Angus Angles Winter 2023

NY-ANGUS.COM | New York Angus Association

OFFICERS

President | Andrew King

Vice President | Chad Hazekamp Cobleskill, NY West Winfield, NY 518-852-1587 315-941-0817 avking2508@gmail.com cindy.bell70@yahoo.com

Secretary | Sara Fessner

Treasurer | Jerry Emerich Bloomfield, NY Mooers, NY 585-752-1213 518-593-0212 sgangusfarm@gmail.com jemerich@premierselect.com

Past President | Ric Coombe, Grahamsville, NY | 914-799-1091 tvangus@thunderviewfarms.com

American Angus Assoc. Regional Manager | Reese Tuckwiller, Christianburg, VA 308-360-3048, rtuckwiller@angus.org

DIRECTORS

2023 | Jeff Barber 2024 | Robert Groom 2025 | Gabby Glenister Skip Lear John Iovieno Ryan McLenithan Steve Loetterle Tom Miller Sarah Walton

Upcoming Events

New York Farm Show

February 23-25, 2023 | Syracuse, NY

NYAA Annual Meeting March 18, 2023 | Syracuse, NY

Deadline for Spring ‘23 Angus Angles (Membership Issue) March 31, 2023

PA Bull Test & PA Finest Angus Female Sale

March 31, 2023 | Pennsylvania Furnace, PA

NYJBPA Spring Preview Show

April 21-23, 2023 | Batavia, NY

Trowbridge Bull Sale & NYBPA Herd Builder Sale May 3, 2023 | Canandaigua, NY

86th NY State Angus Sale May 13, 2023 | Ghent, NY

Johnson Angus Ranch Sale June 10, 2023 | Durham, CT

Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show June 22-24, 2023 | Lebanon, TN

National Junior Angus Show July 1-8, 2023 | Grand Island, NE

Hello NY Angus Association Members:

By the time you read this much will have occurred in the NY Angus Association. In this issue is the announcement and information regarding the NY Angus Annual Female Sale. This will be held on the second Saturday in May as it has been in the past. In addition, there is work being done to hold on online only sale sometime in the fall. This is something new for us, and we are just in the beginning stages of this effort. Our Annual meeting announcement will be held sometime in March, or early April. Those details are being worked out.

Winter is in full force in the Northeast. Depending on where you are located, you may have had a mild start to the winter as we have had in Cobleskill, or you may have been blasted by lake effect snow with significant impact to you and your operation as occurred in parts of Western NY. I am not a big fan of winter weather myself, but I do enjoy the changing of the seasons. I get to this time of year, and I am looking forward to Spring. The slightest warmup has me thinking of grass beginning to grow, cows on pasture, etc. Obviously, winter is not releasing its grip on us just yet, but it is great to dream. This is also the time of year that the “catalogs” arrive. When I was growing up it was the seed catalogs. Now it is the new Sire Catalogs. We leaf through them, looking at the bulls. We watch to see where last years front of the catalog bull is this year. Did that new bull stay in front, or did he move further back in the catalog, relinquishing his place to a new younger bull with new pedigree, better “numbers” , or did he not make the cut at all? Genetics are moving so fast today, with breeders utilizing IVF, Genomics, and Embryo Transplants, we are getting calves from heifers and bulls at a much younger age. Sometimes those methods can bring improvement very quickly to a herd.

Winter brings each of us a short window to look at opportunities in our business. While staying up late keeping an eye on the heifer calving, or over morning coffee, we can take a few minutes to evaluate our farm business Whether it is the calving window we utilize, bulls we use, or forage we may grow, we can take this opportunity to decide what our direction will be for the next year. Then time to implement it, and of course mother nature will then decide what is really going to happen.

forward to seeing everyone soon.

Andrew V. King, President NY Angus Association

Looking

2023 Angus Angles Advertising Rates

Advertising Deadlines: Winter Issue: 1/16/23 – mailbox 1/31/23

Spring Issue: 3/24/23 – mailbox 4/15/23

Summer Issue: 7/11/23 – mailbox 8/1/23

Fall Issue: 9/19/23 – mailbox 10/10/23

Business Card Ads:

_____ $35.00 per issue

_____ All four issues $100.00 ($25.00 per issue) A $10.00 savings per issue!

One Quarter Page Ads: _____ $75.00 per issue

_____ All four issues: $260.00 ($65.00 per issue) A $10.00 savings per issue!

One Half Page Ads:

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Full Page Ads:

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_____ All four issues: $600.00 ($150.00 per issue) A $25.00 savings per issue!

For Discounted pricing, payment must be made by January 31, 2023. Payment can be submitted with membership dues to NYAA.

Advertising rates are based upon “Print Ready” ads. If you would like to advertise with Angus Angles and don’t have an ad designed, Taylor Hoelscher will be glad to design one for you at a nominal fee. Taylor’s contact info is:

Email: taylor@newcarouseldesign.com Cell: 716-574-9724

Please forward all advertising to Taylor. If you are continuing a prvios ad, there is no need to redesign.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY

At Certified Angus Beef, we know you spend every day raising beef to higher standards. We also know you may want to sell your product directly to consumers and businesses with the Certified Angus Beef ® logo on your packaging, so they know they’re getting the highest quality beef straight from the source. That’s why we’re creating Ranch to Table, a direct partnership program allowing you to use the brand’s trusted reputation for your increased gain.

HOW DO I BECOME ELIGIBLE?

Be an active member of the American Angus Association® . Present proof of Angus bull registrations.

Submit current Beef Quality Assurance (or equivalent program) certificate.

Provide standard procedures from your processors.

WHAT ARE THE CATTLE AND CARCASS REQUIREMENTS?

Cattle must meet the brand’s live-animal evaluation (i.e. predominantly solid-black hide). In addition, carcasses must meet the brand’s 10 specifications verified by a USDA grader (visit CertifiedAngusBeef.com/brand/specs).

IS REPORTING REQUIRED?

Yes, but monthly reporting requirements may vary depending on how you merchandise your product. Certified Angus Beef will provide appropriate reporting templates based on whether monthly head counts are sufficient or if more detailed reporting is required.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

You’ll pay a one-time $500 enrollment fee and receive a special marketing kit from Certified Angus Beef, complete with resources best suited for your business. Additional commissions will be $10/ head certified.

WHAT ELSE IS EXPECTED OF ME?

Certified Angus Beef asks that you submit a marketing plan for approval. Elements should include a consumer-facing webpage, a customer service plan with a money-back guarantee, and an outline of your intended sales strategy.

Base-level eligibility is simply a starting point for licensing. Potential partnerships must be complementary to the producer and Certified Angus Beef; marketing plans evaluated accordingly. Certified Angus Beef reserves the right to review all applications for licensing with discretion beyond eligibility requirements.

We’re currently testing this program with a limited number of pilot partners. Producer licensing opportunities are scheduled to expand in spring 2023. Please direct questions to Kara Lee, director of producer engagement, at 812-653-0020 or email klee@certifiedangusbeef.com.

AMER IC AN ANGUS A S S OCI AT ION - T HE BUSINE S S

Heif er Pr egnanc y

T he heif er pr egnanc y (HP) EP Ds ar e de signed to c har ac ter i ze dif f er enc e s among sir e s in t he Angus br eed f or daughter 's heif er pr egnanc y W hen c ompar ing t wo sir e s ba sed on t heir heif er pr egnanc y EP Ds (r epor ted in unit s of per c ent age), a higher EP D sir e would be expec ted to have daughter s w it h a gr e ater pr obabilit y or c hanc e of bec oming pr egnant t han a sir e w it h t he lower EP D

A per f or manc e dat aba se is a s sembled using av ailable br eeding inf or mat ion on f ir s t-c alf heif er s A heif er 's br eeding r ec or d is c oded a s a suc c e s s or f ailur e of being pr egnant , ba sed on any pr egnanc y c hec k dat a or c alv ing inf or mat ion r ec or ded and submit ted by t he br eeder T he heif er c ontempor ar y gr oup is def ined a s br eeding her d, br eeding ye ar, se a son, and s ync hr oni z at ion c ode Edited dat a on heif er s ar e analyzed in a t hr e shold analy sis w it h a f ull animal model and t hr ee gener at ion pedigr ee

BREED

Use of Heif er Pr egnanc y EP Ds

Heif er pr egnanc y EP Ds ar e to be used a s a tool to incr e a se t he c hanc e of a sir e's daughter s bec oming pr egnant dur ing a nor mal br eeding se a son A higher EP D is t he mor e f avor able dir ec t ion f or selec t ion pr e s sur e A s w it h ot her EP Ds , t he r elat i ve dif f er enc e among sir e s is of impor t anc e r at her t han t he ab solute v alue

F igur e 1 pr ov ide s an ex ample of t he use of heif er pr egnanc y EP Ds . A s sume t her e ar e 100 da ughter s f or e ac h of t he t wo bulls , managed and t r e ated alike in t he s ame br eeding env ir onment W hen c ompar ing t he t wo bulls , one would expec t an aver age of 5 mor e pr egnant daughter s out of 100 fr om Bull A c ompar ed w it h Bull B E s sent ially Bull A's daughter s have a 5% gr e ater c hanc e of bec oming pr egnant t han Bull B's daughter s

The Inventory Reporting program will account for all cows in your program that are older than 12 months. Reporting on a per-cow basis compared to a per-calf basis can add validity to the database and provide insight to economically relevant traits such as fertility and longevity. The fee is $2 per enrolled female.

For each inventoried female, one of the following is required 

Calf Reported (birth date, sex, dam)  Reason code for no calf

Disposal code for the cow

Once you begin through the enrollment wizard, you will need to select the owner codes that will be enrolled for submission of AHIR data including birth, weaning, yearling, breeding, etc. Uncheck any codes that should not be enrolled.

The purpose of the next tab is to define your active inventory.

Animals showing on the active inventory list are either females over 12 months of age or has a calf reported within the last 24 months. This includes ET Recipients and owned donor cows. The inactive list are females that have not had a calf reported in the last 24 months.

Using the options available, move animals between the two lists by:

Working through the list one animal at a time utilizing the arrows to move females between active or inactive status

Using the filter option to find an animal by tag/tattoo or registration number

Using filter options to narrow down the inactive or active list based on selected criteria

o The words "Filter Applied" will show at the top of each list when a filter is in use.

o Use the 'Activate All' or 'Inactivate All' buttons to apply either action to the entire filtered list

o After a filter is used, click 'Clear' to reset to the updated inventory lists

Using the Export File option, an Excel file of the active and inactive lists can be created

o Work through the file changing the Y/N Active indicator

o Save complete file on computer

o Use Import File option to update animals to the appropriate list

As actions are completed with moving animals between the active and inactive lists, inventory accounts will automatically adjust. Once the Active and Inactive Inventories have been finalized, click 'Next' to continue to the payment tab.

The payment tab has a summary of the inventory. You can enter your payment information and after everything is entered, click the Complete Enrollment button to finish.

Inventory Reporting FAQ

GENERAL ENROLLMENT QUESTIONS

Why enroll in Inventory Reporting?

The Inventory Reporting program helps keep complete production records for each female in your herd over 12 months of age. One time per year, you report if she had a calf, why did she did not have a calf, or why she left the herd, and complete the process by enrolling your current female inventory after updates are complete. Having complete production records on females is not only useful for herd management but also helps develop traits such as longevity. Members enrolled in Inventory Reporting will receive the research longevity EPD for registered animals in their herd when released.

What are the options for enrollment dates?

There are two dates to select from for Inventory Reporting enrollment – January and July. The most e ective time to enroll your herd is after your current calf crop is weaned and before your next calf crop has started calving. Therefore, if your herd primarily calves in the spring, enroll your herd in the November to January enrollment window. If your herd primarily calves in the fall, enroll your herd in the May to July enrollment window.

What if I have both spring and fall herds?

You will need to decide which one makes more sense for you to enroll. Typically, members choose the enrollment period best fit for the majority of their herd.

How do I add or change the secondaries linked to the main account?

To add or change secondary accounts linked together for AHIR data submission, call or email the Association for assistance.

What is the cost to participate in Inventory Reporting?

Through the Inventory Reporting system, each female >12 months of age will be assessed a $2 fee upon enrollment. This fee will allow your next calf crop to be submitted free of charge. This $2 fee replaces the $3 Individual Reporting fee paid on calves at birth or weaning weight data submission.

Do I have to pay anything else for AHIR after I enroll my cow inventory?

Once you have paid for enrollment at $2 per cow, all birth weights and/or weaning weights for calves born after the enrollment date out of enrolled cows can be submitted at no charge until your next enrollment.

Should I only turn in data during my open enrollment?

You do not need to wait until your enrollment period to send in data, data can be turned in throughout the year. Inventory Reporting does not change the process of how you submit data. Records submitted between enrollment periods accumulate towards meeting requirements. However, you can only submit your final updated cow inventory during the enrollment period.

If I do not enroll in Inventory Reporting, can I still submit AHIR data?

Yes, you can still submit AHIR information at the $3 fee as you have historically. There are now two options for AHIR reporting, Individual Reporting and Inventory Reporting.

What is the di erence between “active” and “inactive” females?

“Active” females are those that will be listed in your inventory. These should be the females that are currently in your operation that are 12 months or older. “Inactive” females are cancelled from your inventory because they are females identified as no longer in your herd.

Can I still view production records on females that are disposed?

Yes, production records on any female you have owned are available by navigating AAA Login to My Herd > Animal Lists > Cancelled Animals.

What do I do if I accidentally cancel a cow that I need to report a calf on?

You need to contact the Association and the cow in question will be reinstated. Once reinstated, the female will show up in your lists. You will be charged $3 when a weight is submitted on the calf from the reinstated dam.

Inventory Reporting FAQ

How do I enroll using paper?

To enroll on paper, you must contact the Association to have a hardcopy of your inventory printed and mailed to you. You can then submit your inventory back to the Association and we will update the inventory.

MATERNALPLUS QUESTIONS

How do I earn the MaternalPlus designation badge on EPD/Pedigree look-up?

The first step is to enroll in Inventory Reporting. At reenrollment, to earn the MaternalPlus designation, you will need to submit the necessary information required that has been set up for MaternalPlus. This would include heifer breeding records and weaning weights on calves along with the reasons or disposal codes for cows that did not have a calf.

What breeding records are required for MaternalPlus?

Heifer breeding records are required to meet requirements for MaternalPlus. Ideally, heifer breeding records would be submitted after being pregnancy checked. These records will show as required for heifers who were added to your inventory at 12 months of age and are around 24 months of age. Even if you have already reported the female’s first calf, the records of when she was bred for the first time are still necessary.

ANIMAL ENROLLMENT QUESTIONS

How do ET calves work?

If the ET calf is reported with an ET recipient that is enrolled into Inventory Reporting, then there will be no charge for the weight reported. If the ET recipient is not enrolled, there will be a $3 charge for weight reported. Even if the donor is enrolled, there will still be a $3 AHIR fee unless the ET recipient is enrolled in inventory.

Do donor females have to remain in the active inventory list to register ET calves?

A donor female should remain in the active inventory list as along as she is still active in the herd. When she is no longer active, she should be removed using a disposal code and disposal date. Any embryos collected prior to her disposal date can still be registered without the donor in the active inventory list.

Can I enroll Commercial or BIR cows into Inventory Reporting?

Yes, you can enroll commercial cows, BIR cows, and cows registered with other breed associations into Inventory Reporting.

How do I enroll multi-owned females?

Females that are multi-owned need to remain as active in all owners' inventory until she is no longer producing calves. When reporting calf information, those owner(s) who do not have possession of the female will list the “Reason No Calf” code as “Multi-Owned, No Possession”. The owner who has possession of the cow will report the current calf.

What happens if my cow is cancelled for parentage when I enroll?

The cow will not be included in your active inventory. When the parentage is corrected, the animal will show up in your lists to submit data again. When you submit the birth or weaning weight for the calf, you will be charged the $3 since the dam was not on the enrolled inventory.

Will there be problems with enrolling animals that are born early, prior to the enrollment date?

(Example: Enrollment date is January, but calves are born earlier in December). The Inventory Reporting program tracks back 180 days prior to the enrollment to see if calves have been born to meet that requirement.

If I enroll a bred female and she is sold and transferred from my herd, does the buyer have to pay the AHIR fee for her calf since she is no longer in my inventory?

No, the $2 fee for each active female when enrolled is valid for each female until the next enrollment period, even if she is transferred to another member.

Increasing the productive life of Angus females

It may seem like a long time coming, and while we are not there just yet, Angus members are getting closer to having a selection tool available to predict which females will survive and remain productive in the herd longer. A research longevity expected progeny difference (EPD) is anticipated to be released in 2023. But what information is needed to build a tool like this?

A decade ago, MaternalPlus, the whole-herd data reporting option in Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR), was launched. While AHIR has been in place since 1958, this program was historically built on a per calf basis, meaning not every female was required to have a record reported each year. The challenge with this way of reporting is it can leave holes in female production and disposal records, which creates an even larger challenge when it comes to working on creating tools for maternal traits, such as longevity. MaternalPlus was among the first steps in the direction of creating this foundation. This reporting option requires a record for each cow every year which includes whether they had a calf, were open, or left the herd.

In 2019, the American Angus Association (Association) and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) executed a producers survey as part of the $Value index remodel project. Most respondents were seedstock breeders, followed by commercial cow calf producers while just a few responses were gathered from the stocker and feeder segment of the industry. Of the 2,033 responses, cow survival was ranked #1 of trait importance. Also listed as important to respondents was working fertility, functionality, and other maternal traits into a Maternal Index. So based on the survey results, staff dug deeper into how to create tools that are important to members and their customers. The ability to create those tools relies heavily upon the resources of data available, and we rely on the data submitted through AHIR. Again, having the right data to use as the foundation for a tool like longevity starts with complete production and disposal records on females.

Taking into consideration results from the survey and how to facilitate more complete records on females, in 2020, the Association expanded the AHIR reporting option on a per cow basis This is known today as the Inventory Reporting program, which includes MaternalPlus as level 2 of the program. The basis of Inventory Reporting is to keep a record of what happened to each female in the herd each year. Did she have a calf? Was she used as a donor? Did she leave the herd, if so, when and why? These records provide the information required to build the foundation for longevity. That is not say the records from females not enrolled in Inventory Reporting cannot be used, but the complete records help to remove noise from the data to build a better tool.

Keeping along the same thought of how to build better tools in the future, the list of disposal codes was expanded in 2021 to allow members to provide more detailed reasons for why animals are leaving the herd, whether culled or died. Using the appropriate disposal codes and providing accurate dates is critical as that information is used in longevity.

The foundation for longevity was laid by those involved in Inventory Reporting, when the research longevity EPD is released, those participating in Inventory Reporting (including MaternalPlus) will receive the research EPD on their registered animals. If you are not currently in the AHIR Inventory Reporting option, you can enroll your herd during enrollment periods Primarily spring calving herds should enroll during this enrollment, open November 1 - January 15 and primarily fall calving herds should enroll from May 1 – July 15. If you have questions or want to learn more, contact the Association at 816-383-5100 or email angus@angus.org.

Tuckwiller American Angus Regional Manager

Reese

Cold Stress and Transporting Cattle

By David Hartman, Penn State Extension; Submitted by Ron Kuck/CCE Cayuga

One area of concern that we sometimes forget about is transporting animals in cold weather. The following chart shows the effect of wind speed when added to the temperature. There may be no wind but the animals on your trailer heading off to the stockyards only know your truck is moving 60 miles per hour and it’s really cold back there.

Looking at the chart, if its 20°F and the wind is 40 mph, the wind chill is -21°F. If you haven’t done something to block the airflow in your trailer, those animals are having a pretty chilly ride.

Dairy cattle have difficulty withstanding cold stress because they don’t have the body fat, thick skin and heavy hair coat like beef cattle that provides insulation. Also cattle being transported from a sale barn have had little to eat or drink which normally would produce body heat from rumen fermentation. Remember, if your cattle are wet and you are transporting them in cold weather, the danger will be even greater. It will be critical to get your animals to the destination as quickly as possible

Cold weather is stressful for both cattle and cattle producers. The use of a little common sense and planning will go a long way to make this winter a less stressful time.