different strains of this bacteria can affect sheep differently, she notes.
“The strains themselves don’t determine how severe the disease is,” says Green. “What determines the severity of the disease is the number of fimbriae –otherwise known as molecular and filamentous polymetric protein structures located on the surface of bacterial cells – seen on the bacteria or Dichelobacter nodosu.”
The more fimbriae
on any one organism, the more it’s able to invade, she mentions.
Foot rot diagnosis and treatment
Green notes clinical signs for foot rot is necessary in making a foot rot diagnosis. In many cases, veterinarians will conduct a polymerase chain reaction test, which are highly accurate diagnosis of certain infectious diseases and genetic changes. The test works by finding DNR or ribonucleic acid of a pathogen or abnormal cells in a sample.
“If we know we’ve got foot rot in a country or a flock with odor or clinical signs, we don’t need to go through the clinical diagnosis,” she says.
If animals have a poor or inadequate diet, livestock can be more susceptible to disease, but by in large, as long as the basis of health and nutrition are being met, foot rot is not a disease caused by a deficiency.
“The way we control foot rot is by thinking of it as an infectious disease and doing treatments and biosecurity measures,” she says.
For a long time, the best recommended treatment for foot rot was to trim the hoof of the infected sheep, even to the point of exposing bacteria to oxygen to kill it. Green has found by doing so, it delays healing.
“This disease has been around for several hundreds of years, and the industry hasn’t had antibiotics for very long. Maybe at some point in the past, this was the best we could do,” says Green. “But what we know is, if we trim feet and trim them severely, they don’t grow back in the same way.”
For treatment she recommends giving a longlasting antibiotic, giving the right dosage to meet the body weight of the sheep, applying a topical treatment for all four feet of the sheep, treating infected sheep within three days of becoming lame and not trimming at all.
She says for some diseases it is necessary to trim the foot, but not to the point of sensitivity. Green recommends producers keep records of what sheep are being treated for lameness, and if sheep are being treated two to three times a year, she encourages producers to cull them.
In closing she mentions, “My big take home message is to stop trimming, start treating promptly and effectively and get lameness levels down under two percent in six to 12 weeks.”
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
During the Progressive Resource Manager Forum, held during the Wyoming Natural Resource Rendezvous Convention and Trade Show in Casper on Dec. 6, Beef Industry Trailblazer Kacy Atkinson offered a fresh perspective on the old concept of telling agriculture’s story and gave insight into how best to navigate beef advocacy in today’s day and age.
“The idea of telling our story has been harped to death, but no one has come up with a better way to say it. We have to tell our story, because if we are not telling it, someone else will, and we may not like what they have to say,” Atkinson said.
She further noted cattle ranches wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t people in the world eating beef. Therefore, it is crucial producers take time to get to know, understand, appreciate and respect their customers.
In an effort to do this, Atkinson said it is crucial for producers to advocate for the industry, which doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of media interviews or social media posts, although these are also great options.
“The first thing to consider is comfort zone,” she said. “We have the obvious list – social media, blogs, letters to the editor, media interviews, etc. But, if a person would rather stick a spoon in their eye than do any of those, there are some other options.”
One of the options Atkinson mentioned is doing some advocacy work at the local grocery store.
“I’m sure some of us have been at the local grocery store and noticed someone staring at the meat case, clearly lost. We watch them pick up different packages of meat before they end up grabbing the cheapest one and putting it in their cart,” she shared. “In an instance like this, it would be easy for one of us to walk up, mention we raise beef for a living and offer to help them.”
To take this a step further, Atkinson suggested setting up a table at the local meat counter with an “ask me anything” sign and let shoppers approach with questions.
Additionally, Atkinson suggested opening up farms and ranches for a tour, inviting children for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-based after school programs, going into schools and teaching students about the beef industry, hosting a dinner party on the ranch or simply talking to a stranger on a plane.
“All we have to do is talk to the people in the community, the town or the county. Every person we reach and every person whose mind we change fundamentally affects all of our future,” she said. “It is just one person at a time, and in some ways that is going to be more effective than preaching in
front of a crowd.”
Dos and don’ts of advocacy
“There are some hard truths we need to accept if we are going to be successful,” Atkinson said in regards to the dos and don’ts of advocacy.
The first thing Atkinson encourages producers to do is play on emotion, not logic.
“We want everyone to know the numbers. We want to be able to preach facts and data. However, sound science and customer acceptance are two wildly different things,” Atkinson stated. “The truth is, if we are honest with ourselves, we don’t even listen to the facts and data if they don’t marry with our belief systems and the things we have already ingrained in our minds as the truth.”
“There are so many divisions in our own industry. We can’t agree on our own data, so why do we think they are going to listen?” she added. “If we preach science, we aren’t going to win. We are hardwired to react to emotion, which is where we need to start when approaching our customers.”
Next, Atkinson says it is imperative producers do not come across as defensive, arrogant or insulting.
“I say this with love, but so often we come across to people outside of our industry as defensive, arrogant, insulting and demeaning,” she stated, further referring to a joke she’s heard about not spending years to raise a cow just to have someone eat it well done. “We make fun of how someone feels comfortable eating beef, and why do we care how they eat it, as long as they are eating it.”
“So often we attack vegans and vegetarians for their food choices, yet in the same breath we expect them to be supportive of how we eat,” she continued. “The reality is, whether a person is a vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, omnivore, etc., they are supporting the agriculture industry.”
“We need to be cognizant of what we say and how we come across,” Atkinson reiterated. “Another thing I can’t stand to hear is that our customers ‘need educated.’ If someone were to walk up to me and tell me I need educated, I would be offended.”
In fact, Atkinson noted today’s society is the single most educated group of people in human history.
“They don’t need educated. They have just been educated by a show they watched on Netflix, a book they read, the news media, their doctor and their friends,” she said. “We might not agree with the education they are receiving, but we need to move away from this idea of educating our customers and move into a place of building trust and relationships.”
Lastly, Atkinson highly encourages producers to receive their own education in regard to beef advo-
cacy. She notes the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program is a good place to start so they can be credible and well-informed when visiting with the general public.
“A beef advocate is going to represent the entire industry, not just the silo they came out of,” she explained.
“On a daily basis, I get asked about packing plants, feedyards, retail and foodservice, but I am just a cow/calf producer. If I can’t answer their questions, I have to at least be able to send them to a contact who can.”
Atkinson also advises producers to be cognizant of the credibility and integrity of the information they choose to believe and spread.
To wrap up her presentation, Atkinson told attendees she believes it is crucial producers begin to recognize, understand, appreciate, love and respect their customers.
“The other day I was
interviewing William Wise, chief executive officer of the Oregon Beef Council, and he made a comment that really struck me,” she stated. “He said he doesn’t think the beef industry loves our customer, which is a problem and will be our undoing.”
“He said we love people who look like us, think like us and fit in our box. We love the customers who are more conservative, believe in traditional values and fit in the box most of us would put ourselves in,” she explained. “However, many of our customers live downtown in big cities. They might have spiked, purple hair, are covered in piercings and tattoos, are bisexual and liberal, and yet, they eat beef five times a week.”
“Our customers represent all demographics,” she added. “How do we stay in business if we don’t figure out who our customers actually are and how to love them?”
Atkinson continued, “I’m sure a lot of us don’t want to hear this, but as cattle ranchers, we also have to be in the people business. We share a lot of values with our customers. We are parents, kids, families, churchgoers, exercise fanatics and travel junkies. There are so many ways we are like our customers. We need to build connections and show them this.”
Atkinson also encourages producers to spend a little time thanking consumers, because without them, cattle ranching wouldn’t exist.
“I’ve heard so often producers saying people should be more appreciative of the beef industry. I don’t think anybody misunder-
stands how important agriculture is and that eating is necessary for survival,” she noted. “But, do we ever flip the mindset and think about how important it is to thank the people who support us, buy our product and keep us in business?”
Therefore, Atkinson reiterates the importance of beef advocacy and building meaningful relationships with consumers based on a mutual understanding, in appreciation, love and respect.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
“But, do we ever flip the mindset and think about how important it is to thank the people who support us, buy our product and keep us in business?” – Kacy Atkinson, Beef Checkoff Trailblazers
“Measurements of snow water equivalent (SWE) at selected manual snow courses and automated snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) sites, along with precipitation, antecedent streamflow and indices of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation are used in computerized statistical and simulation models to prepare runoff forecasts,” reads the report. “Unless otherwise specified, all forecasts are for flows which would occur naturally without any upstream influences.”
NRCS notes forecasts are by no means perfect. In fact, they explain streamflow forecast uncertainty arises from three sources – uncertain knowledge of future weather conditions, uncertainty in the forecast-
ing procedures and errors in the data.
Therefore, it is important individuals interpret these forecasts as a range of values with specific probabilities of occurrence instead of a single value.
“The middle of the range is expressed by the 50 percent exceedance probability forecast, for which there is a 50 percent chance the actual flow will be above and a 50 percent chance the actual flow will be below this value,” NRCS explains in the report. “To describe the expected range around this 50 percent value, four other forecasts are provided – two smaller values at 90 percent and 70 percent exceedance probability and two larger values at 30 percent and 10 percent exceedance probability, respectively.”
“For example, there
is a 90 percent chance the actual flow will be more than the 90 percent exceedance probability forecast. The others can be interpreted similarly,” NRCS adds.
The report further notes the wider the spread among these values, the more uncertain the forecast will be. As the season progresses, forecasts will become more accurate, primarily because a greater portion of the future weather conditions become known.
Lastly, NRCS notes the median is the official normal for snowpack, precipitation, reservoir storage and streamflow calculations.
The NRCS notes SWE across the state of Wyoming for the first month of the year is forecast at 120 percent of the median.
SWE in the Sweetwater River Basin is the highest at
164 percent of the median, and South Platte River Basin has the lowest SWE at 45 percent of the median.
Sweetwater River Basin also reported the highest precipitation at 187 percent of the median, and South Platte River Basin, again, reported the lowest precipitation amount at 100 percent of the median.
According to NRCS, forecast median streamflow yields for basins across the state of Wyoming – except the Green, Little Snake and Cheyenne River basins – during the months of April through September averaged 108 percent. These three exceptions had forecast median streamflow yields of 109 percent for the same time period.
NRCS notes the Snake River and Yellowstone River basins should yield about 111 percent and 115 percent of the median,
respectively, while yields from the Wind and Big Horn River basins should be about 108 percent and 100 percent of the median, respectively.
Yields from the Shoshone River Basin is forecast to be 100 percent of the median, and yields from the Powder and Tongue River basins should be about 90 percent and 104 percent of the median, respectively.
Yield for the Cheyenne River Basin should be about 91 percent of the median. Yields for the Sweetwater, Upper North Platte, Lower North Platte and Laramie Rivers should be about 139 percent, 119 percent, 108 percent and 113 percent of the median, respectively. Yields for the Little Snake and Green River should be 139 percent and 102 percent, according to the NRCS report.
ming averaged 81 percent of median.
Reservoirs in the Snake River Basin reported numbers far below the median at 28 percent.
Big Horn, Cheyenne River, Upper North Platte River and Lower and Upper Green River basin reservoirs also reported numbers below median at 94 percent, 80 percent, 68 percent, 93 percent and 81 percent, respectively.
Reservoirs in the Wind River, Belle Fourche, Tongue River and Lower North Platte basins were near median at 99 percent, 96 percent, 104 percent and 95 percent, respectively.
The Buffalo Bill Reservoir on the Shoshone River also reported numbers near median at 102 percent.
storage Reservoir storage for the entire state of Wyo-
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
Everyone wants cattle that breed easily, calve early and display good reproductive performance. Though this may sound simple enough, how do cattlemen achieve those things simultaneously?
“I’m a big fan of a concept called ‘positive momentum,’ because I believe really good reproductive success this year ensures really good reproductive success next year,” said Dr. Bob Larson, a veterinarian with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.
During the Angus University webinar, Keys to Reproductive Success: Female Edition, hosted on Dec. 13, Larson shared tools and practices to help cattlemen achieve optimal success in their cow herds.
One way to achieve this goal is to benchmark a producer’s current situation and compare it to a desired plan.
For example, a producer with an eight percent open rate might set a goal of Larson’s ideal open rate of five percent.
This allows for a significant increase in earned income as earlier calving cows lead to heavier weaning calves and a faster rebreed window.
Larson also described the difference in reproductive success for first-calf heifers.
To meet the constraints of having an 83-day period for cows to rebreed and calve at the same time next year, Larson recommended heifers calve ahead of cows for their first calf. To
help ensure heifers reach puberty at the right time, he advised assistance from a veterinarian.
“It is important for veterinarians to really evaluate heifers to make sure each individual heifer and the group as a whole can reach puberty in time to get bred a little ahead of the cows,” Larson said.
Factors affecting puberty
He explained how the onset of puberty is primarily influenced by age and weight within breeds. This leads to a common question – what is the appropriate target weight?
“The real question is, what ration should I feed heifers to result in the desired number reaching puberty by the desired date,” Larson said.
He emphasized again how working alongside a veterinarian and nutritionist helps producers answer these questions.
Larson reiterated for producers to achieve this success in their operations, they must avoid the primary threats to positive momentum. These threats include having heifers who don’t calve ahead of cows, calving in a thin body condition, bulls that fail to successfully breed cows and pregnancy-ending disease.
Avoiding these issues promises potential for success year after year.
This article was written by Whitney Whitaker, American Angus Association (AAA) communications Specialist. For more information about Angus cattle and the AAA, visit angus.org
To dive deeper into Dr. Larson’s presentation, visit bit.ly/DecemberAUrecording. To learn more about Angus University webinars and the upcoming episode, visit angus.org/Pub/ AngusNewsRoom/2023-cattlemenscongress-au-session.
we do not seem to have reliable partners in the Biden administration.”
Biden, commented Gordon, is more willing to partner with Saudi Arabia and Venezuela than with Wyoming, and his “misguided policies have cost the nation dearly in these past two years.”
High fuel costs had adversely affected Americans, and Gordon noted the administration should be extending a handshake to Wyoming energy producers.
In the Wyoming energy picture, Gordon noted change and innovation are both essential, and carbon capture technology will help provide the catalyst to enhance fossil fuel production in the state.
“Wyoming has eight coal-fired plants, powering about 7.5 million homes. Wyoming coal provides reliable electricity to almost onequarter of all U.S. households,” he explained. “But, in the minds of Washington, D.C. bureaucrats, all fossil fuels should go extinct.”
“The good news is we are making progress with carbon capture technology,” Gordon emphasized. “The work of prior legislatures on permitting advanced nuclear projects and support of developing rare earth minerals, hydrogen productions and CO2 capture are important to our nation and our state’s future.”
He added, “Wyoming is becoming recognized for being forward-thinking on environment, climate and energy.”
Alongside energy, Gordon said Wyoming’s management of water has been vital and will continue to be important in the wake of continuing drought across the West.
“Watersheds across Wyoming are severely stressed,” he explained. “Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Colorado River Basin. Challenges like water curtailments for agriculture, municipalities and industry are almost inevitable, and we must be prepared to protect our interests.”
Budget increases, he noted, must be made in the State Engineer’s Office in order to protect the state’s interests and address old, crumbling infrastructure.
“We take great pride in responsibly managing our natural resources, from agricultural land and bountiful minerals to wildlife and its habitat,” Gordon commented. “Agriculture and natural resource management in Wyoming are not just industries. They are a way of life, part of our cultural identity as a state, as is the balance in multiple uses of our lands.”
Again, Washington, D.C. is challenging agriculture, with a growing number of people in government who do not understand, nor appreciate, how close people in the state live to the land, the wildlife
and the Western culture.
Wyoming’s involvement in over 30 lawsuits challenges the overreach and overregulation from the federal government, but such suits are expensive.
“The attorney general’s team is getting some good results on federal vaccine mandates, strengthening the border, grizzly bear management, oil and gas interests and simply requiring federal agencies to comply with the law when considering land transfers,” he summarized.
“Wyoming’s ag roots run deep and help define us,” Gordon emphasized. “I need not remind all those here that Wyoming was built on agriculture.”
In light of the 2023 General Session and the work ahead of Wyoming’s citizen legislators, Gordon explained his recommendations in the Supplemental Budget are important and fiscally prudent.
“Our budget is critical because how we handle our finances this year will affect our people and our future significantly,” he remarked. “Fortunately, Wyoming finds herself at a remarkable juncture. Federal government largess and energy markets have given Wyoming a financial bumper crop.”
However, Gordon said, just because the year has been good, it is important to not spend excessively.
“As a Wyoming rancher, I know the value of a good hay year. Because they do not always come around, it is important we make hay when the conditions are right,” he explained. “Ranchers also know how important it is to set aside excess for leaner times ahead – and leaner times appear likely.”
With supply chains, inflation, labor markets and overall economic uncertainty, the future is undefined at best, and the state must carefully consider its actions.
When setting budgets, Gordon noted Wyoming must live within its means and justify its expenditures, while also living up to its obligations.
In his State of the State address, Gov. Mark Gordon emphasized Wyoming’s people and its Western culture is “simply extraordinary.”
“Folks here know there is more to being a cowboy than simply wearing a hat. It is knowing when to take it off, when to help your neighbor and what is important to preserve for our children,” he said. “We are a people with grit, courage and kindness in our souls.”
Gordon cited examples of men and women across the state – from first responders to pioneers in their field. Partnerships with all people in Wyoming – from the military and Tribes, to private corporations and citizens – are essential to continuing progress in the state.
“We must address the concerns of our most vulnerable and those living on a fixed income who are feeling the inflationary pinch,” he said. “Inflation is a concern for the workforce too.”
Wyoming’s state workers, he cited, are underpaid compared to surrounding states, and it is critical to ensure they are fairly paid to protect against vacancies in critical jobs.
“Wyoming is strong and getting stronger. We are becoming more resilient through diversification, which means our economy is better able to avoid the booms and busts plaguing us over our history,” Gordon stated. “Today, I can proudly say Wyoming’s economy is the most diverse it has been in over 50 years.”
At the same time, legacy industries are staying at the top, while other sectors, such as hospitality, manufacturing, finance and professional and business services, are continuing to grow.
“Businesses from around the state are looking to expand, and those in other parts of the country are looking to relocate to Wyoming,” he explained. “A diversifying economy also needs a nimble, skilled and ambitious workforce.”
Collaboration and adequate funding of Wyoming’s higher education institutions through programs like the Wyoming Innovation Partnership are critical to supporting Wyoming’s economic development needs.
Looking at the future
“Wyoming is poised to be a leader on so many fronts,” Gordon summarized. “Our expertise in resource management, advanced carbon innovation, energy security, our value-added agriculture
and fiscal prudence make us a leader in all these areas.”
Further, Gordon stated Wyoming’s belief in government close to the people that doesn’t interfere with personal liberty makes the state a model for others.
He explained, “I learned early on in a hayfield that a good foundation and tiedin corners were important to make sure the stack I made stood. If it did not, I was expected to fix it on my own time and without help. Wyoming is blessed to have a good foundation, and our corners are tied in.”
Citing a letter penned by General George Washington to Congress and the deliberations of the Constitutional Convention, Gordon said, “While we should speak our mind, we should also have a servant’s heart so we can each do our share of the task of making this special place we call home thrive long into the future.”
He concluded, “God bless Wyoming and her people. God bless these United States of America.”
Saige Zespy is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net or saige. zespy@gmail.com.
The University of Wyoming (UW) College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources will kick off its second annual Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) seminar series in Riverton on Jan. 26.
The seminar series, titled “Ranching in the West,” includes four sessions held at community colleges across the state, culminating in a one-day leadership symposium on the UW campus in Laramie. All five events are open to the public as well as UW and community college students.
For those unable to attend in person, all events will be livestreamed and recorded via Zoom.
For community members and students not taking the course for credit, the cost is $25 per session or $100 for all five sessions. To register, visit uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal UW students who choose to enroll in the seminar series as a for-credit course are required to participate in all five sessions.
In the first session, hosted by Central Wyoming College in Riverton on Jan. 26, a panel of natural resource managers, grazing permittees and others will discuss ranching on public lands. Panelists include Jason Pindell of the Shoshone National Forest Service; Reg Phillips, ranch manager of the Diamond D Ranch in Dubois; John Elliott, field manager of the Lander Bureau of Land Management office; Sublette County Rancher Joel Bousman and UW Extension Educator Barton Stam.
Subsequent sessions include managing human resources on the ranch, hosted at Sheridan College on Feb. 16; technology and innovation, hosted at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington on March 2; revenue diversification, hosted at Northwest College in Powell on March 30 and a leadership symposium and luncheon, hosted at UW in Laramie on April 20.
Sessions hosted by community colleges are scheduled for 4-7:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided.
To learn more, visit uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal. Contact RMAL Program Coordinator Anne DeMersseman at ademerss@uwyo.edu or call 307-766-3206 with questions.
Justin
Brandon
Mike
Jake
Mark Hoyt
65 black heifers, 550#, 2 rounds of shots, long time weaned, fed long stem hay and corn.
Peterson Family – 40 mixed black/CharX, 550-650#, 3 rounds of shots, weaned, long time weaned, poured with Dectomax.
Diamond S Ranch – 37 black heifers, bangs vaccinated, 450-525#, 15 black steers, 400-700#, 2 rounds of shots, long time weaned, bunk broke.
Ken Friesen – 40 black steers, 550-650#, 2 rounds of shots, long time weaned.
Brewster Ranch – 30 black/BWF heifers, 450-550#, 1 black steer, 500#, 2 rounds of shots, bunk broke, started on feed.
Kenny and Karl Pierce – 30 mixed black BB, 300-400#, 2 rounds of shots.
Richard Russell – 27 black steers, 600-650#, 2 rounds of shots.
M Bar Cattle Co. – 20 mixed black, 600#, 2 rounds of shots, weaned, bunk broke.
Jasper Ingalls – 10 black yearling heifers, 1,300-1,450#, corn fed since Sept. 15, 2022.
Travis Friesen – 14 black heifers, 700-800#, 2 rounds of shots, weaned, bunk broke, light fee ration.
Dusty Mills – 8 Sim/Angus steers, 600#, 2 rounds of shots, weaned, bunk broke.
CJ and Vickie Nye – 80 mixed black, 625-650#, 3 rounds of shots, poured, Multimin, weaned, running on pasture.
Barry and Cindy Nye – 20 mixed black, 625-650#, 3 rounds of shots, poured, Multimin, weaned, running on pasture.
Jan. 7-22 National Western Stock Show, Denver, Colo. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com
Jan. 17 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Webinar, online. 11-12 p.m. For more information, visit aphis.usda.gov
Jan. 17-19 2023 Wyoming Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification Program and New Pesticide Applicator Program, Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center, Casper. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/pesticiderecert-2023 or bit.ly/new-pesticide-aapp-2023
Jan. 18-21 2022 American Sheep Industry Annual Convention, Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit sheepusa.org
Jan. 19 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Webinar, online. 9-10 a.m. For more information, visit aphis.usda.gov
Jan. 19 2023 Cow/Calf College Beef Seminar, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Clay County Fairgrounds, Clay Center, Neb. For more information, visit go.unl.edu/frcollege or call 402-746-3417.
Jan. 19 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar, 6:30-7:30 p.m., online. To register for the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/cow_ costs. For more information, contact UNL Extension Educator Aaron Berger at aberger2@unl.edu or call 308-235-3122.
Jan. 20-21 Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers 2023 Conference Pinedale. For more information, visit wyfb.org or call 307-532-2002.
Jan. 21 National Bison Association’s Gold Trophy Show and Sale, 10 a.m., National Western Stock Show Livestock Auction Arena, Denver, Colo. For more information, visit bisoncentral.com/gold-trophy-show-and-sale/ Jan. 24 Inaugural Montana AgTech Innovation and Investment Summit, Great Falls, Mont. For more information, visit mtagtechinvest.io
Jan. 25 2023 Northwest Crop Symposium, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Park County Fairgrounds, Heart Mountain Hall, Powell. For more information, visit wyoextension.org/parkcounty
Jan. 25 State Trade Expansion Program Planning an Export Strategy Webinar online. For more information, visit sba.gov
Jan. 26
Jan. 26
Jan. 27-28
University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Seminar, Central Wyoming College, Riverton. To register, visit uwyo.edu/uwag/ rmal. To learn more, visit uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal or contact RMAL Program Coordinator Anne DeMersseman at ademerss@uwyo.edu or call 307-766-3206.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar, 6:30-7:30 p.m., online. To register for the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/cow_ costs. For more information, contact UNL Extension Educator Aaron Berger at aberger2@unl.edu or call 308-235-3122.
Western Colorado Soil Health Conference, Montrose Pavilion Event Center, Montrose, Colo. For more information, visit westerncoloradosoilhealth.org
Jan. 17
Jan. 19
Jan. 20
Jan. 23
Jan. 26
Jan. 27
Jan. 28
Ken Haas Angus 42nd Annual Right Combination Bull Sale, at the ranch, LaGrange, 307-834-2356, kenhaasangus.com
Thomas Angus Ranch Annual Wyoming Bull Sale, Frontier Days Event Center Building, Cheyenne, 541-524-9322, 541-403-0562, thomasangusranch.com
Urlacher Angus Annual Bull Sale, Bowman Auction Market, Bowman, N.D., 701-824-4129
Bullis Creek Ranch Spring Production Bull Sale, at the ranch, Wood Lake, Neb., 402-376-4465, bulliscreek.com
Marcy Livestock 62nd Annual Angus Bull and Female Sale, Gordon Livestock Auction, Gordon, Neb., 308-430-2005, marcylivestock.com
McConnell Angus Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Dix, Neb., 308-2355187, 308-230-0430, 970-215-3204, mcconnellangus.com
Little Goose Ranch Sixth Annual Production Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-751-1535, 307-751-5793, 307-751-6737, littlegooseranch.com
Jan. 28 21 Angus 29th Annual Top Cut Bull Sale, at the ranch, New England, N.D., 701-579-4221, 21angus.com
Feb. 2 K2 Red Angus Winter Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Wheatland, 307331-2917, k2redangus.com
Feb. 2 Ridder Hereford Ranch Annual Bull and Heifer Sale, at the ranch, Callaway, Neb., 308-836-4430, 402-450-0431, ridderranch.com Feb. 3 TJS Red Angus 15th Annual ‘Red Truck’ Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 406-639-9112, tjsredangus.com Feb. 3 Elkington Polled Herefords & South Devons 43rd Annual Range Raised Cattle Sale, at the ranch, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 208-521-1774, 208-681-0765, elkingtonpolledherefords.com
Feb. 4 Beartooth Angus First Annual Sale, Swift River Ranch, Billings, Mont., 406-794-1287 Feb. 6 Ludvigson Stock Farms Sale, Yellowstone Feeders, Shepherd, Mont., 515450-3124, 712-229-3431, ludvigsonstockfarms.com Feb. 8 Durbin Creek Ranch 11th Annual Bull Sale, Big Horn Basin Livestock Auction, Worland, 307-921-8825, durbincreekranch.com Feb. 9 Booth’s Cherry Creek Angus 50th Annual “Progress Through Performance” Bull Sale, at the ranch, Veteran, 307-534-5865, 307-532-1805, 307-532-1532, boothscherrycreekranch.com
Feb. 10 Powder River Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-680-7359, 307-680-8266, powderriverangus.com
Feb. 13 Pilakowski Angus Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale, Lightning Valley Ranch, Arthur, Neb., 308-249-0885, pilakowskiangus.com
Feb. 13
Fawcett’s Elm Creek Ranch Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Ree Heights, S.D., 605-870-0161, 605-870-6172, fawcettselmcreekranch.com
Feb. 14 G Bar H Genetics Angus Bull Sale, Torrington Livestock Market, Torrington, 307-575-5520, 307-532-6170, 307-575-0294, 307-575-0373
Feb. 15 Shaw Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Caldwell, Idaho, 208-459-3029, 208-880-9044, shawcattle.com
Feb. 16
Wooden Shoe Farms Maternal Value Added Bull Sale, at the ranch, Blackfoot, Idaho, 208-681-4169, 208-604-0235
Feb. 17 Hoffman Ranch Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Thedford, Neb., 308-6452279, 530-604-5096, 406-425-0859, hoffmanranch.com
Feb. 18
Feb. 18
Triple T Land and Livestock Annual Bull & Heifer Production Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-746-8509, 307-949-0745. bar-t3livestock,com
Redland Redbank Angus First Annual Live Auction, Big Horn Basin Livestock Auction, Worland, 307-250-1548
Feb. 20 Weaver Ranch 38th Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Fort Collins, Colo., 970-568-3898
Feb. 25
Kretschman Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-351-0794, 307-736-2327, kretschmanangus.com
Compiled by Dick Perue rrichardperue@gmail.com
Thus reads the headline in the Dec. 31, 1896, issue of the Platte Valley Lyre, a weekly newspaper published in Saratoga in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The news item reads:
Will Turnbull surprised our people Sunday evening by riding into town with a monster gray wolf on the saddle behind him. Turnbull set a trap not far from his slaughter house in the Burdick pasture last week for the purpose of catching coyotes, which had been annoying him.
On Sunday, he and Chet Cluff visited the trap and found it holding a ferocious gray wolf. The animal had been in the trap about two days and had consumed a large quantity of the bait – a dead horse.
Turnbull says it presented a terrible appear-
ance, and he could hear the snapping of its jaws for 50 feet. He had several of his fox hounds and a staghound with him, and it was about all he could do, with the aid of Cluff, to hold the dogs back from almost certain death.
Turnbull’s only
weapon was a six-shooter, and with a dog under each arm and one between his feet, he undertook to kill the entrapped wolf. It was quite a task, and Turnbull fired no less than six shots into the animal’s head before it fell. The big wolf weighed 95 pounds.
With all the news of the wolf problems in northern Colorado, especially around Walden, just 60 miles south of Saratoga, a lot of wolf stories have been popping up in my hometown. Coming Postcards will include several of the early tales of wolves in Wyoming.
US #1 Pea (Navy) Beans Min-Dak 38/cwt
US #1 Pinto Beans Den Rate 36-37/cwt Min-Dak 34-35/cwt
Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News, Torrington
Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News, Greeley, CO
National Sheep Summary
As of January 6, 2023
Compared to last week no good comparisons due to the holidays. At San Angelo, TX 3,031 head sold. No sales in Equity Cooperative Auction. Western Video sold 1530 feeder lambs in Idaho, 575 replacement ewes and 300 slaughter ewes in California. In direct trading 550 slaughter lambs sold and slaughter ewes and feeder lambs not tested. 2,598 lamb carcasses traded with no trend due to confidentiality. All sheep sold per hundred weight (CWT) unless specified.
Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3
San Angelo: wooled and shorn 130-160 lbs 120.00-140.00.
Ft. Collins: wooled and shorn 115-145 lbs 165.00-180.00; 155165 lbs 165.00-167.50.
South Dakota: wooled and shorn 110-150 lbs 130.00-137.00. Billings: wooled and shorn 100-145 lbs no test. Equity Coop: no sales.
Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 1-2
San Angelo: hair 40-60 lbs 310.00-349.00, few 351.00-55.00; 60-70 lbs 265.00-310.50, few 320.00-345.00; 70-80 lbs 250.00295.00; 80-90 lbs 227.00-260.00; 90-100 lbs 200.00-236.00. wooled and shorn 69 lbs 270.00; 70-80 lbs 231.00-240.00; 8090 lbs 220.00-251.00; 90-105 lbs 202.00-250.00.
Ft. Collins: wooled and shorn 61 lbs 200.00; 75 lbs 195.00; 88 lbs 197.50; 90-100 lbs 155.00-195.00. hair 69 lbs 230.00; 75 lbs 225.00; 90-100 lbs 197.50-205.00.
South Dakota: wooled and shorn 60-70 lbs 270.00-290.00; 70-80 lbs 235.00-245.00; 80-90 lbs 195.00-220.00; 90-100 lbs 180.00188.00. hair 50 lbs 245.00; 60-70 lbs 190.00-245.00; 94 lbs 185.00. Billings: no test.
San Angelo: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) no test; Good 2-3 (fleshy) 110.00, hair 98.00-111.00; Utility and Good 1-3 (medium flesh) 112.00-123.00, hair 116.00-131.00; Utility 1-2 (thin) 93.00106.00, hair 90.00-114.00; Cull and Utility 1-2 (very thin) no test; Cull 1 52.00-60.00.
Ft. Collins: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) 97.50-102.50; Good 2-3 (fleshy) 70.00-95.00; Utility 1-2 (thin) no test; Cull 1 no test
South Dakota: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) 61.00-65.00; Good 2-3 (fleshy) 42.00-91.00; Utility 1-2 (thin) 59.00-75.00; Cull 1 11.0030.00.
Billings: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) no test; Good 2-3 (fleshy) no test; Utility 1-2 (thin) no test; Cull 1 no test.
Feeder Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2
San Angelo: 61 lbs 225.00. hair 30-40 lbs 320.00-340.00; 40-50 lbs 337.50-340.00; 50-60 lbs 330.00-350.00.
Ft. Collins: no test.
South Dakota: 40 lbs 189.00, few 300.00; 50-60 lbs 177.00183.00, few 345.00; 60-70 lbs 186.00-190.00; 70-80 lbs 179.00; 80-90 lbs 162.00-176.00; 93 lbs 155.00; 102 lbs 149.00; 122 lbs 137.00. hair 47 lbs 300.00; 70-80 lbs 187.00-189.00.
Billings: no test.
Replacement Ewes: Medium and Large 1-2
San Angelo: hair ewe lambs 64 lbs 327.00/cwt; yearling hair 70-100 lbs 189.00-200.00/cwt; mixed age hair 95-135 lbs 137.00-168.00/cwt.
Ft. Collins: no test.
South Dakota: ewe lambs 76 lbs 185.00/cwt; yearlings 200.00/head; young 205.00-285.00/head; middle age 175.00195.00/head.
Billings: no test.
Sheep and lambs slaughter under federal inspection for the week to date totaled 26,000 compared with 26,000 last week and 33,000 last year..
Source: USDA AMS Market News, San Angelo, Texas
As of January 12, 2023
Compared to last week large square bales of alfalfa in the eastern side of the state sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Hay in the west sold steady. Demand was good with several calls from people looking for hay across the nation. Heavy wet snow was reported from Riverton to Torrington. Contacts around Powell said no snow this week at lower elevation. Snowpack for the end of last week came in with the basin high of 168% basin low at 58% with the median at 119%. Last year was at 119% and at 85% in 2021. It appears most reservoirs should have ample snow to fill them up for irrigation needs this summer. The South Platte area is in dire need of snow for runoff to rebuild droughtstricken reservoirs.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa
Central Wyoming
Eastern Wyoming
Western Wyoming
Source:
As of January 12, 2023
Compared to last week, round bales of alfalfa hay sold steady. Large square bales of alfalfa in the west sold steady to 10.00 higher. Prairie grass hay sold steady to 10.00 higher. Ground and delivered hay sold steady across the
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
FEBRUARY 157.35 157.55 +0.20
APRIL 161.28 160.93 -0.35
JUNE 157.28 156.93 -0.35
AUGUST 157.05 157.00 -0.05 OCTOBER 161.23 161.60 +0.37
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
JANUARY 183.80 182.13 -1.67
MARCH 186.55 184.28 -2.27
APRIL 190.53 188.40 -2.13 MAY 194.23 192.35 -1.88 AUGUST 204.50 204.90 +0.40
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
MARCH 7.47 7.43 -0.04
MAY 7.55 7.51 -0.04
JULY 7.59 7.54 -0.05
SEPTEMBER 7.66 7.62 -0.04
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
MARCH 6.53 6.71 +0.18
MAY 6.52 6.69 +0.17
JULY 6.47 6.61 +0.14
SEPTEMBER 6.06 6.13 +0.07
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
MARCH 3.46 3.61 +0.15
MAY 3.45 3.55 +0.10
JULY 3.47 3.56 +0.09 SEPTEMBER 3.45 3.55 +0.10
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
JANUARY 14.67 15.29 +0.62
MARCH 14.71 15.18 +0.47 MAY 14.77 15.19 +0.42
JULY 14.81 15.18 +0.37
Central Nebraska
Alfalfa - Good Large Round 200
Alfalfa Ground 285
Corn Stalk Ground 160
Prairie/Meadow Grass - Premium Small Square 9.00/bale
Prairie/Meadow Grass - Good Large Round 200-220
Eastern Nebraska
Alfalfa - Premium Small Square 10.00/bale
be postmarked no later than Feb. 6, 2023 or brought to the meeting.
Also, we welcome your attendance at the Public Board Meeting, 11 AM at The Brass Plum in Worland on Feb. 9, 2023.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hiring an Outreach Coordinator This position will be located in the Wyoming FSA State Office in Casper, WY and will be responsible for planning, developing and implementing outreach and media programs. In addition to a generous salary, FSA offers other family friendly benefits such as Leave, Health Insurance and Federal Retirement. To find out more about this position or to apply, please go to usajobs.gov, Job Announcement Number: FSA-23-11774249-DE-WY-GNB. Deadline to apply is January 25, 2023. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Julie Williams, Wyoming FSA State Office at 307-261-5142. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
MID-AMERICA FEED YARD
LOCATED NEAR OHIOWA, SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA
IS CURRENTLY LOOKING TO HIRE FULL-TIME PEN RIDERS: Skilled horsemanship and feedyard or ranch experience preferred. Pay based on experience. Comprehensive benefits include family health and dental, 401(k), life insurance benefits, sick and vacation pay. Five days a week, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. with rotating weekends and rotating holidays. Applicants are required to furnish their own horses and tack. Drug and background tests required. Call 402-295-2216 1/14
EARN $60,000/YEAR, PARTTIME in the livestock or farm equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Home study course available. 800-488-7570 or www.amagappraisers.com 1/28
WIGGINS FEEDYARD, LLC
HIRING FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE: Current driver’s license required. Call Sue Wiggins, 308-279-0924, e-mail sswiggins@wigginsfeedyard.com, 10077 U.S. 385, Bridgeport, NE 69336, provide references with phone numbers 2/25
80- Bred Heifers
Bred to calve late February for 40 days. One round of AI to DB Confidence and KB Top Generation then cleaned up with calving ease Confidence sons. Summered at 8,000-9,000 ft.
To view videos go to the Roundup classifieds online @ www.wylr.net 56 - 2 Coming 3-Year-Old Bred Cows
Everyone of Them Raised a Calf
One load will calve Starting 2/15 for 40 days, balance will calve April- early May. Guaranteed bred with all their shots. Bred to Klein Angus Bulls.
For immediate delivery. Located in Wheatland, WY. Yearling Angus Bulls
For sale private treaty. Many are calving-ease with high performance.
Contact Bill Klein • (307) 331-0136
45 BLACK, APRIL BRED HEIFERS: Front pasture, home raised and some purchased from a couple reputation ranches in western S.D. Bred to, PAP tested, Jorgenson and Diamond Peak calving ease bulls. Sorted by ultrasound to calve in April. Summered at Laramie, WY on up to 7,400 feet. Ranch raised and developed on hay and cake. Medium framed, deep bodied and weighing 1,000 lbs. We have calved their sisters for years and can say their dispositions are quiet and gentle. They are electric fence broke and savvy to dogs, horses and 4 wheelers. Call 307-760-3837 for photos, video and price 1/28
FOR SALE: 300 registered and commercial Black Angus BRED HEIFERS, 1 group of F1 baldie bred heifers. Three groups AI bred to these elite calving ease sires: MAF Triumph O415 (Musgrave Exclusive 316 son 2022 high selling calving ease bull) and Connealy In Focus 4925. Two groups pasture bred to “sleep all night” low birthweight, calving ease Black Angus bulls. AI bred: Group #1 due March 19. Group #2 due April 5. Group #3 due April 6. Bull breds: Group #1 due April 1 for 30 days. Group #2 due May 1 for 21 days. Vaccinated and poured/ dewormed. Available FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Delivery and volume discounts available.
MILLER ANGUS FARMS, Estelline, S.D. Kody, 605-690-1997 or Brady, 605-690-5733 2/4
YEARLING
BULLS FOR SALE: Actual weaning weight 727 lbs. Cow herd AI’d since 1969, predominantly use ABS and Select Sires. Purebred but not papered. $2,000. If we feed till April 1, $2,500. Call 307366-2911 1/28
15 FANCY RED ANGUS BRED HEIFERS: Home raised, ONE IRON, high elevation heifers. Bred to registered, PAP tested bulls. ULTRASOUNDED TO CALVE FOR 2 WEEKS, April 15-April 30. These girls are born and raised on a big ranch north of Cheyenne, WY and summered at Centennial, WY up to 9,000 feet of elevation. Top of the line vaccine protocol since birth. Medium framed, deep bodied and weighing 1,000 lbs. A great starter set or addition to your herd. $1,900. Call 307-760-3837 for photos and video 1/28
SANDHILL BORDER COLLIES: Working border collies for ranchers. Reds, blacks, merles, mainly short hair. Thirty years experience. Shots appropriate to age, dewclaws removed, wormed weekly. Pups and ready-to-start pups available. Prices vary. Call us (texts are better) to set up delivery, 701-770-2364 or e-mail sandhillbc@yahoo.com. Visit our Facebook page: Sandhill Performance Horses and Border Collies. To view photos, go to www. wylr.net in the classifieds 5/6
PUREBRED BORDER COLLIE PUPPIES FOR SALE: Out of excellent working parents. Extremely smart. All are traditional black and white. $300. Call 307645-3322 1/21
HORSES: BUY, SELL, TRADE. Will pick up. Call Dennis Black, 307-690-0916 1/14
WEANLING RED ROAN FILLY: Outstanding red roan filly with black legs/mane/tail. Born June 10. Sire is an AQHA and NRHA money winner DON’T STOP SHOOTIN. The filly is halter broke, trailer broke, leads, athletic and a very kind disposition. She is ready for the show ring or whatever you have planned. Call for more information, 307532-1596 1/28
2022 MIXED HAY FOR SALE: Net-wrapped heavy bales. Call 605-431-6405, Lemmon, S.D. 1/14
2022 3-WAY HAY WITH ALFALFA. ALSO, grass/alfalfa mix, 3x3 bales, barn stored. Call 307-3500350, Farson, WY 1/21
GRASS HAY FOR SALE: Cow and horse quality, 3x4 and 3x3 square bales. Delivery available!! Call 307-630-3046 1/21
ROUND BALE BARLEY STRAW AND OAT STRAW FOR SALE: Certified weed free. $100/ton. FOB Powell, WY. Call 307-2545115 or 406-480-1248 1/21
GOOD QUALITY ROUND BALES: Straight alfalfa, netwrapped, $190/ton semi load, Nisland, S.D. For more information, call 605-892-5676 1/14
2022 LARGE ROUND BALES: Net wrapped, 1,550-1,650 lbs., tests done, nitrate free, Japanese and German millet, $130/ton, will deliver. Call 605-224-6100 (home) or 605-280-3879 (cell), if no answer leave message 1/28
GRASS HAY FOR SALE: Put up with conditioners and no rain. Round bales approximately 1,600 lbs. Can load on site, Big Piney, WY, $225/ton. Please call Landa, 307-260-3007. To view photos, go to www.wylr. net in the classifieds 1/28
308-726-2138, 406-855-8288
TWO-YEAR-OLD HEREFORD
BULLS: Canadian registered. Fertility checked. View photos at www.working herefords. com Estermann Herefords 308-340-4159 or 308-9634473 1/14
SEVEN COMING 2-YEAROLD VIRGIN HEREFORD BULLS: Pasture and hay raised with longevity in mind. These are not the kind that melt. Moderate birthweights, good pigment. Tested prior to delivery with vaccinations and deworming made current, will deliver for the cost of fuel only. Purchase 3 bulls or more saves $35/head. $1,835/head. Call 307-851-2426 or e-mail ruralandsf@yahoo.com 1/14
BROWN SWISS BRED HEIFERS FOR SALE: Will calve March, April and May. Bred to Brown Swiss bulls. Have had all shots. Poured with Ivomec on regular basis. TB tested and current health papers. Nice, gentle, outside cattle, in good shape and well fed. Delivery options available. For pictures or more information, call Larry W. Carlson, 605-224-6100 (home) or 605-280-3879 (cell), if no answer leave message. Pierre, S.D. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 1/28
OF OLD WORKING LINES AND BRED TO WORK!! ASCA registered. First shots and dewormed. One male and 1 female. Ready to go!! For more information call 970-313-7002. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 1/21
LGD PUPPIES BORN NOV. 3, 2022, IN THE SHEEP SHED. Mother is Akbash/Komondor, dad is Kangal/Akbash. Dogs and flock are comfortable together. Proven predator control. Will be weaned in January. $450. Call 406-707-0244. To view photos, go to www.wylr. net in the classifieds 1/28
AKC LAB PUPPIES: All colors available, whites, blacks, yellows, dark chocolates and dark reds. Excellent hunters, family companions. Full AKC registration. Shots, wormed, dewclaws removed. All puppies are cute, but it’s what they grow into that counts. Not all Labs are the same. Proud to own!! Been raising quality AKC Labradors for 25-plus years. Look at the rest but buy the best. Both parents on site for viewing. Will sell quickly!! $200 deposit, picking order is when the deposit is received. Doug Altman, Mitchell, S.D. Call/text 605-999-7149, click the our Labs tab on the website for pictures, www.southdakotayellowlabs.com 1/14
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MOSS SADDLES, BOOTS AND TACK!! We appreciate all your past patronage and look forward to serving you and yours in 2023!! 20% OFF OF HONDO and BOULET BOOTS. Also, GREAT SELECTION of JUSTIN WORK BOOTS, TWISTED X (boots and shoes) and more!! WE CAN ship!! Shop Moss Saddles, Boots and Tack, 4648 West Yellowstone Highway, Casper, WY; 307-472-1872. Our family serving yours for 50 years!! Check us out on Facebook or our website 1/14
BARLEY STRAW: Certified weed-free small squares, $4/ bale. ALSO, round bales. OATS, WHEAT AND BARLEY, $20/100 cwt. Greybull, WY area. Call 307762-3878 or 307-202-0108, leave message 1/14
CERTIFIED BARLEY STRAW FOR SALE, 3x4. Cody, WY. Call 307-899-1952 1/14
HAY FOR SALE: 2022 first and second cutting alfalfa, alfalfa/ grass, grass mix, straight grass, Haybet barley, straight millet and sorghum. 2021 alfalfa, alfalfa/ grass, grass, alfalfa/oats, alfalfa/ oats/millet. All in net-wrapped round bales. Semi load delivery available. Call for pricing, 701690-8116, please send a text if no answer or keep trying 1/14
HAY FOR SALE: 500-600 tons, 4x4x8 alfalfa. First and second cuttings. $225/ton. ALSO, CERTIFIED BARLEY STRAW, 4x4x8, over 200 tons available. $90/ton. Volume discounts available, located between Powell and Lovell, WY. Call 307272-3712 1/21
GOOD AVAILABILITY OF ROUND AND SQUARE HAY AND STRAW BALES FOR SALE: Low delivery charge at cost. Volume discounts available. Call/text 1-204-209-1066 anytime for pricing 2/11
ARE YOU IN NEED OF A NEW HERDER CAMP OR A PERSONAL RANGE CAMP FOR YOUR FAMILY? Contact us at Western Range Camps and see what we can build for you. We specialize in quality, handcrafted camps built to your specifications. Contact us today to design the camp that is just right for you. Western Range Camps, 435462-5300, heidi@wrcamps. com, 1145 S. Blackhawk Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647 1/14
MOFFAT COUNTY SHEEP SHEARING SCHOOL, CRAIG, CO MARCH 31-APRIL 2, 2023: This 3-day shearing school provides hands-on, instructed experience in shearing sheep and an introduction to equipment maintenance. E-mail megan.stetson@ colostate.edu or call 970-8263402 for registration information and questions 2/4
HORSE HAY: BARN STORED, 3x3 bales weighing 710 lbs. Laramie, WY native meadow grass, irrigated, fertilized and put up right. Dry, no rain, fine green hay. RFQ 155. We select the best meadows and windrows for our horse customers. A blend of grasses including Timothy, Brome and Garrison. $120/bale or $340/ton on semi loads. 800 available, volume discounts. Call 307-760-3837 for photos and hay test. We can arrange trucking. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 2/4
VALLEY VIDEO HAY MARKETS, LLC INTERNET HAY AUCTION THURS. JAN., 26 at 2 p.m. For consignments go to www.valleyvideohay.com or call Barry McRea, 308-2355386 1/14
BEARMOUNTAIN BEEF INC, IN HAWK SPRINGS, WY has USDA and custom exempt processing slots available. All product is vacuum sealed for extended freezer life and quality appearance. Give us a call to book your slot at 307-3382751 or check out our website www.bearmountainbeef. com 1/14
WEIMARANER
net in the classifieds 1/28
GREAT PYRENEES PUPPIES FOR SALE: Proven bloodlines, parents onsite, ranch raised with livestock and ready to go to work!! $1,000. Have been raising these fantastic LGD for 40+ years. For more information, call 406-207-7674 1/28
AIREDALE/BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG CROSS PUPPIES: Both parents AKC registered. Phenomenal cattle and hunting dogs. Good with kids and livestock. Excellent for hunting and herding livestock, sheep, cows etc. Will be big and healthy. Wormed and first shots. Local breeder. Senior and Veteran discounts. Delivery available in Wyoming and Montana. Call 719-217-8054 1/21
BASSET HOUND PUPPIES: AKC registered. Champion lines. Big, friendly, cuddly and loveable. Great for 4-H, hunting or family pets. Wormed and first shots. Local breeder. Senior and Veteran discounts. Delivery available in Wyoming and Montana. Call 719217-8054 1/28
TOLMAN RANCH LLC IS ACCEPTING BIDS FOR GRAZING APPROXIMATELY 300 ACRES OF IRRIGATED (40 acres) pasture 30 miles up the Nowood in Ten Sleep, WY. For 60 to 80 head of cattle or 200 head of sheep. Grazing turn in May 1 to Nov. 1. Two year contract with the possibility of renewal. There are a few requirements that will need to be addressed, like responsibility for irrigation of fields, cleaning of ditches and weed spraying. Send bids to Tolman Ranch LLC, PO Box 576, Ten Sleep WY, 82442, postmark by Feb. 20, 2023 For more information, contact Frank Keeler, 307-3506994 2/4
WE HAVE 400+ SPANISH BOER CROSS NANNIES CONFIRMED BRED BY ULTRASOUND. This herd originated from a single source ranch in Texas which has a long history of great genetics. Herd is located in Carthage, MO. Transportation can be arranged. Please call 218-849-9151 for further details, e-mail samuel@busker.cc 2/4
FOR SALE: H&S 7+4 16’ chuckwagon with tandem running gear. J&M 350 gravity box with 12 ton running gear. John Deere 714A and 716A chuckwagons with John Deere running gear and bunk feeding extensions, been shedded, nice condition. Haybuster 2650 bale processor, shedded, like new. Lorenz 16’x33’ stack mover. Farm King 8’ snow blower with hydraulic spout. All in very nice condition!! Call 605-9995482 1/21
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: John Deere 8960 tractor with PTO; John Deere 5090e tractor with loader; CIH 1015 pickup header; John Deere 455 30’ grain drill ; White 30’ disk; John Deere 7100 12 row planter; Morris 53’ airdrill; Lawson 12x30 double drum land areator; New Holland 1075 balewagon; Freeman self propelled 3 string balers; Freeman pull type 3 string balers; Vermeer R23 rake; Hesston 7434 3x4 baler; John Deere 569 baler; Massey Ferguson 2190 4x4 baler; Cat 950 loader; New Holland 359 grinder mixer; Artsway 425 grinder mixer; Modern Mill (mix mill) feed mill; Brandt 5200 grain vac; IHC 80 bbl vac truck; Merritt 48’x102” cattle pot; 2007 Western Star 4900 sleeper truck; Mobile Tech 9 yd. volumetric concrete mixer; Degelman 570 rock picker. Call 406-254-1254 2/4
FOR SALE: Team of 5- to 6-year-old, red sorrel Belgian geldings. Well broke to drive, been a feed team all winter. A nice, well-matched team. ALSO, 3-year-old gray Quarter pony gelding. Well broke to ride. A nice, quiet gelding. Henry Lambright, 307-467-5651, leave message 2/4
APPROXIMATELY 200 TONS CERTIFIED WEED-FREE, STRAIGHT ALFALFA HAY, 3x4x8 bales weighing approximately 1,250 lbs., Powell, WY area. Call 307-754-2304, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE and we will call you back 1/21
COW HAY: Millet, net-wrapped rounds, good quality, no nitrates, $225/ton, in Rawlins, WY. Call 308-430-0996 1/14
FIRST CUTTING ALFALFA, 3x4 bales, approximately 50 tons, $210/ton. SECOND CUTTING ANNUAL RYEGRASS/ ALFALFA MIX, 3x4 bales, tarped, approximately 75 tons, $195/ton. Located in Powell, WY. Contact Britt at 307-2720295 2/4
GRASS HAY FOR SALE: 3x4 bales, 1,200 lbs., $250/ton. Lyman, WY. Call Kelly, 307-7807027 1/28
DBL TREE TRACTOR RESTORATION LLC: Tractors, stock trailers and flatbeds, total repair, sandblast and paint. Please call Mike, 406-930-0720 1/14
ELIMINATE ● RISING ● FUEL
COSTS: Clean, safe and efficient wood heat. Central Boiler Classic and E-Classic Outdoor Wood Furnace; heats multiple buildings with only 1 furnace, 25-year warranty available. Heat with wood, no splitting! Available in dual fuel ready models. www.CentralBoiler.com WE ALSO HAVE whole house pellet/corn/biomass furnaces. Load once per month with hopper. www.Maximheat. com A-1 Heating Systems. Instant rebates may apply! Call today! 307-742-4442. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds TFN
LODGEPOLE PRODUCTS, 307-742-6992, SERVING AGRI-BUSINESSES SINCE 1975!! Treated posts, corral poles, buck-and-rail, western rail, fence stays, rough-sawn lumber, bedding. SEE US at www.lodgepoleproducts. com and click our “Picking A Fence Post” tab to see why folks choose our posts!! TFN
Copper wire is being stolen from electrically powered pivot systems world-wide. Many growers have resorted to 24-hour guards, razor wire, floodlights and daily disassembly to protect themselves. T-L’s hydraulically powered pivot systems can be designed with little or no wire to steal. Stop theft and discover T-L’s reliability, simplicity and low maintenance cost. T-L irrigation systems are easier on you - for life.
Black Mountain Farm: Washakie County, Wyoming. 145+ acres along Highway 20 North between Worland and Thermopolis. 80+ acres under 2 newer Zimmatic Pivots irrigated out of the Bluff canals. 100’x50’ shop and all the infrastructure for building improvements. This is a high quality farm currently in beet and barley production. Price: $1,299,000
MO. Flats Ranch: Hot Springs County, Wyoming. 655+ acre ranch with lots of Owl Creek Frontage as well as solar and electric wells. Approximately 195 adjudicated acres with sub-irrigated and dryland pasture. 3,360 sq. ft. newer shop with power and water on site. Excellent base for a livestock operation or stand alone unit. Price: $1,800,000
Buck Draw Homestead: Fremont County, Wyoming. 10+ acre irrigated horse property with 3 bed 2 bath home, 20’x30’
3 1/2 tubing, 4” drill pipe, 4 1/2 casing, 5” casing, 7” casing. Rods 3/4, 7/8 and 1” located in Montana, can ship anywhere. Call Mike, 602-758-4447. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 1/14
SMALL ACREAGE CATTLE OPPORTUNITY: Established grass fattened, boxed beef business for sale. Half, 3/4 and purebred Aberdeen Angus cows, fat yearlings and calves. Produce high-quality grass fattened beef on your small farm or acreage. Visit www.aberdeenangusbeef.net or call 307-388-2717 1/14
I was fortunate to grow up knowing two of my four great-grandmothers. Grandma Nora and Grandma Grace were as different as a bed and a bedpan.
Grandma Nora was what we used to call a “big woman.” She wasn’t fat – she was what my mom called “big boned.” She stood nearly six-feet tall, was extremely strong and lived to be over 90. She never spent a day in the hospital and had all her faculties at the end.
Although not highly educated, Grandma Nora knew about things that
mattered, like how to grow a garden, tie a bowline and thump a watermelon. She taught me how to prune roses, how to sharpen shears and what to feed orchids – bloodmeal.
Grandma Nora’s clan were oilfield folk – roustabouts, roughnecks, drillers and pumpers – and she’d led what I’d call a hard life.
She kept her cussing to a minimum and worked hard right up until the day she died. She had to because her husband died early from tuberculosis.
For years she ran her walnut ranch – always a
ranch, never a farm – taking no charity from anyone, and she lived a frugal life. Her home and her yard were spotless. She was an early riser, and after shaking hands with her big, calloused paw, it took a while before regaining feeling in your extremity.
She knew how to hobble a horse, drive a team and considered asking for help a sign of weakness.
Grandma Grace was the exact opposite. Being very delicate and frail, she spoke softly, and from what I could tell, had never done any hard labor. She was what one would call “a refined woman,” and she was a bit snooty.
She had both a housekeeper and a groundskeeper – that would be me. She didn’t live nearly as long as Grandma Nora and lived in a rest home before being committed to a mental institution to live out her days.
Grandma Grace’s father was a preacher, and despite his meager salary, Grandma Grace always thought of herself as “upper crust.” She never sewed or canned, and she wore gloves all the time.
Grandma Grace did marry well. Her husband was both the mayor and fire chief of our volunteer department, and he was a town leader. Grandma Grace played the role of his first lady.
Grandma Grace was a terrible cook and apparently didn’t know the difference between canned cat food and canned stew, because she was finally sent away when it was discovered she’d been eating cat food instead of the stew.
On Thanksgiving and Christmas, grandpa would make two separate trips to pick up my great-grandmothers and deliver them to our house where they
spent the day in recliners not four feet apart. They never said a word to each other the entire time.
Knowing it would heighten tensions, I always asked if I could bring either one of them a beer. Grandma Nora would always have one, but Grandma Grace was horrified I’d even ask. Alcohol had ever touched her pious lips.
My siblings and cousins thought Grandma Nora was mean, but I really liked her and always thought I was her favorite, and not just because I took care of her yard. Even before then I enjoyed going to her home because she had the neatest collection of porcelain dogs she had bought at the five-and-dime store.
She insisted I never touch them, but I think she liked it when I would point to one and she would tell me what breed it was and all of its interesting traits.
19-22 : PETSKA FUR WILL BE BUYING ALL RAW/ DRY FUR DEER/ELK HIDES AND ANTLER, IN THE FOLLOWING WYOMING TOWNS AND LOCATIONS: JAN. 19: Douglas 7:10-7:20 a.m., Douglas Feed (drive thru); Bill 8-8:10 a.m., Bill’s Store (drive thru, call Greg); Wright 8:50-9:20 a.m., Exxon Big D on S. 387; Newcastle 11:15 a.m.-11:45 p.m., Voelker’s Body Shop; Upton 12:3012:45 p.m., Joe’s Grocery Store parking lot; Moorcroft 1:15-1:45 p.m., The Coffee Cup; Gillette 2:10-2:30 p.m., T&T Guns and Ammo; Gillette 3-3:30 p.m., Rocky Mountain Sports. JAN. 20: Gillette 7-7:20 a.m., Rocky Mountain Sports (drive thru, call Greg); Sheridan 9:3010 a.m., Sportsman’s Warehouse; Buffalo 10:45-11:15 a.m., Good 2 Go; Ten Sleep 12:45-1:15 p.m., Pony Express; Hyattville 1:45-2 p.m., Paint Rock Processing; Manderson 2:40-2:50 p.m., Hiway Bar (drive thru); Basin 3-3:20 p.m., Overland Express Mart (drive thru); Greybull 3:404 p.m., Overland Express Mart (drive thru); Lovell 4:304:50 p.m., Good 2 Go; Byron 5-5:15 p.m., Cardtrol (drive thru); Powell 5:30-5:50 p.m., Murdoch’s. JAN. 21 : Powell 7-7:20 a.m., Murdoch’s; Ralston 7:30 a.m., Good 2 Go (drive thru, call Greg); Cody 8-8:40 a.m., Nature’s Design Taxidermy; Meeteetse 9:209:40 a.m., Elk Horn Bar; Worland 10:50-11:20 a.m., Coop One Stop; Thermopolis 11:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m., Renegade Guns; Shoshoni 1-1:15 p.m., rest area/bus stop (drive thru); Riverton 2-2:50 p.m., Vic’s Body Shop (behind the Dollar Tree); Hudson 3:10-3:20 p.m., Wyoming Custom Meats (drive thru); Lander 3:40-4:10 p.m., Zander’s One Stop; Jeffrey City 5:15-5:30 p.m., Split Rock Cafe; Muddy Gap 5:506 p.m. (drive thru, call Greg). JAN. 22 : Casper 7:20-8:20 a.m., Wagner Outdoor Sports; Glenrock 9-9:15 a.m., east exit on I-25; Douglas 10:1010:20 a.m., Douglas Feed; Orin Junction 10:50-11 a.m., truck stop (drive thru); Lost Springs 11:20-11:40 a.m., truck pull off (drive thru); Manville 12-12:15 p.m., truck stop (drive thru); Lusk 12:20-12:40 p.m., Decker’s Grocery. For more information, call Greg, 308-750-0700 or visit www. petskafur.net 1/14
As I recall, she didn’t care much for poodles, and the collie was her favorite.
One day when I was about six, my mom and Grandma Nora were engrossed in a canning project, and for some reason, I just had to pick up the Boxer.
Sure enough, I dropped it and snapped a hind leg right off of the delicate dog. I was terrified so I snuck around, found some cheap white glue and performed a hasty operation to reattach the appendage.
I thought I’d gotten away with it until one day she caught me eyeing her dogs and asked, “Which is your favorite?”
“The Boxer because my cousins have a real one,” I replied rapidly.
“An interesting choice,” Grandma Nora replied, staring me down. “They are amazingly fast healers, but they don’t stay where you put them.”
By nature, horses are tough animals, equipped to handle some of the harshest weather conditions.
In fact, as seasons change and temperatures swing, horses began preparing for winter months by storing extra body fat for warmth, growing a thick coat to withstand the chill and pooling the majority of their blood flow in their core and around their vital organs.
Despite this, many experts note the importance of considering a few important tips to help horses comfortably live through the winter.
First and foremost, experts agree, like many animals during winter months, horses need to increase their energy intake.
Mike Mumford, a team member of Redmond Equine, lifelong equestrian and Utah resident, explains horses burn more calories when temperatures are low, which makes them less feed efficient.
“Expending significant energy to stay warm without additional feed will result in a miserable winter and a thinner horse that is less happy and/or healthy,” Mumford tells Redmond Equine in a blog post dated Dec. 20, 2022. “Horses generate body heat through digestive activity, particularly the fermentation of fiber.”
Therefore, Mumford encourages horse owners to compensate for their horse’s extra efforts and help increase warmth by increasing their daily feed rations. He mentions the average horse needs about 25 percent more caloric intake during winter months.
“Hay is the best feed for most horses in the winter,” he explains. “It’s a high-fiber, heat-generating forage, which helps horses stay warm and maintain body weight. Provide 1.5 to three percent of a horse’s total body weight in forage during cold months. For an average 1,200-pound horse, this equates to 18 to 36 pounds of hay per day.”
In a Successful Farming article written by Jodi Henke and published on Jan. 4, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Livestock Extension Educator Monte Stauffer says horse owners may want to consider feeding horses alfalfa since it has a higher energy content. However, grass hay is also suitable.
Stauffer further mentions if horses are eating hay and still noticeably shivering or losing weight, individuals may consider adding grain to their horse’s diet to increase energy consumption. However, this needs to be done gradually to avoid upsetting their digestive system if they are not used to eating grain.
In addition to a higher intake in energy, experts note it is also important for horses to continue drinking adequate amounts of fresh water.
“With cold weather, horses have little incentive to seek water, and dehydration becomes a significant concern,” states Mumford.
“If horses drink less water,
it can cause more digestive problems because they’re eating dry hay and dry feed. And, if they don’t get an adequate supply of water, it can cause impaction colic,” explains Stauffer.
To avoid this, experts encourage horse owners to provide constant access to fresh water between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, install a bucket heater or trough deicer to prevent freezing, add loose mineral salt to feed to provide a trigger to drink, hang a free-choice mineral salt lick in the stall or pasture and consider offering occasional electrolytes.
Another suggestion experts have when it comes to keeping horses warm during the winter is providing a runin shelter, which allows horses living outside in winter conditions to stay dry and out of the wind. In fact, Mumford says run-in shelters can help horses conserve 20 percent more of their body heat.
“Keep the shed open so horses can seek shelter when needed and still have the freedom to saunter out and bask in the winter sunshine at will,” he says.
“Penning them in a stall presents its own issues. Horses need good ventilation, and the air in a barn is often still and cold,” he continues. “There is also less available heat from sunlight. It’s possible during dry, cold conditions stables are often more chilly than standing outside.”
Experts agree many horses don’t need blanketed during cold temperatures, although it is an option in specific situations.
In Henke’s Successful Farming article, Penn State University Extension Horse Specialist Ann Swinker reiterates horses have natural insulation provided by layers of fat and thick hair. However, horse owners may depend on blankets for certain horses including those that are young, old or sick.
She notes it is important to use the right size of blanket so it doesn’t rub the skin raw if it’s too tight or get caught in the horse’s hooves if it is too loose.
Mumford says it is also important to use a blanket with the proper thickness since horses with a blanket that is too light may become chilled, and a horse with a blanket that is too heavy will start to sweat, also running the risk of getting chilled.
If horses reside in a wet, muddy environment, Swinker says it is important the blanket is also waterproof.
Regularly exercising horses during the winter is important as well, especially if they are kept in a barn. This increases appetite, body temperature and blood circulation, while also reducing boredom.
Mumford suggests warming horses up with a slow walk for a minimum of 10 minutes before moving into a faster gait, and then cooling down
for another 10 minutes before dismounting.
He also encourages riders to wait for a period of time before unsaddling and allowing horses to dry thoroughly before turning them out to avoid chilling, pneumonia or colic.
Reducing ice buildup
“While our four-legged friends are nimbler than we are, slipping risks still go up in the winter. Freeze-thaw patterns, in particular, create dangerous conditions for horses trying to pick their way across slick stalls, north sides of buildings and frozen spillover around watering troughs,” explains Mumford.
With this said, he offers a few tips to reducing issues caused by ice buildup. These include using old rugs to provide a safe walkway for horses in and around the barn and adding sand, wood shavings, straw or horse-friendly ice melt on the floors of stalls and horse trailers to help increase traction.
Additionally, Mumford
encourages horse owners to prevent ice buildup by repairing leaking rain gutters on barns or buildings, removing snow from high-use pathways and paddocks, avoiding water spillage when filling troughs and building up sunken ground where water collects and pools around troughs.
Being mindful of hoof care Lastly, Mumford reminds horse owners to give hooves proper attention during winter months in order to catch problems early and ensure horses are healthy moving into spring.
He suggests picking out hooves to avoid bacteria buildup or rot of the frog, trimming hooves every six to eight weeks to reduce snowpack and slipping risk and removing metal shoes or adding studs to increase traction.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
BRED HEIFERS
MEETEETSE - 7 Bred Heifer, 1180# $1,850.00
ETNA - 79 Bred Heifer, 1068# $1,785.00
RIVERTON - 79 Bred Heifer, 1057# $1,725.00
RIVERTON - 15 Bred Heifer, 1168# $1,700.00
BRED COWS
• 3-6 YR OLD SM •
MEETEETSE - 8 Bred Cow, 1170# $1,900.00
9 Bred Cow, 1432# $1,750.00
RIVERTON - 10 Bred Cow, 1231# $1,650.00
WORLAND - 33 Bred Cow, 1201# $1,600.00
• 7-9 YR OLD SS •
RIVERTON - 13 Bred Cow, 1253# $1,450.00
WORLAND - 15 Bred Cow, 1285# $1,425.00
MEETEETSE - 4 Bred Cow, 1578# $1,350.00
LANDER - 15 Bred Cow, 1437# $1,250.00
PINEDALE - 11 Bred Cow, 1358# $1,225.00
RIVERTON - 24 Bred Cow, 1331# $1,200.00
• 9-OLDER ST •
LANDER - 34 Bred Cow, 1199# $1,150.00
34 Bred Cow, 1235# $1,125.00
39 Bred Cow, 1404# $1,100.00
MEETEETSE - 4 Bred Cow, 1450# $1,075.00
RIVERTON - 16 Bred Cow, 1232# $1,025.00
15 Bred Cow, 1237# $1,025.00
WORLAND - 13 Bred Cow, 1148# $1,000.00
RIVERTON - 26 Bred Cow, 1195# $950.00
KINNEAR - 15 Bred Cow, 1105# $925.00 COWS
SHOSHONI - 1 Cow, 1720# $85.50
ETNA - 3 Cow, 1683# $82.00
LANDER - 1 Cow, 1175# $81.00
BURLINGTON - 1 Cow, 1430# $79.50
BOULDER - 4 Cow, 1048# $78.00
LANDER - 1 Cow, 1575# $77.50
SHOSHONI -1 Cow, 1540# $76.00
MCKINNON - 1 Cow, 1290# $74.00
DUBOIS - 2 Cow, 1722# $73.50
RIVERTON - 1 Cow, 1365# $73.00
SHOSHONI - 2 Cow, 1380# $72.00
RIVERTON - 1 Cow, 1485# $71.50
RIVERTON - 1 Cow, 1155# $71.00
PINEDALE - 8 Cow, 1198# $70.00
MCKINNON - 3 Cow, 1375# $70.00
CASPER - 2 Cow, 1300# $69.00
THERMOPOLIS - 1 Cowa 1275# $68.50
MCKINNON - 4 Cow, 1342# $68.00
BIG PINEY - 7 Cow, 1092# $67.00
MANILLA, UT - 1 Cow, 1255# $66.50
DANIEL - 2 Cow, 1517# $66.00
RIVERTON - 1 Cow, 1360# $65.50
COKEVILLE - 4 Cow, 1223# $65.00 6 Cow, 1142# $64.50
BOULDER - 7 Cow, 1114# $64.00 BULLS
RIVERTON - 1 Bull, 2165# $94.00
ETNA - 2 Bull, 1935# $89.50
RIVERTON - 1 Bull, 2100# $87.50
FARSON - 1 Bull, 1720# $87.00
BIG PINEY - 1 Bull, 2045# $86.00
BOULDER - 1 Bull, 1810# $85.50
FARSON - 1 Bull, 1725# $85.00
BOULDER - 4 Bull, 1885# $84.00
HEIFERETTES
FARSON - 6 Heiferette, 914# $116.50
RIVERTON - 3 Heiferette, 833# $108.00
PINEDALE - 19 Heiferette, 1001# $105.00
BOULDER - 21 Heiferette, 897# $99.00
PINEDALE - 8 Heiferette, 973# $98.00
HEIFERS
RIVERTON - 50, Heifer, 1065# $143.00
STEERS
RIVERTON - 71 Steer, 390# $292.25
22 Steer, 381# $291.00
11 Steer, 435# $281.00
FARSON - 6 Steer, 441# $274.00
CORA - 13 Steer, 414# $273.00
PINEDALE - 41 Steer, 439# $272.00
SHOSHONI - 45 Steer, 442# $269.00
CORA - 43 Steer, 465# $266.00
TEN SLEEP - 22 Steer, 460# $262.00
PINEDALE - 73 Steer, 514# $248.00
RIVERTON - 58 Steer, 529# $236.00
FARSON - 24 Steer, 542# $234.50
RIVERTON - 108 Steer, 532# $225.75
PINEDALE - 25 Steer, 585# $222.50
CORA - 19 Steer, 568# $220.00
KINNEAR - 7 Steer, 577# $219.00
RIVERTON - 19 Steer, 590# $219.00 32 Steer, 589# $218.00 42 Steer, 621# $216.00
SHOSHONI - 63 Steer, 580# $216.00
FARSON - 36 Steer, 591# $213.25
11 Steer, 590# $210.50
RIVERTON - 18 Steer, 654# $208.00
LANDER - 9 Steer, 662# $203.50 8 Steer, 636# $202.00
KINNEAR - 31 Steer, 665# $199.50
RIVERTON - 16 Steer, 654# $198.00
FARSON - 14 Steer, 671# $198.00
RIVERTON - 12 Steer, 693# $189.50
KINNEAR - 7 Steer. 716# $185.00
13 Steer, 846# $177.00 HEIFERS
RIVERTON - 8 Heifer, 486# $242.00
SHOSHONI - 30 Heifer, 383# $241.00
PINEDALE - 14 Heifer, 389# $238.00
RIVERTON - 24 Heifer, 327# $234.00
FARSON - 4 Heifer, 401# $230.00
RIVERTON - 64 Heifer, 439# $228.00
PINEDALE - 93 Heifer, 489# $226.00
TEN SLEEP - 11 Heifer, 410# $225.00
KINNEAR - 64 Heifer, 472# $217.00
FARSON - 19 Heifer, 484# $213.50
KINNEAR - 8 Heifer, 463# $211.00
17 Heifer, 482# $210.50
FARSON - 41 Heifer, 530# $208.25
RIVERTON - 47 Heifer, 525# $208.00
FARSON - 11 Heifer, 549# $208.00
PINEDALE - 17 Heifer, 554# $206.00
SHOSHONI - 70 Heifer, 524# $205.50
RIVERTON - 13 Heifer, 543# $205.00
LANDER - 6 Heifer, 551# $202.00
JACKSON - 44 Heifer, 597# $201.50
RIVERTON - 15 Heifer, 586# $197.50
WORLAND - 10 Heifer, 608# $190.50
KINNEAR - 34 Heifer, 628# $190.00
SHOSHONI - 21 Heifer, 627# $188.00
LANDER - 16 Heifer, 668# $181.00
II on 12-7. No implants. Nice, high elevation, reputation calves!
Tim Tolton – 150 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 500-625#. Rec Virashield 6 & 8 way @ branding & Nasalgen this fall. No implants. High elevation, hay fed & Green!
Horton Land & Livestock – 150 Blk Ang & AngX (F1BWF) Strs & Hfrs 550-650#. Rec Pyramid 5 & Vision 7 @ branding & weaning (11-15) & wormed w/ SafeGuard. Paintrock Angus sired. Powerful, high desert calves!!
Jimmy & Tiffany Wiser - 135 Red Ang & Red AngX Strs & Hfrs 500-600#. Rec Vision 7 + Spur & Virashield 6 @ branding & weaning. May/June calves. Long time weaned. Hay fed. Nice one iron calves!
Jim Eaton – 130 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 550-625#. Rec Inforce 3 & Vison 7 @ Branding; Vista Once SQ, Vision 8 w/ Somnus & poured w/ Cleanup @ Weaning (11/10). Strictly hay fed, alfalfa/grass mix. Powerful high desert calves!
Skylark Cattle – 125 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 600-675#. Rec Vista 5, Vision 7 & Vista Once SQ @ branding. Rec Vista 5, Vision 7 w/Somnus, Once PMH, Clean-Up & Safe Guard @ weaning. Weaned since October. Hfrs are bangs vacc. Sired by Lucky 7 Blk Ang Bulls. One iron & Fancy!
G & E Livestock – 95 Blk Ang Strs 525-575#. 28 Blk Ang Hfrs 450-500#. Rec Vista Once & Vision 7 + Spur @ weaning, wormed w/Safe-Guard & Clean-Up II. Weaned 60+ days. High Desert, High elevation. Out of Riverbend Bulls. Hfrs have been bangs vacc.
Linda Strock & Kenny Whitt – 100 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 525-625#. Comp vacc & multi min @ branding & weaning. 90 days weaned. Hay fed. Fancy & high elevation!
Boysen Lake Ag – 100 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 600675#. Rec Vista 5, Vision 7 & Vista Once SQ @ branding. Rec Vista 5, Vision 7 w/Somnus, Once PMH, Clean-Up & Safe Guard @ weaning. Hfrs are bangs vacc. Weaned since October. Sired by Lucky 7 Blk Ang Bulls. One iron & Fancy!
Evans Family Ranch – 100 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 550-650#. Rec 2 rounds of shots. 90+ days weaned. High elevation &
600#. Rec Bovi Shield Gold & Ultrabac 8 @ branding & Precon. Knife cut. Hfrs are bangs vacc. Full mineral program. High elevation!!
Johnson Ranch – 34 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 550600#. Rec Bovishield Gold 5 & Vision 8 @ branding & weaning. Poured @ weaning. Weaned 45 days. High elevation & good calves!
Ray & Ladonna Good – 28 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 625-675#. Rec Vista Once SQ & Vision 7 @ branding & weaning (11/1) & wormed w/Safe-Guard & Clean Up II. Powerful calves!
Shelly Kellogg Neff – 23 Red AngX Strs & Hfrs 500600#. Rec two rounds of Ivermectin, Vira Shield & Vision 8. Hfrs are bangs vacc. May calvers. Bunk broke and gentle! Romagnola mothers.
Derek Erickson – 21 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 600#. All Natural. Knife cut. Hay fed. Weaned 60+ days.
Heart Mtn Valley Ranch – 18 Red AngX Strs & Hfrs 500600#. Rec 2 rounds of Ivermectin, Vira Shield & Vision 8. Hfrs are bangs vacc. May calves. Bunk broke and gentle! Romagnola mothers.
Mike Federer – 17 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 500-600#. Comp vacc @ branding & weaning.
Bret & Laurie Gardner – 15 Blk Ang Hfrs 700#. Comp vacc @ branding & weaning. Weaned 10-15. Out of a Reputation Registered Blk Ang program. Nice Heifers!
Steve Slagowski – 15 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 450650#. Rec Pyramid 5 & Vision 8 @ branding. Been on hay & mineral. High elevation.
Brock & Corrina Lynch – 12 Blk AngX Strs 500-600#. Rec Pyramid 5 & Vision 7 w/Somnus @ branding & weaning. Weaned since October. High elevation & Fancy!
Ryan & Dillon Hedges – 6 BWF (F1) Replacement Heifers 600-650#. Comp vacc in spring & fall, poured @ weaning. Complete mineral program. Bunk broke. Weaned since October. Bangs vacc. High elevation. Nice set of replacement heifers!
Ryan Hedges – 6 Blk Ang & AngX Strs & Hfrs 400-450#. Shots @ branding. Summer calves. Nice, high elevation calves!
1 Replacement Holstein Heifer 500#. Broke to lead, gentle and ready to be a future family milk cow! Rec shots, poured and Bangs vacc. Ready to go!
Cody Carpenter – 4 Blk Ang Hfrs 550-600#. Weaned long time. 2 rounds shots.
Steve
SO Ranch Blk Ang, Hogg Sim/Ang & Red bulls to calve March/April. Comp vacc & poured this fall. Complete mineral program. Coming right off winter pasture.