The Midwest Cattleman ·September 29, 2011 · 9/29/2011 · The Midwest Cattleman ·September 29,...

About 84 percent of Texas cattle ranchers have reduced the size of their herds as a result of the severe drought in the state, according to a recent survey by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Asso-ciation (TSCRA). The Association surveyed its membership of more than 15,000 cattle producers, ranching families and livestock businesses. Of them, about 92 percent said they hope to start rebuilding their herds next year, assuming drought conditions ease. The remaining 8 percent said they planned to have no cattle next year before starting to rebuild their herds. TSCRA also noted the historically high rate of herd reduction that's taken place in other states, like Oklahoma and New Mexico. Of the ranch-ers who've reduced their holdings, the average reduced his or her herd by 38 percent.

The Midwest Cattleman ·September 29, 2011 · P3

January’s USDA inventory of beef cows was the lowest since 1958, and ana-lysts are predicting even lower numbers down the road.

David C. Nelson, a global strategist at Rabobank, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal this week, “We’re liquidating the future. The cow herd is our factory, and we’re sending it to the slaughterhouse.

Texas A&M University economist Da-vid Anderson told Bloomberg News this week, “We’re going to be talking about a historically large reduction in beef-cow numbers. If nothing changes, that’s tighter supplies and less beef and higher prices.”

Prices for cattle and beef are expected to remain relatively high next year as USDA says beef production will decline by 4.5 percent next year. That’s expected to drive retail prices higher, and that concerns many analysts who think beef could be priced out of the market place next year. Per-capita beef supplies could shrink to 55.6 pounds next year, the lowest since 1955.

Several producers and an economist blamed federal ethanol policies for driving up livestock feed prices, hurting their industries and consumers, in testimony recently before the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. Subsidized ethanol has meant record high corn prices, record-high costs of production for meat and poultry, resulting in lower per capita meat and

Corn prices, which reached all-time highs near $8 a bushel this summer, are forc-ing cuts among the grain’s major users, analysts said recently. The U.S. livestock industry’s corn use over the next 12 months is expected to drop to a 16-year low, while exports of the grain will shrink to the lowest in nine years, according to a USDA report released recently. Even ethanol makers are scaling back – corn use by that industry will report-edly see its fi rst annual decline in at least 13 years. But despite reduced demand, corn will still cost more than it ever has over the coming year, at a farm-level average of $6.50 to $7.50 a bushel, USDA predicted. According to the USDA’s Supply and Demand update, U.S. livestock feeders will consume 4.7 billion bushels of corn in the 2011-12 marketing year, which began this month. That’s down 6 percent from 2010-11 and would be the lowest feed use since 4.68 billion bushels in 1995-96. Even at lower consumption, the U.S. livestock industry’s corn costs will jump nearly 27 percent to a total of $32.9 billion in 2011-12, based on an average corn price of $7 a bushel, according to USDA data.LMA

Coming Sa les-38L i fe is S imple-5P la in Ta lk-6Market Repor t -8Agr ibus iness D i rectory-36

Corn prices Forcing Cutbacks

September 29, 2011 Volume 17 No. 9

Ethanol Policies Driving Up

Feed, Food Costs

U.S. cattle herd numbers could

hit record lows

Drought drives 84% of Texas

ranchers to cut their herds

cattle futures seen hitting

$1.36/lb.

Cattle futures that gained 16 per-cent in the past year may reach an all-time high of $1.36 a pound in as few as seven months, said Rich Nelson, the director of research at McHenry, Illinois-based Allendale Inc., who has been studying agricul-tural markets since 1997. Feed costs have also surged, with corn heading for the highest annual average price ever, and drought is trimming the U.S. herd. The 11 months through August were the driest since at least 1895 in Texas, and the state’s farm losses may top $5.2 billion. Ranchers may sell or slaughter 500,000 beef cows they would normally keep for breeding because it’s too expen-sive to feed them, analysts estimated. Fewer cattle in the $51.5 billion U.S. cattle industry is boosting global meat costs already rising faster than any other food group. Global food prices are within 3 percent of the record reached in February, ac-cording to a United Nations gauge of 55 commodities. The meat component of the index has more than doubled since 2002 and is up 8.7 percent this year, more than the changes in dairy, cereals, sugar, oils and fats.

continued on page 10

Bachmann says food industry

over regulated As food safety offi cials undertake wider testing for potentially deadly E. coli in meat, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann says that regulations are overburdening food produc-ers. Bachmann visited a family-owned meat packing plant in Des Moines, Iowa, to argue that Ameri-cans want safety but also common sense. She warned against regulatory “overkill” and said that regulations can be so complex that they become ex-pensive to the point of putting companies out of business. Recently, the Agriculture Department announced it would expand testing of E. coli in meat to hasten recalls of tainted products and help offi cials identify more food borne illnesses. At the end of 2010, Congress passed a sweeping food safety bill sparked by re-calls of tainted peanuts and other food products. Bachmann voted against that measure.AP

LMA


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Decisions. Sometimes you can think back and remember deci-sions you have made in the past – some important – some just normal everyday stuff. Some of them make you proud; some haunt you. Occasionally you can also think back and remem-ber the exact moment you made a particular decision. You were thinking something through, and for some reason something just ‘clicked’ and there it was – the ‘fi nal answer’. Or perhaps you knew the answer already and you just needed a little ‘sign’ or ‘signal’ to help you make up your mind. So it was this last

week with me. I sold calves. Now the calves in question were weaned and healthy. They were the right kind and they had a lot of ‘gain’ left in them and for the moment they were on some pretty good grass. It’s fall… it’s cool and we even got some rain last week – so what is the prob-lem… right? Keep those calves and make them ‘more valuable’.Or maybe not. The cattle market, like any market, sends signals. The sig-nal when there is no ‘spread’ or very little difference between different weight classes, is… “Keep those calves at home – we want your calves… but we’d like them just as well – heavier.” When the market is $1.49 it’s hard to complain… Some of us can remember $.49 or even low-er. Today, at the $1.49 price, ev-ery pound is another dollar and a half. At 2 lbs. a day that’s $3… times how many calves there are in the pasture – it adds up. Make a decision. The market, however, is not the

only thing that ‘sends signals’. There are all kinds of ‘signals’ everywhere. Some of them are easy to see, some are easy to miss – sometimes you just ‘roll’ right on past them. I was moving a couple of cows with new calves early last week and I noticed a ‘signal’ or two… all in a space of about 30 min-utes. The fi rst thing I noted was the condition of some cows that had calves weaned off quite some time ago – they were re-ally not coming into condition as I might have expected. Sign #1. As I followed the two cows with new calves down a fence line, I came across some ATV tracks I had made a few min-utes before. I had been turning and the grass ‘sod’ had been ‘turned over’ in my tracks like a ‘moldboard plow’ had done it. It was completely dead. Sign #2 As those cows and their calves walked through the last gate into the next pasture, my cell phone rang. It was the local feed dealer getting back to me with

a quote on soy hulls, distillers grain, and gluten. “A ton... three hundred and what?” Sign #3 The next sign was a strange one. As I walked back to close that gate behind me, I stopped to pull a ragweed. It occurred to me that I had become my father – he still hates weeds and sel-dom passes one by. It had rained lightly for several days and I had just poured ¾ of an inch out of the rain gauge that morning. As the weed came ‘stubbornly’ from the ground… hanging from the roots was Sign #4. It was some of the ‘driest’ dirt I’ve ever seen in my life. Maybe before I was just not paying attention. Things may look fairly good on the surface, but we’re not ‘healed up’ yet. Some decisions are all about ‘timing’…tomorrow’s sale day. Sign #5. I sold calves.


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The front tires on the old ATV that I’ve owned for the past nine years have become so imbedded with thorns that they are impos-sible to keep infl ated. Every time I need to use the vehicle, I have to make a pass by the farm shop and add another half-can of tire sealant before adding air. Even if I use it twice in one day, I still have to follow the same routine and wonder when the tires will eventually become a solid core from all the spray foam I have put in them over the years.

Late this past summer, I no-ticed a sale on ATV tires at one of the local farm supply stores

and decided that I could save money by buying two tires on sale instead of spending $2.95 every other day on tire sealant. Unfortunately, the farm sup-ply store that was running the sale on the tires does not have a trained crew in the back that actually changes tires. It’s just a simple cash and carry opera-tion which left me with the di-lemma of changing them my-

self or paying a real tire shop to do the operation. In an effort to save a few dollars, I decided that I was up for the job. After all, how diffi cult could it be to change these itty bitty tires?

On one of the hottest after-noons of this overly hot summer, I decided it was time to change the tires. I hadn’t changed a tire by myself in probably twenty years or more because there’s

a good tire shop only about ten minutes from my home. This place has changed all my farm tires on tractors and trucks for all of those twenty years and the people there have done great work at pretty reasonable pric-es. But, gosh, times are tough and here was a chance to save a few bucks.

Since I’m at the heaviest

Copyright 2010, Jerry Crownover



Exports Are a Big Part of Record Cattle Prices

By Ron Plain, Extension Economist, UMC

Record beef prices are produc-ing record cattle prices. The aver-age retail price of choice beef is on course to average close to $4.75 per pound this year. That is 36 cents higher than in 2010, the cur-rent record year. Slaughter steer prices are expected to average close to $111/cwt this year, $16 above the 2010 record. The record year for feeder cattle prices is 2005. It currently looks like 700-800 pound steer prices in Missouri will beat the 2005 record of $113/cwt by $14 this year. For 500-600 pound steer calves, this year’s expected average price of $142/cwt is $12 over the 2005 record.

Why are these prices at record levels? The per capita beef supply is the lowest since 1952. Less of something often means higher prices. Strong beef trade is a key part of the tight domestic beef supply. U.S. beef exports dur-ing the fi rst half of 2011 were up 27% compared to 12 months earlier while beef imports were nearly 17% lower. U.S. beef exports have ex-ceeded beef imports during each of the last eleven months. When the year is over, total U.S. beef imports are expected to be the lowest since 1996. U.S. beef exports in 2011 are expected to break the record set in 2003.

U.S. beef exports have grown for two primary reasons. The beef industry has worked hard to reestablish the image of U.S. beef in international markets as safe and desirable. Exchange rates have made U.S. more price competitive. The August trade weighted value of the U.S. dollar was down 10.2% compared to 12 months earlier and down 35.7% compared to 10 years ago. A weak dollar makes U.S. goods look cheap to foreigners.

Exports are great, but for-eign customers are often the least

dependable ones. Disease out-breaks can quickly end interna-tional meat trade as the U.S. cattle industry knows well. In 2003, the U.S. exported 9.6% of our beef pro-duction. On December 23, 2003, USDA announced the fi nding of a U.S. cow with BSE (mad cow dis-ease) and our exports collapsed. In the fi rst quarter of 2004, less than 1% of U.S. beef production was ex-ported. For all of 2004, beef exports equaled less than 2% of production. It has been a slow recovery. In the fi rst seven months of 2011, 10.6% of U.S. beef production was exported.

This year’s strong exports are due in large part to the return of Japan as a major buyer of U.S. beef. During the 15 years before the fi rst U.S. cow with BSE, Japan was our largest foreign beef buyer every month except for two. After BSE, almost no U.S. beef was shipped to Japan until late in 2006. Mexico was the largest foreign buyer of U.S. beef from January 2004 through January 2011. In June 2011, Japan became our largest foreign buyer once again.

In many ways, our export situation is much stronger than in 2003. Today, we are not nearly as dependant on one foreign buyer as we were in the past. Japan ac-

counted for 36.5% of U.S. beef ex-ports in 2003. Thus far in 2011, no one country accounts for even 20% of our exports. Canada has the largest share of export tonnage at 18.0%. Mexico has purchased 17.6% of 2011 U.S. beef exports, Ja-pan 16.8%, and South Korea 15.3%. In the fi rst half of 2011, Canada, Ja-pan, Mexico and South Korea each spent at least one month as the top foreign buyer of U.S. beef.

Record cattle prices are nec-essary to cover the cost of produc-ing beef, given that corn prices are above $6 per bushel. The outlook is bright that cattle prices will remain strong for the next few years. The 2011 calf crop was smaller than the year before for the 16th consecutive year. Cow slaughter is up, so the odds are good that the calf crop will be smaller again in 2012. The U.S. population is growing and foreign demand for U.S. beef is expanding. The federal government’s fi nan-cial problems mean there is a good chance the U.S. dollar will continue to decline against foreign curren-cies. Barring a downturn in the U.S. economy, look for more cattle price records in 2012.


By Stephen B. Blezinger, PhD. PAS

on the truck as compared to purchasing large square bales by the ton. Based on our shipping cost from above ($525), this results in a transportation cost of $15.44 per roll, $25.74 per ton or $.013/lb. Let’s take this one step farther and as-sume that instead of hay bales weighing 1,200 lbs. what you buy actually weigh 800 lbs. Same bale size so you are still only getting 34 rolls on the truck but now your total weight is 27,200 or 13.6 tons. Based on the $525 shipping cost this results in a net per bale cost of $15.44 as above but your per ton cost is now $38.60 and cost per lb. is $.019

Part 1 Everyone is certainly aware that much of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and the mid-south is in the midst of one of the most signifi cant droughts in some time. This has created a variety of signifi cant challenges for the cattleman as well as the industry that supports him. In addi-tion to the heat, the lack of rainfall has resulted in greatly diminished forage availability in many pastures as well as local hay availability. Many produc-ers are feeding hay much earlier than they would have otherwise and this is already creating a strain on the hay markets. This is resulting in producers having to pay more for hay, go farther to fi nd it and accept hay deliveries that are very questionable in quality. The entire dynamic raises a variety of issues that the producer otherwise may not be that concerned with but has to be aware of given the circumstances. The following outlines and discusses some of these is-sues.Buying Hay and Other Forages In drought stricken areas one of the fi rst orders of business for the cattle-man is procuring forages of some type to make up for that which would otherwise be produced on-farm/ranch or purchased through normal channels that may not currently exist. Hay is commonly traded in two ways. One is by the ton and the value of the hay is established largely based on the nutrient content (protein, Relative Feed Value – RFV which is cal-culated based on fi ber components). This is the method commonly used by dairy-men when purchasing alfalfa. Again, this is based on a value per ton of hay which is commonly “packaged” in large square bales (4’ X 4’ X 8’) or (3’ X 3’ X 8’). These sizes work well for loading and securing onto tractor-trailers. The second method is buying hay by the roll. This is much less preferable since the buyer really has NO idea what he is getting. Hay is variable in nutri-ent density, presence of contaminants (weeds, sticks, trash, etc.). Round bales are highly variable based on type of for-age, type of baler, size of bale, ability of person doing the baling, density of rolls, binding (plastic/nylon twine, sisal, net wrap, etc.), and moisture content. Bale size, density and moisture content create huge variations in weight of bales. These can easily run from 650 lbs. to 1,200 lbs. or possibly more. As drought periods become prolonged, availability of hay proximate to the af-fected areas become increasingly scarce. Producers have to go farther and farther away in an effort to purchase what is necessary. Given what transportation costs are $3 to $4 per loaded mile is not uncommon and then there may be a fuel surcharge added to this shipping cost. Consider what variation in bales can do to the cost of a roll of hay when pur-chased in this manner. First let’s set a standard. Remember in our fi rst meth-od, purchasing by the ton, everything is based on the weight of the hay itself. Feasibly you can get 24 tons (48,000 lbs.) of hay onto a truck in this case. Let’s say the hay is located 150 miles away. At $3.50 per loaded mile, the total shipping cost is $525 (150 miles X $3.50/mile di-vided by 24 tons) or $21.88/ton or about $.011 per lb. Instead of hay bought by weight let’s

change to buying hay by the roll. A typical tractor-trailer (53 feet) can hold around 34 bales, assuming they are 4 or

5 feet wide X 5 ½ feet in diameter. It is more diffi cult getting 5’ X 5-6’ bales hauled since a truck bed is 8’ wide and two 5’ wide bales are 10’ wide stacked side to side. This creates a less stable load and in some states, this width requires an oversized permit which results in extra cost. So let’s assume we are buying rolls of hay that are 4’ wide by 5 ½ feet in diameter and

we are getting 34 on a truck. Then let’s assume these bales weigh 1200 lbs. each. This gives us a load of 40,800 (20.4 tons) so immediately we see we are getting less

DROUGHT CREATING A STRAIN DROUGHT CREATING A STRAIN ON HAY MARKETSON HAY MARKETS

continued on page 9


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MARKET REPORT

Live Cattle: The “economy” still has some jitters. Just what is the “economy”? In my opinion, it’s nothing more than a very inaccurate assessment of how much or how little money your neighbors have. With that in mind, beef consumption is still tied (almost directly) to how much money your neighbor has. Based upon how much beef we’ve been selling, it “looks” like most neighbors are tightening their belts. THE “economists” (read “math geeks”) report “softening of demand” for beef or a “corrective phase”. What they’re saying is that this market is going to go lower for a while now. Fat cattle are going to be bought for less money too. My guess is that we’ll see lower prices for about the next three weeks. If you’re a chart watcher, you’ll see just how “jittery” this market can be at times. I frequently remind my clients, “don’t base marketing decisions on one market day action”.

Feeder Cattle: Everybody knows I’ve been about the biggest bull in the pen of late. This feeder market has even surprised me with its strength. Feeder prices have been on fi re and the November contract fi lled my “short term” objective even faster than I thought it would. It’s time for this thing to cool its heels. We’re getting the cart a little too far out in front of the horse. Folks, the feedlots have to be able to make this work too. With the current feeder prices they just “ain’t” gettin it done. We need to give these guys some breathing room too. We feeder calf producers HAVE TO HAVE the feedlots. We all have to work together. If we don’t, how many of you can fi nish out your calves this year? Capitalism works as long as everybody is making a little. The old “stick it to ‘em” mentality only works for a short while.......real short. We all know the beef industry is contracting, but let’s not price ourselves out of the market.


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Drought

continued from page 7(46 percent higher than bales weighing 1,200 lbs. and 72 percent higher than buying hay by weight). Let’s do one more comparison. Let’s as-sume you purchased this hay for $50 per roll in the fi eld. Shipping it to your ranch you have a delivered cost of your hay of $65.44/bale. Depending on your storage and feeding methods you can easily lose from 10 to 30 percent of the hay that you just purchased. We’ll assume that the hay will be stored in a dry area and fed in bale rings so the amount of loss is ap-proximately 15 percent. This means that your cost per bale is now $76.99 ($65.44 / 85 percent). For the 1,200 lb. bales this is equal to $.064 per lb. For 800 lb. bales this is $.096 per lb. So what would this difference REALLY cost you? With many producers hav-ing to buy and feed hay now (starting the fi rst of September) this means they will probably be feeding hay from Sep-tember 1 to Mid March (we will HOPE the drought will break and we will have a normal winter and spring but this is, of course an unknown). Feeding Septem-ber 1 to March 15 is 6 ½ months or 196 days. An average 1,100 lb. cow will eat about 25 lbs. of hay per day. This will to-tal 4,900 lbs of hay for this period. If the round bales of hay you purchase average 1,200 lbs. and cost $.064/lb. as calculated above, your hay cost for this period is $313.60 per head. If the hay averages 800 lbs per bale with a cost of .096/lb., your cost is $470.40. $156.80 per head MORE! This entire exercise was to point out what the potential risk of purchasing hay by the bale truly is. And this only ac-

counts for bale weight differences. We’ve not calculated in cost differences that can accumulate when the buyer does not know what the nutrient content of the hay is and how much will have to be sup-plemented to make up the difference. All beef cattle producers should be encour-aged to work toward changing this hay trading system to move from purchasing hay by unit (bale) to purchasing based on weight and nutrient content. Other Roughage Sources – When Hay Simply Isn’t Available In situations when hay or pastures are short a number of alternatives exist to provide the necessary nutrients. Some-

thing that the producer must consider is that it is not mandatory that you feed hay to cows. Granted, hay and grass are the normal base sources of nutrients in the cow’s diet primarily because her digestive system is designed to handle large amounts of fi ber based material from which required nutrients are ex-tracted. In most cases, pasture and pos-sibly hay sources are the least expensive sources of these nutrients. Another role of roughages in the cow’s diet, especially in colder weather situations is to provide warmth. When a cow consumes rough-age, the bacterial action in the rumen

which breaks down the fi ber produces heat and a lot of it. Although not a prob-lem at the moment, this fi ber digestion helps the cow stay warm. In many cases I’ll recommend for a producer to feed slightly lower quality roughages during cold periods to increase the amount of activity which must be input to break-down the plant material, thereby in-creasing heat generation. So what can we use as a roughage source when hay or conventional rough-ages are short. Table 1 provides some examples.


and liquids because they are hungry. Over consumption of liquids can lead to excessive urea intake which ultimately can create an ammonia toxicity situa-tion.b) If NPN containing supplements are

being newly in-troduced to a group of cattle or if they have been off the s u p p l e m e n t for some time, be sure cattle have been al-lowed to fi ll up on pasture, hay or other forag-es or feeds. Do not feed dry or liquid feeds or

supplements to hungry cattle under any circumstances. c) Locate liquid feeders away from shade, feed sources (hay rings, etc.) or water sources to prevent easy access and possible over consumption opportunities. The same should be considered with dry supplements as well.Beware of Cheap Feeds Given the circumstances the industry is in, as mentioned above, all producers are looking for a way to reduce costs. However, in many situations, especially with livestock feeds, cheaper is not al-ways better. Any given feed tag can be replicated in countless ways so that the tag information is the same but the nu-trient values are not shown, such as en-ergy, some fi ber components, digestible protein, etc. Just because a given feed looks relatively inexpensive does not make it better. In some cases, a producer may be comparing two products, both with very similar tags but one product may be $20 per ton cheaper than the other. The fi rst question a producer HAS to ask himself is “why?” In some cases the difference may be very legitimate; the maker of the less expensive product may have done a much better job of buy-ing his ingredients than the mill making the other product. There is a possibility that the cheaper product does not have as much profi t margin on it, is manufac-tured closer and the transportation costs are not as high. It is critical though that when comparing two products that the producer compare “apples and apples.” If one product is signifi cantly cheaper than the other it is critical to know if the cheaper product is using a lower quality formulation, less digestible or available sources, etc. etc. The mill manufacturing the feed may constantly reformulate the feed using least cost formulation objec-tives. This can result in a product that is highly variable and this inconsistency may negatively affect consumption. The results of using a cheaper product, made with a lower energy level, could result in reduced gain in calves, reduced repro-ductive performance, health and so on.Conclusions It becomes obvious that under condi-tions experienced in many areas of the country the feeding and management conditions become considerable. Dr. Steve Blezinger is a nutritional and manage-ment consultant with an offi ce in Sulphur Springs, TX. He can be reached at 667 CR 4711 Sulphur Springs, TX 75482, by phone at (903) 885-7992 or by e-mail at [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook at Reveille Livestock Concepts.

Cattle Today


Ethanol continued from page 3

Roughage sources such as corn and milo stalks, peanut hay and soybean stubble can be purchased in a baled form. The other products such as gin trash, cot-tonseed and peanut hulls are often deliv-ered in loose, bulk form but in some situ-

ations can be found in a pelleted form which makes handling quite a bit easier. You will notice with these roughages that in general they are low in protein and energy so it is a basic assumption that some form of supplementation will be necessary. Typically 3 to 5 lbs. per head per day of processed corn or milo or another grain source may be used to meet energy needs. Additionally it is necessary to provide protein as well. Other feed ingredients such as corn glu-ten feed or whole cottonseed can be used to satisfy both protein and energy needs to a certain degree. Regardless of what roughage source you decide to use, loads need to be test-ed regularly to ascertain nutrient con-tent. Products must be compared based on economics. In many cases a really “cheap” feed can cost you much more in the long run.Supplementation – Urea Containing Supplements Feeding, supplementation and basic management issues are also amplifi ed during periods such as this character-ized by forage shortages. One other chal-lenge that also contributes to the situ-ation that producers are currently in is high feed and commodity prices. With proteins over $400 per ton, corn over $300 and most commodities over $250, livestock feeding and supplementa-tion is an extremely expensive proposi-tion. Producers are looking for any way possible to reduce costs and one way is through the inclusion of non-protein ni-trogen (NPN) sources such as urea to re-place a portion of the crude protein that would normally come from ingredients such as cottonseed, soybean, canola and sunfl ower meals. This NPN is broken down in the rumen and utilized by the microbial population to make bacterial protein which is digested and absorbed by the cow. A rule of thumb, especially for more complete types of feed is that no more than 1/3 of the total protein should come from an NPN source. In true sup-plements where the feeding rate is much lower, the NPN content can be higher but intake must be closely regulated. Many dry feeds and supplements and liquid feeds in general contain some level of urea as a source of non-protein nitrogen (NPN). Feeding of NPN is safe as long as certain precautions are in place. Keeping these precautions in place is critical dur-ing drought periods.a) Liquid feed is an excellent supple-ment for cattle on pasture or hay. How-ever, in periods when forage availability is low care must be taken that cattle do not over-consume urea containing feeds

poultry output and, fi nally, record-high meat prices, said Steven Roger Meyer, Ph.D., president of Paragon Economics Inc. Typical producer testimony came from Michael Welch, president and CEO of Harrison Poultry in Beth-lehem, Ga., who insisted no issue is more critical than having an ad-equate supply of grain and oilseeds at reasonable costs. “The rules of the game should be re-balanced and the playing fi eld should be leveled to permit chicken producers and other animal agri-culture producers to more fairly compete for the limited supplies of corn this year and in the next few

years,” he added. “Included in this effort must be a safety-valve to ad-just the Renewable Fuels Standard when there is a shortfall in corn supplies.” Almost every member of the Sub-committee agreed with what the witnesses said, according to news reports. Congressman David Scott (D-GA) asked the panel how high the price of corn would have to be to force them to stop their operations. Prices are already too high and can-not be sustained in the long term, Welch replied. If the price of corn remains this high, he added, poul-try prices would have to increase 20 percent to break even.LMA

Drought

continued from page 9

Life Is Simplecontinued from page 5weight of my life, I fi gured I could break the tire loose from the rim simply by standing on it. I was wrong, but that didn’t dissuade me. Out came the old splitting maul from my young-er wood-cutting days. Several whacks and a pile of sweat later, the tires hadn’t seemed to move even a fraction of an inch from their permanent location on the rim. Next, I tried the steel chisel and after that, real tire tools. Still, there was no progress. Hot, mad, and frustrated, I went to the house for a drink of water.

Sensing my anger, Judy asked if there was anything she could do. I mumbled something that I hoped would be inaudible, but my wife followed me back to the shop anyway where I beat on the tire for a few minutes more, cursed a few times, and then sat down in a pool of my own sweat. “Why don’t you just cut it off?” she suggested.

“Because a tire has steel cords in it!” I answered rather bluntly. She raised her eyebrows and went back to the house. After an-other ten-minute battle with the inanimate object, I reached into my jeans and took out my pocket knife. I slowly opened the knife and then abruptly began stab-bing the fat little tire over and over again as if it were some-one who had just killed both my kids. Then, laughing, I cut out enormous chunks of black rub-ber that would allow me access to that precious little band that had seemingly grown to the rim.

Now, quarts of sticky, slimy seal-ant oozed out onto the fl oor and on me in some type of “Jedi” tire revenge. Fighting mad, I made access to the inner parts with cutting pliers that eventually allowed me to cut those tough little steel cords and rip the tire from the rim.

I was pulsating with new-found energy now and with both hands I raised the defeated, mangled rubber above my head, with its dripping sealant blood, like an aboriginal hunter with the head of his fi rst kill.

Realizing there was nobody around to share my success, I looked at my watch. Apparently, I had been fi ghting my prey for two and one-half hours. There was not enough kitty litter in Lawrence County to soak up all the tire sealant on the fl oor, plus the clothes I was wearing would surely have to be burned.

I took the remaining tire to the tire shop and paid them $5.00 to change it in less than ten minutes.

Is Herd Liquidation

Inevitable?


Conditions throughout 2011 have been tough in the South-ern Great Plains, es-pecially in Texas and Oklahoma, home to about 23 per-cent of U.S. beef cows. With triple-digit temperatures and very little rain, the livestock industry is feeling the effects of drought. The United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA) has rated 90 percent of pasture conditions in the region as very poor. To make matters worse, most livestock water sources are drying up or have reached a point where water quality is a major concern. All of these issues have area cattle producers strategizing as to what their ranch management plan should be in the near future. They are evaluating how many days of quality water they have left or how many days of standing forage and hay are available. The hard-est question for any cow/calf producer to face is now being asked by countless

ranchers - will I have to liquidate my cow herd? While the Noble Foundation's website has calculators to help with water and feed concerns, we do not have a simple calculator to determine the need for herd liquidation. However, considering certain factors can help you make the decision for your circumstances. The fi rst step is to determine the current value of one's cows; that is, to

calculate the value of your cows if they were sold in today's market. While this is an uncomfortable issue to face, it is important. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the USDA has a web-site that reports market prices of live-stock in select auction facilities across the United States. These reports can be found by going to www.ams.usda.gov and then drilling down to the markets of interest under the "Market News" section or directly at 1.usa.gov/nhlyFi. In August 2011, the Oklahoma City market was showing an average 2- to 7-year-old cow, bred or not, worth $700. While this price is more than $300 low-

er than the same time in 2010 for a bred cow, one must consider the increased number of cows that have been or are going to market. This brings up the second determina-tion that needs to be made - costs. To decide if herd liquidation is the best op-tion, it is important to understand what the costs are expected to be from today until we have green grass in April or May of 2012. Due to the drought, area pastures have little to no grass left and most producers stocked for an average rainfall year. If you are considering

By Job Springer



STAR-VAC

For more information: Jerry Welschmeyer– 573-308-6656 Office – 573-422-3305

svienna

Vienna, Mo 65582

Backgrounding weaned calves is not for the faint of heart, especially when those calves are acquired from multiple sale barns. Though the risk is high and the stakes increasingly higher, at Hen-derson Ranch in Warsaw, MO, one family is making it work on thousands of young stockers every year. Their ongoing suc-cess is a result of careful land management and an aggressive health program they implement in their own herd and offer to their customers. “My dad does the buying,” says Leslie Grace who works with the family opera-tion alongside her brother Thad. Leslie and husband Mitch also run 250 head of their own commercial cows nearby while Lance, another Henderson broth-er, manages his herd in Redfi eld, Ks. Everyone is used to the drill. “Every-thing we do is bought through the sale barn. We buy in small lots at local sale barns and call them high risk cattle.” The Hendersons know the unpredict-ability, but they are just as cognizant of the potential profi t. Five genera-tions have called Benton County home and Warsaw is where Scotty and his children learned the sale barn busi-ness inside and out. Wyman Henderson

bought the livestock trade facilities in 1954. Scotty became partner in the lo-cal auction barn where every Tuesday the boys worked out back and Leslie helped in the offi ce, until they sold it in 1979. Henderson went from running one auction to frequenting numerous lo-cal barns, bidding on light weight calves headed for Henderson Ranch. Though many of the 4,000 acres of their property along MO 7 Highway are dotted with plenty of cedar trees and rocks, fertile bottom land along Turkey Creek provides ample grazing for young cattle. “We run about 500 to 600 head of steers in the summer. In the winter we bring in a lot of cattle,” says Scotty Henderson. Several customers will re-linquish another 5000 to 6000 head of background cattle to the trusted care of

the Henderson Ranch. “We winter here and graze some here, but the majority – around 3500 head – will graze April and May in the Flint Hills of Kansas,” Scotty explains. “We're just fi nishing loading and sell-ing 800 pound cattle out there this time of year. We'll sell some in July, some in August and some in September. We're just about done in time to start again.” And so the cycle has gone for a couple dozen years. But one thing in the opera-tion has changed signifi cantly. In ad-dition to vaccinating for every possible bovine sickness likely to plague a group of freshly weaned, stressed and co-mingled cattle, Henderson Ranch now implements BVD-PI testing on every individual that reaches their place. Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus is report-edly one of the most costly viral diseases for cattle, industry wide. It suppresses the immune system and makes infected cattle susceptible to other costly diseas-es, including bovine respiratory disease complex, pneumonia, scours and others. Persistently infected calves are strick-en with BVD during gestation if their

dam contracts BVD between day 30 and day 150 of the pregnancy. That calf is infected for the rest of its life and can become an expensive nuisance by shed-ding tremendous quantities of the virus to other animals in a short amount of time. Henderson Ranch began testing for BVD-PI calves about six years ago. “I had been reading about BVD-PI and tried to talk my dad and brother into testing for it,” says Leslie. “They said it just cost too much.” In reality, the ranch was spending signifi cantly more to doc-tor sick calves and still dealing with death loss after treatment. “We would have pens of cattle that just wouldn't line out. You'd get them well and then they'd get sick again. Or put them out on pasture and then fi nd some dead.” Leslie pleaded her case and convinced the men to begin notching calves. “At fi rst, we didn't fi nd any for a while,” she says. “Now we PI test and fi nd about four per 1000. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is when they are in your pen.”

By Brenda Black



© 2011 All rights reserved.

To learn more visit www.crystalyx.com/feedlimitfinder or call 800.727.2502

At the Blue Q Ranch outside Troy, North Carolina, Farm Manager Mitchell Scheer relies on CRYSTALYX®. “It provides the best quality, consistency, product flexibility

and availability. CRYSTALYX® gives us an acceptable cost per head, per day of supplementation with confidence in the product. And the selection of products

fulfills all our needs for supplementation.”

September and October are im-portant months in the lifecycle of perennial cool season pasture plants because this is when those plants store carbohydrate reserves. Carbohydrate reserves are needed to allow the plant to survive the winter. Although the top growth of the plant will die, the crown and root system of the plant remain alive, continue to respire, and re-quire "food" in the form of carbo-hydrates. There must be enough carbohydrates stored up to allow the plant to last through the win-ter and to send out new top growth in the spring. Carbohydrates are manufac-tured in the plant through the process of photosynthesis. In or-der to produce and store up these necessary carbohydrate reserves, the plant must have green living leaf tissue. Therefore, your job as a grazing manager in the fall of the year is to make sure that pas-ture paddocks are not over grazed and that adequate plant leaf area is maintained. What is adequate plant leaf area? I suggest leaving a plant residue or average plant height of 4 to 5 inches in the fall of the year. Good fall management is espe-cially crucial on those pasture paddocks that were grazed hard during spring and/or summer ro-tations. I'm using the term grazed hard to mean that these paddocks were grazed low and that regrowth had to come from carbohydrate re-serves in the stem base or root sys-tem. In these paddocks, plants may be in a weakened state and fall is the last opportunity to restore car-bohydrate reserves. Graziers have several manage-ment options that will allow pas-ture paddocks to retain leaf area and build carbohydrate reserves. The most basic option is to just follow the basic grazing principle of take half and leave half. I know of some graziers who use the fall period to rotate livestock through

Fall Grazing Fall Grazing Management Management

hay fi elds and give their pasture pad-docks some extra rest. Another op-tion that should be given some seri-ous consideration is to feed some hay during this period to avoid overgrazing and

provide some pad-docks with a rest period heading

into late fall. In many instances this may prove to be the best use of low quality hay. Young animals are being weaned at this time and once lactation is over the nutrient needs of the mother are greatly reduced.Fall is not the time to relax grazing management. The management de-cisions made in the fall can impact pasture production next spring.

OSUBy Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator

Bob Harriman/Rotert, Montrose, MO

660-492-2504www.rotertharriman.com

RANGE READY BULLS & QUALITY BRED HEIFERS FOR PROGRESSIVE PRODUCERS

For Sale20 Fall Calving Bred Heifers

-Some are now pairs-

18 Mo Old Forage Developed Bulls13 SimAngus & Balancer

Calving Ease, Growth Guaranteed!

email:[email protected] John Ridder 636-358-4161 Glenn Ridder 636-433-2858

20 Head of Quality Bred Heifers

All Ultrasounded Safe to Calve to

SHF Rib Eye M326 R117, Sparks Trend 2007,

& KCF Bennett 9126J R294 in Jan 2012

DETERMINING THE VALUE OF WEATHERED HAYBy Robert Wells

The drought of 2011 is set to go down in the record books as one of the most severe in history. Most livestock producers in the Southern Great Plains have not been able to put up enough hay to meet their requirements in a nor-mal growing season, let alone during a drought when they will have to start feeding hay earlier in the year. Thus far, reports indicate hay produc-tion is less than 50 percent of normal for the 2011 growing season, resulting in tight supplies and escalating prices. This has led some to purchase old hay that has been weathered from years of sitting unprotected outside. Do you know the actual value of the old weath-ered hay when wastage is factored in? It may be eye-opening to learn that a large percentage of the total volume of

the round bale is in the outer 6 inches of the bale. The Noble Foundation has developed a tool to help you estimate the actual value of the edible hay in a weathered round bale. The calculator can be ac-cessed at www.noble.org/tools/weath-ered-hay. Many other useful agricul-tural calculators may be found at www.noble.org/tools. Here is a practical example to demon-strate the relative difference in the val-ue of two bales of hay that are the same size and weight (4 feet x 5 feet weighing 1,100 pounds), but differ by price and how much weathered, inedible hay is present. The fi rst option was baled this year and has no weathered or inedible hay for a cost of $55 before freight. The second option was baled a year ago at a cost of $45 before freight, but it also has 6 inches of inedible weathered hay. Which of the two lots of hay is the bet-ter deal? The two factors that deter-mine percentage waste of the bale are the diameter of the bale and the depth of the weathered hay. According to the hay calculator, the year-old hay has 36

percent waste in the form of weathered, low quality hay that will not be eaten by the cows. This gives last year's hay an adjusted value of $70.31 per bale when compared to this year's hay. Not only is the older hay more ex-pensive on an edible hay basis, but the producer will need to purchase 36 per-cent more hay to meet the cow's total nutrient requirements for the winter or risk running out before spring ar-rives. Let's assume that the livestock producer has 30 cows and plans to feed hay for fi ve months. If the producer pur-chases this year's hay, he will need 152 (1,100-pound) bales or four full trucks of 38 bales per truck to meet his needs. If he purchases last year's hay, he will need to purchase 206 bales or six truckloads.

If trucking is factored at $3 per loaded mile and the hay has to be hauled 200 miles, the total cost for this year's hay is $10,760 while the year-old hay would cost $12,870. The year-old hay actually costs an additional $2,110.This is a quick tool that can be used to determine if older hay really is the bar-gain it appears to be. The calculator can also be used to determine the amount of additional hay that is necessary to meet the cow herd winter requirements after accounting for the inedible portion of the hay. Contact a Noble Foundation livestock consultant or agricultural economist, or your local county exten-sion agent for assistance in determining hay needs for your herd.Noble Foundation


In Focus X Dream On X Lucky Buck In Focus X ShearForce 38K X Lucky Buck

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Saturday November 5, 2011 1 p.m.

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Leading edge, multiple-generation AI-sired pedigrees

Featuring the best of 225 bulls on test 101 yearling bulls on test 124 18-month-old bulls on forage test 101 Angus 79 SimAngus 45 Balancers 4 Red Angus 120 head AI sired

Sires included: Angus: SS Objective T510 0T26, SydGen CC & 7, SAF Connection Balancers: OZZ EXT Governor, SAV Final Answer 0035, Mytty In Focus SimAngus: Shear Force 38K, LT 598 Bando 9074, Mytty In Focus Red Angus: McPhee Pacific Pride 4127

4 miles west of Montrose Missouri on Hwy H Call toll free 1-888-PBG-BULL (724-2855)

Email [email protected] For complete listing of our bulls visit our

Website www.pbgbulls.org

All PBG Angus Bulls average in the top 25% or better for the breed for the following traits: W, Y, Milk, Marb, $W, $B & Top 32% of C/E

BW WW YW Mlk Marb API TI

-4.3 38 82 10 .71 152 89


-3.2 39 83 5 .74 148 89


-3.4 31 73 8 .66 141 82

Three SimAngus sons of Mytty In Focus!

In Focus X Triple C Invas X Lucky Buck

615X 027X 150X

150X is the only Simmental or SimAngus non parent bull in the breed that meets or exceeds these EPDS B : –4.3 Y : 81 Mb: .71 REA: 0

Finding those carriers signifi cantly re-duces input costs at Henderson Ranch. “Our cost for antibiotics dropped a lot – down from $20 to $8 per head,” reports Leslie. “Our death loss went from 3% to only about 1%. And one of the profi ts you can't begin to calculate is the time saved by not having to pull sick cattle and treat them.” The Hendersons were so convinced of the benefi ts of PI testing, they added another component to the Henderson Ranch where they could obtain their own lab results and offer the service to others. Henderson Feed & Vet, LLC is a BVD-PI Testing facility housed right at ranch headquarters. Lab technician Cindy Downing provides rapid and ac-curate results under the training and supervision of IDEXX, an American based company that manufactures the only BVD-PI ELISA test licensed by the USDA. “We test all of our cattle and we do tests for customers,” says Thad Hender-son. “All they need to do is provide an ear notch. We will test within 24 hours after we get the samples and then it takes about four hours to get the re-sults. Henderson Feed & Vet provides all the instruction and the vials to make the process as easy as possible.” Henderson Ranch tested 16,000 of their own and customer calves last year with the IDEXX HerdCheck BVDV An-tigen Capture ELISA test. Though the number of cattlemen utilizing the kit has increased, Leslie believes that a lot of cow/calf producers are not employing the available tools to eradicate a $3 bil-lion problem in Missouri alone. “Cow/calf producers are quick to blame low pregnancy rates on a num-ber of things like the weather, nutrition, or the bull,” says Leslie. “When, quite possibly, the reason they don't have good pregnancy rates may be because of PI. A PI animal running in a herd through the breeding season can cause cows to abort, or deliver weak calves or low birthweight calves.” Thad says cattlemen need to stop be-lieving they are exempt from BVD-PI. “PI's are out there and if it is not in your own herd, it might be right next door,” he explains. “It's not somebody else's problem. It is here and we are buying cattle and fi nding it at the local sale barns from local people. We've just got to get them out of the herd. For $3.45 per head, we can end the problem.” Discovery of the infected calves is not all bad news and there are ways to recoup on the apparent loss. Hen-derson Ranch quarantines any of their positively tested calves and those that survive are fed to fi nish. They are sent to a local butcher for ranch employees, neighbors and the Henderson family freezers. “They are perfectly fi ne to eat, you just can't let them run with other cattle,” says Leslie. The markets are beginning to take note of producers who take a plan of ac-tion against this costly disease. “More and more, buyers are looking for ani-mals that are tested BVD-PI free,” says Scotty. “All of our steers sold out of the Flint Hills are tested clean and it cer-tainly helps increase their value.” While Henderson Ranch is keen on eradicating disease from feeder cattle, they are just as determined to improve effi ciency on the production end of the industry. Just this summer, they began offering the newly distributed Bovine

Pregnancy Testing from IDEXX as well, contending that improved pregnancy rates mean greater profi tability just as much as improved herd health. The newly released pregnancy test is accurate at 28 days post breeding and a total of 60 days post calving. That makes it possible to identify open cows early and accurately after breeding, which can help shorten calving seasons through a tighter breeding program. The test is ideally suited for AI pro-grams Thad suggests. “It's simple to use,” he says. “It re-quires just a little blood and costs only $2.50. This early, accurate and conve-nient test is easy to incorporate into any

preg-checking routine. A vet palpating even at 45 days is iffy, but this test is ac-curate at 28, helping producers identify open cows earlier, confi rm pregnancies more frequently, and optimize repro-ductive performance.” At Henderson Ranch, about 700 of the backgrounded calves are heifers each year and Leslie says this new kit is perfect for their operation. “This is great for feedlot heifers,” she explains. “Chances are it is too early to check those heifers by a vet.” The fi nancial success of a stock-er operation depends on some factors largely outside of the producer’s control, like weather and price spread. But Scot-

ty Henderson isn't just following mar-ket reports closely or relying on many years of livestock marketing knowledge to decide how and when to buy and sell their cattle to receive the best prices. He and his family are employing modern technology to affect control over input costs. Henderson Ranch has found af-fordable ways to reduce death loss and protect precious reproductivity in their herds and that of their customers. Both are critical aspects of the success of Henderson Ranch at a time when calves from the local sale barn are worth more than ever.

Henderson continued from page 12


All cows are

The Angus cow is the basis of the beef business. She’s a cost reducer and a quality builder.

Her calves will put more dollars in your pocket.

She’s built by decades of selection for performance.

And she’s backed by the industry’s most comprehensive genetic improvement program.

So if your goal is to improve your cow herd: Look no further than the Angus cow.

She has no equal.

That’s the power of ANGU$.

Not Created Equal.

© 2010-2011 American Angus Association

Wes Tiemann, Regional ManagerIowa & Missouri

Hallsville, MO 64255

Matt Caldwell, Regional ManagerKansas & Oklahoma

Parker, KS 66072

LA Genetics LLC Analyzes Angus Down to the DNABy Brenda Black As cattle numbers continue to plummet, genetic technology be-comes even more relevant. Cut-ting-edge selection tools are not a new concept to Lance Thompson, an Angus breeder, who partners with his father and mother, Larry & Judy Thompson, at LA Genet-ics LLC in Russellville, MO. Their moderate herd of only 30 females is 100% AI or ET propagated and, since May of 2010, some of those females are being genetically mapped with DNA testing through the IGENITYR profi le for Angus. Fundamentally, the advanced sci-ence helps the Thompsons make better breeding decisions in a herd where there is little margin for er-ror. “DNA technology allows us to in-corporate every female that is via-ble,” explains Lance. “The females behind the performance data col-lection allow us to put a lot of con-temporary groups out there that not only improve our program, but the breeding programs of our cus-tomers.” Pulling blood on just one six month old calf provides enough genetic information to be the equivalent of registering eight progeny out of that female for marbling and rib-eye area EPD’s. When LA Genet-ics LLC is fl ushing and transfer-ring 10-15 eggs every spring and fall, the added data is critical for exponentially increasing the herd with superior bloodlines and high-ly marketable traits. The genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (EPDs) for multiple performance traits are calculated using the American Angus AssociationR carcass and ultrasound data in combination with the IGENITYR profi le for Angus. Together, the information provides a more thorough charac-terization of economically relevant traits with improved accuracy on young animals. Additional traits are also evaluated, and produc-ers can access IGENITYR profi le scores on traits not currently ex-pressed in EPDs. To date, LA Genetics LLC has tested a dozen animals and will see their fall calves hitting the ground in the days ahead. As they await the highly anticipated calf crop, it will be Larry who daily checks the herd and gets a fi rst glimpse of Lance's mating deci-sions. The younger Thompson has relocated near Topeka, KS, to work as a County Executive Direc-

tor for Farm Service Agency. Hav-ing Dad tending the herd alone is one more reason his MU Aggie son picks carefully what bulls to use. “Basically the breeding decisions are left up to me,” says Lance. “But I have a great supporting cast. LA Genetics LLC is defi nitely a part-nership between my parents and me. We all try to stay on the same

path. I try to make it as fault free for him too. He's a one man show and, with certain bulls, you have to watch for the birthweight, and I don't want to have him deal-ing with birthing problems. It's another reason



The Finest Products of the Breeding Art Offered at our 33rd Annual Production Sale, Saturday, November 19

Eddie Sydenstricker (573) 581-5900, office (573) 581-5991, fax [email protected]

Farm Office—(573) 581-1225 Ben Eggers—(573) 473-9202

[email protected] Allen Robinson—(573) 473-9203

Sammy Breid Kyle Vukadin

Jennifer Russell Matt Rouse

PO Box 280 Mexico, MO 65265 www.sydgen.com

Registered Angus Cattle Since 1952

Visitors Always Welcome

Selling: 188 Bulls 40 Spring Calving Cows 104 84

Fall Yearling Bulls Spring Bull Calves

23 Sons of Trust 15 Sons of Whiskey 14 Sons of Mandate 14 Sons of CC & 7 13 Sons of Liberty 13 Sons of Turbo

40

68

53

54

10

Fall Calving Pairs

Fall Yearling Heifers

Bred Heifers

Spring Heifer Calves

Show Steer Prospects

PLUS: Expecting 160 head of top-quality commercial bred heifers for the 14th Annual SydGen Influence Commercial Heifer Sale that evening at the Callaway Livestock Auction, Kingdom City, MO

Sydenstricker Genetics has a long history of combining genetic diversity with balanced trait superiority to produce breeding stock that will go out and work in the real world.

We are diligent in performance testing; culling those that don’t meet our standards;

and seeking fresh genetics to add to our herd. The two bulls below are standouts from the

their respective sires.

SydGen CC & 7 0679

08/24/10 16807520 A tremendous calving ease, herd sire prospect by the Docility leader SydGen CC & 7. He weighed 62 pounds at birth and currently records a CED of 11 and BW EPD of –1.4, plus a +37 Milk EPD. He scanned the second highest %IMF reading of 104 Fall Yearling bulls to go along with his 16.0 adj. REA.

SydGen Liberty 0537

09/02/10 16807493 For pounds and muscle this fall bull surfaced at the top. He set the pace at 4.57 ADG to record a 1512 lbs. adj. yearling weight. His sire was the 2010 Missouri State Fair Grand Champion Bull and his maternal sister was the $20,000 top-selling female at the 2011 Missouri Angus Futurity.

10:00 a.m.—at the farm

for using data to make these de-cisions. There are selections that keep birthweight low, but don't give up anything on growth.” Lance adds that he also has a great wife, Melissa, who under-stands the trips home to preg check, breed or work cattle on the weekends. “Being out here in Kansas, I can concentrate more on marketing the cattle. Whereas Dad takes care of daily animal husbandry and reports back to me of things we need to be looking at.” LA Genetics LLC also shares the responsibility on a few donor cows by partnering with other An-gus breeders. “That allows us and them to purchase jointly and they take a percentage of the eggs and they are expanding their herds as well,” says Lance. The list of elite customers at LA Genetics LLC reads like a Who's Who in the Mis-souri Angus Association. So how did a 4-H project that grew to a 30-head herd make such a great splash in a big “black” pond? The answer goes back to the breeding. “After we do all the data collec-tion, we can take a female and look at that animal and say from a phenotypic standpoint, 'This sire is the one to use because he has higher accuracy.' And then we can take and compare to other bulls that may not be proven, but have DNA data behind them. While phenotypic characteristics are im-portant like soundness and con-formation – for example in Rus-sellville they have to climb a lot of hills – we still need to make a more educated decision. With the DNA data, we can look at calving ease, growth factors and carcass traits and make a breeding deci-sion where we can put a product out there that is worry free. That's what we're trying to do and cus-tomers are noticing.” This past winter, LA Genetics LLC was featured in an “I Am An-gus” video produced by the Angus Association. Even as the Thomp-sons touted the far reaching ben-efi ts of DNA profi ling in the seg-

lA genetics continued from page 16 ment, Lance says it is

also important to not overwhelm custom-ers with more data than necessary. “It's just keeping in perspective what the customer's goals are in their operation,” he says. “We always ask them to describe a little bit of what they are look-ing for – higher

weaning weights, calving ease, etc. Then we point them in the di-rection, but don't overload them with information. Weight data and phenotypic data are always best, but the added information is important to incorporate. And traits like docility can only be rat-ed through DNA technology. That can be something that throws a particular animal over another. It's like a batting average versus on-base percentage. You want the on-base percentage because poten-

tially you are going to score.” Someday, DNA testing may de-termine disease resistance, fescue tolerance, hair shedding propen-sity or udder quality. No doubt, LA Genetics will be scanning the data to see how it fi ts on their lit-tle herd. After all, there's always room for improvement based on sound science in today's ever-changing beef market.

[email protected]

Proud Sponsor of

Rt. 4 Box 620 Butler, MO 64730Curtis & Ann Long

660-679-3459David Warfield, mgr.

660-679-3395

Special Congratulations to 4-H ChampTevin Taylor

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Briarwood Angus Farms is Driving Force Behind Youth Angus ExhibitorsBy Brenda Black

Angus breeders since 1964, Curtis and Ann Long, Butler, MO, continue to back their breed and the kids that show them. For the 13th consecut ive year, Briarwood Angus Farms challenged FFA and 4-H youth to breed, feed and lead Angus to the winner's circle at the 2011 Missouri State Fair Carcass Contest. Cash awards and show halters went to six top individuals. Tanner Drechsel, Boon-ville, exhibited the FFA Grand Champion Angus Mar-ket Steer with Abby Sudbrock of Centralia FFA taking Re-serve in the FFA division.

In the 4-H cat-e g o r y T e v i n Ta y l o r of Bates County w a s named Grand Cham-

pion and Nicolas Rhodes of Linn County took home the Reserve Champion Live Angus Carcass Steer ti-tle. Kendra Pryor, Pleasant Hill FFA won Grand Champion Angus Carcass and Hannah Moyer, Lamar FFA received Reserve Grand Champion for her Angus carcass. Briarwood Angus Farms strives to encourage the next generation of Angus breeders to focus on the end product.



Jack & Nancy Baker

1 PM • Sunday, November 6, 2011at the farm • 7 1/2 miles east of Butler, MO on Hwy. H

All Bulls DNA Tested and Sell with Genomic Enhanced EPDs

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Name: Sire: MGS:GAR New Design 5050 Bon View New Design 878

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BW-.6

WW+57

YW+106

Doc+23

Milk+34

CW+34

Marb+.80

RE+.84

$W+31.41

$B+73.61

B/R New Day 454 SS Objective T510 0T26CED+4

BW+2.7

WW+68

YW+125

Doc+22

Milk+28

CW+32

Marb+.57

RE+.94

$W+27.91

$B+78.15

MCC Daybreak B/R New Design 036CED+11

BW+1.2

WW+46

YW+101

Doc+15

Milk+16

CW+24

Marb+.71

RE+.71

$W+20.72

$B+73.06

GAR Prediction Bon View New Design 878CED+10

BW+0

WW+56

YW+104

Doc+7

Milk+26

CW+28

Marb+.65

RE+..37

$W+30.24

$B+68.43

GAR Game On Bon View New Design 1407CED+10

BW-.3

WW+58

YW+106

Doc+13

Milk+26

CW+30

Marb+.90

RE+.39

$W+30.99

$B+69.27

GAR New Design 5050 B/R Destination 727-928CED+8

BW+.6

WW+52

YW+100

Doc+27

Milk+30

CW+35

Marb+.89

RE+.63

$W+28.38

$B+71.10

Bakers Prediction 0048 GAR Prediction Ironwood New LevelCED+9

BW+1.7

WW+55

YW+102

Doc+10

Milk+29

CW+29

Marb+.78

RE+.58

$W+28.22

$B+69.54

MCC Daybreak GAR Retail ProductCED+14

BW-1.7

WW+56

YW+108

Doc+11

Milk+20

CW+24

Marb+.71

RE+.61

$W+28.90

$B+70.77

Baker’s Design 0046 Baker’s New Day 0063 Baker’s Daybreak 0034

QUICK FIXBy John Maday Can producers improve the value of their calves in a single genera-tion by upgrading their bull selec-tion? An ongoing study at Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland, Kansas, suggests that in some cases, yes they can. The Southern Carcass Improve-ment Project is collaboration with Gardiner Angus Ranch, Kansas State University and Virginia Tech, to determine how much carcass im-provement can be made in one gen-eration, using high carcass value Angus AI bulls on typical Southern-origin beef cows, representing typi-cal Bos indicus-infl uenced genetics most often found in Southern states.Some southern ranchers over the years have upgraded their herds’ genetics to improve performance and carcass quality while main-taining heat tolerance and adapt-ability. However, signifi cant num-bers of feeder cattle coming from southern states are mixed-breed, multi-colored types with signifi cant Bos indicus infl uence. They tend to under perform at the feedyard and packing plant, and buyers discount them in relation to northern calves.

The Gardiners initiated the SCIP project in 2008, planning a study design utilizing embryo transfer and artifi cial insemination that would allow direct comparisons of multiple calves from southern-breed dams, sired by different bulls. The group purchased 22 typical southern cows from Georgia, Missis-sippi and Texas to serve as donors,

and fl ushed the fi rst set of embryos in July 2009. For the control group, the researchers used semen from 9 representative “southern” AI bulls, all from Bos indicus-infl uenced breeds. For the treatment group, they selected three proven Angus AI sires, chosen for high growth, muscling ability and marbling po-tential. They randomly selected bulls from the two sire groups for each mating. The fi rst set of calves was born during April and May of 2010. They

spent the summer grazing at Gar-diner Angus Ranch in Kansas, were weaned in November and back-grounded on wheat pasture until April 2011 when they shipped to Triangle H Feedyard, Garden City, Kan. The 57 calves went to slaugh-ter in two groups at the end of June and July. The slaughter group in-cluded 35 Angus-sired calves and 22 “southern-sired” calves. Of the do-nor cows in the study, six had prog-eny from both Angus and southern


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feeding through the winter, realize that starting from the beginning of Septem-ber and continuing to the end of April would require 242 days of feed. Hay in the marketplace is not only limited, but is more than double the price of one year ago. Average prices for grass hay have been between $120 and $180 per delivered ton in the southern Oklahoma and northern Texas area. Furthermore, it is looking like we are not going to catch a price break on

feed. Prices for many by-product feeds are about $260 per ton, and 38 percent cubes are about $380 per ton. If a cow consumes 3 percent of its body weight (including waste) and we have 242 days to spring green-up, then a 1,200-pound cow is going to consume 8,712 pounds (1,200 x .03 x 242) of for-age during this time. At $150 per ton, hay will cost $653.40 per cow (8,712 ÷ 2,000 x 150). Most of the hay brought into the area will not meet the total

Herd Liquidation continued from page 11

nutrient requirements of the cow, es-pecially during lactation. This is where by-product feeds or cubes are needed. Hay quality, cow weight, milk produc-tion, calving season and weather will all have an effect on how much and what type of supplement is needed. An estimate for supplement cost is an ad-ditional $85.50 per cow. Mineral, fuel, machinery use and other costs through the winter will add up to over $100, and by the end of April the cow will have $838.90 in costs. If the cow is worth approximately $700 today and we spend an additional $838.90 on her by the end of April, her value to the producer in the spring is $1,538.90.

The last consideration then has to do with replacement options. Could a pro-ducer buy a cow or a pair at the end of April for $1,538.90 or less? If so, it is time to sell and buy back in the spring. Realize that some of the cows going to market are going to greener pastures elsewhere and not necessarily to the packer. This means that there will be cows to buy when we get rain. Our rec-ommendation is to create a ranch man-agement plan for your operation that includes your specifi c inputs to deter-mine the most profi table option for you.Noble Foundation

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